A.N: Thank you for all the reviews! I'm coming to a close of the story. Only a few more to go! But don't worry, I have a new story in store, and hopefully everyone will like it as well!
P.S: Tell me if the ending was a little too much… I might change it.
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY! WOOOOO!
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Chapter 50: Merry Christmas
Serena and Darien were cuddled snugly in the carriage, whispering nonsense to one another as the ride slowly came to a halt. They had circled the entire perimeter of Central Park, and it was time for them to leave.
As Darien helped Serena step out of the carriage, behind them, Sam was helping Remy out of the carriage as well.
Sam and Remy walked towards Serena and Darien with goofy grins on their faces and holding hands. Sam said something to her and she laughed gaily as she playfully shoved him.
"You two having fun?" Serena asked with a knowing smile on her face. Look… they're together! She thought happily.
Remy nodded, giving Serena a sweet smile.
Darien joined Serena after he paid for their ride, reaching for her hand. "It's still early if you two want to go for a walk… as long as it's not too far off," he suggested.
Sam and Remy gave an earnest nod of the head, not wanting the evening to end. When Serena gave an approving nod of the head, they walked off as Serena and Darien trailed slowly behind them.
As they walked, Darien ran his thumb subconsciously over her hand. The snow was falling a lot harder around them now. It was a flurry of white now, but it was perfect for their evening. Serena tilted her head back to let the snowflakes fall on her face, closing her eyes and smiling.
Darien watched her as she reveled in the feel of cold, weightless white flakes on her face and hair. Darien smiled as she shook her head now, making the snow fall down off her face, grinning up at him. He felt his heart want to explode from the sudden rush of love as he pulled her gently to him.
Serena obliged to his tug, and wrapped her arms around his neck, playing with the hair that curled at his nape. She looked up at him, her eyes soft and intense. She always felt so safe in his arms… like she belonged there. She was always happier in his arms; feeling his masculine hands wrapped around her waist protectively. She leaned into his chest and she could make out the familiar sound of his heartbeat, and feel the heat radiating off his body, warming hers immediately. She hadn't noticed how cold she actually was until she was in his strong arms.
She lifted her head up to look at him again, smiling. "You know… I really shouldn't have worn heels," she said randomly.
Darien laughed at her. "Way to ruin the moment, Serena," he teased as he brought her in as close to him as possible.
Serena laughed also, making her breathe come in a puff of smoke. As she laughed, Darien lowered his head a little, his eyes looking at her curled up lips. Serena stopped laughing once she realized how close his face was to hers, their lips only inches apart. She tip-toed up to meet his lips…. Then…. BAM!
Someone hit Darien in the shoulder with a snowball.
Serena and Darien parted, looking baffled and shocked. They could hear laughing in the distance, so they turned their heads. Their eyes landed on two giggling teens; Sam and Remy.
Darien and Serena smiled at each other and started darting off after them, picking up snow in a hurry as they trailed after the two kids.
Sam and Remy's eyes widened as they saw the Serena and Darien coming towards them, each already having a snowball formed in their hands. Sam grabbed for Remy's hands and screamed," Run!" Remy gave a sudden scream, and ran with Sam.
As they ran, two snowballs whirled past them, missing them completely. Sam and Remy laughed at this and kept running.
Darien and Serena came to abrupt stop, panting heavily.
Serena yelled," THIS ISN'T OVER! YOU ARE SO LUCKY I HAVE HEELS ONS!"
Darien laughed again, shaking his head. It was always an adventure, being with Serena. He could tell she was starting to have a hard time walking in her heels since the snow was starting to stick on the ground, making it slick and slippery.
Serena was squinting, watching out for the teens and surprise snowball attacks when she suddenly felt Darien scoop her up and throw her over his shoulder. She screamed in astonishment, kicking her legs and hitting him on the back with her fists as she was upside down and behind his back. He balanced her carefully by holding onto her legs, making Serena teeter around. "What the hell are you doing?" she yelled at him, hitting him.
Darien grinned smugly," You're in heels. It's getting dangerous for you to walk in, so I thought I'd be nice and carry you."
"Nice?" she wailed," I'm upside down and very close to your butt….. You better not fart," she said seriously.
Darien laughed, and he started running, making Serena scream again as she bounced around on his shoulder. "We have to find Sam and Remy. It's getting too cold, and both of you girls are in dresses," he pointed out as he kept running.
"C-could…..you… at least…. Walk?" she said in between bounces. "This hurts my stomach," she yelled now, hitting him again on his back. "And! I can walk!"
