Invalid Response - Chapter 8
by Una Moonstar
ANs: Wow, you guys really do like this one, don't you? You have no idea how happy I am to realize that. Thank you to all of you readers, and an even bigger thanks to those leaving reviews - I love you all! (And I'm a feedback junkie. But doesn't that describe all authors?) You know, I think you romantics out there are going to like this one... And away we go!
(fade out...)
(begin chapter...)
Monday morning started out overcast and cold, with rain threatening to fall at any moment. Serena woke up an hour before her alarm due to a severe case of nerves and sat at her window thoughtfully watching the different shades of gray in the clouds jumble and shift.
She sighed as she realized how much her feelings were like the sky she now gazed at. How would Darien react? Would he hate her for not telling him sooner? Would he not want to be her friend anymore?
Just as her alarm would have sounded, the troubled blonde tore herself away from the window and started going through her morning routine to get ready for school. Luna yawned and stretched at the end of the bed as her charge finished straightening her school uniform. "Good morning, Serena. Did you sleep well?"
The girl sighed as she put her hair up in the customary meatballs. "Not exactly. I'm really worried about what's going to happen this afternoon. I don't want Darien to be mad at me. I don't want to lose his friendship."
The small black cat gave her a sympathetic look. "Everything will be okay, you'll see. If he's truly your friend, he'll understand once you explain the situation. He may need a little bit of time to cool off, but it will work out."
Serena smiled as she turned away from her vanity mirror and faced her feline guardian. "Thanks, Luna. Your support means a lot to me. And you're right. It'll be okay; I've got a good feeling about this underneath all these nerves." She winked as her cat laughed. "I'd better get downstairs so I can eat and get to school. You coming?" she asked as she stood at her bedroom door.
Luna shook her head slightly and trotted over to join the blonde girl. "You know, I will never get used to you not rushing around here like a chicken with its head cut off in the morning."
"You better," Serena said as she opened the door, "because I plan on making this a very common occurrence." With a wink she started down the stairs and the rest of her day.
(fade out...)
(scene change...)
Darien sat in his wheelchair staring blankly out his glass balcony doors Monday afternoon. They had brought him to his apartment after lunch and given him the grand tour to explain what had been changed in his absence. He had almost blown his top when he saw the new bed, but quickly simmered down when it was explained that his old bed was just in storage, waiting for his recovery. The new, expanded bathroom, on the other hand, nearly brought tears to his eyes. The bed at least looked normal. There was no hiding the purpose of the support bars, expanded tub, lower sink, and extra space the bathroom held.
And now, two hours later, he sat watching with unseeing eyes as the world went on outside his own, listening to Dr. Elizabeth Nyx drone on about common reactions to a change in setting and how she and the rest of the medical personnel assigned to him would attempt in every way possible to help him adjust so his recovery could continue unhindered. Did the woman ever shut up? Was she out to impress him with all the big words she could muster? If so she was failing miserably. Darien didn't think there was anything she could do now to impress him. Except maybe completely leave him alone.
A change in speakers caused him to turn his head in response. Dr. Mizuno, unlike the psychologist, actually had his respect. "Look, Darien, I understand this is a huge shock to you. Well, not completely, but I'm trying. And we need you to do the same. Try." The woman's dark blue eyes, their shade falling somewhere between Serena's sapphire and his own midnight, Darien noted, softened a bit in sympathy. "This is overwhelming right now. Just don't use that as an excuse to crawl back into yourself and give up on your recovery." The blue-haired doctor glanced at her watch briefly and looked at the blonde psychologist next to her. Nyx nodded. "Excuse me for a moment, Darien. There's something I need to attend to." She quietly opened the door and stepped out into the hall, closing it behind her with a barely audible click.
Darien noticed the appraising look the remaining doctor was giving him. "What is it?" he asked in the dead tone he traditionally used with the woman.
Nyx cleared her throat and bravely brought her hazel eyes to meet her patient's midnight blue ones. "The hospital has assigned you a volunteer to assist you during your adjustment and recovery." She watched his eyes grow wide then narrow in barely contained fury.
"And just when was this decision made?" he asked through clenched teeth, turning his chair so he was facing her directly.
"Everything was settled last week Monday," she responded, her eyes and voice never wavering.
"And you're finally telling me now?" he shouted, his limit finally reached. "What is wrong with you people?"
"Now, Darien," she replied calmly in a soothing tone of voice, inwardly flinching, "this is exactly the kind of scene we wished to avoid in the hospital. We felt it best to give you time to adjust to the fact that you were leaving, coming home. You know, one thing at a time." The psychologist smiled slightly as the door opened and Dr. Mizuno stepped back inside the apartment, leaving the door unclosed behind her. Darien could just make out another figure behind her.
"Darien, first of all, I want you to know that I was against waiting to tell you about this. It doesn't seem to be my month with the administration." Dr. Mizuno shot Dr. Nyx a dirty look. "Second, I'd like you to meet the young lady who has volunteered to help you out." She began to step aside.
"Yes, let's meet this generous soul," Darien said sarcastically.
(fade out...)
(scene change...)
Serena tore out of school as soon as the final bell rang, throwing quick goodbye waves at Amy, Lita, and Molly. She made a mad dash for the Azabu district, pausing only briefly to be completely sure it was safe to cross at crosswalks. Finally she reached the apartment building she had been told was where Darien made his home.
She walked inside at a much more reasonable pace, trying to catch her breath from the long run. Stepping into the elevator, she checked her watch before hitting the button for the fifth floor. Oh, good. Ten minutes sooner than she had figured on arriving. She giggled to herself as she pictured the looks of disbelief the other scouts would wear if they knew of her promptness.
The doors to the elevator opened on the fifth floor to reveal plain gray carpeting, subdued blue-gray paint on the walls, and cherry-stained doors along the hallway. She stepped out and headed for number 518 at the far end of the hall to her left.
As Serena got closer to her destination, she noticed another figure standing in the hall. The petite blonde smiled as she recognized Amy's mother waiting for her it seemed. "Hi, Dr. Mizuno!"
"Shhh," the blue-haired woman admonished quickly. "Dr. Nyx is telling him about you."
Serena bit her bottom lip. "Just what I needed to hear. I'm nervous enough as it is."
The older lady smiled. "Everything will work out. Darien is smart enough to realize that Nyx is the cause of all this. Although I have to agree with her that he could use someone being here with him."
The girl smiled weakly as Darien's voice rang out from inside. "And you're finally telling me now? What is wrong with you people?"
Dr. Mizuno's eyes widened. "I think that's our cue."
Serena just gulped as the doctor opened the door just enough to get through and stepped inside. The meatball-headed blonde stepped right behind her. She stayed caught in her own nervousness until she saw the doctor in front of her start to move aside and heard Darien say in a sarcastic tone, "Yes, let's meet this generous soul."
Darien gasped in amazement as a very familiar figure stepped into view. "Serena!" he breathed as he tensed.
She stood just inside the door as Dr. Mizuno closed it behind her. She bit her bottom lip and stared at Darien with a somewhat fearful expression. "Hi," she whispered, barely meeting his hard gaze.
The man in the wheelchair was frozen, with no knowledge of what to do. On the one hand, Serena had obviously been keeping this from him, and she had seen him three times since she knew. On the other hand, this was Serena, the girl who had lit up his life, and who had yet to truly lie to him. Dr. Mizuno made it sound like Dr. Nyx was behind it all, but was Serena in on it? His jaw clenched as his midnight blues, which had darkened in his fury to almost black, bore into Serena's sapphire blues, also darkened, but out of fear.
