Yes, I know it's somewhat short and sweet but it's over 2,400 words. :D Anyway yeah, short and sweet but don't worry there is a madness to my method... I mean... strike that reverse it. Okay! So, tell me what you think, I'll tell you what though, moving into this fic from my last one I'm feeling a bit lonely... anyway, REVIEW! I love reading all of the reviews, they make me happy and they motivate me to type more. :D

Moving and the First Kiss

Serena sighed at her home as Andrew loaded the last of the boxes into the U-haul. Ilene had her arm around Ann's shoulder as Ken stood on the front step talking calmly to her. Serena squeezed Andrew's hand as Ken turned towards the U-haul with a saddened expression her heart sank; He looked so depressed. "We'd better get this stuff to the house don't you think?"

"Absolutely sir." Andrew pulled down the back door of the truck then smiled lightly when Serena approached. "Want to ride with me Serena?" Andrew asked but knew the answer. It was in her eyes, the sorrow she held for her father overwhelmed the both of them. Andrew wanted to just take her to his apartment and hold her so she could cry for hours on end like he knew she wanted to.

"No… I'd rather ride with Daddy." Serena didn't want to admit it but she was worried about her father. He had gotten so weak over the past month since he told her of his condition. It had only taken that long to get his divorce and got through all of the right channels to assure the girl were where they wanted to be and now Serena and Ken were moving out. It was devastating for Serena, and difficult to Ken so Andrew had arranged to come to help them move. Ilene and Ann were of no help of course; They only wanted the two of them out of the house so Alan could come crawling into their lives, something Ann was thrilled about. Finally a real man would be in the house.

"Okay… I'll see you back there then." Andrew got into his car as Ken and Serena loaded into the truck for the short ride to Ken and Serena's new home. Andrew knitted his brow as he thought of Serena there with her weakened father… alone… in the questionable part of town. If the killer was going to strike in that area their house would be an easy target. It was a small house on a dimly lit road, Serena's beauty alone was enough to lure any man to her but without her father being as strong as he could be it made them all the more alluring. Almost as if on cue Andrew's phone began to ring, it was his professor and unfortunately he knew that if he answered the phone he'd wind up in a long conversation he didn't have time to be in. On the other hand… perhaps Dr. Shields had some new killer information. With that thought in mind he picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Andrew. Now… you'll be back in class tomorrow right? There's a test." Dr. Shields sounded annoyed with something leaving Andrew with this gnawing feeling in his stomach. He didn't want to upset his professor, everyone knew that an angry professor equated to a crappy grade.

"Absolutely sir…" Andrew hesitated and listened for any sign that Darien was unhappy but found none. The dark man remained quiet on the other end of the phone then suddenly asked a question that caught Andrew off guard.

"So then. How's your girlfriend doing? The moving going well?" Andrew didn't remember telling his professor about Serena's situation but then again, he didn't remember plenty of things he told the man. Darien was far more retentive than he ever could be.

"Fine. We're moving the last of everything right now. Serena's really depressed, I can tell. I just don't know how to cheer her up." Andrew frowned as he caught a glimpse of Serena's golden hair as the truck turned the corner to the new house. "Look, Dr. Shields, as much as I love talking to you I have to get off the phone. We're going to start unloading everything soon."

"Don't talk to me like I'm not aware of how important your time is. I'm painfully aware of your efforts to help this girl but I'll remind you again. You have a test tomorrow and I don't think you're being fair to yourself if you neglect your studies." Darien's short tone made Andrew flinch. He knew he wasn't totally ready for the test and it was clear that his professor agreed but he just couldn't leave Serena alone, she needed him.

"I'll be fine Dar…" Andrew gulped down the last syllables of his sentences. The first and last time he'd called Darien by his first name the man practically threw him out of his office. Andrew understood that it was a sign of respect to call his teacher by his proper title but sometimes it felt so cumbersome. "I'll be fine Dr. Shields."

"I sure hope so. Don't make me take a trip to her home and tell her she's a poor influence on you Andrew. I really don't want to be someone to dampen your personal life." Darien leaned back in his chair and smirked as he heard Andrew suck in his breath. It was so easy to frazzle him that Darien found it amusing, despite the fact that Andrew had women fawning over him quite often he had a major inferiority complex. Something that Darien loved to poke at every now and then, but with the advent of this new girl, and yes that's surely what she was, he could more easily render Andrew defenseless by asking about her.

"You don't know where she lives." Andrew huffed contributing to Darien's game of mental tennis. He was aware of the fact that his professor often played with his emotions but at times like this he hated it, resented it even.

"Wouldn't be hard to find out Andrew. Nonetheless. I'll allow you to get off the phone and help her and her father. I'll see you in class tomorrow." Darien didn't wait for a response but rather hung up the phone and glared at his computer screen. He was bored, he needed something to do yet nothing sparked his interest, nothing at all. He'd been around the world, he'd studied everything to study, and women were of no comfort. The one thing he enjoyed was playing with people's minds, it was enthralling really, the way he could manipulate someone and they would feel as though they were making all of their own decisions. It was pathetic really, people were just as intelligent as lab mice in his opinion, he'd yet to meet someone truly worth spending time with. Andrew was excelling but for Darien one companion wasn't enough, especially when that companion had a significant other.

