Disclaimer: I do not own any Sailor Moon characters

Chapter 8: Life Changing Mom-ments

It was about a month into the bet and so far, it had attracted more paparazzi to sit around Serena where ever she went. She couldn't even go to the grocery store without them snapping at her every move. Rumors about her and Darien had been swirling even before this explosion of photographers, but now they were out of control. There were thoughts that she was pregnant with his baby, that he bought her a new car, that everything she wears is for him. It was exhausting being critiqued physically and fashionably on a daily basis, but Serena had found a way to ignore it; finding refuge in her mother. She would often come back from a night out and go into her mother's room to curl up next to her and fall asleep. She and Karen had grown so much closer through all of this and she wondered if it also had something to do with her father being absent as of late. Karen thought that her daughter hadn't noticed the subtle separation between her and James, but children were more aware than parents would give them credit for.

Serena and her mother were driving to the office that day in order to meet with Haruka to see what was going to happen with the television show in the future. Serena was still on the fence about continuing on with the show, but she would find out what it would bring her today. When the two made it to the parking garage of the building, they got out, locked the car and made their way to the correct floor. As they breezed into the busy office, Karen stopped at the front desk outside the office she shared with James.

"Has my husband been in today?" she asked the brunette at the desk.

"No ma'am. He called this morning and said he had a meeting at the Hilton."

"Great," she grumbled. "Send him a reminder text message that his daughter has a meeting today. He should have been aware that she comes first, other clients come second."

"Yes ma'am," she nodded, taking out her Blackberry and typing into it to send a text to James.

As Karen strutted into the office with her daughter following her, she said, "He has some nerve not being here."

Serena sat down on a tweed couch and ignored her mother's comment as she flipped through a tabloid magazine. There she was again, leaving a club with Rei and Darien on either side of her, trying to keep her awake. All of this gallivanting around town was taking a toll on her body and sleep schedule. She needed to take a vacation soon in order to reevaluate her sleeping pattern.

There was a knock at the door and in walked Haruka and Michiru, both sporting some gold jewelry and leather here and there. Haruka was in a floppy leather vest, a white t-shirt and jeans where as her partner in crime and life decided to don on a sexier number with a leather high waist skirt and flowing blue and purple printed blouse. Serena admired their attire until her mother cleared her throat to gain their attention.

"Thank you for coming. Please have a seat," she instructed politely as she stood up with a file in her hand and joined them all at the couches that formed a square. Haruka sat next to Karen and Michiru sat next to Serena as the redhead continued on, "I want to start off by saying that it's been such a pleasure to work with you two. You have been so courteous and so considerate to Serena's needs without compromising your own vision of the show. It's been amazing."

"I'm glad to hear that!" Michiru beamed.

"Same," Haruka nodded. "We were really glad to have Serena on the show. She's been bringing a lot of press to it and has been a positive force on the set."

"So I've heard," Karen murmured. "The press is what worries me. I don't want her to spiral out of photo control and suddenly get a picture online that's going to smear her name."

"Heaven forbid, I get my photo taken!" Serena exclaimed sarcastically.

"Serena, your mother just doesn't want you to turn into all of those other starlets out there," Michiru soothed calmly.

"There's a reason we wanted you and no one else," Haruka commented. "I didn't want to risk the chance of receiving bad press, of people reading into certain details, and I also like having someone on set who wouldn't cause more drama than necessary. You kept Darien roped in, kept Lorena off set when needed, and you were pleasant to my crew."

Karen pursed her lips for a moment and said, "Well, as wonderful as those compliments are, I don't know that continuing on with the show would be in her best image interest. Darien has a reputation of bouncing around from one bed to the next and I don't want my daughter near that any longer."

"What about the rumors going around in the industry that you and your husband have signed him onto your next project?" Haruka asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Well, those are just rumors," Karen replied before taking a sip from a glass of water that was in front of her.

"No they're not," a deep voice declared.