A quick flick to the side registered a blue-haired doctor looking on with worry and a strawberry blonde psychologist watching almost eagerly at the imminent explosion. And Serena still gazed at him with fear in her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?" he ground out, barely keeping his voice under control.
"I was told I couldn't say anything," she responded meekly, wringing her hands on the handle of her satchel and taking a couple cautious steps further into the room.
"Would you have otherwise?"
"As soon as I walked into your room on Tuesday night."
He searched her face for signs she was telling anything but the truth, wanting so badly not to find any. He sighed inwardly as his wish was granted. "Why?"
She blinked. "Why what?" Her voice came out stronger as she noticed a few minute symbols that Darien was beginning to relax with her.
"Why are you here?" he asked quietly, but with no less intensity than his previous questions.
She moved quickly to his side, ignoring the slight flinch he gave at her close proximity. "You need me," she responded simply and quietly, his ears being the only pair in the room to pick up her words.
He looked up sharply into her now shyly smiling face. "Maybe," he retorted warily, no louder than she had been. She winked.
"Um, Serena, could you fill us in please?" Dr. Nyx said with a touch of irritation in her voice. She didn't like being left out.
Darien noted the flash of indignation that passed through the petite blonde's eyes before she responded. "I'm sorry, doctor. That's between Darien and me." Her face was impassive, but the young man next to her could tell she was holding something back.
"Now, Serena…" The tall woman trailed off as Dr. Mizuno placed a hand on her crossed arms and Darien aimed his fierce look at her and growled.
"Serena will be stopping by every day after school for a few hours and longer on the weekends. I'll leave it up to you two to figure out the details after we leave." Nyx shot the interrupting doctor a look. "Are there any questions?"
Both teenagers shook their head "no," Darien a bit more vigorously.
"Then we'll get going and let you two get accustomed to each other. Don't forget, either of you, that Darien has pool therapy on Friday afternoon, and you'll be taking him, Serena." Both sets of eyes widened. They had forgotten about that. "Talk to each other. Everything will be all right, you'll see." Dr. Mizuno winked and dragged a very reluctant Dr. Nyx with her out the door, finally leaving the petite blonde and the ebony-haired young man alone to face each other and the consequences of their current situation.
"I'm sorry I didn't say anything," Serena said softly after a few moments, still facing the closed door.
"Was it Nyx?" Darien muttered as quietly.
"From what I understand. I think she didn't want to deal with what you might have said and done if you would have known at the hospital."
He sighed. "Then it's not your fault. And it's not like you actually lied to me; I never asked."
"True, but I hated not being able to say anything." She turned her head as she heard the shifting of the wheelchair at her side. "Darien?"
He only turned his chair so he was once again looking out his balcony doors and said nothing.
Serena sighed. Somehow knowing he wouldn't say anything more until he was ready, she went over to the long couch a few steps away that faced away from the owner of the apartment and flopped down onto it. Dropping her school bag onto the coffee table in front of her, she proceeded to then pull out the book they were studying in her English class and read the assigned chapters. "And Darien," she said gently as she found her page, "be sure to let me know if you need anything. That's why I'm here. And you come first."
There was no response.
They stayed that way for two hours before Darien finally turned his head to look at the back of the blonde that was sitting on his couch. He wasn't sure how to take the current turn of events; Serena wasn't acting anything like he had expected her to when she found out. He was waiting for the pampering, the condescending tone; in short, to be treated like the invalid he now was. He never expected the silence, save for the turning of pages, that had overtaken his apartment. He thought she would be talking non-stop, trying to draw him out, to talk about what he was feeling. Her acceptance of his attitude and lack of conversation confused him. "Serena?" he asked softly.
She jumped at the sudden noise. She then quickly marked her page and shifted to sit sideways on the couch to better look at the young man that had addressed her. "Did you need something, Darien?" she asked with a small smile.
"Don't you pity me?"
Her eyes flew wide at the unexpected question, asked in such a bewildered tone. "Why should I do that?"
He gazed down at his lap for a moment before returning his gaze to hers. "Just look at me."
She looked him over. "What about it?"
He looked even more incredulous. "I'm useless, Serena. I… I'm no good to anyone anymore."
A stern expression settled on her features. "You are not useless. You are just temporarily without the use of your legs. There's a difference."
"And what is that?" he asked, honestly curious.
She returned the curious look. "Well, first of all, it's not like you're always going to be in that chair." She watched the pain flash through his eyes. "But more importantly, you may not be able to use your legs right now, but the rest of you works. You can still think, speak, use your arms, see, hear, taste, touch, smell… Just because someone can walk does not mean they are useful. Look at my brother," she finished with a smile.
He found himself returning that smile to a lesser degree. "You really believe that, don't you?"
Her smile grew wider. "Of course! Besides, you've been so strong to face this without completely breaking down. I don't know if I could have done it."
He shot her a skeptical look. "I highly doubt that, Serena. I'm sure you would have handled it all a lot more optimistically than I have. You have so many more reasons to." He clamped his mouth shut and clenched his jaw.
She stood. "Oh, Darien." She moved quickly to his side and took him into a gentle embrace. "You have more reasons than you realize," she whispered into his ear as his arms came up around her waist.
He maneuvered her into his lap and rested his head in the crook of her neck. "I have you." And he started to softly cry.
(fade out...)
(scene change...)
As Serena was facing Darien for the first time in his apartment, Lita was walking into the Crown Arcade looking for a certain blond attendant. She found him kneeling behind the Sailor V game, messing with a couple wires. "Hey, Andrew," she said as he put the wires back where they belonged.
"Hi, Lita, how's it going?" he asked as he finished putting the back of the game back in place and tightened the screws that held it there.
"Not bad. I was wondering if you'd heard any word about our… special project."
He could have sworn he heard an evil tone in her innocently-phrased request. "Actually, yes." He led the way back to the counter where he glanced around briefly for any stray ears. "My contact gave me the printout, complete with picture, name, and address." He pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to the tall brunette.
She unfolded it and quickly read the contents. "Isn't he the C.E.O. of…"
"Yep. Head honcho himself. Although we know he wasn't the one driving. Has to be one of his kids."
"Do you know who they are?"
"I know I read an article on the family a while back, but for the life of me I can't remember the kids' names. There's a daughter, she's the oldest, and two sons. That's all I know." He shrugged helplessly.
"Don't worry about it. A little more research and we'll have our boy. I mean, we can't be asking the guest of honor his name at the party, now can we?"
This time Andrew was sure he heard the evil tone in Lita's voice since it matched the smile on her face. Not that he minded; it matched his own thoughts perfectly. "Of course not."
"Hey, guys! What's up? What's with the evil grins?" Mina asked as she came bounding up to the counter where the two co-conspirators stood silently planning. She glanced at the paper Lita held in her hand. "Oh! That's Paul Kitagawa's dad! Why do you have a picture of him?"
The two turned to face the newcomer. "You know who this is?" Lita asked incredulously.
Mina brought her blue eyes up to meet her friend's green ones. "Yeah, his sons go to my school. Paul is in my class, while David is a year ahead, in ninth. Why?"
Green met green as Lita and Andrew looked at each other before answering. "Mina, how mad are you about what happened to Serena?" Andrew asked slyly.
"You mean about the car that almost hit her? I'm furious! That kid had no right to be driving at all, much less that recklessly! If I get my hands on that driver…"
"You're looking at his dad," Lita said smugly, gesturing toward the sheet in her hand.
Mina's eyes widened. "David! That slime! He nearly took out Serena on one of his joyrides! When I get my hands on him tomorrow…"
"No, Mina!" Andrew quickly interrupted. "We have a much better plan in mind." His evil smile returned.
