This chapter is dedicated to my bully Conor (who doesn't ever read my stories but I'm still dedicating it to you) who without you the place would be with one less bully. BACK OFF!! With love from your bulli.

Thanks for all the reviews... again and I'm sorry that if you think that Beryl death was a bit sudden but to me – still necessary.

Here's some insight of what I was going to do with the whole Ann/Seiya/Alan thing. I was going to make Alan fall madly in love with Mina but then I got to many complainants of the lack of Sere and Dare action so I postponed it then I scrapped the whole idea. So were right back at the beginning.

Chapter 26:

Alan fell unto his motel room bed on his stomach with a heavy thud. He closed his eyes tightly. How could he be so stupid! This was his step sister! It was illegal and wrong and sick but the truly sick part was that he already missed being in her arms. The same arms that in a few short months would cradle a life, far greater then his own. A human life that he didn't create and he had no part of.

He laughed abruptly as he rolled onto his back, looking up at the cracked grayish ceiling. In hindsight he was about to become an uncle. Ann was the only family he had left and he was about to become an uncle.

The woman he loved, the woman he was in love with ever since they were small children and vowed to keep safe, he had always loved her and will continue to keep on loving her even with the new found knowledge of her baby and fiancé.

The years that he was apart from Ann, he spent bettering himself. He only recently finished collage, battling each day as it came. Scavenging the money his and his 'unique' band saved up over the years with him playing his infamous flute.

In fact, news about his band had traveled fast through the grapevine and they were offered to come here to do some promo tracks and then get a proper manager and record some songs.

He would be in this city, right next door to Ann for at least 6 months to a year. The one fact he had been waiting to surprise her with. It was only too late till he remembered that she hated surprises and much rather preferred springing them on other people.

Alan clenched his fists tightly as he thought of Ann's new fiancé. Seiya. What a poofy name. Wouldn't surprise him if 'Seiya' really was a girl who had taken one too many hormonal tablets.

He smiled slightly to himself at the thought but his half wavering smile quickly died on his lips as he thought of Ann. There was nothing he could do. She was marrying Seiya. He was the father and they were going to start a family together.

Could he really ruin it all for his own love for Ann and his own selfishness? Could he possibly steal Ann from all of her ordinary, normal day life? Could he give her the security and wealth Seiya could no doubt give her? Could he be the father and partner Ann really needs?

Alan jumped off the bed with a burning fierce look in his eyes. His fists still clamped firmly shut but his mind set. He knew what he was meant to do.

"Yes,"

-------

Ann was so confused. She stared at the TV listlessly as a car wreck flashed up on the screen. She had managed to get Seiya out of her apartment before he could really question her why she had broken down in hysterics.

Ann put her hand on top of her stomach, not really expecting a response because she wasn't that far along in her pregnancy for her to actually feel the baby move or kick. But even reassuring her self of its presence normally helped her keep a clear mind.

She was gradually weaning herself off alcohol and drugs. She didn't want to give birth to a deformed baby or a baby who was already addicted to heroin. Not that she would love it any less expect she could hardly afford to keep herself in check, never mind another baby with extra medicines and help.

She didn't want to whore herself every night to get some extra dough. She didn't want to be like her mother. She wanted to be there every step of the way. Too kiss every cut and bruise. To be able to tuck him or her safely in bed each night and not have to worry about strange men coming in and molesting them.

Ann wanted to be there for the first day of Pre-school, the first day of middle school, first day of high school, first day of collage.

Seiya could provide her – if she married him, the financial support she needed but Alan could provide her – if he ever wanted anything to do with her again, the love and emotional support she desperately needed and lacked.

Ann groaned as she got up from the couch where she and Alan had recently only made love on and shuffled into the kitchen to put on some weak, watery coffee. Any smells that were too rich sent her rushing back to the toilet.

She prepared her coffee mechanically not really thinking about the task at hand which resulted in brushing her hand past the steaming kettle. She didn't notice the stinging as tears welled up in her eyes.