She nearly spit up the water when she heard her husband's voice. He was standing at the door with a briefcase in hand and a suit on giving him more sex appeal that one would normally credit him with. He closed the door behind him and walked over to the couches, sitting on the other side of his daughter.

"I'm sorry, what was that dear?" Karen asked sweetly. Her tone had a distinct edge of venom in it that only her husband could detect.

"I signed him onto the film this morning," he announced to everyone.

Karen swallowed hard and then asked them, "Can you all please give us some privacy for just ten minutes?"

"No, no! Let's just end this now!" James protested. He turned to his daughter, "Serena, do you want to continue doing the show?"

"Um … uh … well, yes, but I think my character would boost ratings by showing up unannounced."

"Much like your father," Karen quipped snidely.

"Okay! Well!" Haruka clapped, her demeanor obviously uncomfortable. "We'll work out a rough packet of scripts and send them off to you in the mail!"

"Uh great!" Serena stammered as she stood up with them and promptly exited, waving goodbye to her parents.

Once they were alone, James loosened his tie and glanced at his wife, "So?" She responded by throwing her arms up in the air and stalking over to the mini bar. He rolled his eyes and continued, "Can we hash it out?"

"Oh yes! Let's hash it out!" she mocked. "How about you went behind my back and signed a celebrity to our movie without even consulting me first! Is this how the business is supposed to be run? Huh? Secret meetings? Sketchy contacts? Cutting the partner out of the decisions? Big decisions I might add! I was raised in this star-struck world and that is not how it works!"

"Calm down Karen," he begged as he watched her down half of a glass of dry whiskey.

"Ooooh, you want me to calm down? I'll calm down!" she yelled, slamming her glass onto the glossy bar. "I quit."

She let the silence fall over her husband as she stormed up to grab her bag and was about to leave when James jumped up suddenly. He snatched up her arm and pressed the door shut before she could open it all the way. This caught the attention of the front desk secretary who buzzed in and asked if everything was alright. James kept a strong hold on Karen's arm as he took a few strides across the room to the main desk and clicked onto the intercom, reassuring their receptionist that they were fine. He spun back around, gripped on her shoulders, and shook her slightly.

"Karen, you can't quit!" he exclaimed. "Please!"

She burst out laughing at him and wriggled out of his grip, "Are you serious? Because back there and throughout this whole thing, it seems like you don't even need me to be around. Why don't you handle this one on your own?"

"Because it's your idea!" he shouted.

"That's the first time I've heard that from you!" she replied with wide eyes. "But you know what? You can control this just fine! You've been controlling it, have you not? Good luck James."

She swatted his hands away from her body and strutted out of the office immediately. She made it to the elevator just in enough time to watch her husband slouch right in front of the closing doors. She waved her leather gloved finger tips at him and flashed a wide smile as the doors shut. When Karen made it out into the garage, she pushed a pair of thick designer sunglasses onto her face and pulled out her cell phone. She pressed it to her ear as she slipped into her car and spoke in privacy.

"Hey. Can you meet with me at Coffee Bean downtown? We need to chat. It's about the film … I won't be on board. Okay see you in ten."

Serena laid on her bed while Darien went flipping through the digital pages of paparazzi images on her laptop. At this point, they had done just about everything possible on the itinerary and she had kept up to her end of the bargain. It was getting close to the end of the bet.

"So what's next?" she asked. "I feel like I've done everything you've asked for."

"We have one more big project…"

"Oh?"

"I'm going to be in your parents' movie," he announced to her. "When we're done filming, I want to go to the premiere with you."

"You're joking…"

"No I'm not."

She flipped over onto her stomach and stared at him for a moment before shaking her head in disbelief. It wasn't that she was surprised that he wanted to go to a premiere with her, it was that her parents had actually allowed him to be in the film. She would need to speak to her mother first before she would agree to anything. Going to a premiere with someone was a big deal; it was a few steps below an awards ceremony. There were already hundreds of photos of the two of them shopping, hanging out at restaurants, and promoting clubs together. People had speculated that they were a couple and Serena had grown exhausted sending out official responses to reporters, telling them that she was only friends with Darien.

