Untitled As of Yet
By Usabelle
AN: Ok, I lied. I thought that Chapter Ten would be my last chapter. I really did. But then I thought, do readers deserve to wait three months for a twenty-five page final chapter? No. So, I've decided to split it. I realize that you'll probably be peeved that your questions won't necessarily be answered right away, but it was this or an extremely long wait with nothing. So I apologize in advance for Darien's flashbacks getting pushed back to Chapter Eleven. Meanwhile, please take a moment to review my story. I really appreciate the response from the last chapter- it actually lit a fire under my behind (or hands, if you will) to start this extremely daunting chapter. Anyway, thanks a bunch and if you have a second, please leave a review!
Standard Disclaimers Apply.
Chapter Ten
"Serena, this is your mother! Pick up the phone right now, young lady! How could you tell the wedding planner about the broken engagement before your own family? How do you think I felt when I called to check on the order for the flowers and your planner told me you'd broken up? I know you're there! How would you feel if told a complete stranger something like that before you? Pick up! I swear, if you were still young enough, I'd ground you. But that's just it- you're NOT young anymore! How could you have broken up with that sweet, caring, wonderful m-" BEEP! The answering machine timer cut off Serena's mother and at the moment, she couldn't have felt more relieved.
After staying in her apartment for three days, Serena's answering machine had accumulated quite a few messages. Her friends and family had left message after message berating her for breaking up with Darien after hearing about it 'through the grapevine.' Even Chad had called her. It seemed that everyone had something to say except for Darien. For some reason, the fact that he hadn't called was so unbelievably depressing to her. Perhaps he was too busy with work, she thought bitterly.
Her phone began to ring once again and she groaned at the shrill noise. Letting the machine pick up, she walked over to the phone, fully intent on disconnecting it. However, Mina's frantic voice stopped her just as she was about to pull the plug.
"Serena! Put on the TV right now! Turn to any news station! I know you're there, mopey. You've got to see this. Put it on now! Call me later!" Click. Intrigued, Serena walked over to her bed and turned on the television. Leaning back against her pillows, Serena expected to see a segment on a sale at Neiman-Marcus.
What greeted her was no sale- standing in the front of a bustling crowd was Darien!
Looking professional and handsome as ever, Darien was talking quietly with a newscaster. She could tell that he was completely worn out by the look in his eyes. She sighed. His exhaustion was thinly veiled by a polite smile. He looked like he hadn't eaten or slept in days. But then, why should she care? It was over. Still, the urge to listen to why he was on TV was tempting. She turned up the volume.
A tall, nondescript man in a suit was conducting an interview with Darien amidst pandemonium. "In case you're just tuning in, we have breaking news. The Vandergrift family of Vandergrift Inc. has been arrested after being charged with bank fraud, embezzlement, paying and accepting bribes, insider trading, and surprisingly, murder. Here's a clip from earlier today when the family was arrested."
An elderly, shrewd-looking man was shown being led to a police car with a woman who was most likely his wife following. Both looked incredibly pissed off and Serena cringed as the old woman slammed her spiked heel into an officer's shoe purposefully.
The newscaster's voice could be heard over the curious crowd of people. "Here we have Mr. and Mrs. Vandergrift being led to the car following their arrests." The old woman was wildly made up with abnormally arching brows and incredibly elastic-looking skin. Serena smirked as she realized where Beryl got her penchant for plastic surgery and horrible fashion sense.
Suddenly, the fairly peaceful scene became hectic as a frightful woman tore out of the Vandergrift mansion. The terrified newscaster stammered on nervously, trying to avoid the rage-filled woman. "And that would be Beryl Vandergrift, heiress to the family's fortune. She is facing the worst of the charges, with murder being at the top of the... AHH!" A disgruntled Beryl attacked the man, knocking him over and grabbing his microphone.
Serena laughed when she saw how disheveled the heiress was. She wore a hideous pea green and bright yellow sequined nightgown, absolutely no makeup, and her hair looked like a bad Diana Ross knock-off. Beryl started screeching as several officers began inching toward her, tazers in hand.
"I'm innocent! Innocent! It was all my father's fault! He did everything! I'm a victim of his madness!" At her hysterical words, the police began to run after her. Suddenly, several crashes could be heard in the background as the screen turned black.
The news program returned to the newscaster and Darien. The man shook his head, "Miss Vandergrift threw the camera at an officer in an attempt to escape. We can't show the rest of the footage... it was far too... violent for our younger viewers." The man cleared his throat. "And now I have an exclusive interview with Darien Shields, the Vandergrifts' former lawyer. He turned to Darien, who looked terribly uncomfortable. "Mr. Shields, please tell us about how you exposed the Vandergrift family."
