~*AN*~
Well, I'm not quite sure where I'm going with the story as of yet, but I feel the need to explore with a few other options before ending it all.
~*Chapter XII: Finding Out*~
"There you two are, I've been looking all over for you!" I called out as I noticed the two men enter the back door quietly. "Care for some cake?" I asked, smiling as they looked around and saw that everyone was sitting about enjoying the sweets and talking with one another.
"Sure, why not spoil ourselves once in a while?" replied Jason.
"Wow, I haven't had cake in who knows how long," admitted Andrew as he took a bite and savored the taste on his lips. I laughed and handed them each a glass of soda to drink afterwards. I'm not quite sure when the party started to die down, but about two hours or so afterwards, I noticed that only my closest friends were left behind.
"I want to thank you all for coming tonight, it meant a lot to me," I said, smiling at everyone surrounding me. Tears brimmed the corners of my eyes as everyone laughed and came in to hug me tightly.
"We're always here for you Serena," whispered Mina and the girls in unison.
"Thanks," was my only reply as I returned their hug with the same amount of affection. Soon after, the girls and I got started on cleaning up so that my parents could get to bed without worrying about waking up to a dirty house. Andrew and Jason pitched in and we all finished tidying up the house in no time. Keith had already fallen asleep on the couch hours ago, so we all bid one another good night as I picked up my son and headed out to the car.
"I'm surprised I wasn't invited Serena," came a voice from behind me as I set Keith into the back seat. Turning around, I was shocked to find Raye standing there with a smirk on her face. The girls were standing there at the doorway, stunned to see Raye in the middle of the sidewalk. "And I thought we were best friends too," she said, feigning a hurt look in her eyes.
"Sorry, but this party was for employees and family members only," stated Andrew in a furious tone.
"Then what does that make you? An employee?" retorted Raye.
"He's a part of my family," I stated calmly. Jason hurried to my side as I handed him the car keys and signaled for him to take Keith back to the hotel without me. As he did what I asked of him, his eyes told me to be careful. "Don't worry, I'll be fine," I whispered to him as he got into the car and took off.
"So who was the little kid and mystery man Serena? Your new lover and child?" asked Raye, laughing at her own statement.
"Actually Raye, that was one of my co-workers. And yes, the child is my son," I answered, returning her own glare with my own.
"So you went and got knocked up by some loser huh?" she laughed, slowly walking up to my face.
"No, I gained something more wonderful than you can ever understand Raye," I replied curtly.
"Whose kid is it? You've been gone five years, and that kid looks just as old. Is it Darien's? Or did you cheat on him and sleep with someone else?" she asked, rolling her eyes and turning around to take a look at the girls. "Long time no see!" said Raye sarcastically.
"It's not Darien's child. And how can I cheat on someone who already cheated on me and lost my love in the first place?" I fired back angrily.
"That's what you think. That stupid Darien didn't cheat on you, he's got it etched in his mind that you're the ideal woman, ha!" laughed Raye as she glared at me with fire in her eyes. "I don't see what you've got that I don't already have," she spat.
"Let's see, a highly paid job, a wonderful son, friends and family who love me, oh yeah, and a life without you?" I replied, mocking her very question.
"Raye, I suggest you leave before one of us does something you might not like," said Lita, clenching her fist tightly.
"It would be better if you just leave before someone has to make you," Mina added as she held a steady gaze on Raye's every movement.
"Whatever, you're all a bunch of fools. I am the better woman for Darien, he's just too blinded by that bimbo to notice it," yelled Raye, turning around and raising her hand to my face. I closed my eyes expecting the impact, but nothing came.
"Don't you ever think of laying a finger on her again," said Andrew heatedly as he gripped Raye's wrist tightly and flung her a few steps back away from me. "Are you okay?" he asked me before looking back at Raye.
"What the hell have I done to you Raye? How much more do you have to inflict upon me before you are happy?" I asked tiredly. I can't believe the girl has the nerve to try and slap me. After all the crap she has put me through, she makes it seem as if I live to cause her life more misery when it was the other way around!
"I'll be happy when that damned fool sees the person you really are!" answered Raye, getting up and storming off angrily.