"And what makes you say it's David and not Paul?" Lita followed up.
"You gave me Serena's description; it fits David to a tee. He got the scar on his right cheek from a little accident in chemistry lab." She laughed nervously. "It really was an accident." Andrew and Lita laughed. "Now what's this about a better plan?"
"We were thinking of grabbing you and Raye and paying our happy little driver a happy little visit to have a happy little discussion about road safety. Is tomorrow good for you?" Lita asked nonchalantly.
Mina smirked. "Don't bother until next week. He has detention for the rest of the week for telling off the principal in front of the whole school. In fact next week is perfect because I heard Paul snickering about the fact that his brother has to go home immediately after school for the rest of the month, and the servants are going to be keeping tabs on him. His parents don't come home until late it seems, and Paul has plans to stay out late to rub it all in."
"I love having an insider," Lita exulted, throwing her arm around the gloating blonde beside her.
"This is definitely a huge advantage. Now to let Raye in on it all." Andrew added.
"She'll kill us if we don't," Lita concurred.
"What about Amy? She's not happy either. She hates seeing Serena so torn up." Mina asked.
"Mina, Amy has morals. That could get in our way," Lita explained.
"I suppose you're right."
"Of course I'm right! And now, Andrew, I'd say it's time for a victory shake for the team! Plan Friendly Revenge is a go!"
The blond attendant laughed and proceeded to get the girls chocolate shakes, and a vanilla one for himself. "To victory!"
"To victory!" the girls shouted in unison before taking a huge drink.
(fade out...)
(scene change...)
Darien lay in his bed staring at his ceiling that night going over the events of the day. Serena had left at eight o'clock after helping him into bed at his insistence. He had to smile at her objections and her sincere desire to avoid hurting him. She truly was putting him first, like she had told him.
The most shocking revelation of the afternoon had to be that Serena did not pity him. The dark little voice could come up with no refuting reasoning, and so his mind was calm, if amazed. He could still see the nonchalant way she looked him up and down after he had asked why she didn't pity him, like it didn't matter. And he was still digesting the points she'd brought up as to why he wasn't useless. While he wasn't sure if he could bring himself to completely buy into it, it was comforting to know she did.
Feelings ran rampant through his veins, feelings he wasn't sure he could decipher or control. All he did know was that Serena was at the eye of the storm, and while he couldn't be sure exactly what his feelings for the petite blonde were, he did know that he could picture no one else at the center of the commotion.
When he finally fell asleep sometime around midnight, his last thought was a prayer of thanks to whoever had brought his precious Meatball Head into his life.
(fade out...)
(scene change...)
The next couple of days provided the framework for the routine the two teenagers would follow in the days and weeks to come. A nurse would visit in the morning, the physical therapist would come right before lunch, and Dr. Nyx would talk at him for about an hour right before Serena showed up after school. The psychologist would speak with the petite blonde for a short while then leave. Serena would then set up her homework for the night and check up on Darien and get him anything he might need. He usually didn't wish to talk, leaving Serena to do her homework in peace, except for a few times when he asked her to do some small task.
Darien had surprised her Tuesday night by silently handing her a copy of the key to his apartment as she was about to leave. He squeezed her hand as she took it, and they shared a small, shy smile. She gave him a tender hug and left around seven, which was soon to become her usual time to leave, especially when she had a "get-together" planned with the girls.
So when Thursday rolled around, Darien was expecting things to go the same way they had the previous two nights. Nyx walked outside with Serena, Serena came back in slightly annoyed, the blonde set up a few books and papers on the coffee table, and she then came over to where he sat staring out his balcony doors. "How bad was she today?" she asked wryly.
He smiled a wicked smile. "I was tempted to try out my upper body strength out on the balcony with her. If she'd brought up the need to limit my time of readjustment one more time I just might have."
Serena rolled her eyes. "That's what she was telling me too. That I would have to start cracking down on you within the next week or so."
"What did you tell her?"
"I told her cracking down was something my teacher did to me for being tardy one too many times or not turning in my homework, not how you dealt with someone who had just came home after an accident and operation. She then told me it was good for me to have opinions, but I should leave the diagnosis and treatment up to professional medical personnel."
"What?" Darien practically shouted.
"Yep. I guess I'm just not qualified enough to judge what you need. I'm just supposed to follow orders."
"I wish I would have tested my upper body strength."
Serena giggled. "Nah. She's not worth it. Do you need anything? Did you want to talk or anything like that?"
He was surprised. If Nyx had asked that question, he would have been royally irritated. But when Serena asked it, it was okay. Maybe that was because he knew the blonde girl would respect his answer no matter what it was. "Not right now, Serena," he responded with a smile. "Maybe later for both. Go ahead and do your homework. But…" here he hesitated, "if you need any help with anything, let me know. I'd be happy to."
Serena flashed him one of her thousand watt grins. Something inside her told her with that offer he was ready for the next step. "You bet." She hugged him and went over to her prepared study area.
An hour later, as Darien watched dark gray storm clouds roll in from the east, he realized he was hungry. He shot Serena a glance and found her absent-mindedly flipping through the pages of one of her textbooks. "Serena? Could you get me a sandwich?" He then turned back to the balcony doors.
"Darien, I'm in the middle of trying to find a certain quote from an American first lady in my World History book. Everything you need should be within easy reach; if you need any help getting it, I'll help, but you'll have to do the rest yourself. Don't worry; I know you're completely capable." She flipped another page and exhaled loudly.
Darien's jaw hit the floor. "But…"
"Your arms still work, Darien. Along with everything else from the hips on up. You're going to have to do this eventually on your own anyway. Besides, what do you do when I'm not around?" Flip.
The ebony-haired young man stared at the back of the blonde's head for a short time, trying to find a refuting argument – or at the very least a witty retort. Nothing came to him. So eventually he weakly wheeled himself to the kitchen, where the swinging door had been removed until he had recovered, and stared at the refrigerator door. She believed he should do this. She believed he could do this. He had been afraid to admit that he had waited the last couple of days for her to show up before he ate anything. Luckily the nurse gave him a large glass of water with the pills he took in the morning or he wouldn't drink anything before she came either. And he realized she had a point; he had to be able to do this on his own.
Fortunately the kitchen was wide enough for him to be able to turn the chair around; he maneuvered himself into a better position and opened the refrigerator door. He soon became quite grateful for his long arms as a few of the items he wished to use on his sandwich were far back on the shelves. His reach came in handy once again as he went for the breadbox on the counter. The only problem he encountered came when he wanted a plate to put the finished product on: the dishes were in the top cabinets. "Um, Serena?" he called out.
"Yes? What is it?" she called back, obviously distracted.
He swallowed a lump of nerves and reluctance before posing his request. "I need your help."
A short time later the meatball-headed blonde skittered into the kitchen curiously. "What do you need?" she asked, concerned, eyes sparkling at the sight before her.
Darien sighed. "A plate. All my dishes are in the top cabinets, and no matter how much I stretch, there's no way I'll ever be able to reach them."
Serena smiled. "Understandable." She shifted around the seated man and quickly got out a small plate. "Is this the right size?" she inquired as she held it out to him.
"That's fine," he responded as he took the offered dish and smiled slightly. "Thanks." His eyes said that his gratitude went beyond the fetching of a simple plate.
"Anytime." Her tone said she understood what he was trying to say. She then winked, flashed him a grin, and went back to her search.
He was halfway through his first sandwich when a loud "Yes!" startled him into looking over at the studying blonde. "What?" he asked, his mouth full.
"I found it! I found the quote!" She turned and gave him a blinding smile of triumph.
He found himself smiling in return and swallowed. "So what is it and who's it from?"
