On Horseback (Updated 21-Oct-04 23:03:13)
Author: Ree-B Rated: R, for passionate interludes and foul language
AN: Author Notes in (parenthesis), thoughts in brackets
Disclaimer: I'm too busy counting my pennies, come back later.
On Horseback Chapter 2: Wet'n Wild
---'-,-- Meanwhile with the guys --,-'---
They all jumped into Alan's red truck and rode out to the hayloft. It wasn't far, just easier to drive than walk. They saw the two large crates filled with bales of straw and a large barn nearby (not the one with the horses). They all started to move the bales into the loft of the barn. They all talked about sports and stuff. Who would win the super bowl, who is the best NFL team, and who will make it to the World Series this year? Then Andrew said bluntly (as usual), "Darien, I know you like Serena."
Everyone stopped and looked toward Darien for his reaction.
"Sure, Andy, WHATever. I like Jess. You know she IS my girlfriend."
"That doesn't matter. You like her. A lot."
Darien paused. He couldn't find an excuse that would cover his feelings for Serena. Andy took the pause as a 'yes'. He got a little hostile towards him.
" I knew it, man, what are you gonna do about Jess?"
"Nothing. I'll just keep how I feel about Serena away from her."
"No way, man you've gotta go for Serena, man." Andy urged.
"Don't refer to Sere as some kind of finish line!" Sammy said protectively.
"He's right. You have to sweep her off her feet, cover her with kisses, and make love on a bed of roses." Ken said majestically.
" You think I should really get rid of Jess?"
"Sure, Dare, I didn't know what you saw in her anyways. She's shallow and prissy." piped in Andy.
" True. Alright, down with Jess." Darien was now thinking of how he could break it to her. What he didn't know was that Serena was doing a better job of kicking Jess out than he was. The guys went back to work. After a few hours they had finished and were piled back into the truck. When they got back into the house they headed to the kitchen for some grub. The first thing they saw were Mina and Serena talking at the table with a pile of sandwiches in front of them. They headed to the sandwiches then noticed Jess holding a large ice pack to her eye and a towel to her nose. Darien rushed to her.
"What happened?!?" he yelled.
"That slut punched me!" she said pointing a finger to Serena who was smiling sweetly, "She made me fall into the mud and laughed."
"Did not! I warned you about the puddles and you weren't watching where you were going! Besides you pulled me into the mud."
"Retract those claws and to your corners, both of you." yelled Ken.
"Darien, please get me out of here. I don't like it." Jess whined.
"But, Jess, I do and I don't want to go."
"Fine then!" Jess picked up the phone. "Yes, Operator? Give me the nearest taxi service... ... ...Um yes I would like a taxi at the Silver Rose Ranch as soon as possible... What do you mean you're not districted for my area? You're going to find me someone who will come here and you'll get them here in an hour! ...No I will NOT call another number. Just get a taxi here and get it here now!" she slammed down the phone and stomped up the stairs to her room to pack. Once she had left the room, Mina and Serena stared giggling. The guys looked at them with a 'What-happened-to-her-today' look. Mina caught on and said,
"Serena beat her up!" Mina said still excited.
"I broke her nose and gave her a black eye." Serena was unenthusiastic. Mina proceeded to give the guys the play-by-play of what happened that day (leaving out the part about Serena liking Darien, of course). Soon they heard a Taxi rip up the driveway followed by the sound of Jess's feet on the stairs. She snubbed right past the group and went outside carrying her bags. They all followed her outside. Jess put her last bag in the trunk and stopped at the open car door and turned to the group accumulated at the front steps.
"Andy, Mina I'll see you back at the city. Ken, Sam, Alan nice to meet you. Darien, don't bother calling me when you get back, we're over. And you, Serena, I hope you get run over by a tractor, and your horse, Endy, is the ugliest horse I have ever seen!"
Serena walked up to Jess, who got visibly tense, and said,
"You can insult me or my ranch, but NOBODY insults my horses!" Serena then swung her fist forward and then connected it with Jess's jaw. Jess was knocked unconscious and fell back into the taxi. Serena put her whole body into the taxi and closed the door.
"Take her to a hospital." She told the driver. The taxi drove off with Jess inside and Darien said,
"Well that will make it easier." This, of course, was something only the guys could figure out. The girls looked confused and he said, " I'll tell you later."
They all went inside and sat down in the living room.
"Well, Sere, did you pick out a name for the new mare?" asked Alan.
" Yes I did. I'm gonna name him Endymion. Endy for short."
"Where did you come up with that name? It sure sounds unusual." Pointed out Andy.
"I don't know, Andy, I think I've heard it somewhere before." said Darien.
"It just popped into my head last night," said Serena, " Sammy, will you go into town to get stable and saddle plates with 'Endymion' on it while we go out to the barn to assign horses."
"Sure, Sere," he picked up the keys to Alan's truck, "Alan, I'm gonna take your truck, see ya'll later."
The group headed out to the barn after Sammy had left. When they got to the barn Serena started talking to Alan about the horses.
"First, I want to know how much experience each of you have with horses. Mina, You first." Said Alan.
" I used to take lessons when I was little, so I'm pretty good."
"Okay, Andrew?"
" I've ridden a few times, but just on trail horses. You know when they just follow the horse's butt in front of them and all you have to do is stay on the saddle."
"Better than nothing, and you Darien?"
" I've never mounted a horse successfully yet. I have been around them before but never been on one."
"That's good." Stated Serena, "Now since Darien is tall he should ride Serenity. She's 7 hands and should do nicely."(Sorry, I don't know how tall that is but I do know that they measure horses by 'hands' and measure to the shoulder blade. So just imagine a horse tall enough for Darien)
"What do you mean '7 hands'?" asked Darien.
"That's how we measure a horse's height. Now Mina is petite and can handle well, so let's put her on Love Goddess. Now Andy, He hasn't been real horseback riding so we'll put him on Pegasus. Ken, you go on Lightning, Alan, you're on Rose Stem. Sammy will be on Glory. Darien has got my horse, so I'll go on Moonbeam, wait, no, She isn't well enough yet. I'll go on Endy."
"Serena, He's not ready yet. He hasn't been on the trail yet." Said Ken.
"I'll be fine guys, don't worry."
"Okay. Alan help me with the horses." Ken started to get out the horses when Serena stopped them.