Darien stopped and gently placed her back on the ground with a smirk on his face. She glared at him, and pushed him. He lost his balance and fell back onto the snow as it enveloped around his form.
Serena looked at him, her eyes wide. She didn't mean to make him actually fall… but then she burst out in a fit of laughter, pointing at him.
Darien just lay there as the snow cushioned underneath him. "You," he mumbled under a face full of flakes," are going to regret that…"
"Oh, yeah?" Serena asked with a playful smile, backing away from him.
Darien suddenly jutted up, sitting straight up. He shook the snow off his hair and face. "Yeah," he answered, and jolted towards Serena.
She yelped as she felt herself being lifted off the ground once more. "Darien!" she shrieked," put me down!"
"Oh… you want me to put you down?" he said with a mischievous grin. He walked over towards the snow covered grass and hovered above it, threatening Serena.
She screamed again, hitting him. "You wouldn't…." she said menacingly. "I'm in a dress!"
Darien chuckled slightly. "Then you shouldn't have pushed me into the snow," he argued.
"I didn't know you'd be stupid and fall into it!" she snapped back.
"Well… too bad," he said, and threw her into the high pile of snow. She yelped again as she landed into its cushiony mat. Darien began to laugh. She sat up, breathing heavily because of the cold.
If her legs were cold before, now they were freezing! She fumed, feeling angry as she started to shiver. She knew she didn't have the right to be mad, but she couldn't help it. Her face turned hard as she got up and dusted the snow of her. She walked past Darien as he smiled, not looking at him.
This made him grin even wider. He walked behind her. "Come on," he teased her as she walked off. "It was fair!"
She huffed and kept walking, keeping an eye out for Sam and Remy. She was extremely cold now! She stumbled a little because of her heels.
"Serena…" Darien said in an exasperated voice. "Take a joke," he pleaded as he reached for her hand.
She yanked her hand out of his and turned around to glare at him. "If I get sick…." She threatened," It's going to be YOUR fault! Joking or not, Darien, you do not throw a girl in a DRESS into the snow!"
He couldn't help but smile again at her stubbornness. She was cute when she was angry. And he knew she wouldn't be angry at him for long, she never had. Her being angry was amusing.
Serena saw him smile and she groaned in frustration as she turned around again and began to walk off. He NEVER takes me seriously! She thought in her head as she hurriedly stalked off.
As she yelled at him in her head, she felt his hand grab a hold of her arm. He spun her around to face him and wrapped his arms around her tiny waist, trapping her. She was taken aback, and a small noise escaped her lips as she inhaled. He lowered his head to hers, a small smile playing on his lips. "I'm sorry," he whispered, gently brushing his lips against hers.
Dammit, Serena thought as she felt his tantalizing lips and hot breathes on her face. He knew she'd give in when he did this. She closed her eyes at the feel of lips caressing her skin. "Y….you can't do that," she whimpered, her breathe catching in her throat as her mind slowly began to spin. She felt Darien's hot mouth right below her ears now, on her neck, making her shiver.
He pulled away from her slightly, and whispered," Why not?" before his mouth gave her neck attention again, gently sucking and nipping at it.
Serena felt her knees go weak, finally throwing her arms around his neck. "B-because…" she almost moaned," it's not fair…" she drawled.
"How is it not fair?" he whispered again, leaving her neck and gently kissing her on her lips.
She was about to answer, but she lost her train of thought as he began kissing her, his mouth parting slightly, begging for entrance. As she finally opened her mouth and tasted him, all her anger and frustration became obsolete, disappearing as she moaned.
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Sam and Remy were hiding behind a tree, peeking around it for Darien and Serena.
"I guess they gave up," Remy said as she looked off in the distance. They hadn't gone very far, just far enough. Earlier they heard screaming from Serena and laughing from Darien, but then it became quiet again.
Sam nodded his head. "I guess they did," he replied and backed away from the tree, pulling her along with him. They hadn't let go of each other's hands since they ran away from Darien and Serena, shouting and screaming in the process. He always had fun when he was with her. She took his mind off of everything and anything, replacing his worries and thoughts with laughter instead.
She shivered a little as she finally felt the cold sting her entire body… mainly her feet and legs. Sam took notice and pulled her into a hug, trying to warm her a little. His hands rubbed her back continuously, trying to create heat. "You're cold, aren't you?" he asked quietly, looking concerned.
Remy smiled up at him and nodded as she shyly brought her arms around his neck. Though they had embraced earlier in the carriage, and even kissed, she still felt shy and nervous around him… but then again, she always felt like that around him. It was a feeling she'd never get used too. She rested her head on his chest, and for a second, she could have sworn she heard his heart skip a beat.