"Eleanor Roosevelt, and it makes sense actually. 'No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.'"
"That does make sense."
"It's something to keep in mind," she commented distractedly, turning back toward her books.
Darien cocked his head to the side as he took another bite. He realized Serena's last comment was probably directed more at herself than anything, but it held true for him as well. The more he thought about it the more he realized he had become his own worst enemy, if he hadn't been before. Serena's push earlier, and the results thereof, was proof enough of that. When he tried, he moved forward. When he wallowed in his own dark thoughts, he stagnated.
He turned his dark head to face the balcony doors once again. He met his own midnight blue gaze in the reflection and lost himself in it. "I guess I'll just have to try. If not for me, then for Serena – because she believes in me," he muttered under his breath, unaware he had said anything out loud.
Serena, however, was too caught up in finishing her homework to notice. She glanced back at her charge and saw he was absently eating his sandwiches, lost in thought. She smiled and put her books away. Once that was done, she silently walked into the kitchen.
Darien was almost finished with his second sandwich when loud clattering from the kitchen finally entered his awareness. But before he could investigate, Serena tripped out of other room with a sheepish look on her face. "Don't worry; I didn't break anything."
"What were you doing?" he asked suspiciously.
"You'll find out," she responded with a wink.
He rolled his eyes. "I think I'm scared of what that could mean."
"Don't be. It's a good thing. I promise."
Darien glanced at the clock on his bookshelves and sighed. "It's almost seven o'clock."
"Is it?" Serena asked, surprised. "Wow, time flew by tonight!" She walked over to him. "So how do you want to work things tomorrow?"
He started in shock at the question. "Tomorrow?"
"Your water therapy. They want me to take you in for that when I get here." She swallowed nervously.
He narrowed his eyes. "What?"
She looked him straight in the eyes and sighed. "I didn't know how to tell you this, and I've wanted to." Her voice trailed off.
His eyes softened at the sincerity in her tone. "Just say it."
"Nyx will have a fit when she finds out, not that I think I care, but…" She sighed again. "I'm supposed to give a weekly report of your progress while you're having your therapy." She held her breath and waited for his response.
Darien searched the petite blonde's eyes for a moment then smiled softly. "There's nothing to worry about; you told me. And that means everything to me, Serena." He waited until she shyly returned his smile. "As for tomorrow, I'll try to be as ready as I can and we'll leave when you get here."
"Do you want me to arrange for transportation? I'm sure the hospital will send over one of those vans…"
Serena didn't get to finish her statement. "No! I will not ride in one of those!"
The blonde girl was a bit taken aback. "Okay, Darien," she said meekly. "So we'll just walk then?"
"Yes," he responded quietly, feeling a bit ashamed for his outburst. "Fortunately the weather is supposed to be nice, but be sure to dress warmly. I wouldn't want you to catch something on my account."
She smiled. "Of course." She put on her jacket and picked up her school bag. "Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you earlier. I'll be staying a little later tomorrow because the girls and I are getting together at Amy's for the weekend. They already told me they didn't mind me showing up late so I'm taking advantage of it."
Darien smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Serena. That means a lot to me. Now you better get going. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Are you sure you won't need my help to get into bed?"
"After your little example of my competency I think I'll try all those techniques the nurse and my physical therapist have been showing me. Besides, I'm not quite ready to go to bed yet. Go ahead. I'll be fine. And thank you for everything."
Serena hugged him shortly but fiercely, and he returned it full measure. "I'll see you tomorrow." He nodded and she headed out the door and home.
(fade out...)
(scene change...)
The next afternoon was bright but cold. A sharp wind blew through the streets of Tokyo, and Serena could only give thanks that she had remembered to bring a change of clothes for her long walk to the hospital with Darien. Her long blonde streamers fluttered about in the gusts, periodically coming close to whipping the small black cat with a golden crescent moon on her forehead who was her traveling companion smack dab in the face. "Are you sure about walking in this wind, Serena?" Luna asked as she dodged a ponytail once again.
"Darien refuses to let me have the hospital send over one of those special vans for people in wheelchairs. That leaves walking. No matter what Dr. Nyx says I refuse to make him uncomfortable or push him beyond what he's ready for. And he's not ready to use the van."
"That Dr. Nyx really bothers you, doesn't she?"
"You could say that. I don't think she understands Darien at all. He's a difficult person to get through to, and she doesn't like that. He completely frustrates her; it's obvious with the way she talks to me when I get to the apartment."
"How long has she been doing this?"
"With Darien? Something like two weeks. I don't know otherwise. She sure is beautiful though."
"Looks aren't everything, Serena," Luna said sagely.
The blonde girl sighed. "True. But they sure don't hurt."
The cat creased her brow in thought as they reached Darien's apartment building. "I wonder about that," she said to herself before Serena picked her up and hung her over her shoulder.
A quick elevator ride and walk down a quiet hallway found the two of them in front of the door to apartment 518. Serena knocked briefly and used her key to enter. "I'm here, Darien!" she called.
"I'm in the bedroom," a muffled male voice responded.
"No problem. I'll be in the bathroom for a bit changing into something warmer than my school uniform. The wind is pretty biting."
"Okay."
"You wait here, Luna. I won't be long. Although I should brush out my hair…" she trailed off as she disappeared into the bathroom with her duffle bag.
Luna curled up in a sunbeam near the balcony doors to wait for the two teenagers. She had decided to come along to see exactly what and how Serena was doing. So far, from her talks with the petite blonde, Serena seemed to be doing fine. Her friendship with her dark-haired charge had survived her surprise arrival, and even seemed to be getting better, if what she had said happened the night before meant anything. Dr. Nyx was the only worry; the psychologist kept pushing Serena to push Darien. Neither teenager appreciated the effort.
The black cat sighed as the bedroom door opened. Darien wheeled into the living room wearing a thick navy blue sweater and a pair of black sweatpants. He shot an amused look at the door of the bathroom where a few muttered curses escaped as Serena attempted to brush out the wind-blown tangles in her calf-length hair. He moved toward the balcony doors and pulled up short as he noticed the cat at his black-sock-covered feet. "Oh, so Meatball Head brought her cat along today, did she? Luna, right?" The small cat meowed in affirmation.
"I heard that!" Serena's muffled voice came from the bathroom.
Darien chuckled as Luna leapt into his lap. He jumped a bit before gently petting the black feline. His eyes wandered back to the bathroom door. "Your mistress is sure something special, wouldn't you say, Luna?" Red-orange eyes lifted at the soft comment. "I'd say we're both very fortunate beings to have been blessed with her."
Luna smiled to herself as she mewed an agreement. She realized then that she had nothing to worry about with this situation. Serena was perfect for the job; if anyone could help this young man, it was the bright, bubbly blonde.
Serena finally exited the bathroom, hair in its traditional style, snarl-free, wearing a red sweatshirt whose collar draped around her shoulders over a white turtleneck, a pair of white woolen leggings and red Chuck Taylors. She smiled as though she hadn't muttered a single curse. "Are you ready to go?"
Luna caught Darien's eyes quickly take in the petite blonde's form, although she was sure Serena never did. "As soon as I get something on my feet and my coat and hat, yes," Darien responded with a small smile.
Serena winked. "That I can take care of. Your appointment is at four-thirty by the way."
"We should be there in plenty of time."
The energetic girl slipped the ebony-haired young man's feet into a pair of slip-on loafers he pointed out in his closet then grabbed for his brown leather jacket. "No! Not that one!" Darien snapped.
Serena spun around, confused. Luna, still on his lap, looked at him warily. "What's wrong with this one? Don't you always wear it?"