"Guys, I want to teach Andy, Mina, and Darien to put on the saddles. Just bring their horses out to the ring. Mina, can you help them?"
"Sure!" Mina followed the guys and Serena took Darien and Andrew to get the saddles. When they had gotten out to the ring and Mina, Alan and Ken brought out the horses, Serena introduced each person to their horse. Mina's horse, Love Goddess, was cream colored and had a white mane. Andy's horse, Pegasus, was white with light gray spots and a gray mane. Darien's horse was completely white with a small gray almost crescent moon-shaped spot on her forehead. After Serena had shown them a few places horses like to be rubbed to get on their good side she showed them step-by-step how to saddle a horse and when they had it down pat they tried it on their own. Since Mina already knew how, she mounted Love Goddess and went for a trot around the ring to get to know the horse. She then showed the two guys how to mount. Andy had it down pretty well, but Darien was having a hard time. So Serena had Alan teach Andy how to direct the horse. In the meantime, Ken went in to fix dinner. Serena spent all the time before dinner trying to teach Darien how to mount and sit on the horse correctly. She was getting frustrated and by that time Andy was galloping with Mina in the fields. They were both doing very nicely. Serena could tell Darien would take some work. Then Ken came out to announce dinner. They all went to brush down the horses and then headed inside for food. By that time Sammy had come home with the plates.
Dinner was wonderful. Chicken Quesidillas and broccoli with cheese. After dinner, they all sat in the living room and played some card games. At around 10:00 Ken said,
"Well I'm gonna get to bed. Long day tomorrow. See you in the morning."
" I'm gonna turn in to." Said Andy while yawning. One by one they each got up and headed to bed. It was just Serena and Darien left.
"Serena, um, sorry I'm not good at riding horses."
"That's okay. We just have to get up early in the morning to get started practicing. I want you up and dressed, ready to ride at 5:00am. I'll make a rider of you yet." She then got up and headed to the stairs. Darien followed suit.
---'-,-- That night, character's thoughts --,-'---
Mina- I can't believe Jess left. But she deserved a good punch in the nose. Now Serena has a good chance with Darien. This is so exciting.
Ken- I just can't do it, Captain! I don't have the power!
Alan- To do:
Put on name plates Go check out river Fix north fence
Andy- I'm glad Jess left. Now I can get Dare and Serena together. HeHeHe.
Ken- Three pieces of string come into a bar. The 1st one goes up to the bartender and asks for a beer. The bartender says 'we don't serve string in here' so the string walks out of the bar sadly. The 2nd piece of string walks up to the bartender and asks for a beer and the bartender says 'I just told your friend that we don't serve string in here' so the 2nd string walks away. Now the 3rd piece thinks about it and he twists himself all around and ruffles his hair, then goes up to the bar and asks for a beer. The bartender says 'I cant serve you in here you're string just like your friends' then the string says 'no. I'm a frayed knot (afraid not)
Sammy- I need to tell Sere of Darien's feeling for her. But should I let Darien tell her? I don't know. I'll sleep on it.
Serena- I hope I can get Darien into a canter by tomorrow. Then it won't be so bad on the trail. I can't forget to get up early. Hitting Jess felt good. It was like I was fighting for Darien. And I won. I cant wait for tomorrow. We'll be alone while everyone else is still asleep. I can't wait.
Ken-ZZZZZZZyellowZZZZZZZpurpleZZZZZZZZZZZZgreen, redZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ whiteZZZZZZZZZZZZZZblue, orangeZZZZZZZZZZZZ(who says we don't dream in color!)
Darien- alone with her tomorrow? Can I control myself?
---'-,-- The Next Day, Sunday at 4:45am --,-'---
Darien stood in the doorway to Serena's bedroom, watching her sleep she looks like such a sweet, innocent angel. Look at how she sets her face upon the pillow, were that I was a case upon that pillow that I might touch that porcelain face (the almighty Shakespeare lives again) oh no she's waking up. Just stay calm, Dare Serena lifted her head to see Darien, dressed and ready. oh my gosh. How long has he been there? Why is he staring? Do I have drool on my face? Serena got out of bed and went towards her bathroom. She closed the door behind her. A few seconds later she poked her head out of the door to reveal her bare shoulders and said,
"You can wait in here if you want. I'll only be a minute." She then retreated back into the bathroom where the sounds of a shower could be heard. Darien was more than happy to stay in her room. He leaned down to smell her pillows. They smelled of vanilla and cinnamon. That was what she always smelled like. After a while, Serena emerged with one towel wrapped around her body and one wrapped turban-style around her head. Darien could barely keep himself from reaching out to touch her silky skin. Serena noticed how he was staring at her, and she liked it. She reached into her closet and pulled out a pair of shorts and a tank top, then hurried back into the bathroom to change. She soon emerged fully dressed. To Darien, it seemed much to quick for her to have put on makeup or dried her hair.
"Are you going to put on make-up or dry your hair?" he asked. oh no do I look horrid that didn't sound right, she's gonna think she looks bad
"Um... no I don't wear make-up out on the ranch." "Oh, just thought you did, um, cause your skin is so..." he reached out and lightly touched her face, "flawless." Serena closed her eyes when his hand touched her face. She wished he would touch more than just her face. She longed to be in his embrace. Darien then slid his fingers down to trace her lips. They were so soft. He wanted so much to put his lips to hers. He then pulled his hand away from her. She opened her eyes to see him staring at the ground. She realized what a silly scene they had made.
"Um, I guess we should go saddle the horse." Serena said, even though she really didn't want to move from his warmth. They went to the barn and readied Serenity in silence. They went out into the ring and Serena started telling him how to mount. Due to his hours of practice yesterday he could mount the horse fine now. He was now learning to control the horse. Serena had become very frustrated.
"No! Darien you lean towards the direction you're turning." She sighed then got an idea. "Here let me help you." She gracefully climbed onto the saddle in front of him, and took hold of where he held the reins, placing her hands on his. Darien felt he might faint due to his proximity to her. He attentively listened to her as she made him move his body along with hers.
"You want to pull the rein left on one side and let the other slack, so the horse can move its head." Serena continued to teach Darien to trot, gallop, and canter, never moving from her position on his lap. It was now 6:30 and the others would be waking up.