Confusion clouded Serena's mind at the newscaster's words. Exposed? She turned up the volume on the TV even more and listened for her ex-fianc's response.
Darien blew out a breath before answering. He looked like he'd answered that question fifty times already and barely managed a polite smile. "I can't tell you too much, but I've been working with the FBI to finally expose the family for all of the crimes that they've committed."
"Is it true that you participated in some of the crimes that they are being charged for?"
"I can't answer that," Darien said uncomfortably before grinning slightly, "The feds have got me on a tight leash."
"So in exchange for your information, you'll get off with a slap on the wrist?"
Darien shrugged, slightly agitated. "More or less."
Serena tuned out the rest of the interview. So that was his big secret. He'd told the rest of the world before her. Her face crumpled in anger and misery. He still couldn't trust her. He never would. And now the whole world knew about it. She felt the familiar sensation of tears running down her cheeks and she chided herself for her foolishness. "He's not worth it," she said to herself, wiping away the tears.
Shaking her head furiously, she walked over to her closet and threw some clothes on her bed. She was supposed to work the night shift and she'd planned on calling in sick. Angrily throwing on an outfit, she glared at her disheveled appearance in her vanity mirror. "You've wasted your life on that man. Quit feeling sorry for yourself," she spat at the reflection. She moved to get ready for work. If she'd already wasted ten years on him, she didn't want to waste any more time.
Two Months Later...
Life was finally starting to get back to normal for Serena. Well... almost normal. She'd kept herself busy through work and visiting Raye, who was now a week past due in her pregnancy. Darien hadn't tried to contact her in any way and she'd somehow convinced herself that she didn't want him to. He just brought her worry and heartache, whereas now... well, she still had worry and heartache, but it was different! At least that was what she told herself.
Walking down the familiar, sterile white hallway in the hospital, Serena stared at a folder in her hands and pretended to be examining at a patient's file. She was not in the mood to socialize. In reality, a stack of old pharmaceutical magazines lay beneath the folder, but she didn't want any nosy co-workers to know that. If supposedly immersing herself in work got people to leave her alone, it was worth it.
Everyone she worked with wanted to know the full story of what happened with Darien and she was sick of it. Even after two months people still wouldn't leave her alone; "Serena, wasn't your fiancé that man on TV?" "Serena what happened with you and that nice boy you were seeing?" "Serena, was your fiancé really working for the FBI?" Half of the time she couldn't even answer the questions thrown at her!
Sighing in annoyance, she made her way to her locker and changed from her hot-pink scrubs into regular clothes. Giving a half-hearted wave to the meddlesome receptionist on her way out, she suddenly stopped when she heard her name.
Groaning in frustration, she slowly turned around to face the person who'd called her. It wasn't another gossiping nurse or curious intern; to her shock, the weary face of Allan greeted her.
Her eyes widened at the sight of him standing tiredly in a polo shirt and khakis. "Allan! What are you doing here? It's nearly eleven at night!" she exclaimed, stepping into the light of a street lamp.
"I've been trying to track you down all day," he said exasperatedly.
At his remark, she grew uncomfortable. "Why?"
"I'm not sure if you heard, but," he smiled, "It's Ann... she's alive."
Her eyes grew impossibly large. "What?"
"The FBI kept it under wraps until the trial started. The moment I found out I flew here. It was just released to the press today, since the trial started three days ago. You haven't heard?"
"No... I've been busy with work. Goodness... that's so wonderful to hear!" Serena threw her arms around his neck in joy but after a moment caught herself. Inconspicuously as possible, she drew back, disentangling her arms from around him. She stared up at him confusedly. "But... how?"
Allan shoved his hands in his pockets and a blush crept up his normally pallid face. "Actually, it was Darien who saved her life. Beryl was going to inject some type of poison into Ann, but Darien switched the syringes without her knowing. He covered it up all this time."
"And you didn't know?" she asked, outraged.
"They couldn't tell me for fear that it would get out," he explained.
Serena sighed. It was just another secret kept to add to the ridiculously long list. Mustering a smile, she leaned against the lamppost. "How's Ann doing?"
"Good. She's decided to stay here for a while... and she's happy to see friends and family again..." he trailed off, remnants of a blush still apparent on his cheeks.
Serena's golden head bobbed up and down. "That's good... I'll go visit her..." An awkward silence ensued and Serena nearly groaned in annoyance. How was she supposed to act, given their last confrontation?
