Hey all! Welcome back. Now... this chapter and the next might tick a few of you off but trust me. It's worth it. hehe.

Oh, and just for your information. For those of you who read Twisted Webs I have some great news! I'm going to be rewriting it and posting it on here. It will be far more descriptive and I'm going to add a few things I left out of the story in the first place. I think you'll all love it. :D So keep your eyes peeled for that. Anyway, in the mean time. REVIEW this and send me a PM if you support me posting TW again.

14

A Painful Truth

Raelean stood in the doorway of the soon to be nursery and smiled warmly, her plan flawless in her mind. "Serena… do you mind if I… come in?" Serena turned to the woman unsure of what her answer should be. Darien had specifically told her not to talk to Raelean but at the same time, nothing she would say could hurt the strong blonde so she shrugged.

"Sure, you can help me decide what to paint this room." Serena had a few color swatches in her hand and was holding it up. "We don't know what we're having yet… too early to tell but… I can still paint this room a gender neutral color right?" She recited a line from the baby magazine she had picked up.

"Absolutely… Serena… I have to commend you on something. You are far more brave that I ever would have thought you to be." Raelean smiled and pointed to a light green paint chip. "I like this, mix it with white or a darker green in a few stripes and you'll be perfect my dear!" Serena only stared at her in confusion. After a few silent moments Raelean looked at her and tilted her head. "What?"

"What do you mean by that? That I'm more brave than you thought?" She asked not knowing if she wanted to know the answer. She had wondered if she were brave enough to have Darien's child, to have any child was a task but to have HIS child… that would be a wonder.

"Oh, marrying my son and having his baby… you know… with who he is and what he's done." Raelean took the color book from Serena and flipped through the pages. "Yellow would be too girly I think… better stick with green or perhaps orange."

"Raelean, I know that Darien's all impressive and well respected but I can handle that." She watched as the raven haired woman shook her head in frustration and almost humming her "hum mmmm." Serena raised an eyebrow and placed a hand on her hip now growing impatient, damn her mood swings. "Then what DO you mean EXACTLY?"

"You know… don't you?" Raelean smiled as Serena looked at her in confusion still. "You mean you don't know? Oh! You see this is why I'm so against you two being together Serena. You don't even know him! Oh… I tried to insult you, to make you run from him but you refuse to see it." She shook her head as if in defeat hiding the grin on her face.

"See what? What do you mean?" Serena now stood in fear of what Raelean was talking about. Despite the fact that Darien hated her she knew him. She was his mother after-all and… what if… what if he had something to hide from her? Something important?

"You really don't know? You don't know what type of man you sleep next to at night? The type of man who's child you're carrying? Oh honey… how could you not know that he was the one? The one you killed your father." Raelean watched Serena's face drain of its color. She dropped what was in her hands and gasp placing her hands over her mouth and shaking her head in denial. "Come here darling." Raelean wrapped her cold arms around the now teary eyed girl and soothed her relishing the sound of her light sobs of denial. "You see now? Serena… I want you to be happy… it's not too late… leave him. Sweetie, leave him, give him back the ring and leave. I'll give you all the money in the world so you can be free of him. So you can destroy the evidence of his betrayal and lies. Serena… look at me." Serena looked into the woman's eyes and teared even more. "You're better than him. Leave now, find some nice boy your own age, one who isn't broken and evil."

"But… I… I love him…" She sobbed. "How could he do that?" Raelean held her close so she couldn't see the genuine smile as she spoke.

"He did it because he loves no one. All of the sweet nothings in the world couldn't remove him from his sociopathic and homicidal nature… just don't be drug down with him. You know I'm telling you the truth. You've seen it in him." Serena remembered the look in his eye the night he had come after her. She remembered the expert way he had so easily sliced the kitchen knife through her panties so he could forcefully have his way with her in the kitchen and though she had consented… she wasn't sure if that meant he wouldn't have done it anyway. From the way he had forbid anyone look at her to the way he took her in his bed she could see the serious issues he had. The issues she had ignored until now.