"That's the point. Grab that black trench toward the back. I've only worn it a couple of times."
"Okay," Serena said distantly as she followed his instructions.
Darien sighed as the girl brought his requested jacket to him. "I'm sorry for snapping at you, Serena. I just don't want anyone to recognize me on the way. The last thing I need to do is wear a signature piece of clothing."
Serena gave him a soft smile as she helped him put his arms into the trenchcoat. "I understand. What else do you need?" Luna looked at her, impressed by the maturity and insight of her response.
Darien released a breath he didn't even know he was holding. "Thank you," he whispered. "I've got a baseball cap on the top shelf in the closet, and my sunglasses are in a case in the drawer of my night stand. If you could get those, I should be ready," he continued in a normal tone, lifting himself with his arms so Serena could settle the long jacket under his legs.
"Do you have a different pair of sunglasses?" the blonde asked as she returned to the closet once again. "Talk about a signature piece." She turned quickly once she grabbed the cap and threw it to Darien like she tossed her tiara. Luna started to roll her eyes but stopped when she noticed Darien's sudden tenseness and wide eyes as he caught the missile. "What?" Serena asked, uncomfortable with the piercing look she was given.
"That looked so familiar," Darien muttered, only Luna catching it. He then shook his head to clear the thought. "Another pair of sunglasses? Um, not really. I never needed another pair."
Serena and Luna looked suspiciously at him, the blonde shrugging after a moment. "Well, then, you're going to have to live with what you have for now. I'll go get them." She walked back to the bedroom.
Darien gazed after her, a thoughtful look in his eye. Luna watched him watch her charge and found a few budding suspicions sprouting in her mind. This would bear some further investigation.
Serena returned quickly with two glasses cases and a folded blanket. "I found both of these in the night stand. I wasn't sure which you needed."
"You couldn't check?"
She blushed. "I figured it would be safer for you to do that. The last time I fetched my father's glasses I… it's best to just move on."
Darien smirked and took the black case from her. She looked at the dark brown case left in her hand. "So what's in here?"
It was Darien's turn to blush. "My reading glasses, actually."
She smiled. "Oh! Like Amy's! I'll have to see how they look on you later." She winked and placed the case on the coffee table while Luna leapt to the floor. "I found this in your linen closet. We'll drape it over your legs. They can use the extra warmth." Her matter-of-fact tone kept Darien's discomfort in check as he eyed the blanket she was tucking around his lower limbs and waist. "All set?" she asked as she took in his appearance. She had to admit; if she saw him on the street like this, she never would have recognized him, sunglasses or no.
He adjusted his sunglasses and cap one last time and nodded. "Let's do this," he said, pulling a pair of black leather gloves from the pocket of his coat and putting them on.
Serena dashed ahead and opened the door to the apartment while Luna jumped back into Darien's lap. "I think your cat likes me."
The blonde giggled as she took up her position behind the wheelchair. "I've always wondered about her." She smiled mischievously at the now-glaring cat.
"So what does that say about you?" he asked, shooting a small smile over his shoulder as they headed for the door.
"I've always wondered about me, too."
They both laughed as they exited the apartment, Serena pulling the door shut with her foot behind them.
(fade out...)
(scene change...)
The walk to the hospital was briskly cold but uneventful. They arrived just in time for Darien's appointment, Luna staying outside at the doors, showing up at the physical therapy desk to find his therapist reviewing his file. "There you are, Darien," he said as he looked up and saw the ebony-haired young man take off his sunglasses. "Right on time. You must be Serena Tsukino," he said, shifting his gaze to the blonde pushing the wheelchair.
"That would be me," she responded cheerfully, flashing her thousand-watt grin.
The tall, dark-haired man found himself smiling in response. "It's a pleasure to meet you. My name's James Dillinger. We've got an hour of the pool scheduled, so if you want to wait upstairs, you'll probably be more comfortable."
Serena's smile faded slightly. "He knows."
Dillinger's dark brown eyes widened. "Knows what?"
She sighed. "Darien knows I'm going up for a weekly review. I told him yesterday. There's no need to hide it."
The therapist chuckled ruefully while Darien stared at his hands in his lap. "I didn't like the idea of hiding things anyway. Go on up. We have a session to start." He took Serena's place behind the chair and started to wheel Darien toward the poolroom.
"One sec," Serena called as she rushed to them. She squeezed her friend's shoulder and leaned in next to his ear. "Good luck. I know everything will work out. And don't worry about me. I know what I'm doing." She gave him an outrageous wink.
Darien turned his head slightly to gaze at the blonde girl. "Thanks. I'll see you later then," he said quietly, the corners of his mouth twitching at her behavior.
"Don't let him get to you too badly, Mr. Dillinger!" she called as she started to leave for the elevator.
"That girl is something else," the physical therapist said with a chuckle as the elevator doors closed behind her.
"Definitely," Darien agreed, his midnight blue eyes sparkling.
(fade out...)
(scene change...)
Serena sighed as she leaned up against the back wall of the elevator. "I wish I knew as much about what I was doing as I said I did," she muttered to herself.
(fade out...)
(scene change...)
A little bit later, Serena knocked lightly on the door of the same small conference room she had been assigned to Darien's case in. She bit her bottom lip as she unzipped her jacket, nervously shifting her weight from foot to foot. A muffled "Come in" had her swallowing forcefully and reaching for the knob.
Two of the previous five adults that had been waiting for her last time were missing. Dr. Kirchner had gone back to the United States, she knew, and Nurse Jameson must have been busy with other duties – or just wasn't as intimately involved any more, she wasn't sure which. Dr. Mizuno sat at the end of the table closest to the door like she had previously, a stack of files and papers in front of her taking up the space not only in front of her, but the seat to her right as well. Dr. Nyx sat to the blue-haired doctor's left with a small number of files piled in front of her. As she seated herself opposite Dr. Mizuno once again, she noticed the thin brown-haired man who hadn't introduced himself last time seated to her left. His gray eyes were warm and friendly as he smiled at her and he absent-mindedly fidgeted with the one file he held in his hands.
The doctor at the head of the table waited for the petite blonde to take off her coat and get situated before starting the meeting. "I'd like to thank you, Serena, for being here on time. I know you walked on top of getting Darien ready, so it means a lot." She smiled. "The reports we've received from the majority of the other people working with Darien has been quite positive; I'm looking forward to hearing your side of the story."
Serena could guess who made up the minority of negative comments. She shot a fleeting look at the silent psychologist, noticing how the tall woman's hazel gaze was completely focused on her. "I really don't know how to do this professionally," she stammered.
"We know. Just tell us what happened this week. We'll ask you questions to clear up anything else we need to know when you're done."
"Thanks, Dr. Mizuno. Well, after you and Dr. Nyx left on Monday, things were quiet. I explained my situation, he turned and stared out the balcony doors, and I did my homework. We came to a better understanding a couple hours later and I left. Tuesday and Wednesday went about the same; I showed up, set out my books, asked him if he needed anything, did whatever small task he asked me to do, and did my homework. He didn't want to talk, and I wasn't about to push him." With that statement she shot a hard look at Nyx. The man to her left smiled. "He did give me a spare key to his apartment before I left on Tuesday night. That surprised me a little." She shrugged and continued.
"Yesterday started like the two days before it, but he offered to help me with my homework if I needed it. A little later he asked me to get him a sandwich, and I had him do it himself. He did, we talked about today's arrangements, and I left. Today, I got there, he was dressed, I helped him into his trenchcoat, hat, and shoes after I changed into something warmer than my school uniform, and we walked here. I left him with Mr. Dillinger and came up here. That's about it." She smiled as she ended her recollection.