"I heard about you and Darien," he started hesitantly, "I'm sorry it didn't work out."
Serena smiled bitterly, "Me too." She didn't even want to know how he found out.
"But, you know... I was thinking if you're free sometime... and you want some company, maybe we could... I dunno... go to the theater... have dinner, maybe?" he stumbled over his words and Serena's heart plummeted. He was asking her out.
Allan continued to stare at his feet until Serena spoke. "I'm really not ready to see anyone yet. I'm sorry, Allan..." she said gently. She felt like a clod for leading him on the way she did in London, even if it was mostly unintentional.
"We could just be friends... for now..." he persisted. "I know that you're not over Darien yet, but with time, maybe you can..." he trailed off uncertainly, his large brown eyes vulnerable.
Get over Darien? See someone else? She hadn't even thought of it. In truth, the thought of being with someone other than Darien tore her apart. Even though she thought highly of Allan, she didn't think of him like that. Her azure eyes showed great remorse as she gazed up at the stumbling man. "I was really in love with Darien, Allan. It isn't something that I can just forget about."
He gazed down at her earnestly. "Maybe I can help you forget," he whispered, inching closer. Catching her off-guard, he leaned down and took her lips in a light kiss.
Serena stood under the lamplight, frozen against his lips. Her eyes were wide with surprise as her childhood friend kissed her. The first thought that flew through her already buzzing head was that it was wrong. There was no spark, no electricity, no fire... not like when she was with Darien. The moment Allan kissed her, she knew without a doubt that she was still in love with Darien. In the back of her mind, she dimly heard a slight clamor in the background, but it was all washed away when Allan tried to deepen the kiss.
Reeling back in shock, she stared up at him with scandalized eyes. "Where did that come from?"
"I love you," he confessed, pulling her slack body to his. His hands moved to rest on her hips and her eyes widened further, neither accepting nor protesting his closeness. "I've loved you since we were kids."
She shook her head, confusion whirling in her mind. How could she not have picked up on this? She'd known the man since she was twelve! "What are you talking about?"
He sighed, "You really have no idea?"
Giving him a blank look, she shook her head.
"When we were kids, I couldn't stand any of Ann's friends. They were all annoying... children in my eyes. But you... you were different. You always had this..." he searched for the right word, "light about you. You still do."
She frowned, "I'm not the same person you... uh... fell in love with. That carefree little girl is gone."
A smile graced his lips, "No, that's what I love about you. You don't see how wonderful you are. I've always seen it. Especially once you were in high school... I would have made a move, but he was always there."
ALLAN'S FLASHBACK
Allan found Serena chattering animatedly with the arcade worker at the counter. Unable to hear what she found so exciting, he slipped into a booth and listened.
"Can you believe it, Andrew? They want me to be a model! Me!" She sighed dreamily, resting her chin in her hand.
Just as the teenager was about to respond, he walked into the arcade like he owned it. He sauntered over to Serena, taking the seat next to her. Eyeing the slip of paper, Darien began to laugh hysterically. "A model? You?"
She glared at him, "Yes, me. The agent says that I have a unique look."
His eyes swept over her. "Unique doesn't even begin to describe it." The words were sarcastic, but Allan could tell that he meant it another way. This man was not simply her antagonist; he was competition. "Do you really think that you could even make it down a runway without tripping?"
"You're ruining my special moment."
"I'm preparing you for the harsh realities of a world you have no place in," he muttered dryly.
Her eyes widened and began to fill up with tears, "How would you know?"
"Please Meatball Head, I've modeled before. It's hard work; something I know you despise."
"You don't even know me- I work hard when I want something! They gave me a callback! I'd be a good model. The agent told me so."
"He must have been distracted by the two giant balls on your head."
"Ooh, you're infuriating!"
"I'm honest."
"Gee Darien, lay off her. If she wants to model, let her." Andrew scolded, wiping off the counter.
"Yeah Darien, let everyone see my beauty."
He scoffed, glaring into his coffee. "What beauty?"
"You are so mean, Darien!"
Andrew looked at him slyly, "You think she's ugly?"
Darien's eyes widened. "Well, no."
"So then you think she's pretty."
Darien's eyes got wider. "No!"
"But I thought you said that she wasn't ugly."
"She's not."
"Stop talking about me like I'm not here!" Serena interjected.
"You're either pretty or ugly. So you think she's pretty."
"Andrew!" Darien admonished, heat rising to his cheeks. Unbeknownst to them, Allan glowered at the raven-haired teenager.