"I think you've got it, Dare. We should head back to the barn." Sometime during the lessons they had picked up the nicknames Sere and Dare. They rode back to the barn. Darien dismounted first, and then he lifted her small form from the saddle and brought her to the ground, to stand between him and the horse. Serena wished he would just kiss her, but he backed away and led the horse to the stall. They walked back to the house. In the kitchen, everyone was up and eating. Serena went to the fridge and pulled out the orange juice, pouring a glass for herself.
"Hey, pour me a glass of that, Sere." Darien said. She did then handed it to him. Just then, the phone rang. Alan answered.
"Hello...Yes, Ms. Tsukino is here. Hold on a second." He extended the phone towards Serena, who held the phone to her ear.
"Serena Tsukino speaking...........can't you do that with out me? .......Well, all right. I'll come right out. Bye" she hung up the phone then addressed the group, "They need me down in the city for some contract signing. Sorry, guys, I'll get back as soon as I can. We'll start on the trail tomorrow. You guys can have sort of a free day. Go into town. Go swim in the lake. Or something like that. Sorry!" She gathered a brief case and some folders from her room and sped out the door to her Ferrari and headed to the city.
---'-,-- Later that day --,-'---
They had gone into town to a local restaurant. Alan was sent with Darien to go get some food while the others sat at a table discussing what went on the other day when they were separated.
"...And me and Mina saw them this morning. Serena had started out giving him riding lessons and some how ended up riding around the field in his lap." Sammy said "But he did get a lot better!" Mina added.
"Well anyways, here's the mission. We have to get those two together. They both like each other. So any ideas?" Andy declared. Everyone thought for a moment.
"I know!" ken shouted, then lowered his voice again, "Serena always goes up to the river to check if it's safe to cross before we go on the trail. She has to bring someone with her so we'll get Darien to go!"
"That's perfect!" they shouted in unison.
After Darien and Alan returned with the food, they ate and left. When they got back to the ranch, Serena was back already. She was sitting in the living room in her riding clothes.
"Hey guys, did you have fun in town?" Serena chirped. There were several happy sounding murmurs around the room.
"You sound so ecstatic!" she said sarcastically.
"What about you, Sere, Did you have fun in the big city?" Darien asked.
"NO! I got down there and sat at a meeting for 20 minutes. Then I signed the contract and left."
"What was so important about this contract?" asked Sammy, he followed the company carefully.
"We had the take-over meeting with today." She said, "Well it's about time for me to go check the river. You want to come with me Ken?"
"I'm gonna stay and cook dinner so it will be ready when you get back. How about you go with...Darien!" Ken said slyly. "Okay. Come on Dare, let's get the horses ready." They went to barn and as soon as they left the houses, 7 'Yes's could be heard from the living room. In no time Serena and Darien had the horses ready and were on their way.
"So how far is this river?"
"Oh. It's about a mile that way." Serena pointed her finger north. " It will take about 10 minutes at a slow trot like this." Darien looked where she was pointing. Then one side of his mouth turned up into a smile.
"What if we gallop? I'll race you!" Serena looked at the trail in front of them, then to Darien and then to Endy (who she was riding & Darien was riding Serenity)
"What do you think Endy, can we beat them?"
"Not if we get there first, huh Serenity!" at this Darien took off down the path. Serena was stunned for a second then yelled,
"HEY! Not fair!" then she raced after him. Five minutes later they were staring at a large river in front of them. There were some small rapids downstream but it was crystal clear.
"Isn't it beautiful?" Serena loved the river. All Darien could think was not as beautiful as you! But he would never say that out loud. The water looked so cool and refreshing.
"Lets go for a swim." Darien suggested.
"Dare, no! We're eating dinner when we get back!"
"But we got here 5 minutes earlier than they think we did so we have time to kill."
"No, Dare!" Serena just didn't want to get wet. Darien figured that. All of a sudden he lifted her small form into his arms and walked to the riverbank.
"What are you doing, Dare?"
"Throwing you in the water." He said it as though there were nothing wrong with it. On the way he managed to remove her shoes and her watch. She was screaming,
"NO DARIEN NO LET ME DOWN DARIEN!"
He got to the edge, with one great swing he threw her in. He then removed his shoes, watch and shirt. Serena saw him take of his shirt. She made a small gasp at the sight. She didn't expect him to be in such good shape. He had great pecks and an 8 pack. He dove in, disappearing under the water. She couldn't see him. Then he came up behind her, dunking her under the water. They swam around for a while. Serena had headed to the bank and pulled herself halfway out when Darien grabbed hold of her wrist. He pulled her back in and she landed right into his arms. He held her there, staring into her eyes. She looked right back until she pulled her legs away from him to rest them on the floor of the river. She went to climb out again when Darien grabbed her wrist again.
"Come on, now, that's enough." She said. But to her surprise, when he pulled her towards him he didn't dunk her under the water but pulled her up close to himself. She was pressed against him, and she placed her hands up on his chest, enjoying the feel of his muscular body. They stared at each other, slowly drifting closer. They were only inches away now, and then their lips met. It was a small kiss, but very sweet. They paused, then Serena pushed herself away from him and climbed the bank. Darien stood for a moment before climbing out of the river. They put on the objects tossed aside earlier. Right before Serena mounted, Darien caught her eyes. She quickly pulled them away and mounted her horse. Darien got on his own horse and they rode back in complete silence. After they got back and had put the horses away, "Sere," he said, "I'm sorry." She saw the hurt in his eyes oh god, he thinks he did something wrong
"No, Dare, it wasn't you. Just...it's okay." She walked up to the house. He watched her enter the house What did I do? What's wrong? Maybe she doesn't like me When Serena entered the kitchen, she saw Ken at the stove, and the smell of spices reached her nose. Sammy, who was at the dinning room table, setting out plates, noticed Serena enter the room without Darien. Andrew noticed to and yelled,
" What did you do with him?" Serena responded,
"Nothing! He's outside. What did you think I did?"
"Maybe you beat him up." Sammy said, in a semi-sarcastic voice. This comment hurt Serena, especially from Sammy. He knows she only hits people when she gets extremely angry. Just then Darien walked in with a look of rejection. There was silence. Alan stared at them. His stare made Serena uncomfortable; it made her want to scream 'WHAT' at him, but she didn't. "So!" Alan finally said.
"What?" Said Darien, confused at what he wanted.