"Damn you Raye, damn you to hell!" called out Lita as she and the girls ran to me as I slowly fell to my knees in tears. How can she hate me so much after all we've been through as friends? What have I ever done but try to protect and love her like a friend should do. It was moments like these that made me regret coming back to Japan in the first place all it ever held was pain and misery.
"Forget about it, I'm tired of this," I stated, walking off before anyone could say another word. After that little incident my mind was made up, I would call and have everything arranged in the morning. In a few days, I'll leave with Keith to go back to our lives in New York. Good-bye Serena Tsukino and all the memories that were a part of her life, Sere Moon was here to stay, for good this time around.
~Next Day~
"I have to talk some sense in Serena, she has to listen to me!" muttered Darien as he paced his apartment while getting dressed. He'd been up all night thinking of ways to convince Serena that he still loved her with all of his heart and that he had never cheated on her. 'I lost her once, I'm not losing her again,' he told himself repeatedly as he left his apartment and headed for Andrew's building. "I know you're in the Andrew, open up!" he yelled, banging on Andrew's front door like a wild man.
"What the hell do you want? Do you know what time it is?!" yelled Andrew, flinging the door open angrily.
"Where is Serena? I need to talk to him," said Darien as he shoved Andrew aside and stormed into Andrew's home.
"She's not here you moron!" replied Andrew, frowning at how ignorant the executive of Shields Corp. could be at times.
"Well then where the hell is she?!" asked Darien angrily.
"At her hotel, where else?" replied Andrew, rolling his eyes and taking a seat at his kitchen counter. "Look, I don't have all day here, when are you going to leave me to my own business?" he asked, tired of beating around the bushes with Darien's nuisances.
"Then tell me where I can find her," answered Darien.
"There is no way in hell that she'll see you and I won't let you," was Andrew's response. Frustrated of getting no where, Darien got up and took off in search of Serena on his own, he'd be damned if he'd let her leave him again this time.
~Hotel Suite~
"Mama, why are we packing already? I thought we were going to stay a little longer," asked Keith, frowning as he watched me put all of his things back into his suitcase. I felt ashamed that I had to cut my vacation short, but I couldn't stand being back in a place full of painful memories that kept resurfacing every time I turned a corner. It was just too much for me to handle, and I didn't want to drag my son in the equation now that everyone has found out about him.
"Sorry baby, but mommy has to get back to some important work that's waiting for her at home," I replied, ruffling his hair and kissing him lightly on the cheek. "I promise you'll get to see everyone again some day," I added, hoping it would make him feel a bit better about leaving. I hated making my son sad, but it would just hurt him even more if he ever saw me breakdown.
"Does Andrew know we're leaving?" asked Keith, looking up at me.
"No, but I'll let him know," I answered before zipping shut his bags. Now all that was left were my own belongings.
"Is Jason leaving with us?" Keith asked, wondering why I was in such a hurry to gather our things so that we could leave in a few days.
"Jason will come back when he's ready, but we have to leave first," I told him, not completely lying. Jason will return to New York when he realizes that we've left, and of course I will tell Andrew that we left the minute our plane lands at the airport in New York. So it was lying entirely, it was just delaying the inevitable right?
~Jason's Suite~
"I wonder what happened last night?" thought Jason as he sat there eating his breakfast and skimming through the morning news while he ate. Everyone seemed a bit tense when he left with Keith last night, and Sere didn't say a word when she picked Keith up afterwards. When he finished his breakfast, he got dressed and headed over to Sere's suite to check up on things. 'Hope she's okay,' he thought to himself as he knocked gently on the door.
"That must be Jason, why don't you go clean up a bit while mommy cleans up and gets the door okay?" I told my son as I placed our bags into the closet and straightened out my outfit before answering the door. "Hey, come on in, how was your sleep?" I asked, trying to make conversation as I searched the room for any bags I might have left lying around.
"It was okay, I just had breakfast, did you guys get a chance to order up any?" asked Jason, smiling as he took a seat across from me at the table.
"Nope, not yet, waiting for slow poke to wash up first," I answered cheerfully.
"Okay mama, all done now! Hi Jason!" called out Keith as he ran towards us and hopped into a chair beside me. "What are we having?" asked me son as I heard to stomach grumble hungrily.