Andrew pulled up in front of the house and exited his car in a hurry to beat Ken to the large metal door at the back of the truck. Serena had tears in her eyes when she emerged from the vehicle. With a quick glance she was rushing inside the house with her fists balled and her hair flying behind her. "Thank you for being here for us Andrew." Ken smiled weakly as he rounded the back corner of the truck. "She's upset because of our little conversation… I'm concerned about her. Too bad you live in a dorm, I'd tell you to take her with you."

"Oh… well… my professor is warning me against getting too involved with anyone because of my grades. I wouldn't really want her to come face to face with him when he's skeptical." Andrew chuckled lightly. Though I'm sure Serena could take Darien for quite the mental ride. Ken watched Andrew's face move in and out of amused smiles and shook his head lightly. Andrew was quite the young man. "Yeah, Dr. Shields is a bit of a tyrant when it comes to studies."

"Wait… I didn't know you were studying under him. He's quite the character, I met him and his father in a bar about a month ago. Nice young man… from what I could tell he has a temper." Andrew raised an eyebrow in surprise. Dr. Shields wasn't a violent person, testy perhaps but not violent. He was a doctor after all… well, as an alternative profession. In Andrew's opinion Darien Shields was a miracle worker and everyone should have the pleasure of meeting him.

"He can get annoyed easily but other than that he's great. He cracks me up because he's always starting games of mental tennis. He's very good at it." Andrew laughed heartily then grabbed a large box off of the truck. "Let's get this inside shall we?"

"I think we should give Serena a few minutes… you and I haven't talked in quite some time Andrew." Ken sat on the tailgate of the truck and took a few deep breaths, anymore he was feeling very winded. So much so that even simple tasks would leave him heaving air. He'd always known Andrew was a nice boy but now as Ken watched Andrew's back muscles flex when he set boxes down he could tell that Andrew was a very handsome young man. "You've grown up so well."

"Oh? I'd like to think I'm not fully grown yet. A male's brain doesn't quit growing until later in his twenties." As the words left his mouth Andrew couldn't help but compare himself to his professor, it was a line Darien would have thrown out easily. Everything in Darien's world was always scientifically defined. Nothing was as simple as it appeared, no, everything in his world was complex and Andrew frowned as he suddenly realized he was beginning to see the world in the same way. Ken's warm smile was a simple contraction of his jaw muscles, his love for his daughter a paternal instinct in order to protect his progeny. Worst yet was Andrew's relationship with the petite blond female, as his professor had put it "You're attracted to her pheromones which in turn releases endorphins giving you that light headed feeling. It's nothing but chemicals Andrew, recognize and control them." How cold that analysis had seemed and yet, it was true.

"Andrew, I hope that all of this education hasn't taken the beauty of life out of your eyes… if so then it's not worth it. If you can't look at the world with innocent eyes then what's the point of living in it?" Ken smiled remembering the first time he saw his newborn daughter. The science could explain her development and existence but she was more to him than a package of muscle and skin, she was more than a Homo sapient, she was a miracle. The most amazing creation to ever grace his eyes. The idea that perhaps Andrew could see her as just another human made his heart heavy.

"I know, sometimes I can't help but think of things from a scientific perspective though… doesn't make it any less fascinating… just… different." Andrew looked down at the pavement pondering his path. Was Ken right? Maybe continuing on with his psychology career was a mistake. He ought to leave those jobs for people as devoted as Darien Shields.

"Why are you both just sitting there? The truck's not going to unpack itself you know?" Serena snapped and grabbed the box from Andrew's arms then began to march back to the small white house. Ken sighed and began to unpack hoping that his daughter's mood would lighten by the time Andrew had to return to school. It wasn't fair for Andrew to not be able to enjoy his time with her.

They unpacked the truck in only a few hours, just in time for Andrew to head back to Shieldston. "Hey… so… I've got to go…" Andrew stood in the small doorway with an uneasy stance. He wasn't sure how he should bid them farewell and was contemplating his options. Ken smiled and nudged his daughter slightly in the side causing her to rise from her spot on the couch.

"I'll walk you out Andy." Serena blushed slightly and bounced away from her exhausted father. Andrew waved at Ken then walked outside inhaling the scent of the crisp fall wind. Soon it would be Christmas break and he could come and spend time with Serena alone. "Okay… so drive carefully." She smiled as they stepped up beside Andrew's white car.

Andrew opened the door and stood in the doorway uneasy about where this moment was going. Serena stood with her hand behind her back with her head tilted towards the ground. "All right, I've got to go so…" Andrew turned toward the car but paused when he felt a delicate hand on his upper arm, with a slight hesitation he turned back to see her sparkling blue eyes gazing up at him.

"You're leaving without giving me a goodbye kiss?" She smiled making him loosen a bit before leaning in to brush his lips against hers briefly before pulling back. "Really? That's all you've got?" Serena then laughed and pulled him into a more demanding kiss her tongue teasing his lower lip before he relented and returned the kiss. It was a calming sensation for the both of them but as they parted he smiled brightly.

"Bye Serena… love you." He whispered as if someone were listening to his every word. He knew better but he couldn't help but whisper after his first kiss with her. She was absolutely addicting and if he had the time he would sweep her off her feet and take her to the park for a romantic walk but then again, there was a killer running around somewhere… looking for the next victim. "Go back inside now, it's dangerous out here."

Serena nodded and turned to the house touched by how Andrew worried so much. "Love you too Andy! Bye!" She waved enthusiastically until Andrew's car was out of sight then she returned to her father who was now passed out on the couch. "Daddy?" She touched his face tenderly with a weak smile. "Daddy… time to get to bed."