"The river!" Alan yelled. Serena hit her forehead,
"DUH, um, it's fine. Okay for tomorrow." "Oh. Okay but, uh, why are you guys wet?" Ken asked. Serena looked at Darien for a moment, making eye contact for the first time since they left the bank of the river. She quickly removed her eyes from his gaze and stared at the floor.
"Um... we kinda..." she was trying to think of an excuse, "...fell in the river!" Darien caught on, and finished the story, " Yes, My horse slipped on the bank and I fell off, and grabbed for Serena to help me but I only dragged her in with me." Andrew knew Darien was lying. He could always tell when Darien was lying. Sammy could do likewise with Serena, and he knew something was fishy.
"Dinner is ready!" Ken called out all of a sudden. Ken had pulled his Five-Layer Lasagna out of the oven. I looked delicious and once everyone was seated they found it to taste twice as good as it looked. During dinner Andrew was going to confront Darien and Serena with their false story, but decided that if he asked them now they would just deny it and change the subject. After dinner, they discussed a few things they would need to know for the trail, like don't go anywhere by yourself, and leave the wildlife alone, and stuff like that. Then they all retired to their rooms to get a good nights rest for the big day tomorrow.
---'-,-- That night, character's thoughts --,-'---
Mina & Alan- ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Andrew- I wonder what really happened with Serena and Dare tonight? I'll ask him tomorrow, if it's just him, and me he'll tell me. Then I'll know. I hate being in the dark about something.
Sammy- What did he do to her to make them have to lie? If Darien hurt her, and she lied because she likes him then I'll pulverize him. (I love when Sammy is so protective)
Ken- "I'm going out tonight-I'm feelin' alright/ Gonna let it all hang out/ Wanna make some noise-really raise my voice/ Yeah, I wanna scream and shout/ no inhibitions-make no conditions/ Get a little out a line/ I ain't gonna act politically correct/ I only wanna have a good time/ The best thing about being a woman/ Is the prerogative to have a little fun and.../CHORUS:Oh, oh, oh, go totally crazy-forget I'm a lady/ Men's shirts-short skirts/ Oh, oh, oh, really go wild-yeah, doin' it in style/ Oh, oh, oh, get in the action-feel the attraction/ Color my hair-do what I dare/ Oh, oh, oh, I wanna be free-yeah, to feel the way I feel/ MAN! I feel like a woman!/ The girls need a break-tonight we're gonna take/ the chance to get out on the town/ We don't need romance-we only wanna dance/ We're gonna let our hair hang down/(the song goes on more)
Lyrics from "Man! I feel like a woman!" sung by Shania Twain
Serena- I'm such an idiot. Why didn't I let him kiss me? I wanted to be in his arms like that forever. But he doesn't really like me; he's just on the rebound. I have the worst timing! Now it's going to be awkward.
Darien- I feel so stupid. Why didn't I see it? She doesn't like me the way I like her. That's probably why she didn't like the kiss. But I could have sworn there was something special in our kiss. Maybe I imagined it because I wanted it to be there so bad! Should I stop trying? I should forget the possibility of her ever loving me.
---'-,-- The next morning, Monday after breakfast --,-'---
They saddled up and gathered all the trail equipment. Andrew saw Darien leaning against the railing on the porch, taking a short breather. He was alone so Andrew approached him.
"Hey, Dare!"
"Hi, Andy." Andrew thought about being secretive but decided otherwise,
"What really happened last night, Dare? I could tell you were lying." Darien got worried but brushed it aside,
"I told you, I fell and pulled her in after me." Darien wasn't about to tell Andy about the incredibly embarrassing moment, well not yet. Andrew figured he would leave it alone because he would find out sooner or later.
"Okay." Andrew and Darien went back to loading supplies and before long they were ready to get going. Once they were on the trail, everyone was gibbering. Alan was in the lead with Ken next to him. Then came Serena and Sammy. Then Mina and Andrew with Darien coming in the last spot by himself. He was mostly concentrating on Serena. Her golden hair sparkled in the morning sun. He kept going over in his mind why she might not like him. He was never mean to her. The more he thought about it the more it hurt that she pulled away from the kiss. Sammy was talking to Serena about school, but she wasn't paying attention. She was thinking about last night. The kiss was so tender and pure. She almost thought that he truly liked her. The more she thought about it the more she thought the he DID like her. After about 10 minutes, they reached the river. Both Serena and Darien cringed at the sight of the area where they had kissed the night before. They were both wondering what the other thought. The group crossed the river on horseback. On the other side was a large field.
"We'll stop here for a lunch break." Said Ken, "I made Tuna fish sandwiches."
The field was filled with wheat and was dotted with wild violets. No sooner did they get a blanket and the food laid out for their picnic and Mina felt a big fat raindrop splash on her nose.
"Oh no! It can't rain now!" she whined.
"Everyone put on your poncho, and head to that tree. We can eat there quickly then move on to a small sheltered area that's a few miles ahead. We can wait out the storm there." Serena said with a demanding tone. They all moved to the tree and had finished their sandwiches after a few minutes. By that time it was raining steadily but not very hard. They got on the horses and started towards the shelter. About halfway there, it started pouring. The horses hooves were getting stuck in the now mud trail. Then to top it off it started lightning and thundering. What they didn't know was that Endymion was afraid of the thunder. The first loud crash, Endy reared. Serena was able to control him and calm him for a while. They went faster to keep the horses feet out of the sticky mud for long enough to sink. The came to a part of the trail only wide enough for one horse, so they backed into a single file line. "Be careful up here! It drops 50 feet on your left. Keep as far right as you can." Serena yelled over the roaring rain. They hadn't gone far before Endy got jittery from the thunder again and the added danger of the drop. The lightning was so close it was almost instant thunder and Endy raged out of control. Serena tried as best she could to control him. Everyone had stopped and Ken and Alan had dismounted to help control the horse. Before they could reach the animal, Endy reared violently and sent Serena flying over the 50-foot drop. Emotion erupted in Darien and he grabbed a flashlight and started climbing down the drop. His companions yelled after him.
"Darien! Come back!"
"Dare, where are you?"
He couldn't hear them over his own calls for Serena. He couldn't find her. He was now crying but you couldn't tell because of the rain. He yelled her name over the roaring noise of rain.
"SERENA! WHERE ARE YOU? SERENA!!!!! ANSWER ME!!"