"Aww, you think I'm pretty, Darien? Thanks." Serena kissed his cheek and smiled blissfully, hopping off her stool and gliding to the doors.
"I think you're pretty too," she said playfully as she walked out the door.
Little did she know that Darien held his hand up to the cheek that her lips had touched, nor did she see the dreamy look in his eyes as he watched her walk down the street.
Allan exited the arcade in disgust. Why did she bother with him? Darien insulted and teased her relentlessly, yet he received more attention from her than himself. Why didn't she see him like he wanted her to?
END FLASHBACK
"I didn't even know you were there that day," she whispered, eyes wide in astonishment. She'd known Darien for about seven months then. The modeling dream was short-lived and she remembered that she'd only gone to the arcade that day to impress Darien. Allan's burning stare broke her out of her reminiscence.
"You never did notice me after he came into the picture," he whispered resentfully, then smiled tenderly. "But that's all history now. We're together and that's all that matters." He tried to draw her closer, but this time she resisted.
She sighed. His attentions were endearing at best and kind of creepy at worst. However, she knew that he was harmless and that made her refusal of him so much harder. It would be so easy to fall into his arms and be taken care of, treasured for the rest of her life. But it just wasn't right. She couldn't love him in return. It wouldn't be fair to either of them. "Allan... I don't... I love you like a friend... I'm sorry..." she stammered, breaking free of his grasp.
"You're still in love with him, aren't you?" he asked bitterly, stepping away from her.
Looking away, she nodded ever so slightly.
"You always were... even in high school... I knew once you met him... I didn't have a chance. I never had a chance, did I?"
Her eyes began to fill with tears of guilt and she shook her head, "Don't say that! I wish I didn't love him! If... if I hadn't met him... I'd love you in an instant. You're a wonderful person, Allan! You'll make some girl very happy one day."
"Just not you," he whispered sullenly.
"I'm sorry..."
"If you love him, then you should be with him," he said quietly.
She smirked, "It's not that simple."
He smiled crookedly, brushing her golden bangs out of her eyes. "It never is. But he loves you... and whatever is keeping you apart can't be worth giving up the relationship for."
"He doesn't trust me. He's lied to me so many times..." she ranted, kicking a loose pebble on the sidewalk.
"But you still love him," he finished for her. "I suggest you go find him because I'm not this generous with everyone."
She smiled slightly, "You're a good man, Allan. Thank you."
He nodded and watched her leave with a sad yet peaceful look in his eyes. "Don't let my generosity go to waste!" he called. Sighing, he walked away and out of her life.
Forty-five minutes later, Serena arrived at her apartment. Without even bothering to turn on a light, she took a few steps into the living room and collapsed on the couch, both physically and mentally exhausted. After a few moments, she switched on the lamp sitting at her end table. Staring at the phone that sat within arm's reach, she contemplated whether or not to call Darien. Sure, it was nearly midnight, but he was always up this late when working on a major case.
To her surprise, the phone began to ring and she picked it up immediately. Only one person would call this late. "Darien?" she asked excitedly, straightening up.
"Do I sound like Darien?" Raye's irritated voice deadpanned back.
"Oh, it's you," Serena said disappointedly.
"Gee, thanks. I'm happy to speak to you too."
Serena sighed, "What's up, Raye?"
"How could you cheat on Darien?!?" Raye screamed through the phone, causing Serena to wince and pull the phone from her ear.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Serena shot back, livid.
Raye's disgusted tone worried Serena. "You kissed Allan. Darien saw you."
Serena could have sworn that her heart stopped at her friend's words. "How?"
"He came to the hospital to see YOU, Serena! He came to see you and found you with Allan!"
Shaking her head as if to deny that it ever happened, Serena spoke desperately. "I didn't kiss him. He kissed me! I pushed him away as soon as I recovered from the shock. I wanted no part of that kiss!"
"Well that's not what Darien said," Raye spat.
Serena thought back to when Allan kissed her. She'd heard something in the background- that something must have been Darien. "Wait a minute- how do you know what Darien said? Why would he even come there in the first place?"
Raye seemed almost sheepish now. "Chad and I have been trying to convince Darien that you want him back for weeks. Tonight we finally got him to go visit you at the end of your shift, with the news of Ann being released today..."
"You've been trying to... to convince Darien to take me back? I can't believe you!" Serena sputtered angrily, holding the pillow on her lap with a death grip.
"We didn't mean any harm by it... and you two belong together! Serena, he's cleaned up his act for you! He's different now!"