As they stood quietly, underneath the rustling tree, Sam could feel her body shiver slightly from the cold. He rubbed his hands along her back faster, hoping she'd warm up a little. "Want to go?" he suddenly asked, breaking the comfortable silence. "I don't want you to get sick."
Remy pulled away from him slightly, and gave a quick nod. "Yeah, we can start heading back," she said softly.
He smiled and let go of her, reaching for her hand instead.
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Serena drove to Remy's house first, dropping her off. Darien and her waited in the car as Sam walked Remy to the door, holding a present for her in his hands.
When they were in front of her door, she turned around and looked at him quizzically. "What is that?" she pointed, looking skeptical. "I thought you promised me you weren't going to get me anything this year."
Sam grinned, shrugging his shoulders. "I lied," he admitted cheekily, holding the decorated bag up for her.
She took it hesitantly, and shook her head at him with a smile. "Sam…" she began to protest, even before she knew what her present was.
He shushed her and said," Just look at it before you say anything else," he told her, encouraging her further.
She looked at him questioningly, and then took the tissue paper out of the bag. When she saw what it was, she gasped. "Oh! How adorable," she squealed, taking a stuffed panda bear out of the bag and hugging it. As she squeezed the living daylights out of the stuffed animal, she could smell Sam's cologne on the bear. "Thank you. I love it," she said softly, stepping towards him for a hug.
When they pulled apart, Sam quickly leaned in for a goodnight kiss before he lost his courage. Remy seemed a little surprised, but didn't object. There was nothing she liked more then being in his arms, and feeling his lips pressed against hers.
They kissed for a good while before he gently pulled away, his eyes slowly opening. He smiled and waved as he back off the porch. "Goodnight, Remy," he said quietly.
She grinned back, feeling herself blush. "Goodnight, Sam," she replied as she opened her door and slipped inside. This had been the night for her. It finally happened! Sam and her were finally together now after two years, and things couldn't have been more perfect.
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Irene and Ken sat in front of the fire, laying comfortably on their couch, snuggled up and talking to one another. It was almost twelve now and they were waiting for the kids to return. As Irene cozied up with her husband, she looked at the twinkling Christmas tree, admiring it.
As the fire crackled, the door swung open, and three kids stumbled in, shivering from the cold.
Irene left Ken's side and strutted over towards her children. "How did it go?" she asked Sam, looking extremely interested, her eyes wide in anticipation.
Sam took off his jacket and hung it on the coat rack. He smiled and nodded at his mother lovingly. "It went great, mom," he informed.
Everyone's face was pink from the cold. Serena felt as if her toes were frost bitten. They were so numb; she couldn't even feel them anymore. She slipped out of her heels and walked towards the inviting warmth of the fireplace.
Darien followed Serena after he took off his shoes and jacket, joining her family in the living room to warm up.
"Sam has a girlfriend now," Serena announced, looking proud, as Sam blushed.
Ken's eyebrows rose up, his eyes twinkling. "Is that so?"
Sam nodded quietly with a smile.
"Aww… congratulations, honey," Irene sang, taking a seat next to her husband.
Everyone, then, was thrown into conversation. Ken and Irene listened to everyone tell about their evening, laughing at them happily as the night finally came to an end.
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It was about one in the morning, and Serena couldn't sleep. She kept toying with the beautiful necklace Darien had given her, smiling as she ran her fingers over the diamonds. This necklace was almost like a promise, since the diamonds represented," The past, the present, AND the future." The future… she thought as she tousled around in bed. She couldn't imagine herself in the future with anyone else accept Darien.
As she thought about it, she looked over towards the corner of her room where Darien's gift lay.
I should give it to him! She thought as she sat up in bed. He had given it to her when they were alone, and she'd been wanting to do the same thing…. Now was the only time that would happen.
She got out of bed and grabbed hold of the neatly wrapped box. Serena walked over to her door, and opened it quietly, peeking out to see if her father was in his 'guarding' mood; he wasn't. She smiled to herself as she tiptoed across the hallway, to Darien's door. She bit her lip as she quietly opened his door, praying it wouldn't squeak as she pushed it open.