So what do you
Author: Ree-B Rated: R, for passionate interludes and foul language
AN: Author Notes in (parenthesis), thoughts in brackets
Disclaimer: I'm too busy counting my pennies, come back later.
On Horseback Chapter 2: Wet'n Wild
---'-,-- Meanwhile with the guys --,-'---
They all jumped into Alan's red truck and rode out to the hayloft. It wasn't far, just easier to drive than walk. They saw the two large crates filled with bales of straw and a large barn nearby (not the one with the horses). They all started to move the bales into the loft of the barn. They all talked about sports and stuff. Who would win the super bowl, who is the best NFL team, and who will make it to the World Series this year? Then Andrew said bluntly (as usual), "Darien, I know you like Serena."
Everyone stopped and looked toward Darien for his reaction.
"Sure, Andy, WHATever. I like Jess. You know she IS my girlfriend."
"That doesn't matter. You like her. A lot."
Darien paused. He couldn't find an excuse that would cover his feelings for Serena. Andy took the pause as a 'yes'. He got a little hostile towards him.
" I knew it, man, what are you gonna do about Jess?"
"Nothing. I'll just keep how I feel about Serena away from her."
"No way, man you've gotta go for Serena, man." Andy urged.
"Don't refer to Sere as some kind of finish line!" Sammy said protectively.
"He's right. You have to sweep her off her feet, cover her with kisses, and make love on a bed of roses." Ken said majestically.
" You think I should really get rid of Jess?"
"Sure, Dare, I didn't know what you saw in her anyways. She's shallow and prissy." piped in Andy.
" True. Alright, down with Jess." Darien was now thinking of how he could break it to her. What he didn't know was that Serena was doing a better job of kicking Jess out than he was. The guys went back to work. After a few hours they had finished and were piled back into the truck. When they got back into the house they headed to the kitchen for some grub. The first thing they saw were Mina and Serena talking at the table with a pile of sandwiches in front of them. They headed to the sandwiches then noticed Jess holding a large ice pack to her eye and a towel to her nose. Darien rushed to her.
"What happened?!?" he yelled.
"That slut punched me!" she said pointing a finger to Serena who was smiling sweetly, "She made me fall into the mud and laughed."
"Did not! I warned you about the puddles and you weren't watching where you were going! Besides you pulled me into the mud."
"Retract those claws and to your corners, both of you." yelled Ken.
"Darien, please get me out of here. I don't like it." Jess whined.
"But, Jess, I do and I don't want to go."
"Fine then!" Jess picked up the phone. "Yes, Operator? Give me the nearest taxi service... ... ...Um yes I would like a taxi at the Silver Rose Ranch as soon as possible... What do you mean you're not districted for my area? You're going to find me someone who will come here and you'll get them here in an hour! ...No I will NOT call another number. Just get a taxi here and get it here now!" she slammed down the phone and stomped up the stairs to her room to pack. Once she had left the room, Mina and Serena stared giggling. The guys looked at them with a 'What-happened-to-her-today' look. Mina caught on and said,
"Serena beat her up!" Mina said still excited.
"I broke her nose and gave her a black eye." Serena was unenthusiastic. Mina proceeded to give the guys the play-by-play of what happened that day (leaving out the part about Serena liking Darien, of course). Soon they heard a Taxi rip up the driveway followed by the sound of Jess's feet on the stairs. She snubbed right past the group and went outside carrying her bags. They all followed her outside. Jess put her last bag in the trunk and stopped at the open car door and turned to the group accumulated at the front steps.
"Andy, Mina I'll see you back at the city. Ken, Sam, Alan nice to meet you. Darien, don't bother calling me when you get back, we're over. And you, Serena, I hope you get run over by a tractor, and your horse, Endy, is the ugliest horse I have ever seen!"
Serena walked up to Jess, who got visibly tense, and said,
"You can insult me or my ranch, but NOBODY insults my horses!" Serena then swung her fist forward and then connected it with Jess's jaw. Jess was knocked unconscious and fell back into the taxi. Serena put her whole body into the taxi and closed the door.
"Take her to a hospital." She told the driver. The taxi drove off with Jess inside and Darien said,
"Well that will make it easier." This, of course, was something only the guys could figure out. The girls looked confused and he said, " I'll tell you later."
They all went inside and sat down in the living room.
"Well, Sere, did you pick out a name for the new mare?" asked Alan.
" Yes I did. I'm gonna name him Endymion. Endy for short."
"Where did you come up with that name? It sure sounds unusual." Pointed out Andy.
"I don't know, Andy, I think I've heard it somewhere before." said Darien.
"It just popped into my head last night," said Serena, " Sammy, will you go into town to get stable and saddle plates with 'Endymion' on it while we go out to the barn to assign horses."
"Sure, Sere," he picked up the keys to Alan's truck, "Alan, I'm gonna take your truck, see ya'll later."
The group headed out to the barn after Sammy had left. When they got to the barn Serena started talking to Alan about the horses.
"First, I want to know how much experience each of you have with horses. Mina, You first." Said Alan.
" I used to take lessons when I was little, so I'm pretty good."
"Okay, Andrew?"
" I've ridden a few times, but just on trail horses. You know when they just follow the horse's butt in front of them and all you have to do is stay on the saddle."
"Better than nothing, and you Darien?"
" I've never mounted a horse successfully yet. I have been around them before but never been on one."
"That's good." Stated Serena, "Now since Darien is tall he should ride Serenity. She's 7 hands and should do nicely."(Sorry, I don't know how tall that is but I do know that they measure horses by 'hands' and measure to the shoulder blade. So just imagine a horse tall enough for Darien)
"What do you mean '7 hands'?" asked Darien.
"That's how we measure a horse's height. Now Mina is petite and can handle well, so let's put her on Love Goddess. Now Andy, He hasn't been real horseback riding so we'll put him on Pegasus. Ken, you go on Lightning, Alan, you're on Rose Stem. Sammy will be on Glory. Darien has got my horse, so I'll go on Moonbeam, wait, no, She isn't well enough yet. I'll go on Endy."
"Serena, He's not ready yet. He hasn't been on the trail yet." Said Ken.
"I'll be fine guys, don't worry."
"Okay. Alan help me with the horses." Ken started to get out the horses when Serena stopped them.