Serena scowled, throwing the pillow aside. "Darien doesn't change," she said firmly, "He makes you think he's different, and then one day he slips up and shows that he's still the eighteen year old conceited jerk that he's always been. And if he wanted me so badly, he would have contacted me without your suggestion, or more likely, threats."
Raye groaned, "Do you even know what he's been doing since he came forward with the information?"
Walking over to her candy dish and shoving a piece of chocolate in her mouth, she rolled her eyes. "Enjoying his celebrity?"
"No, you moron. He's become a social worker... he's trying to find homes for kids at the orphanage."
"Well bully for him," Serena deadpanned, popping another piece of candy into her mouth. "Give the man an award."
"Stop being so stubborn!" Raye cried exasperatedly. "Darien wants to impress you... be better for you... Talk to him and set things right! He's really upset, Serena."
"I'm guessing that he called you after the... incident."
"He called Chad. It sounded like he had been crying."
Serena's jaw tightened. "He should cry. It's what he deserves. Raye, I think that it would be best if you stayed out of this." Sure, she still loved him, but actually acting on her feelings would be out of the question until he proved that he could trust her.
"You need to talk to him! He cares about you!" Raye urged.
"He didn't even have the decency to tell me the truth!"
"Did you let him?"
"A million times!"
"Could he really have told you?"
"If he loved me he could!
Raye began muttering foul expletives about her friend's stubbornness. Suddenly, her grumbling stopped. "Fine. Say... if you're so over Darien, then you wouldn't mind meeting a friend of mine, would you?"
"Don't even start," Serena warned.
"I really think you'd like him! He just ended a long-term relationship, too. You can meet him at the bar," Raye coaxed. She and Chad co-owned a restaurant and bar with Lita. A bar was the last place that Serena wanted to meet someone.
"No."
"You know, I have the strangest urge to show Darien that tape from a couple weeks ago when you had a bit too much to drink and you talked about what you wanted to... do with him..." Raye trailed off slyly, leaving the threat open ended.
"When did you say you wanted me to meet him?"
Against her will and good judgment, Serena did show up at Chad's bar and did wait for her date, just as Raye had... 'requested.' Dressed in black pants and a corset-style top, Serena looked more ready for the date than she felt. She frowned, taking a seat at the modern, silver-toned bar. When a bartender came by, she absently asked for a White Russian and moped, mulling over her mess of a life. What the hell was Raye trying to prove by setting her up with another guy? What would Darien say if he saw her on a date?
"What the hell are you doing here?" A familiar, sharp voice cut through her thoughts.
'Oh. That's what he would say.' She slowly turned around on the stool to come face-to-face with two glaring blue orbs burning into her. Darien. The sight of him filled her with so much relief and tension at the same time that she didn't know whether she was coming or going.
She stared at him for a moment, taking in every detail from his fine Italian leather shoes to the unbuttoned button at the top of his white shirt. He looked good. And she hated the fact that he did.
After realizing that she'd been staring for a good ten seconds, she racked her brain for a comeback. "I could say the same for you," she shot back icily. 'Ooh, good one. That'll show him!' she thought sardonically.
He smiled coldly. "I have a date."
Her lips formed into a smile but her eyes betrayed her. "Good for you. I hope you have a wonderful time." Turning back around the bar, she desperately searched for anyone manning the bar. "Bartender! Where's my drink?"
"Drinking isn't a good way to medicate your problems," Darien drawled, taking a seat next to her.
She turned to him, outraged. "Oh, you're one to talk, Mr. I-Was-So-Drunk-I-Couldn't-Even-Hold-My-Head-Up-To-Vomit-In-The-Toilet! Besides," she sniffed, "I don't have any problems to medicate."
Darien smirked. "Just keep telling yourself that." The bartender brought her drink, at which point she made an obvious attempt to ignore him, so Darien decided to get her attention. "Did I tell you about my date? Tall... brunette... posed for Playboy..."
He watched as Serena took a sip of her drink... and another... and another... She downed the whole drink and when she was finished, she wiped her mouth primly with a cocktail napkin. "How wonderful for you." She looked left and right before turning back to him in confusion, "But where might this supermodel be? Oh, you don't think she stood you up, do you? That would be a shame."
"And why did you say you were here again?"
"I have a date," she replied in the same tone that he had used.
"With who?" he asked darkly, scanning the coolly decorated room.
Lifting her nose in the air, she looked across the room. "None of your business," she said haughtily.
"It's the bastard, isn't it?"
She turned to look at him sharply. "Excuse me?"
"You're meeting Allan, aren't you?" he accused, his cobalt eyes burning into her.