"Whatever you want sweetie," I answered as we all laughed after hearing his stomach growl. I ordered up some breakfast and a pot of coffee for Jason so he could sip on while Keith and I ate our breakfast. We talked about taking a walk and possibly even going for a drive with everyone to the beach.
"Does that mean I can go swimming?" asked Keith excitedly. He jumped out of his seat and ran to his room to grab his beach bag, which he had brought along just in case we ever decided to have an outing on the beach.
"I guess that means we should go get some swimwear then," I suggested, smiling as my son played with his toys.
We cleaned up a bit and headed out to gather some supplies before calling everyone up to let them know of the surprise putting we had just planned and agreed to meet up later on during the afternoon for some fun and relaxation. While shopping, I purchased a bathing suit for myself and Keith while Jason went to his task of putting together a picnic basket for everyone. At noon, we met up at the beach and enjoyed the great weather. Played a little volleyball, took a few dips into the ocean and then had lunch before sitting around to soak in some sun. It was a nice day, full of chattering and laughing, just like I wanted it to be. I planned to leave the morning after tomorrow, so I wanted to spend as much quality time with everyone as possible. I owed it to them and to Keith to enjoy the little time we had left with one another.
"Let's take a walk Sere," suggested Andrew, taking hold of my hand and helping me up from my seat. I smiled and let everyone know we'd be back in a few before heading off with Andrew towards a more secluded spot.
"So what's up?" I asked, curious as to why he decided to take a walk all of a sudden. "Something on your mind?" I added, seeing the look on his face.
"I suppose you could say that," answered Andrew meekly.
"So spill already," I teased lightly.
"Well, it's about Jason," said Andrew quietly as my face went from cheer to serious in all but a mere second. "I think he's rather depressed about you," I heard Andrew say in a more serious tone. "You know it hurts him a lot to see you in a state of distress," Andrew added, trying to get my attention.
"I know," was all I could say. What more could I say? I know, but I'm sorry that I keep on hurting him? I mean, how can I help it when I can't even stop myself from feeling the way I do at times?
"Then why don't you let it go Sere? It's been so long, and everyone worries about you all the time," asked Andrew in a concerned tone.
"I don't know!" I answered, somewhat frustrated at myself. It hurts me the most to see so many being hurt by me. Sometimes I wish I could make it all go away, but I know that I can't because it never stops hurting. "I wish I could Andy, I really do," I cried as he took hold of me and hugged me tightly. Tears streamed down my face and Andrew and I just stood there in silence. I had been in so much pain for so long, that I didn't know how to let go of that pain. It haunted me day and night for the past five years that I guess I had let go take over my life.
"It's okay Sere, we're all here for you if you need," whispered Andrew, kissing the top of my head lightly. "Just let it go and slowly you'll start to feel so much better, trust me on this," he said, rocking me back and forth in his arms.
"I don't know where'd I be without you Andy, why are you always there when I'm in a tight spot?" I asked, looking up and smiling as tears continued to spill from my eyes. Andrew looked down and smiled as he wiped the tears from my face.
"Because I love you silly," replied Andrew in an inaudible voice as he leaned down and pulled my chin up to meet his half way. It seemed like forever before his lips met my own, but oh the kiss was so sweet and gentle, I could have melted in his arms if he weren't already holding me. I never felt this way before, it was so dreamy, with the sun almost setting behind us and the waves thrashing against one another in the background. I could feel his tongue against my lips trying to get me to relax, and I did, opening up completely to him and letting the kiss take over. We stood there embracing one another for who knows how long before we pulled apart. Standing there trying to catch our breath, we stared at each other with a look of pure bliss on our eyes.
"And you know I love you too," I whispered, poking him in the side and laughing before I ran off. My laughter bounced off the rocks and down the beach as Andrew chased after me. I think we were gone for a good two hours before we headed back to the group. Everyone still wonders what had gone on during those two hours, but that's a secret only Andrew and I know about. I never kiss and tell...
~*AN*~
Interesting... I wasn't expecting that to come out, but I guess I'm glad it ended up the way it did. I'm beginning to like just letting my hands type whatever comes to mind, it makes everything so much more exciting this way!