The lone male in the room fought the urge to laugh, especially at the struggling psychologist's expression. "It sounds like things went well, Serena. How would you say things went overall?"
Serena gazed speculatively at the man. "Pretty good I'd say. We had a couple good talks, and I think that was all I was really hoping for. He's always been hard to talk to."
"Always?" Nyx asked suspiciously.
The petite blonde turned a cool gaze to the psychologist. "I've known him for about six months or so now. We used to argue a lot."
"You never mentioned this before."
"You never asked." Although she seemed cool on the outside, Serena was shivering in fear on the inside. Maybe it wasn't the smartest thing in the world to irritate one of the people in charge of Darien's care, no matter what her personal opinion of the woman's work was.
A soft snort came from the brown-haired man. "The girl has a point," he muttered under his breath.
"Elizabeth, you knew she knew the patient prior to being assigned to this case. It's useless to grill her about it now. If you had a problem with that you should have raised that issue before," Dr. Mizuno said sternly, taking control of the meeting back from the chaos it was spiraling toward. "And Serena has a point." She shot a look at the man near the far end of the table. He could have sworn he saw a brief twinkle in her eyes and a flash of a smile before she turned back to the strawberry blonde. "You never directly asked her. And since no one else said anything either, how could she have known to volunteer that information?"
Nyx sighed. "Point made. Let's get on with this."
Serena held up her hands. "Hold it just a second. Can I ask a question?"
The blue-haired doctor smiled. "Certainly, Serena."
"Who is he?" she asked, pointing to the man next to her. She blushed. "Sorry, sir."
He laughed, his gray eyes sparkling with mirth. "My name is Toshiro Anderson. I'm the lawyer taking care of the financial side of Mr. Shields' recovery. I've also been… charged… with making sure he is receiving the best possible treatment. Past experiences have shown that constant monitoring is necessary."
Serena blinked. "Oh. Okay."
"Back to the business at hand then." Dr. Nyx cleared her throat before continuing. "What kind of understanding did you say you and Darien come to on Monday?"
Serena narrowed her gaze. "A better one."
"Define better."
The blonde girl growled slightly. "He understands now that I'm there to help him and our friendship hasn't changed because of his condition." She hoped that was general enough.
"I thought you said you argued a lot. Does that mean you two are at each other's throats every afternoon and evening?" The hazel eyes seemed to light up slightly at the prospect.
Serena looked shocked. "No, of course not! I said used to. And I also said it was quiet; Darien didn't want to talk and I didn't push him to."
"Alright. So what did the two of you discuss during your 'good talks'?"
The petite blonde let out an explosive breath. "I don't want to say! If he hasn't told you during your sessions, I'm not going to here!" She stood, sending her chair flying back on its wheels to slam into the wall behind her. "I am not your spy! If he decides to open up to me, it's because he has decided he can trust me! And the last thing I will do is betray that trust! It's taken me too long to gain it! You cannot ask me to throw it away just because you can't get him to talk to you!"
Nyx stood up in an equal fury. "Now listen here, young lady! The last I checked your file said you were a fourteen-year-old volunteer who was just scraping by in school!" Serena's sapphire blues widened, hurt and shock mingling in their depths. "The last I checked my credentials included a Ph.D. in psychology! I graduated in the top two percent of my class at Stanford! I spent three years working with some of the finest minds in the field on some of their greatest studies yet! And you have the audacity to question my treatment of a patient and dare to hinder my progress? How dare you?"
Tears spilled down the young girl's cheeks. "Simple," she said quietly. "He is my friend. And that means more to me than any piece of paper you have hanging on your wall, any famous name you can drop, any amount of indignity you can throw at me. Darien is my friend."
"Then maybe your friendship has interfered with your ability to stay impartial in this case," the psychologist snarled.
The sudden sound of two hands slamming against the table brought all attention to the blue-haired doctor who stood leaning on the table, her files and papers scattered across the table and floor. "That is quite enough! Dr. Nyx, the last I checked, our volunteers were not required to stay impartial. Besides, that was a low blow – on top of the even lower blow of bringing up Serena's age and grades. I thought you were a professional; since when is using a non-medical member of the 'recovery team,' as you put it, to get information you're having problems getting from the patient himself and screaming and insulting said non-medical member professional?" Dr. Mizuno's cold tone sent shivers down everyone's spines. "I am still Darien's doctor, and I am still in charge of his recovery – by order of the administration – and I will not tolerate this kind of behavior from a supposed professional!" She cleared her throat slightly and sat back down. "I will overlook this incident this time as long as everyone understands that it will not happen again. Nyx, you're going to have to work harder at getting your answers from the patient himself instead of pumping other people for them. Change your approach, whatever it takes. And remember that Serena is part of this team. You will treat her with respect." Nyx seated herself again and tugged her lab coat a few times as she composed herself. "Serena, you might have to give a little more information. To satisfy everyone, could you tell us what in general those special talks were about?"
Serena wiped her eyes and focused on the dark blue eyes across from her. "We talked about his condition. What we each thought of it. We came to an understanding." She paused to take a couple of deep breaths. "That's all I'm going to say." She lowered her head and prayed she hadn't gone too far.
Dr. Mizuno smiled. "Thank you." She glanced around the table. "Are there any more questions?" Silence was her answer. "Then I believe this meeting is over." Dr. Nyx gathered her files and quickly left the room without another word or glance in Serena's direction.
Serena leaned on the table and silently began to cry, releasing the tension she had built up throughout the confrontation. Dr. Mizuno gave her a sympathetic look and quietly began to gather her paperwork. Toshiro Anderson reached a gentle hand out and touched the sobbing girl's arm. "It's okay. I'm glad you stood up for yourself; she needs to learn to find a way to get her job done herself. I think it's that spirit that Darien has learned to trust. And personally, I think it's well-placed." He reached into his file and pulled out an envelope with Serena's name on it. "Here," he said, getting her attention by handing her the envelope. "I think you'll find a pleasant surprise inside."
Serena looked at the lawyer quizzically and opened the small package, her eyes suddenly dry. She gasped when she saw what it contained. "Three hundred dollars? What is this for? I'm volunteering!"
"The hospital isn't providing this money; the person who charged me to follow up on Darien's recovery wanted to make sure you were taken care of. I know you weren't expecting this, and would continue without it, but you truly deserve it. Put it aside for college or something. I'm sure you'll be able to find a use for it some time."
She gaped at him. "I… I can't accept this. It wouldn't be right."
Toshiro smiled. "Too late for that. Everything has been arranged. This is what you'll get every week for your assistance. The benefactor has every reason to believe that without you Darien's recovery time would be prolonged three-fold." She blushed and looked at him, still confused. "Everything will be revealed in time; I promise. For now accept the checks; I can't take them back." He tucked the file under his left arm and checked his watch. "I think Darien should be done with his pool therapy by now."
Serena nodded and put on her jacket, shoving the envelope with the check inside into one of the pockets. "I should get going then. Thank you, Mr. Anderson, Dr. Mizuno." The woman poked her head up from where she was gathering papers on the floor and smiled briefly before returning to her task. "I'll see you both later." The blonde girl then left the room.
Toshiro smiled as Victoria stood. "Yep, definitely the right choice. I loved the floor show!"
His cousin shot him a silencing glare. "Nyx does something that stupid again and I will personally see her thrown off the staff! And she calls herself a professional!" She snorted and rolled her eyes. Then a sheepish grin crept onto her features. "But you're right. That was quite the show." She sighed. "I'll have to have a short talk with Serena tonight though. She's staying at my place with the rest of the girls this weekend. I want her to know I still have complete confidence in her."