She shook her blonde head. "Don't be stupid, Darien. You have no idea what you're talking about."
"I know exactly what I'm talking about! I saw you kiss him!" he shouted, standing from his seated position.
"We didn't do anything!" she yelled back, standing as well.
"Don't lie to me," he muttered warningly.
"I'm not! But of course you couldn't tell because you can't tell a lie from the truth!" she shouted, breathing heavily.
Both of them were unaware that all activity had stopped in the bar and that everyone was staring at them with rapt attention. As the two quieted, Raye nervously approached them. "Serena, Darien!" she greeted awkwardly as they turned to face her, both flushed with anger. "You've found each other! This is working out better than I thought!"
Serena's glare turned murderous as she studied her friend. "Raye, what the hell is going on?"
"Yeah, where's my date?" Darien asked impatiently.
Serena was about to question Raye further when she stopped and turned to Darien. "Wait a minute- you were set up on a blind date too?" He blushed. "You lying bastard!" she squealed, her face reddened even more. "Supermodel my ass!"
"At least you're talking now..." Chad said in a placating tone, coming to stand behind his wife.
"I can't believe you would put me up to this, Raye! I would expect something like this from Mina, but not you!" Serena scolded, feeling helpless and incredibly embarrassed all at once.
Raye's eyes began to tear up slightly, "I was just trying to help. You two missed each other so much... You are perfect for each other!"
Darien's eyes narrowed into dark blue slits as he glared at Serena. "We're obviously not perfect for each other. I've had enough."
As he began to walk out, Raye screamed, "No! You can't leave!"
He turned back coldly, "Why?"
Raye's dark eyes looked panicked, "Because my water just broke!"
"God, it's like you planned it this way," Darien deadpanned, walking back over to them. "I'll call the hospital. Chad, you take Raye. I'll take Serena and we'll meet you up there."
"Perfect!" Raye squealed, before clutching her middle in pain. She looked up at Darien, beginning to sweat. "Call now."
Serena sat uncomfortably in the passenger's seat of Darien's car. She just had to take a taxi to the bar, didn't she? Sighing in frustration, she watched Darien out of the corner of her eye as he started the car, purposely avoiding looking at her.
After three minutes of silence, she let out another aggravated breath.
He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, "What is it?"
"What do you mean?"
Rolling his eyes, he looked at her for the first time during the ride. "Will you stop sighing? It's annoying."
She glared at him, shifting her body so that it faced the window. "Fine. I'll try to breathe more quietly," she said sarcastically.
Another two minutes of silence went by before Serena decided to be brave and break it. "This is awkward," she groaned quietly, staring out the window at the yellow sparkle of the streetlamps.
"Are you suggesting that we make conversation?" he asked in the same sardonic tone that she'd used before.
She shrugged, resting her forehead on the cool window.
"Why did you go to Chad's bar?" Darien asked suddenly, breaking the tense atmosphere.
"Huh?"
"Why did you agree to go on a blind date?"
"Blackmail," she replied easily. "You?"
"Threats to my well-being."
"Oh."
The tense atmosphere returned as the conversation lulled for the next few minutes until they arrived at the hospital. They walked next to each other stiffly as they caught up to Raye and Chad.
At that point, Raye was choking Chad by his tie. "Medication," she hissed dangerously, "I need medication!"
Poor Chad was simply trying to breathe. "Baby," he said in a hesitant, raspy voice, "You made me promise not to let you have any. Remember, we wanted a natural birth?"
"You wanted a natural birth, granola boy! I wanted drugs!" Just as Raye was about to explode, she noticed Serena and Darien staring at the two of them in shock. "Serena, hand me my shoe. I can't reach it right now but as soon as I get a hold of it, it has a date with my husband's a-"
"Mrs. W-Whitfield?" a small, meek doctor approached her tentatively. He was about as tall as Serena and probably weighed the same, too. At that moment, she feared for the poor doctor's life. "We'll try to make you as comfortable as possible, if that's any consolation..."
"I want drugs!" Raye exclaimed demonically, grabbing the doctor by the collar. "I don't care if you have to knock me out with a frying pan, just make this pain go awwwwwwwwaaaaayyyyyy!" With that, she let out a wail that made Serena proud.
The doctor's eyes nearly bulged out of his head at his patient's screaming. He motioned for nurses to wheel her to an elevator and turned to Darien and Serena.
"I'm afraid you'll have to stay in the waiting room," he whispered to them apologetically. "It's probably safest," he added, looking back to find Raye repeatedly smacking Chad with her shoe. "We'll let you know."
Six Hours Later...