"We'll see what happens when around that time and if I want to come along."

"You have two months. Your parents are hoping to get this done as soon as possible."

"So why me?" Cooper asked as he sat down across from Karen in the back of the coffee house.

"It's your client, that's why," Karen grimaced as she sipped her black drink.

"You've quit though?" he inquired. "Why? Why not just take a two month vacation? That way you don't have to deal with you husband at all."

"I want to put him in his place," she shrugged.

"So you're sabotaging your film?"

"His film," she corrected.

"Red, you and I both know that this is your movie, your idea, and your genius," he reassured her, placing a hand over hers. "You can't back down on this. It's going to be a great film."

"I'm giving you a chance to pull your client out of this project," she declared, removing her hand from his grasp. "I will not back down from this. I don't believe that Darien will make this film any better than it already is."

"And I don't think your marriage will last through this ordeal. You're going to destroy your husband."

"Then so be it."

Cooper stood up and buttoned his jacket up as he said, "Alright, well I'll call Darien and let him know. It'll be his decision ultimately whether or not he wants to continue on with the film. Thank you for contacting me." He turned away from her but then paused suddenly, looking back over his shoulder, "Wait a minute … is this so that I won't be around you and … erm … your daughter?"

"No. This it has nothing to do with that."

"Sure it doesn't," he grinned. "I'll speak to Darien about your departure from the project, but I will let him make the choice. I like being around you Red."

"I wish the feeling was mutual."

Darien clicked off his phone and pressed his lips against the cold metal edge. Serena tilted her head to the side and examined his features as he sat down on her desk chair. He glanced up at her through his long black bangs and tried not to show his disappointment, but by now she could see through his smoke screens.

"What was that about?"

"Cooper called me."

"And?"

"And your mother is off the project."

"What?!" she exclaimed, leaping up into a sitting position.

"Yeah, apparently she has handed over the reigns to your dad…"

"She can't do this!"

Darien furrowed his brow a bit as he asked, "What do you mean? It's her decision."

"Yes, but my father is … incompetent," she explained slowly. "My mother is the brains behind everything. She was raised in this Hollywood life like I was and knows the business inside and out, thus she knows what films will receive an award."

"So she's the brains behind every operation?"

"Every single one."

"Beauty Kings?"

"Yup."

"Sunny Side Down?"

"Mom."

"Even the documentary Naked?"

"That was all my mother. She went to the brothels and interviewed the concubines herself."

"What the hell does your dad have to do with any of these films then?!" Darien exclaimed.

"Their empire is built around his name and backed by her intelligence. However, I'm sure that my mother can rebuild herself if she chose to."

"And I will."

The two of them turned around to find Karen leaning her curvaceous body against the door frame as she removed her half leather gloves from her fingers. She sighed loudly as she thought about how to bring this topic about. Looking up at her rather distraught daughter, she tried to force a smile on her face.

"Honey, it's no secret that your father and I are on the outs," she started.

"But Mom, does this mean you're going to … leave him?" Serena asked.

"I don't know. But I think it's time I find my full potential on my own." Karen adjusted her gaze over to Darien and stated with her arms crossed over her chest, "And you young man … if you want to be in a film that will receive a golden statuette of man with a sword in hand, I suggest you work with me. I'm going to take all of my work and all of my copy write material away from my husband. He won't have an idea to fall on."

"Are you asking me to choose between you two?" he inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"That's exactly what I'm asking. I expect your answer by tomorrow morning, no later than nine a.m.," she declared. Standing up straight, she said to her daughter, "I'm going to pack my things and I'll be staying at the Beverly Hills Hotel."

"Mom—"

"If you need me, you can reach me on my cell."

With that said, she turned around and away form her daughter to go and get her things together. She couldn't stand another moment in the mansion where her husband was in every piece of furniture, their sham of a marriage was in splattered everywhere in photos, and her daughter was a constant reminder of her lies. She needed to correct her life and now was as good of a time as any…

Please review!! ^_^