She sunk to the floor, her eyes glazed over but no tears escaping as she mulled over her fucked up life.

In books and movies only the heroine or the hero was supposed to have an emotional break down. Only did they have the right to be confused at the perils of love. Never the villains, never the baddies and Ann had no doubt who she was in this life like movie. The baddie.

"If the sea was a weed and I was a duck, I'll swim to the bottom and smoke my way up but the sea ain't a weed and I'm not a duck so pass me a bong and shut the fuck up," Ann said the little poem popping up in her head randomly.

"Yr 9 Broken Hole," A voice said startling out of her reverie.

Her head snapped up to look at the figure that was leaning casually on her kitchen counter.

"Alan," She breathed.

"Ann, you may not want to hear this, specially from someone like me but I've got to say this and you have to understand where I'm coming from or other wise I will regret it for the rest of my life," Alan said as he crouched down to her level.

"What?"

"I love you. I have always loved you and I always will love you and in my heart I know there can be no other apart from you. Gosh that sounded more corny right then in my head," Alan muttered earning him a slight laugh from Ann.

"What are you saying?" Ann said only slightly put off with his declaration. She already knew, through his touches and kisses that he loved her. She had always known. When they were kids and Alan thought she was sleeping he would whisper it over and over again until he finally fell asleep. What he didn't know that when he fell asleep she would whisper it back to him until she too fell asleep.

"Do you love Seiya?" "Is it Seiya's baby?"

Ann opened her mouth in shock at the sudden change of topic. She stood up on shaky legs and finished making her weak coffee. He back towards Alan.

"Do you,"

"You have no right to ask me that Alan," Ann said coldly even though she could feel her heart beating wildly against her chest in protest.

"Please Ann, If you say you love Seiya with all your heart and soul and that the baby is his then I swear that I will leave right now and you'll never hear from me again," Seiya begged coming up behind her shoulder but not quite touching her.

Ann hung her head, her desperation to be with Alan overriding her ego and pride.

"No,"

"No what?"

"No, I don't love Seiya. I never have and I never will. The baby could be his – I'm not sure and no I don't want you to leave without you knowing something first..."

"What?" Alan whispered in her ear.

Ann turned around and buried herself in his arms.

"I love you. I love you,"

Alan's arms folded around Ann and drew her closer to his lithe form.

"Stay with me tonight. Stay with me forever Alan,"

"Only until forever,"

------

Serena stared tenderly at Darien who was sleeping peacefully in her arms. She couldn't quite believe that Darien had an emotional break down and all because of Beryl.

It either meant that Beryl and Darien where closer to each other then what she and everybody else was lead to believe or he was simply lashing out in shock and grief.

Serena felt him stir slightly but didn't wake up under her intense gaze. It didn't go by unnoticed by her why she had so easily forgave him from both gripping her shoulders and hurting her physically and why she felt she could forgive him for lying to her about his status with Beryl.

Who was consequently dead.

Serena knew the hardships Darien had faced when he was a kid and she knew that he blamed himself for his parent's death and how now he laid all the guilt of Beryl's death on him.

Darien was often seen as the older, more mature, the boy who had quickly learnt to grow up quickly, who didn't experience much love or laughter when growing up. The older professor, the older adult.

But nestled in her arms, his hair messily hung over his eyes. His body language drawing mental strength from her made Serena only more determined to stick it threw. Threw thick and thin she would stay with him.

Serena let her own eye lids dip closed as she placed a chaste kiss on top of his head when the shrilling noise of her mobile went off. She hurriedly disengaged her self from his embrace and careful not to jostle him to much.

She quickly answered it.

"Hello?"

"Serena? It's me Michael,"

------

Sorry I just had to throw in a cliff hanger but don't stress too much – maybe.

And sorry if you think that little poem was a bit dodge and random. But it sums up my life pretty well apart from me being a duck and I don't do weed.