"Guys, I want to teach Andy, Mina, and Darien to put on the saddles. Just bring their horses out to the ring. Mina, can you help them?"
"Sure!" Mina followed the guys and Serena took Darien and Andrew to get the saddles. When they had gotten out to the ring and Mina, Alan and Ken brought out the horses, Serena introduced each person to their horse. Mina's horse, Love Goddess, was cream colored and had a white mane. Andy's horse, Pegasus, was white with light gray spots and a gray mane. Darien's horse was completely white with a small gray almost crescent moon-shaped spot on her forehead. After Serena had shown them a few places horses like to be rubbed to get on their good side she showed them step-by-step how to saddle a horse and when they had it down pat they tried it on their own. Since Mina already knew how, she mounted Love Goddess and went for a trot around the ring to get to know the horse. She then showed the two guys how to mount. Andy had it down pretty well, but Darien was having a hard time. So Serena had Alan teach Andy how to direct the horse. In the meantime, Ken went in to fix dinner. Serena spent all the time before dinner trying to teach Darien how to mount and sit on the horse correctly. She was getting frustrated and by that time Andy was galloping with Mina in the fields. They were both doing very nicely. Serena could tell Darien would take some work. Then Ken came out to announce dinner. They all went to brush down the horses and then headed inside for food. By that time Sammy had come home with the plates.
Dinner was wonderful. Chicken Quesidillas and broccoli with cheese. After dinner, they all sat in the living room and played some card games. At around 10:00 Ken said,
"Well I'm gonna get to bed. Long day tomorrow. See you in the morning."
" I'm gonna turn in to." Said Andy while yawning. One by one they each got up and headed to bed. It was just Serena and Darien left.
"Serena, um, sorry I'm not good at riding horses."
"That's okay. We just have to get up early in the morning to get started practicing. I want you up and dressed, ready to ride at 5:00am. I'll make a rider of you yet." She then got up and headed to the stairs. Darien followed suit.
---'-,-- That night, character's thoughts --,-'---
Mina- I can't believe Jess left. But she deserved a good punch in the nose. Now Serena has a good chance with Darien. This is so exciting.
Ken- I just can't do it, Captain! I don't have the power!
Alan- To do:
Put on name plates Go check out river Fix north fence
Andy- I'm glad Jess left. Now I can get Dare and Serena together. HeHeHe.
Ken- Three pieces of string come into a bar. The 1st one goes up to the bartender and asks for a beer. The bartender says 'we don't serve string in here' so the string walks out of the bar sadly. The 2nd piece of string walks up to the bartender and asks for a beer and the bartender says 'I just told your friend that we don't serve string in here' so the 2nd string walks away. Now the 3rd piece thinks about it and he twists himself all around and ruffles his hair, then goes up to the bar and asks for a beer. The bartender says 'I cant serve you in here you're string just like your friends' then the string says 'no. I'm a frayed knot (afraid not)
Sammy- I need to tell Sere of Darien's feeling for her. But should I let Darien tell her? I don't know. I'll sleep on it.
Serena- I hope I can get Darien into a canter by tomorrow. Then it won't be so bad on the trail. I can't forget to get up early. Hitting Jess felt good. It was like I was fighting for Darien. And I won. I cant wait for tomorrow. We'll be alone while everyone else is still asleep. I can't wait.
Ken-ZZZZZZZyellowZZZZZZZpurpleZZZZZZZZZZZZgreen, redZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ whiteZZZZZZZZZZZZZZblue, orangeZZZZZZZZZZZZ(who says we don't dream in color!)
Darien- alone with her tomorrow? Can I control myself?
---'-,-- The Next Day, Sunday at 4:45am --,-'---
Darien stood in the doorway to Serena's bedroom, watching her sleep she looks like such a sweet, innocent angel. Look at how she sets her face upon the pillow, were that I was a case upon that pillow that I might touch that porcelain face (the almighty Shakespeare lives again) oh no she's waking up. Just stay calm, Dare Serena lifted her head to see Darien, dressed and ready. oh my gosh. How long has he been there? Why is he staring? Do I have drool on my face? Serena got out of bed and went towards her bathroom. She closed the door behind her. A few seconds later she poked her head out of the door to reveal her bare shoulders and said,
"You can wait in here if you want. I'll only be a minute." She then retreated back into the bathroom where the sounds of a shower could be heard. Darien was more than happy to stay in her room. He leaned down to smell her pillows. They smelled of vanilla and cinnamon. That was what she always smelled like. After a while, Serena emerged with one towel wrapped around her body and one wrapped turban-style around her head. Darien could barely keep himself from reaching out to touch her silky skin. Serena noticed how he was staring at her, and she liked it. She reached into her closet and pulled out a pair of shorts and a tank top, then hurried back into the bathroom to change. She soon emerged fully dressed. To Darien, it seemed much to quick for her to have put on makeup or dried her hair.
"Are you going to put on make-up or dry your hair?" he asked. oh no do I look horrid that didn't sound right, she's gonna think she looks bad
"Um... no I don't wear make-up out on the ranch." "Oh, just thought you did, um, cause your skin is so..." he reached out and lightly touched her face, "flawless." Serena closed her eyes when his hand touched her face. She wished he would touch more than just her face. She longed to be in his embrace. Darien then slid his fingers down to trace her lips. They were so soft. He wanted so much to put his lips to hers. He then pulled his hand away from her. She opened her eyes to see him staring at the ground. She realized what a silly scene they had made.
"Um, I guess we should go saddle the horse." Serena said, even though she really didn't want to move from his warmth. They went to the barn and readied Serenity in silence. They went out into the ring and Serena started telling him how to mount. Due to his hours of practice yesterday he could mount the horse fine now. He was now learning to control the horse. Serena had become very frustrated.
"No! Darien you lean towards the direction you're turning." She sighed then got an idea. "Here let me help you." She gracefully climbed onto the saddle in front of him, and took hold of where he held the reins, placing her hands on his. Darien felt he might faint due to his proximity to her. He attentively listened to her as she made him move his body along with hers.
"You want to pull the rein left on one side and let the other slack, so the horse can move its head." Serena continued to teach Darien to trot, gallop, and canter, never moving from her position on his lap. It was now 6:30 and the others would be waking up.