"I… I need to confront him first… I have to see it in his eyes… to know the truth. If he did… if he was the one to do that to my daddy… I… I can't marry him. I can't have this baby." She said looking at her stomach. "I… I'm not that brave or selfish." She looked at Raelean with a thankful smile then turned. "He'll come after me won't he?"

"Yes, if you don't run far and fast… well, he'll hunt you anyway but you have a chance to hide. Remember Serena… if he can't have you… he won't let anyone else either." Her words almost seemed threatening but Serena was too trusting, too innocent to believe that it was that. She saw it as a warning.

With determination and fear in her eyes she marched down to Darien's office throwing the doors open making him look up from his papers. He wasn't surprised, or in the least bit frazzled by her angry outburst and it made her even more suspicious. What type of man EXPECTED something like that. "Something on your mind dumpling?"

"Don't call me that." She said weakly not sure if she could say the things she needed to say. "Darien… did you… did you kill my daddy?" She looked him in the eyes and saw the twinkle of shock in them but his face didn't betray him. He remained stoic and collected, carefully weighing his options and she knew it. "DARIEN! I want the truth!" She breathed heavily, her anger showing. I… did you… did you kill him?"

"Yes." Serena felt the walls come crumbling down around her as the word sunk in. How matter of factly he had said it. How… emotionless. No regret, no sadness, nothing. "Don't look at me like that Serena." She regained her composure and bit her lip unsure of what he would do.

"Why?" Was the only word she could muster and it was barely a whisper. He stood and paced to her making her step back so he wasn't so close. "Stay away from me." He stopped and stiffened his frame, pulling his shoulders back, towering over her.

"Why? Serena, he was dying! His wife had left him and taken his children from him. He was depressed. He needed to be put out of his misery… don't shy away from me dumpling… I have never hurt you nor will I…"

"So I am to believe that what you did to him was an act of compassion?" She screamed. "You took my daddy from me! Then my boyfriend… and… and worse! You… you… you tricked me! Was it worth it Darien? Hmmm? Was I a good enough puppet for you? A good enough mind fuck for you?" She let all of her anger and sadness go. He stood, only a bit away from her listening, his face never changing but she could see the anger in his eyes, the blind rage that was threatening to overtake him. She didn't want to run, she wanted him to hurt her, wanted him to do to her what he did to her father. She wanted him to kill her and his child within her. She hated him for this, for her family.

"It was an act of compassion and you… you turned out to be the best thing ever to happen to me. I hadn't planned it that way Serena… I wanted to break you. To tear you down so you couldn't function anymore but you didn't. You… you held onto your heart, and your emotions. You didn't hide and you made me love you. I love you Serena. I don't deserve you but I love you… and… I know that you love me." She stepped away from him and shook her head in defiance. "Don't." His voice almost broke. "Don't… do this. You're emotional… you don't understand what you're doing." He said more to himself than her as he began to approach her.

"Get away!" She screamed and turned to run from him only to bump into a fierce looking Lita. Lita protectively put Serena behind her and pointed at Darien, though it didn't stop him Serena felt better.

"Stay away from her. She asked nicely." Lita said a little shakily as his eyes flared.

"She's MY fiancé! She's mine and she's carrying MY child. Get out of my way Lita." He warned her and pivoted to return to his desk where he reached into his top desk drawer to retrieve his K-bar. "I mean it Lita… I will not be held accountable for my actions."

Serena watched as he pulled the shiny knife from the desk drawer and firmly held the blade in his hand extending the handle towards them. She knew that was the weapon he'd used on her father and it terrified her, even the fact that she was looking at it chilled her to the bone. "Darien…" Tears were now streaming down Serena's face as he walked to them ever so slowly. "Darien… p…please." Lita placed her arm around Serena's waist and pulled her close to protect her from the angry man in front of them. He froze and placed the knife on the floor kicking it to them lightly. She looked at it briefly before turning her eyes back to him. "What?"