"That'll probably be for the best," Toshiro agreed.
(fade out...)
(scene change...)
Serena wiped the last of her tears away as she walked up to the physical therapy desk where Darien sat waiting for her wrapped up and ready to go minus the glasses. His eyes grew wide as he saw her pale face with obvious evidence of tears. "Serena, what happened?" he asked worriedly.
"Not here," she whispered as she took the sunglasses out of his hands and placed them gently on his face. "Let's go."
She described the meeting in detail, including every word she had told the adults, as the two of them walked back to Darien's apartment. He reassured her that she had betrayed nothing, and he still trusted her. In fact, he trusted her even more. He had her repeat her confrontation with Nyx word for word twice, and had she seen his face, she would have been scared for the psychologist's future well being.
Once they got back to the apartment, Serena helped Darien onto the couch, saying she figured the wheelchair had to get uncomfortable after a while and it wasn't much trouble. She made him dinner that actually turned out quite well, much to both of their surprise.
Afterwards, Darien stopped her in the middle of her attempt to clean up by grabbing her hands and placing the dirty dishes back onto the coffee table. "You don't have to make anything up to me," he said quietly.
"I know." She couldn't make eye contact with him.
"But you don't believe it."
She raised her head and met his midnight blue gaze. "I said too much."
He smiled and shook his head. "Nope. You were general enough for me. I think as long as you tell me what you told them, and you're careful, I won't have a problem with your judgment. You proved you have a good head on your shoulders – not that I didn't know that before – and you are truly looking out for me. What you told Nyx is all the proof I need of that." His thumbs began rubbing the back of her hands gently.
She blushed and searched his eyes. What she saw convinced her. "Thank you. I'll try my hardest to never let you down."
"I know, and that means the world to me." He pulled her down onto the couch beside him and wrapped his arms around her. "Now I just have to get used to someone caring that much for me," he muttered into her hair.
Her sapphire blues grew wide. "What do you mean?" she asked breathlessly.
He shook his head. "Not now. I'm not ready yet. But I'll tell you someday."
She nodded and returned the embrace. "I'll be ready to listen whenever you're ready to talk."
"I know. Thank you."
The rest of the evening went smoothly. Serena finished cleaning up the supper dishes, and then they played cards until nine o'clock, when the petite blonde decided it was about time to meet the girls for their get-together. They parted with a hug and reassurances about Saturday. Darien watched the door shut behind the bubbly blonde and sighed. Tomorrow couldn't come too soon.
(fade out...)
(scene change...)
A little after noon the next day, Serena stumbled into Darien's apartment. He grinned as he watched her toss her satchel onto the coffee table and flop onto the couch. "Late night last night?" he asked with laughter in his voice.
"We didn't get to sleep until four," she moaned. "And then Amy's mom got us up at nine to eat breakfast. I swear I saw an evil smile on her face as she walked into the kitchen."
"Dr. Mizuno?" He raised his eyebrows practically into his hairline.
"Don't underestimate her," Serena warned, finally managing to sit upright and look over the back of the sofa to where Darien sat by the balcony doors. "I now know where Amy gets her hidden sense of fun and curiosity. It's genetic."
He chuckled. "What did you guys do all night anyway?"
"We started out with a spooky story contest, but that broke down into a round-robin story." Serena giggled as she thought of the final result.
"Round-robin story? What's that?"
Serena smirked. "Well, one person starts telling a story. They go so far and then call out someone else's name and that person has to continue where it left off. You keep going until someone ends the story, everyone runs out of ideas, or you reach an agreed-upon number of rounds. You can get some pretty warped stories, let me tell you!" The blonde started laughing in remembrance. "Ride 'em, Dicky!" She kept giggling.
Darien shook his head. "I don't want to know."
"Probably not," Serena agreed through her giggles.
When the petite blonde finally calmed down, she looked at Darien, who hadn't taken his eyes off her. "So, want to do anything?"
He smiled. "I noticed you brought your school bag. Why don't you do your homework while I finish this book I've been reading all morning? We'll figure something out when we're done."
"Okay. This'll make up for the fact that I forgot to do any last night."
Two and a half hours later found Serena done with two of the subjects she had brought along and Darien leafing through one of his textbooks. He glanced over at the blonde girl as she breathed a sigh of relief and closed her algebra book. He raised an eyebrow as she started to put all her books away. "What about those other two subjects?"
Serena jumped slightly at the sound of his voice. "Well, I have half of my work done for the weekend, and Amy always insists on a few hours being devoted to study when we stay at her place. So I figured I'd save the rest until then. If I have any problems, Amy can help me."
"Ah. So in other words, you're sick of doing it now."
She grinned. "That too."
He returned the smile. "Well, got any bright ideas on how to spend the rest of our time together before you abandon me to eat dinner with the girls?"
"Darien, if you really feel that way…" A look of panicked guilt touched her delicate features.
"I'm kidding, Serena, honest. So what do you want to do?"
"Don't know. What about you, bright boy?"
He thought about it for a moment. "Well, we played cards yesterday, I don't feel like going outside… How about we watch a movie or two?"
"Works for me. What do you have?"
"Check the shelves on either side of the entertainment center. There should be something that interests you."
"Ah, ha!" she cried soon after she approached the entertainment center.
"What?"
"The Princess Bride! And History of the World Part One! Mel Brooks is a stitch!"
"The VCR is yours then. Just don't blow it up."
"Very funny," she said sarcastically as she started up the proper equipment. "Do you want to sit on the couch?"
He glanced down at himself and over where Serena was about to flop herself down again. "Yeah. Better view, if nothing else."
They both got comfortable and proceeded to enjoy the remainder of the afternoon.
As the credits to History of the World Part One started to roll, Serena spared a glance at the clock. "It's six o'clock! Man, I'm going to be late, and they're going to order food without me, and then they're going to eat it all and not leave me any, and…"
"Serena!" Darien's shout stopped her impression of a chicken with its head cut off dead in its tracks. "Take it easy. Breathe. Considering how fast I know you can run to school when you're late, you should be fine."
Serena smiled. "Thanks. But you don't know these guys!" She scrambled to pull on her jacket. "I had a lot of fun this afternoon, Darien. I hope you did too." He smiled and nodded. "That's wonderful! We'll do it again tomorrow!" She gave him a short and sweet bear hug that he tried to return and was off like a shot. "See you tomorrow!" she called as she shut the door behind her.
He chuckled to himself as he stared at the door for a moment. She certainly was something else. Whatever it was brightened up his life like nothing ever could before. Darien looked around his now empty apartment. He couldn't help but notice that it was darker, duller, than it had been just a short time ago. He sighed and pulled another textbook he had been meaning to look at off one of his bookshelves and proceeded to lose himself in its pages.
It was around eleven o'clock when he decided he could read no more. He managed to get himself ready for bed and in it then drifted off into slumber.
(fade out...)
(scene change...)
He was riding in a car, that much he could tell. He tried to see who was in the front seats, but their faces were always shrouded in some sort of mist so their features could never be made out. He knew he loved them, though, and was loved in return. Who didn't love their parents?
It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. He watched birds fly by as the car approached the steep mountain road, and a sense of dread began to make itself known, marring the idyllic scene. Something bad was going to happen soon, and he knew he should know what it was, but for some reason he could not for the life of him remember.
He relegated the nagging bad feeling to the back of his mind as he and his family enjoyed the scenery from the lookout point at the top of the mountain. By the time they got back to the car, clouds had begun to roll in, and a cool breeze made them all wish they had brought their jackets. The happy family gratefully got into their vehicle and started the long drive home.