"I think you've got it, Dare. We should head back to the barn." Sometime during the lessons they had picked up the nicknames Sere and Dare. They rode back to the barn. Darien dismounted first, and then he lifted her small form from the saddle and brought her to the ground, to stand between him and the horse. Serena wished he would just kiss her, but he backed away and led the horse to the stall. They walked back to the house. In the kitchen, everyone was up and eating. Serena went to the fridge and pulled out the orange juice, pouring a glass for herself.
"Hey, pour me a glass of that, Sere." Darien said. She did then handed it to him. Just then, the phone rang. Alan answered.
"Hello...Yes, Ms. Tsukino is here. Hold on a second." He extended the phone towards Serena, who held the phone to her ear.
"Serena Tsukino speaking...........can't you do that with out me? .......Well, all right. I'll come right out. Bye" she hung up the phone then addressed the group, "They need me down in the city for some contract signing. Sorry, guys, I'll get back as soon as I can. We'll start on the trail tomorrow. You guys can have sort of a free day. Go into town. Go swim in the lake. Or something like that. Sorry!" She gathered a brief case and some folders from her room and sped out the door to her Ferrari and headed to the city.
---'-,-- Later that day --,-'---
They had gone into town to a local restaurant. Alan was sent with Darien to go get some food while the others sat at a table discussing what went on the other day when they were separated.
"...And me and Mina saw them this morning. Serena had started out giving him riding lessons and some how ended up riding around the field in his lap." Sammy said "But he did get a lot better!" Mina added.
"Well anyways, here's the mission. We have to get those two together. They both like each other. So any ideas?" Andy declared. Everyone thought for a moment.
"I know!" ken shouted, then lowered his voice again, "Serena always goes up to the river to check if it's safe to cross before we go on the trail. She has to bring someone with her so we'll get Darien to go!"
"That's perfect!" they shouted in unison.
After Darien and Alan returned with the food, they ate and left. When they got back to the ranch, Serena was back already. She was sitting in the living room in her riding clothes.
"Hey guys, did you have fun in town?" Serena chirped. There were several happy sounding murmurs around the room.
"You sound so ecstatic!" she said sarcastically.
"What about you, Sere, Did you have fun in the big city?" Darien asked.
"NO! I got down there and sat at a meeting for 20 minutes. Then I signed the contract and left."
"What was so important about this contract?" asked Sammy, he followed the company carefully.
"We had the take-over meeting with today." She said, "Well it's about time for me to go check the river. You want to come with me Ken?"
"I'm gonna stay and cook dinner so it will be ready when you get back. How about you go with...Darien!" Ken said slyly. "Okay. Come on Dare, let's get the horses ready." They went to barn and as soon as they left the houses, 7 'Yes's could be heard from the living room. In no time Serena and Darien had the horses ready and were on their way.
"So how far is this river?"
"Oh. It's about a mile that way." Serena pointed her finger north. " It will take about 10 minutes at a slow trot like this." Darien looked where she was pointing. Then one side of his mouth turned up into a smile.
"What if we gallop? I'll race you!" Serena looked at the trail in front of them, then to Darien and then to Endy (who she was riding & Darien was riding Serenity)
"What do you think Endy, can we beat them?"
"Not if we get there first, huh Serenity!" at this Darien took off down the path. Serena was stunned for a second then yelled,
"HEY! Not fair!" then she raced after him. Five minutes later they were staring at a large river in front of them. There were some small rapids downstream but it was crystal clear.
"Isn't it beautiful?" Serena loved the river. All Darien could think was not as beautiful as you! But he would never say that out loud. The water looked so cool and refreshing.
"Lets go for a swim." Darien suggested.
"Dare, no! We're eating dinner when we get back!"
"But we got here 5 minutes earlier than they think we did so we have time to kill."
"No, Dare!" Serena just didn't want to get wet. Darien figured that. All of a sudden he lifted her small form into his arms and walked to the riverbank.
"What are you doing, Dare?"
"Throwing you in the water." He said it as though there were nothing wrong with it. On the way he managed to remove her shoes and her watch. She was screaming,
"NO DARIEN NO LET ME DOWN DARIEN!"
He got to the edge, with one great swing he threw her in. He then removed his shoes, watch and shirt. Serena saw him take of his shirt. She made a small gasp at the sight. She didn't expect him to be in such good shape. He had great pecks and an 8 pack. He dove in, disappearing under the water. She couldn't see him. Then he came up behind her, dunking her under the water. They swam around for a while. Serena had headed to the bank and pulled herself halfway out when Darien grabbed hold of her wrist. He pulled her back in and she landed right into his arms. He held her there, staring into her eyes. She looked right back until she pulled her legs away from him to rest them on the floor of the river. She went to climb out again when Darien grabbed her wrist again.
"Come on, now, that's enough." She said. But to her surprise, when he pulled her towards him he didn't dunk her under the water but pulled her up close to himself. She was pressed against him, and she placed her hands up on his chest, enjoying the feel of his muscular body. They stared at each other, slowly drifting closer. They were only inches away now, and then their lips met. It was a small kiss, but very sweet. They paused, then Serena pushed herself away from him and climbed the bank. Darien stood for a moment before climbing out of the river. They put on the objects tossed aside earlier. Right before Serena mounted, Darien caught her eyes. She quickly pulled them away and mounted her horse. Darien got on his own horse and they rode back in complete silence. After they got back and had put the horses away, "Sere," he said, "I'm sorry." She saw the hurt in his eyes oh god, he thinks he did something wrong
"No, Dare, it wasn't you. Just...it's okay." She walked up to the house. He watched her enter the house What did I do? What's wrong? Maybe she doesn't like me When Serena entered the kitchen, she saw Ken at the stove, and the smell of spices reached her nose. Sammy, who was at the dinning room table, setting out plates, noticed Serena enter the room without Darien. Andrew noticed to and yelled,
" What did you do with him?" Serena responded,
"Nothing! He's outside. What did you think I did?"
"Maybe you beat him up." Sammy said, in a semi-sarcastic voice. This comment hurt Serena, especially from Sammy. He knows she only hits people when she gets extremely angry. Just then Darien walked in with a look of rejection. There was silence. Alan stared at them. His stare made Serena uncomfortable; it made her want to scream 'WHAT' at him, but she didn't. "So!" Alan finally said.
"What?" Said Darien, confused at what he wanted.