Serena sat tiredly in an uncomfortable chair in the waiting room, propping her legs up on the chair across from her. Lazily rolling her head in Darien's direction, she found him in a similar position with the latest issue of "Fit Pregnancy" lying on his rising and falling chest.
Out of nowhere, the bloodcurdling scream of a distressed pregnant woman tore through the room. Darien awoke with a terrified look in his once heavy-lidded eyes. Serena sighed, "It's not Raye. I'd know her shriek anywhere. She screamed at me so many times as a teenager that it's engrained in my memory... more like my nightmares."
He chuckled quietly, sitting back down in the chair. After spending several hours together, they'd come upon an awkward, temporary ceasefire for Raye and Chad's sake. If they had to spend the entire night together, they might as well not be at each other's throats. "Hey... I haven't heard her or Chad for a while. They must have given her an epidural," he mused, stretching his stiff neck.
Serena's face held a slightly worried expression. "Sometimes epidurals make the contractions weaker and slow labor. We could still be here for a while."
Darien groaned and ran a hand through his hair. Serena looked up at the TV and Darien watched her for a moment. "Do you remember our first date?" he asked quietly, studying her drowsy features.
"How could I forget? It wins the award for most awkward first date ever," she smiled nostalgically.
"Was it really that bad?"
She stared at him incredulously, "I had a severe allergic reaction! I could have died!"
"And here's where the Meatball Headed part of your personality shows through," he said dryly.
"You have some nerve!" she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.
He shrugged. "I still had fun, though."
Her anger melted away at the wistful look on his face. She sighed. "Me too, I guess. Just not the poisoning part."
He smiled down at her and they sat in amicable silence until the doctor they'd met earlier approached them and motioned for them to follow. Serena squealed excitedly and Darien smiled at her giddiness, quickly walking down the corridors to Raye's room.
As soon as they entered, their eyes widened at the horrible, piercing cry that filled the small room. Serena looked over at her sweaty, drugged-up friend holding the screaming newborn and began to squeal. "Oh Raye... Chad... I'm so happy for you!" Rushing over, she peeked in the pink blanket that the quieting infant lay in. "She's beautiful!" she whispered, her eyes filling with tears.
Darien came over and slapped an incredibly worn-out looking Chad on the back. "Congrats, man." He looked down at the dark-haired, now-slumbering child and grinned. "What's her name?"
Raye smiled up at them, "Sabrina. Sabrina Arielle Whitfield."
"It's perfect," Serena smiled through her tears. "She's perfect."
A proud smile graced Raye's tired face. "Thanks."
Darien and Serena had spent about fifteen minutes with Raye and Chad afterward and left when Raye all but kicked them out, saying that she'd been through hell and wanted to sleep. Serena had grinned at her friend's candor and dragged Darien out of the room, waving goodbye to an exhausted Chad.
On the way out, they found themselves in front of the nursery where Sabrina slept.
Serena stopped at the sight of the tiny infants. Sighing, she placed a palm against the glass and watched the sleeping babies. "They're so cute," she cooed.
Darien smiled slightly, "You want kids?"
Seemingly startled, Serena looked up at him to find him actually smiling genuinely at her. "Yeah," she said softly, "I do."
He nodded, breaking eye contact and staring into the nursery. "Me too."
At this, Serena blushed and looked down, a strange sadness settling on her. He wanted kids. He found homes for orphans. Could he get any more perfect? Suddenly feeling very depressed, she turned and made her way to the elevator.
Darien followed Serena, confused by her sudden change in demeanor. Both were silent on the ride down to the lobby and it only got worse as they walked through the parking lot.
As Serena sat in Darien's car, she was all too aware that their truce was rapidly coming to an end. It was now obvious that he didn't have feelings for her as he was making it a point to avoid eye contact once again when she glanced over at him. Everything about him was rigid and full of suppressed anger, she noticed for the first time that night. Leaning her head against the frosty window, she tried to swallow the lump in her throat from his obvious dismissal. He started the car and she closed her eyes, willing herself to sleep and forget the travesty that was her life.
When he sped off into the night, Serena glanced over at him and took a deep breath. If he wasn't going to talk, then she was. "Are you mad at me?"
He didn't move to look at her. "What makes you think that?" he asked coldly, speeding up a bit.
At his dismissal she grew angry. "For once in your life, can you please tell me the truth about how you actually feel?"
His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly and her eyes widened as she watched the needle on the speedometer move farther and farther to the right. "You want to know how I feel?" he asked darkly, and she knew not to answer. "I'm furious! I'm angry and I'm hurt and I'm confused!" He glared at her, his blue eyes glowing with anger. "Is that what you wanted?"
