Chapter Five: Dress it up with the trappings of love…
Tell me that we belong together
Dress it up with the trappings of love
I'll be captivated, I'll hang from your lips
Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above
A month had passed since Serena got out of the hospital, since the terrible night that she had almost died…and since the morning that she woke up in Darien's arms…since the afternoon they got back together. She smiled as she thought of all the things they had done since then, riding in Central Park, running up the stairs to the roof of their building watching the stars and city lights all night talking about everything…and nothing. Tonight they were going to their Senior Prom, and Darien had something special planned that he wouldn't tell her.
She looked in the mirror, admiring how the strapless, bead designed, baby blue Versace dress made her look, gazing at her flowing blonde hair, curled and pulled up into a bun, tendrils framing her face…Exactly like the Princess he thinks I am, she thought, smiling to herself. Then her mother burst into her room, smiling from ear to ear.
"He's here darling…you look amazing." Sharon gushed, tripping forward and spilling her Martini all over Serena's floor.
"MOM! Stop it! Just leave okay? I'll be down in a minute!" She pushed Sharon out the door and sighed. Don't cry Sere, you'll ruin the makeup you spent hours on to get it just right for him, just smile like nothing's wrong until after Prom. Now grab your bag, Serena grabbed her overnight bag, pile some clothes into it, she piled some clothes into it, grab your purse, she grabbed her purse, and head out the door, just forget about everything else except for tonight and your wonderful amazing boyfriend waiting for you downstairs. She walked out her bedroom door and sighed, making an entrance was always a terrible feat.
As she descended the stairs, slowly Darien came into view, which made her smile more than she already was. He looked gorgeous in his custom Armani tux with a baby blue cummerbund, his steel blue eyes sparkling, and his grin enormous. He held out his hand and helped her down the last few stairs, then without pausing to do anything else he led her out the front door and into the waiting limo.
The rest of the night was a blur to her, she vaguely remembered dancing with every one of her friends' and with Darien to all the slow songs. When the dance was over, instead of having the limo take them to the after party, Darien gave the driver an address and snuggled into her.
She remembered falling asleep in his arms, and waking up when he carried her out of the limo. She smiled up at him and he felt his heart melt, like it did every time his perfect angel smiled his way.
Serena smelled the ocean, which was weird…She looked up at Darien with a question in her eyes and he smiled down at her. It was then she noticed they were walking towards a spot in the sand with a blanket and candles. She smiled up at him and he laughed. When they got to the blanket he put her down gently and lay down beside her. He pulled her close to him to benefit them both with each others' body heat and they fell asleep in each others arms.
Sometimes during the night it had started to rain, which woke them up. Serena started giggling like mad and pulled Darien up to dance with her. She ran around the beach, into the surf, back to the beach, around in circles, anywhere and everywhere she wanted, she ran too.
Darien just watched her, his darling, beautiful, angel with her blonde hair finding its way out of the bun and flowing behind her. She looked like some mythical enchantress or something, it was wonderful. He couldn't believe how amazingly lucky he was to have her.
When Serena was thoroughly drenched through her dress and covered in sand, she ran towards Darien, arms outstretched, smile wide, and launched herself into his arms, falling on top of him and bringing such force with her giant leap, toppled them both to the ground. They both laughed and then looking into each other's eyes, they kissed.
They stayed up the rest of the night in each others arms, not talking, just listening to the ocean and watching the sun come up. When they finally got sick of being damp and sandy, Darien called his driver to come get them and they went back to his house to sleep.
"Christina Elise Sanders," The headmistress at Serena's school announced, it was graduation day and the girls were in their white robes and caps, waiting anxiously for their name to be called, for it to be official that they were adults and moving onto the next stage of their lives, some apart and some together, but regardless, they were moving on.
"Serena Kathryn Talbot," Serena bolted from her place, with a little less than grace, and practically ran onto the stage, accepting her diploma eagerly.
"Be careful and have fun with life Serena." Miss Dylan whispered in Serena's ear, she just nodded and grinned back at her.
When the ceremony was over, Serena went searching through the crowd to find Darien. He had graduated the week before from the boy's prep academy down the street, and had been rubbing it in Serena's face all week, now SHE had something to rub in his face. When she found him, he was standing with her parents getting ready to take pictures. She ran the last few yards towards him, leaping into his arms like she did so much these days and kissed him on the forehead. He laughed and swung her around, finally letting her go when they noticed her mother and step-dad were gone.
"Sere, it's ok. They're probably around here somewhere just talking to other parents or something." He slipped his arm around her waist and led her around, trying to find her so called parents.
When everyone had left except Serena and Darien, Serena finally started crying. "Darien, why did I think that they would be here on one of the most important days of my life? They haven't even been here for me on any other day of it. Let's just go back to your place ok? I have to tell you something important."
Darien sighed and nodded. Her parents were such screw ups, couldn't they see that their daughter was slipping away? Hell what was he thinking? They couldn't see anything past making more money, her step-dad, and their next drink, her mom.
When they got to Darien's studio apartment, Serena took two things out of her purse and sat down next to him.
"Darien…you know how I haven't been feeling to hot lately? Well, this explains why." She handed him the things she had pulled out of her purse and he looked at them. "That stick thing is a pregnancy test…it's positive…and the other is a sonogram that I got after I took the test…That's out baby Dare…"
He sat there in shock, trying to process all the information. He looked at Serena, who was silently crying, and pulled her into his arms…he was going to be a dad…