"The river!" Alan yelled. Serena hit her forehead,
"DUH, um, it's fine. Okay for tomorrow." "Oh. Okay but, uh, why are you guys wet?" Ken asked. Serena looked at Darien for a moment, making eye contact for the first time since they left the bank of the river. She quickly removed her eyes from his gaze and stared at the floor.
"Um... we kinda..." she was trying to think of an excuse, "...fell in the river!" Darien caught on, and finished the story, " Yes, My horse slipped on the bank and I fell off, and grabbed for Serena to help me but I only dragged her in with me." Andrew knew Darien was lying. He could always tell when Darien was lying. Sammy could do likewise with Serena, and he knew something was fishy.
"Dinner is ready!" Ken called out all of a sudden. Ken had pulled his Five-Layer Lasagna out of the oven. I looked delicious and once everyone was seated they found it to taste twice as good as it looked. During dinner Andrew was going to confront Darien and Serena with their false story, but decided that if he asked them now they would just deny it and change the subject. After dinner, they discussed a few things they would need to know for the trail, like don't go anywhere by yourself, and leave the wildlife alone, and stuff like that. Then they all retired to their rooms to get a good nights rest for the big day tomorrow.
---'-,-- That night, character's thoughts --,-'---
Mina & Alan- ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Andrew- I wonder what really happened with Serena and Dare tonight? I'll ask him tomorrow, if it's just him, and me he'll tell me. Then I'll know. I hate being in the dark about something.
Sammy- What did he do to her to make them have to lie? If Darien hurt her, and she lied because she likes him then I'll pulverize him. (I love when Sammy is so protective)
Ken- "I'm going out tonight-I'm feelin' alright/ Gonna let it all hang out/ Wanna make some noise-really raise my voice/ Yeah, I wanna scream and shout/ no inhibitions-make no conditions/ Get a little out a line/ I ain't gonna act politically correct/ I only wanna have a good time/ The best thing about being a woman/ Is the prerogative to have a little fun and.../CHORUS:Oh, oh, oh, go totally crazy-forget I'm a lady/ Men's shirts-short skirts/ Oh, oh, oh, really go wild-yeah, doin' it in style/ Oh, oh, oh, get in the action-feel the attraction/ Color my hair-do what I dare/ Oh, oh, oh, I wanna be free-yeah, to feel the way I feel/ MAN! I feel like a woman!/ The girls need a break-tonight we're gonna take/ the chance to get out on the town/ We don't need romance-we only wanna dance/ We're gonna let our hair hang down/(the song goes on more)
Lyrics from "Man! I feel like a woman!" sung by Shania Twain
Serena- I'm such an idiot. Why didn't I let him kiss me? I wanted to be in his arms like that forever. But he doesn't really like me; he's just on the rebound. I have the worst timing! Now it's going to be awkward.
Darien- I feel so stupid. Why didn't I see it? She doesn't like me the way I like her. That's probably why she didn't like the kiss. But I could have sworn there was something special in our kiss. Maybe I imagined it because I wanted it to be there so bad! Should I stop trying? I should forget the possibility of her ever loving me.
---'-,-- The next morning, Monday after breakfast --,-'---
They saddled up and gathered all the trail equipment. Andrew saw Darien leaning against the railing on the porch, taking a short breather. He was alone so Andrew approached him.
"Hey, Dare!"
"Hi, Andy." Andrew thought about being secretive but decided otherwise,
"What really happened last night, Dare? I could tell you were lying." Darien got worried but brushed it aside,
"I told you, I fell and pulled her in after me." Darien wasn't about to tell Andy about the incredibly embarrassing moment, well not yet. Andrew figured he would leave it alone because he would find out sooner or later.
"Okay." Andrew and Darien went back to loading supplies and before long they were ready to get going. Once they were on the trail, everyone was gibbering. Alan was in the lead with Ken next to him. Then came Serena and Sammy. Then Mina and Andrew with Darien coming in the last spot by himself. He was mostly concentrating on Serena. Her golden hair sparkled in the morning sun. He kept going over in his mind why she might not like him. He was never mean to her. The more he thought about it the more it hurt that she pulled away from the kiss. Sammy was talking to Serena about school, but she wasn't paying attention. She was thinking about last night. The kiss was so tender and pure. She almost thought that he truly liked her. The more she thought about it the more she thought the he DID like her. After about 10 minutes, they reached the river. Both Serena and Darien cringed at the sight of the area where they had kissed the night before. They were both wondering what the other thought. The group crossed the river on horseback. On the other side was a large field.
"We'll stop here for a lunch break." Said Ken, "I made Tuna fish sandwiches."
The field was filled with wheat and was dotted with wild violets. No sooner did they get a blanket and the food laid out for their picnic and Mina felt a big fat raindrop splash on her nose.
"Oh no! It can't rain now!" she whined.
"Everyone put on your poncho, and head to that tree. We can eat there quickly then move on to a small sheltered area that's a few miles ahead. We can wait out the storm there." Serena said with a demanding tone. They all moved to the tree and had finished their sandwiches after a few minutes. By that time it was raining steadily but not very hard. They got on the horses and started towards the shelter. About halfway there, it started pouring. The horses hooves were getting stuck in the now mud trail. Then to top it off it started lightning and thundering. What they didn't know was that Endymion was afraid of the thunder. The first loud crash, Endy reared. Serena was able to control him and calm him for a while. They went faster to keep the horses feet out of the sticky mud for long enough to sink. The came to a part of the trail only wide enough for one horse, so they backed into a single file line. "Be careful up here! It drops 50 feet on your left. Keep as far right as you can." Serena yelled over the roaring rain. They hadn't gone far before Endy got jittery from the thunder again and the added danger of the drop. The lightning was so close it was almost instant thunder and Endy raged out of control. Serena tried as best she could to control him. Everyone had stopped and Ken and Alan had dismounted to help control the horse. Before they could reach the animal, Endy reared violently and sent Serena flying over the 50-foot drop. Emotion erupted in Darien and he grabbed a flashlight and started climbing down the drop. His companions yelled after him.
"Darien! Come back!"
"Dare, where are you?"
He couldn't hear them over his own calls for Serena. He couldn't find her. He was now crying but you couldn't tell because of the rain. He yelled her name over the roaring noise of rain.
"SERENA! WHERE ARE YOU? SERENA!!!!! ANSWER ME!!"
So what do you