They hadn't gone far down the twisting, winding road when a cherry red convertible came speeding toward them on the wrong side of the road. They swerved to avoid a collision with the fast-moving car and found themselves scraping against the guardrail. Just before they could pull out of the skid, a weak section of the metal rail gave way and the car plummeted off the edge of the cliff. Odd thing was, as much as he couldn't make out the faces of his family, the last thing he saw before disappearing over the edge was a young man's face with a scar on the right cheek. He had longer black hair tied back in a ponytail and green eyes.
And just before he could start feeling the sensation of falling, he heard a feminine scream and saw a flash of gold out of the corner of his eye.
He felt nothing but pain as he came to. Some inner instinct woke him up and was forcing him to climb out of the wreckage. He looked toward the front seats and was filled with a certainty that his parents were dead. Feeling halfway there himself, he found new levels of agony with every movement that took him that much farther from the burning heap.
Tears filled his eyes - tears of agony on so many different levels. The physical pain of course, of rage at the driver that had caused this hell, of helplessness, and most of all, of loss. He had just lost the two most important people in his life, and somehow knew that when this was over he would lose his memories of them as well.
As he fought to stay conscious, preferring the physical agony over the mental anguish he knew was waiting, he heard a soft female's voice crying from the front of what used to be his parents' car. Something inside him told him this was someone who was just as, if not more, important than those people he was already starting to forget. With every movement forward came a clearer picture of just whom this person was that he was becoming more and more desperate to save. Memories began flooding his mind of all the encounters he had ever had with this child of the light.
Finally he reached the source of the pitiful sound. And he gasped in horror at what he had found. Serena lay on the ground just underneath the front bumper of the wreck he had crawled out from. It hadn't crushed her, but it prevented the grievously injured body from escaping its predicament. Amazingly, her clothes were still intact, covered in blood but whole, except for a tear in the front of the skirt. A mocking voice called from above, taunting the two battered survivors. He could not make out what had been said, but knew it had been lewd and suggestive and aimed at the broken girl in front of him. A rage filled him at the sound that only grew as he looked up and saw the source – the same red convertible that had forced his family off the cliff.
A soft moan brought him back from his murderous thoughts. When he turned back to face the direction of the sound he found that the wreckage had begun to slip off the second ledge it had first landed on, finally falling and exploding halfway to its final resting place. He was amazed at how quickly he dismissed the event, focusing all his attention on the bleeding girl before him. She was beginning to slip away, beginning the journey to join his unremembered parents, and he knew this time there would be no amnesia to dull the pain of her passing, the pain of a heart and soul torn in two.
"Serena!" he called out desperately. "Please! Stay with me! Don't leave me, please! Serena!" He cradled her broken body in his own aching arms and against his shattered ribs.
"Darien?"
The soft, familiar voice sounded from behind him. His eyes widened as far as humanly possible, and he gently laid the lifeless body onto the blood-coated ground. He shuddered at the thought that his mind was playing tricks on him, the tensing of his muscles causing a new level of sheer physical agony. Yet it still could not match the pain that now seared through the very core of his being. Serena was gone.
"Darien? Are you alright?"
He slowly dragged himself to his feet, the ache in his soul numbing him to the pain his outer shell was experiencing. He slowly turned around, expecting to find nothing – or worse, a faded specter of the source of his torment. What he saw brought tears to his eyes.
"Darien, please! Answer me! You have to wake up!"
There she stood before him, whole and unharmed. And with every step he took toward her he found his physical injuries fading as well. As he took the last step before he could take the precious angel into his arms he knew his entire being had just been miraculously healed – because of the petite blonde young lady wearing her hair up in meatballs and streamers who now stood just out of arms reach. He closed the gap as joy overtook him; she was here, alive and in his arms. His lips burned to touch hers, and he found he had no power to resist the overwhelming temptation.
(fade out...)
(scene change...)
How many times can I forget my school bag when we're going to study during a weekend get-together? Serena grumbled at herself as she made her way back to Darien's place alone. It was nearing midnight, and she was sure it would be past the witching hour by the time she snuck into the apartment building. It was times like these she realized she still had a ways to go in the responsibility department.
The lobby was deserted, as she had expected it to be, and the ding of the elevator reaching the ground floor echoed loudly off the richly painted walls. The meatball-headed blonde jumped at the sound and hurried into the metal box. Pressing the button for the fifth floor, she leaned back against the rear wall as the doors closed and the short journey began.
In no time at all she was on his floor and standing in front of the cherry stained entrance to Darien's apartment. She pressed her ear to the door, straining to hear any sounds that would suggest he was still awake or, worse yet, trying to get to sleep. She heard nothing however, and decided to get this over with.
Serena used her key to gain entry and quietly shut the door behind her. Fortunately the half moon in the cloudless midnight sky shined through the balcony doors and the large picture window on the other side of the entertainment center and provided enough light to see by. She quickly caught sight of her school satchel on the floor by the coffee table exactly where she expected it to be.
Just before she was about to bend over and pick the item up, a tortured moaning reached her ears in the otherwise silent apartment. Following the noise, it led her to the bedroom, the open door revealing the scene within. Darien lay sleeping fitfully, tossing to and fro, moaning as though he were in severe physical pain. In the muted light from the drape-covered windows on the far side of the room, Serena could make out the grimace etched on his well-defined features and the blanket wrapped awkwardly around his torso.
Darien snarled suddenly, causing the blonde girl to jump and clutch her chest fearfully. She had to wake him up from this horrible nightmare!
She started toward the bed, taking one slow step at a time, when a light gasp and choked sob brought her eyes sharply back to his face. "Serena!" His desperate voice made her breath catch in her throat. "Please! Stay with me! Don't leave me, please! Serena!"
Serena sat on the edge of the bed next to his right arm. "Darien?" she called softly, trying not to startle him too much.
He groaned in unbelievable agony and began to shake. Each shudder seemed to produce more groans, and so on in a vicious cycle.
She reached out and lightly swept his unruly bangs off of his forehead. "Darien? Are you alright?"
A moan escaped his lips that tore at her soul. What could he be dreaming about that would cause such agony?
Now she was scared. "Darien, please! Answer me! You have to wake up!"
She gasped as his eyes shot open, although they remained totally unfocused, yet completely trained on her. He seemed to spring into a sitting position, and before she knew it he had his arms around her possessively. His handsome face was only inches from hers; his warm, quick breath added heat to her cheeks that were already scalding from the intense blush she could feel forming. A joyous smile lit his features, and he moved to close the gap between them.
His velvety lips sensuously brushed against hers, and she froze in shock. The kiss began to deepen, causing what was left of the poor girl's logical conscious mind to declare a strike and shut down, leaving everything on autopilot. And whoever this pilot was decided that if she was going down, she was going down in a blaze of glory – Serena found herself returning every ounce of passion tenfold, her arms snaking around his neck, and her mouth opening in invitation to exploration. It wasn't long before the invitation was accepted and their tongues danced and played. Moans of pleasure filled the air from both sides.
Eventually Serena could feel Darien's energy fading, and the sensation brought her mind back online. She realized he had never actually awakened and was now slipping back into a deep sleep. She lowered him gently onto his pillows and straightened his blankets, her fingers lingering to lightly brush his soft bangs once more from his brow. Something told her she shouldn't leave him alone for the rest of the night, so she quickly called Amy and explained the situation - minus the details of that kiss - and assuring the others that she would indeed be joining them for their shopping expedition the next day. She then took an extra blanket from the bedroom closet and curled up on the couch, sleep quickly subduing her confusion-filled brain. Whatever she was feeling from that kiss would have to wait until morning to be straightened out.