She stared at him through wide eyes, unable to move or speak lucidly. "Why?" she asked hoarsely. No coherent thoughts were running through her head and she had no idea how to respond to his emotional outburst.
"You cheated on me!" he accused, speeding up even more.
"Darien, slow down!" she yelled fearfully as they raced down the deserted street. She gazed at him in astonishment, "How many times do I have to tell you that Allan and I aren't together? Besides, even if we were- you and I broke up Darien! It's not cheating if you're unattached!"
The car came to an abrupt, screeching halt. "Get out," Darien ground out, breathing harshly.
Serena briefly glanced out the window to see that they were in front of her building. Somehow she couldn't bring herself to get out of the car. "No," she said firmly, shaking her head. "You think that I've wronged you in some way; we've got to clear this up."
"Why should we?" he asked coldly. "We're not attached in any way."
"I didn't kiss him, Darien!" she exclaimed desperately.
His furious gaze faltered. "What?"
She stared into his eyes beseechingly, desperately trying to prove that she felt nothing for her childhood friend. "He kissed me and I pushed him away. You just didn't see."
Darien sat silently, absorbing the new information. "Oh," he said dumbly. After a moment of blank stares, Darien got out of the car. He walked over to her side and opened the door for her. "I'll... uh... walk you up... you shouldn't be out by yourself this late," he stammered, ushering her out of the car and into the building.
It was her turn to be confused by his behavior. Now he was being nice to her? Thoroughly confused, Serena stepped into the elevator. Darien followed. "You... don't have to come up with me, you know. I come home this late by myself all the time."
As the doors closed, Darien's face reddened and he ran a hand through his slightly messy hair. "You don't want me to stay."
"No!" she exclaimed, then quieted, "No, I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that I didn't want you to feel obligated to... oh never mind," she finished quietly.
"So you want me to stay," he deadpanned.
"All I meant was that I wanted to avoid any awkwardness for you... or me," Serena supplied hesitantly, stepping out of the elevator. Her stomach flipped when she saw him follow closely behind her.
"I think it's a bit late for that," Darien mused.
They padded down the corridor quietly, careful not to wake any sleeping neighbors. When they arrived at Serena's door, she tried to smile but failed miserably. "Well... this is me."
He nodded and they stared at each other for a moment. She groaned inwardly; he was so unreadable. The fact that she had no idea what he was thinking drove her crazy. Not once during the night had he showed any indication that he wanted her back, so who was she to assume that he even wanted a relationship? Sighing disappointedly, she looked away. She pulled her key out of her purse and was about to put it in the lock when she felt a warm hand on her own.
Her eyes flew to his face as a spark shot up through her arm and flowed through her icy veins like liquid fire. She gazed up at him questioningly, a blush creeping up her neck.
"Are... Are you going to be okay?" he asked uncertainly.
'No. I won't be. I'm lost and alone and I'm miserable.' "Yeah," she uttered softly, "I'll be okay."
Suddenly the warmth on her hand was gone and he stepped away from her. She opened the door and walked in, turning to face him. He remained rooted to the spot outside her door. "Then I guess this is goodnight," he whispered, his glacial eyes reflecting the same sorrowful emotion in hers.
She swallowed and attempted not to cry. "Goodnight," she murmured, softly closing the door on his dejected form.
Tears filled her vision and she found it hard to breathe. What had she done? Had she thrown away her last chance with him? Inhaling sharply, she flung open the door, only to find his slumped form trudging to the elevator.
At the sudden noise, Darien whirled around, his perfect features exhibiting a mix of shock and hope. He stared at his ex-fiancée as she leaned against the doorframe, gazing at him tearfully. At the sight of her tears, he rushed back to her.
Her eyes swam with tears as she looked up at the man that was her entire world. "No, I'm not okay."
END CHAPTER TEN
AN: Ok, I know that it can take over a year for a trial to begin, but hey, it's my story. I'm also aware that I should have a scene with Ann in the next chapter or so, but honestly, I don't really want to write one. My main focus is on Darien and Serena. So what do you think? Would you like to see Allan and Ann in the last chapter or epilogue? Or would you like for them to be lost to the abyss of supporting characters? Also, due to the W.I.S.E. program at Aria's Ink, I've been trying to work on rushing less and putting more detail in my writing because, well, I think that my skills in those areas are mediocre at best. Leave a review- let me know how you really feel. Come on, you know you want to. Well, I think that's everything, so until next time, faithful readers and reviewers!