"Take it, get rid of it, I don't care. I don't want it, I'm done with that part of my life. I only want you, us… I wouldn't have proposed if I didn't truly love you." He said almost weakly making Serena pull away from Lita and step forward. "I know that what I did upsets you but just know that I didn't hurt him. He was dead before that knife ever touched him. I promise you that."

She stepped forward and looked up into his sorrowful eyes, eyes that seemed to expect rejection. "Darien… I'm leaving you, and I don't want you to come after me. I can't live a lie, I can't sleep next to someone who I know… has… has killed people. I cannot marry you because you have no conscious." With those words he closed his eyes and dropped slowly to his knees on the ground in front of her, wilted and broken. "If you can kill someone, without remorse and actually think that it was a merciful thing to do then… there's no way you can love me. No possible way you can love a child…"

"Serena… stop. If you're leaving then leave. I… I can't listen to what you plan to do because it's killing me. I gave you my heart and if you walk out that door you will take it with you. I will come after you… I won't give you up without a fight." He said weakly. "But… I won't stop you from walking out that door." She stepped back as she noticed a tear slipping down his face, a single, solitary tear that spoke of regret.

"Thank you for that." She said flatly and pulled the glittering ring from her finger dropping it before him. "Good bye Doctor Shields." Her tone was colder than she had expected but she didn't pause to see its affect, she couldn't because her resolve was almost gone. Despite the fact that he had killed her father and many others she still loved him and believed that he did it out of compassion. Damn her she believed it. With an air of confidence she turned and marched out of the room quickly breaking into a run so she could retrieve the money from Raelean and leave. She would take nothing with her because she didn't want to remember him. To remember would bring her back. On her way up she passed Seiya, his face saddened and horrified at the same time.

Raelean was waiting, in the same place Serena had left her only now she held a large stack of money in her hand. "Here, good luck my dear. I hope you all the best." She then thrust the stack towards the blonde and smiled. Serena didn't think twice. She grabbed the money, turned, and rushed out back to the stairs but stopped in front of Seiya.

"Bye Seiya. Despite the way we became acquainted you're a good guy. You've never hurt me and I'm thankful to you for that." She lightly placed a hand on his cheek. "Don't let him bully you around."

"I won't but… where will you go Serena? How will you live?" Genuine concern shown in his eyes and for the first time she realized that he looked at her with love. "If, you need anything. Call me and I'll be there… fuck Darien. I'll come for you and make sure you're taken care of." He then pulled her into a hug glancing down at where he knew Darien was watching. It wasn't over and he knew it, Darien wouldn't let her go so easily; he would only let her believe that he did.

"Thank you." She smiled and walked down the stairs and out of the large house unsure of what she should do and who she could trust.

It was late by the time she arrived at Molly's house and even though they were expecting her she felt nervous about asking them such a large favor. Living with them would place a large burden on them, especially when she went through with the abortion. Molly's mother would especially find that hard seeing as how she was against abortions. Her hand rose to knock on the door but before she could make contact it opened to an excited Molly and a complacent mother. "Sarenah! I'm so glad you're here!" She threw her arms around her friend and squeezed tightly.

"I'm so glad that your accent has dissipated." Serena laughed to take away some of the tension she already felt. It seemed to work as the two women allowed her in and sat her on the couch. This was what Serena had been dreading, the explanation as to why she was here and not safe and sound with Darien. It was something that she had mulled around in her mind and had come to the conclusion that she couldn't tell the truth. She still loved him and to tell the truth would mean that she was going to condemn him to a life in prison.

"Soooo… what's wrong?" Molly drawled and looked into her friends eyes expectantly. Molly and her mother had immediately started to gossip about the possibilities but had not settled on any of the possibilities.

"I just… it's too overwhelming. I can't take it anymore that's all. After the party it began to hit me. You know all of the responsibility, all of the things that would be expected of me as his wife… I just… I couldn't do it and I needed to leave." She lied the best she could making the two women's eyes widen.

"Wow… I'm sorry Sarenah… was he sad?" She nodded making the two women awe. It was clear that they were disappointed in her, that they thought her wrong in this instance but she didn't care. They could think what they wanted because they didn't know the truth and never would.