Well, I'm not quite sure where I'm going with the story as of yet, but I feel the need to explore with a few other options before ending it all.
~*Chapter XII: Finding Out*~
"There you two are, I've been looking all over for you!" I called out as I noticed the two men enter the back door quietly. "Care for some cake?" I asked, smiling as they looked around and saw that everyone was sitting about enjoying the sweets and talking with one another.
"Sure, why not spoil ourselves once in a while?" replied Jason.
"Wow, I haven't had cake in who knows how long," admitted Andrew as he took a bite and savored the taste on his lips. I laughed and handed them each a glass of soda to drink afterwards. I'm not quite sure when the party started to die down, but about two hours or so afterwards, I noticed that only my closest friends were left behind.
"I want to thank you all for coming tonight, it meant a lot to me," I said, smiling at everyone surrounding me. Tears brimmed the corners of my eyes as everyone laughed and came in to hug me tightly.
"We're always here for you Serena," whispered Mina and the girls in unison.
"Thanks," was my only reply as I returned their hug with the same amount of affection. Soon after, the girls and I got started on cleaning up so that my parents could get to bed without worrying about waking up to a dirty house. Andrew and Jason pitched in and we all finished tidying up the house in no time. Keith had already fallen asleep on the couch hours ago, so we all bid one another good night as I picked up my son and headed out to the car.
"I'm surprised I wasn't invited Serena," came a voice from behind me as I set Keith into the back seat. Turning around, I was shocked to find Raye standing there with a smirk on her face. The girls were standing there at the doorway, stunned to see Raye in the middle of the sidewalk. "And I thought we were best friends too," she said, feigning a hurt look in her eyes.
"Sorry, but this party was for employees and family members only," stated Andrew in a furious tone.
"Then what does that make you? An employee?" retorted Raye.
"He's a part of my family," I stated calmly. Jason hurried to my side as I handed him the car keys and signaled for him to take Keith back to the hotel without me. As he did what I asked of him, his eyes told me to be careful. "Don't worry, I'll be fine," I whispered to him as he got into the car and took off.
"So who was the little kid and mystery man Serena? Your new lover and child?" asked Raye, laughing at her own statement.
"Actually Raye, that was one of my co-workers. And yes, the child is my son," I answered, returning her own glare with my own.
"So you went and got knocked up by some loser huh?" she laughed, slowly walking up to my face.
"No, I gained something more wonderful than you can ever understand Raye," I replied curtly.
"Whose kid is it? You've been gone five years, and that kid looks just as old. Is it Darien's? Or did you cheat on him and sleep with someone else?" she asked, rolling her eyes and turning around to take a look at the girls. "Long time no see!" said Raye sarcastically.
"It's not Darien's child. And how can I cheat on someone who already cheated on me and lost my love in the first place?" I fired back angrily.
"That's what you think. That stupid Darien didn't cheat on you, he's got it etched in his mind that you're the ideal woman, ha!" laughed Raye as she glared at me with fire in her eyes. "I don't see what you've got that I don't already have," she spat.
"Let's see, a highly paid job, a wonderful son, friends and family who love me, oh yeah, and a life without you?" I replied, mocking her very question.
"Raye, I suggest you leave before one of us does something you might not like," said Lita, clenching her fist tightly.
"It would be better if you just leave before someone has to make you," Mina added as she held a steady gaze on Raye's every movement.
"Whatever, you're all a bunch of fools. I am the better woman for Darien, he's just too blinded by that bimbo to notice it," yelled Raye, turning around and raising her hand to my face. I closed my eyes expecting the impact, but nothing came.
"Don't you ever think of laying a finger on her again," said Andrew heatedly as he gripped Raye's wrist tightly and flung her a few steps back away from me. "Are you okay?" he asked me before looking back at Raye.
"What the hell have I done to you Raye? How much more do you have to inflict upon me before you are happy?" I asked tiredly. I can't believe the girl has the nerve to try and slap me. After all the crap she has put me through, she makes it seem as if I live to cause her life more misery when it was the other way around!
"I'll be happy when that damned fool sees the person you really are!" answered Raye, getting up and storming off angrily.