Once that was accomplished, she walked over to Darien's bed, and looked at him. He was sound asleep, his breathing deep and rhythmic. Tonight, he actually had a shirt on instead of his usual half-nakedness. Serena reached out and touched his face tenderly. "Hey," she cooed softly," wake-up…"
When he didn't stir, she hopped on his bed, making him bounce off the mattress momentarily. He woke up in surprise and confusion. When his eyes adjusted to the darkness and saw Serena sitting next to him, he frowned. "Serena…" he began as he reached over to turn on the lamp. As the light filled the room, both of them squinted for awhile, now adjusting to brightness. Darien ran a hand over his face and rubbed his eyes sleepily. "Is something wrong?" he asked with a yawn, stretching his arms above his head.
Serena watched him stretch. She could see the muscle in his arm tighten as he raised them above his head. "No," she answered," I just wanted to give you your Christmas present," she began excitedly. "Merry Christmas!" she whispered loudly, handing him her wrapped present.
Darien smiled as he took the box from her hands. "You could have just waited until this morning," he said, looking at the box.
"But I wanted to do it on my own time, when we're alone," she told him.
Darien looked at Serena. She was dressed in a Christmas-y pajama. It had a Christmas tree, snowflake, and present boxes pattern. He smiled as he looked at her. Her hair was a little messy from shifting around on her pillow. "Okay," he said as he looked back to the task at hand. He tore the wrapping paper off the box, throwing it on the ground. Then he looked at the box for awhile, and lifted the top of it off. He could tell it was a picture frame, but it was wrapped around in tissue paper to prevent the glass from being scratched. He looked at Serena with a questioning eye before he lifted the first picture out of the box. He easily took the tissue paper out. He smiled when he saw it was a picture of the two of them. He didn't have a picture of them anywhere so he was happy to have one now… especially since it was in such a nice frame. He read it out loud," In Love-- Darien and Serena November 2005." He looked at her and grinned. "We sure are," he admitted. He couldn't believe it had only been a month and they were already this serious about one another. He looked at the night stand next to his bed and placed the picture frame of the both of them right next to the lamp. "There," he said smiling.
Serena grinned, feeling anticipating his reaction to the next picture frame. This one was the most important present.
He took the next one out, and threw the tissue paper on the ground, letting it join all the others. As his eyes finally fell on the picture, he was quiet. His eyes widened in surprise as he traced his finger over the engraved word," Family." The picture he carried around of him and his parents everywhere with him, looked brand new. His mother and father were sitting next to one another, Darien on their laps with a goofy grin on his three year old face. In the picture, it was easy to tell who he resembled most, and that was his mother. He got her blue eyes, nose, chin, and gentle face. He got his father's masculine form and dark hair. Both his parents were extremely attractive, and you could tell in the picture that they loved each other… and, especially, him. Darien felt a lump start forming in his throat as he stared at the familiar photo.
Serena looked surprised by his reaction. He looked… almost sad. She felt her heart lurch in her chest as his eyes began to look wet. She saw him swallow, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat.
He inhaled sharply, blinking the threatening tears back. "Thanks, Serena," he whispered weakly, glancing at her with a smile. "You have…. No idea how much this means to me," he finished, his voice almost cracking.
Serena's eyes began to well up with tears, even though she wasn't sure why. She nodded, wanting to hug him, but resisting.
Darien looked back down at the picture perfect family that no longer existed. It had been so long since he longed for them, and now, all the feelings came rushing back all at once. The pain of not having either of them in his life tore at him.
When he was younger, he used to blame himself, saying that it was his fault they both died. Saying how unfair it was that he lived while neither of them did. He was even sometimes angry at them. Why did you leave me? He yelled towards the heavens when he was younger, tears streaming down his face. Before he knew it, he was thrown into an orphanage, and in that orphanage he became independent, relying on no one and trusting no one, because the people he trusted the most left him behind. He grew cold and unrelenting… until Andrew's family embraced him as their own. He had to get used to rules and being scolded at all over again. It had been something he needed and even missed. But that family was the reason he changed so dramatically. His heart softened up, and he didn't blame anyone anymore. He knew things happened that couldn't be helped, and that he was lucky compared to millions of others. He could see, he could hear, he could move, touch and feel. It was time he stopped pitying himself, so he did. The Motoki family made him half, whole. Serena was the other missing half.
He was quiet for such a long time, it began to scare Serena. She moved a little closer to him, but not touching him. "Darien," she whispered," are you okay?"
He drew a deep breath, and looked at her with sad eyes with a smiling face. "Yeah," he reassured with a nod," I'm fine," he said as he pulled her into a hug. "I just forgot how much I missed them," he confessed. He breathed in her scent as she hugged him back supportively. "I'm fine. I'm whole now," he told her, not sure if he was making any sense at all. "I'm complete."