"Damn you Raye, damn you to hell!" called out Lita as she and the girls ran to me as I slowly fell to my knees in tears. How can she hate me so much after all we've been through as friends? What have I ever done but try to protect and love her like a friend should do. It was moments like these that made me regret coming back to Japan in the first place all it ever held was pain and misery.
"Forget about it, I'm tired of this," I stated, walking off before anyone could say another word. After that little incident my mind was made up, I would call and have everything arranged in the morning. In a few days, I'll leave with Keith to go back to our lives in New York. Good-bye Serena Tsukino and all the memories that were a part of her life, Sere Moon was here to stay, for good this time around.
~Next Day~
"I have to talk some sense in Serena, she has to listen to me!" muttered Darien as he paced his apartment while getting dressed. He'd been up all night thinking of ways to convince Serena that he still loved her with all of his heart and that he had never cheated on her. 'I lost her once, I'm not losing her again,' he told himself repeatedly as he left his apartment and headed for Andrew's building. "I know you're in the Andrew, open up!" he yelled, banging on Andrew's front door like a wild man.
"What the hell do you want? Do you know what time it is?!" yelled Andrew, flinging the door open angrily.
"Where is Serena? I need to talk to him," said Darien as he shoved Andrew aside and stormed into Andrew's home.
"She's not here you moron!" replied Andrew, frowning at how ignorant the executive of Shields Corp. could be at times.
"Well then where the hell is she?!" asked Darien angrily.
"At her hotel, where else?" replied Andrew, rolling his eyes and taking a seat at his kitchen counter. "Look, I don't have all day here, when are you going to leave me to my own business?" he asked, tired of beating around the bushes with Darien's nuisances.
"Then tell me where I can find her," answered Darien.
"There is no way in hell that she'll see you and I won't let you," was Andrew's response. Frustrated of getting no where, Darien got up and took off in search of Serena on his own, he'd be damned if he'd let her leave him again this time.
~Hotel Suite~
"Mama, why are we packing already? I thought we were going to stay a little longer," asked Keith, frowning as he watched me put all of his things back into his suitcase. I felt ashamed that I had to cut my vacation short, but I couldn't stand being back in a place full of painful memories that kept resurfacing every time I turned a corner. It was just too much for me to handle, and I didn't want to drag my son in the equation now that everyone has found out about him.
"Sorry baby, but mommy has to get back to some important work that's waiting for her at home," I replied, ruffling his hair and kissing him lightly on the cheek. "I promise you'll get to see everyone again some day," I added, hoping it would make him feel a bit better about leaving. I hated making my son sad, but it would just hurt him even more if he ever saw me breakdown.
"Does Andrew know we're leaving?" asked Keith, looking up at me.
"No, but I'll let him know," I answered before zipping shut his bags. Now all that was left were my own belongings.
"Is Jason leaving with us?" Keith asked, wondering why I was in such a hurry to gather our things so that we could leave in a few days.
"Jason will come back when he's ready, but we have to leave first," I told him, not completely lying. Jason will return to New York when he realizes that we've left, and of course I will tell Andrew that we left the minute our plane lands at the airport in New York. So it was lying entirely, it was just delaying the inevitable right?
~Jason's Suite~
"I wonder what happened last night?" thought Jason as he sat there eating his breakfast and skimming through the morning news while he ate. Everyone seemed a bit tense when he left with Keith last night, and Sere didn't say a word when she picked Keith up afterwards. When he finished his breakfast, he got dressed and headed over to Sere's suite to check up on things. 'Hope she's okay,' he thought to himself as he knocked gently on the door.
"That must be Jason, why don't you go clean up a bit while mommy cleans up and gets the door okay?" I told my son as I placed our bags into the closet and straightened out my outfit before answering the door. "Hey, come on in, how was your sleep?" I asked, trying to make conversation as I searched the room for any bags I might have left lying around.
"It was okay, I just had breakfast, did you guys get a chance to order up any?" asked Jason, smiling as he took a seat across from me at the table.
"Nope, not yet, waiting for slow poke to wash up first," I answered cheerfully.
"Okay mama, all done now! Hi Jason!" called out Keith as he ran towards us and hopped into a chair beside me. "What are we having?" asked me son as I heard to stomach grumble hungrily.
"Whatever you want sweetie," I answered as we all laughed after hearing his stomach growl. I ordered up some breakfast and a pot of coffee for Jason so he could sip on while Keith and I ate our breakfast. We talked about taking a walk and possibly even going for a drive with everyone to the beach.
"Does that mean I can go swimming?" asked Keith excitedly. He jumped out of his seat and ran to his room to grab his beach bag, which he had brought along just in case we ever decided to have an outing on the beach.
"I guess that means we should go get some swimwear then," I suggested, smiling as my son played with his toys.
We cleaned up a bit and headed out to gather some supplies before calling everyone up to let them know of the surprise putting we had just planned and agreed to meet up later on during the afternoon for some fun and relaxation. While shopping, I purchased a bathing suit for myself and Keith while Jason went to his task of putting together a picnic basket for everyone. At noon, we met up at the beach and enjoyed the great weather. Played a little volleyball, took a few dips into the ocean and then had lunch before sitting around to soak in some sun. It was a nice day, full of chattering and laughing, just like I wanted it to be. I planned to leave the morning after tomorrow, so I wanted to spend as much quality time with everyone as possible. I owed it to them and to Keith to enjoy the little time we had left with one another.
"Let's take a walk Sere," suggested Andrew, taking hold of my hand and helping me up from my seat. I smiled and let everyone know we'd be back in a few before heading off with Andrew towards a more secluded spot.
"So what's up?" I asked, curious as to why he decided to take a walk all of a sudden. "Something on your mind?" I added, seeing the look on his face.
"I suppose you could say that," answered Andrew meekly.
"So spill already," I teased lightly.
"Well, it's about Jason," said Andrew quietly as my face went from cheer to serious in all but a mere second. "I think he's rather depressed about you," I heard Andrew say in a more serious tone. "You know it hurts him a lot to see you in a state of distress," Andrew added, trying to get my attention.
"I know," was all I could say. What more could I say? I know, but I'm sorry that I keep on hurting him? I mean, how can I help it when I can't even stop myself from feeling the way I do at times?
"Then why don't you let it go Sere? It's been so long, and everyone worries about you all the time," asked Andrew in a concerned tone.
"I don't know!" I answered, somewhat frustrated at myself. It hurts me the most to see so many being hurt by me. Sometimes I wish I could make it all go away, but I know that I can't because it never stops hurting. "I wish I could Andy, I really do," I cried as he took hold of me and hugged me tightly. Tears streamed down my face and Andrew and I just stood there in silence. I had been in so much pain for so long, that I didn't know how to let go of that pain. It haunted me day and night for the past five years that I guess I had let go take over my life.
"It's okay Sere, we're all here for you if you need," whispered Andrew, kissing the top of my head lightly. "Just let it go and slowly you'll start to feel so much better, trust me on this," he said, rocking me back and forth in his arms.
"I don't know where'd I be without you Andy, why are you always there when I'm in a tight spot?" I asked, looking up and smiling as tears continued to spill from my eyes. Andrew looked down and smiled as he wiped the tears from my face.
"Because I love you silly," replied Andrew in an inaudible voice as he leaned down and pulled my chin up to meet his half way. It seemed like forever before his lips met my own, but oh the kiss was so sweet and gentle, I could have melted in his arms if he weren't already holding me. I never felt this way before, it was so dreamy, with the sun almost setting behind us and the waves thrashing against one another in the background. I could feel his tongue against my lips trying to get me to relax, and I did, opening up completely to him and letting the kiss take over. We stood there embracing one another for who knows how long before we pulled apart. Standing there trying to catch our breath, we stared at each other with a look of pure bliss on our eyes.
"And you know I love you too," I whispered, poking him in the side and laughing before I ran off. My laughter bounced off the rocks and down the beach as Andrew chased after me. I think we were gone for a good two hours before we headed back to the group. Everyone still wonders what had gone on during those two hours, but that's a secret only Andrew and I know about. I never kiss and tell...
~*AN*~
Interesting... I wasn't expecting that to come out, but I guess I'm glad it ended up the way it did. I'm beginning to like just letting my hands type whatever comes to mind, it makes everything so much more exciting this way!