May the disease I call writer's block be rid of me! I hope to get chapters out fast now that I have my stride back. Sorry for the long wait everyone! ^_^

Disclaimer: I do not own any Sailor Moon characters

Chapter 9: Red's Romp

Darien sat out on the patio with a scarf wrapped around his neck, reminding him of a noose. He half believed he was jumping to his death and yet at the same time he thought that maybe, just maybe this was the right thing to do. He took another drag of his cigarette, tempted to flip off the photographer circling around across the sidewalk, but he decided against it; it would only cause more arousal. Karen sashayed out onto the grounds and he was about to stab his recently started cigarette into the ashtray, but she lifted a gloved hand, gesturing him not to.

"I'll have one if you have an extra," she grinned as he stood up and kissed either cheek.

When he sat back down, he handed her a white stick and watched as she slipped it in between her thick red lips. Darien was extremely intrigued by her and the child she had created, but for now it was all business.

"So you've decided to take me up on my offer?" Karen asked.

"You're starting from the ground up, aren't you?" he replied.

"Yes. Does that scare you?"

"I'll be honest … a little bit." Darien took a moment to tap the ash off of his cigarette and then continued even when the waiter came up to him, "But you're a smart woman. I'd gladly follow you into the pits of hell."

"I'll have a bloody Mary and egg white omelet with spinach please," she said to the waiter without looking at the menu.

"Ditto," Darien said. He looked back at Karen and asked her, "What is this project really?"

"What do you mean?"

"All that your husband could tell me was that it was based in Brazil … that has to be a cop out."

"Oooh, you're a smart cookie. Why didn't I snatch you up sooner?" she smiled, tapping her white stick and then taking a long drag. "The real film is all about the Congo and a man trying to single handedly end rape. It has racism, sexism, you know all of the 'isms that make a good film. And it's based in a foreign country, even off of this continent; that'll get people going."

"Can you get support? Financially, I mean."

"Yes," she answered simply. "Can you stomach what you're about to see though?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're going to have to visit the country before you sign with me. You'll need to see what these women go through. It's not just about a war torn country; it's about war torn bodies. I'll give you some material to read and some dates as to when we can fly out there together."

"Well if I'm going to have to stomach that, then you'll have to stomach Cooper. He needs to come along."

"Of course. How could I expect anything less?"

"Will Serena join us on this trip to Africa?"

"If she chooses to. She does love seeing the children."

"Children?"

"You really have no idea what goes on out there, do you?" she asked with a curious smile curving her pouty red lips.

"I'll find out."

"When you do, then you can join me and my daughter on a plane," she nodded as their drinks were delivered to them.

"So are you going to meet with Cooper for this?"

"I've already talked to him on the phone, but I have a dinner date with him later tonight."

"Are you separating from your husband?"

"Only when it comes to the job market. If it will be anything more personal, I'll let my daughter know first, not you."

The two smiled knowingly at one another and sipped quietly on their drinks. Darien sat there during their breakfast and imagined what their trip to the Congo would be like. He was a little bit scared, but at the same time this would give him purpose finally and maybe he could even attract Serena to his side if she saw him being cute with a bunch of little orphans. Nothing bad could really come of this situation; it was all a win-win. But then again, Darien wasn't one to just let an important meeting like this go by without any insider information. He would phone Rei later that afternoon and tell her to go to that very restaurant … snoop a little bit.

Cooper sat at the table, sipping his martini and looking around for the fiery red head that was supposed to strut into the restaurant. He wondered if this whole dinner was going to lead else where. By the looks of how fast he was drinking his alcoholic beverages, he assumed he was going to be hitting on her … hard. When he looked back around to the front of the restaurant, he found Karen strutting in with a dark brown silk dress on and bejeweled leather heels with a matching gold and yellow diamond necklace. He smiled broadly at her and stood up, pulling her chair out in order to get her to sit down. She smoothed out a napkin across her lap and sighed loudly as the waiter walked by.

"I'd like a glass of your best chardonnay and keep his glass refreshed at all times," she asked the waiter and then looked back at Cooper. "Hello."

"Hi," he grinned. "To what do I owe the wonderful dinner outing with you?"

"Darien has agreed to doing the film, but I need to know that you are on board completely," she started. "So if this is the case, then both of you need to read all of the material that I have been caught up on. Darien is going to have to go to Congo not just for research, but for some filming. Do you think he can handle it?"

"Of course! He's a resilient kid. He can handle it."

"Another question that I have is can he handle my daughter?"

"That's all he wants to do is handle her," he chuckled as the waiter came by and replaced his drink as well as placing down a fresh glass of white wine for Karen.

"Can you handle her?"

"Why wouldn't I be able to? Are you going to be able to handle me next to her I think is the real, truthful, honest question," he said as he sipped on his martini.

"You know why I'm skeptical on this whole arrangement. If you two both come along with me and my daughter, then you'll have to be careful. Serena is a sharp girl," she informed him.

Cooper sighed as the waiter came back to take their orders, "Red, you wanna order for me?"

"We'll start with the chilled oysters. He'll have the pork chop with the mango chutney on top of chive and rosemary mashed potatoes. I will have the fillet mignon with sautéed spinach, caramelized onions, and potatoes au gratin. Thank you," she smiled. Turning back to Cooper she tilted her head, resting her cheek against a closed fist as she carried on, "Anyways, I want us all to be careful."

"Ginger, you're thinking too much into this," he argued gently. "I think you need to see this from a positive perspective; I'll finally get to see my DNA in full swing."

"You don't see that on a daily basis?" she smirked.

"Usually any vision of myself is a bit blurred by my ego."

"At lease you're honest."

"But seriously, I won't push myself into your life like that if you don't want me to. I know how difficult this is for you."

"Coop … I'm thinking of getting a divorce from James," she announced.

There was a long pause between the two of them as the waiter came up and served their half a dozen oysters. When the silver haired fox across from her didn't respond to her immediately, she started to break into the oysters with an air of frustration. She was pissed that his reaction to her was leaving his mouth open like a fly trap.

"Please, don't tell me you didn't see this coming," she said.

"I did, but only in my wildest dreams," he laughed.

"You're drunk."

"I'm happy!"

"Well I'm miserable. I can't stand to be known as Mrs. Roddenberg any longer."

"So what do you want to be known as? The next choice of husband would leave you as Mrs. Feinstein. The Jews will be clamoring for your money."

"You're terrible! And they already were before, you know that. Everyone, no matter what their nationality, race or religious beliefs have been scratching at my door," she complained as she took a huge gulp of her wine.

"And now are you going to open your door and legs to them?"

"I'll open my door, but my legs will be shut," she winked.

"We'll see about that."

"I doubt you're still as good as you think you are."

"We haven't been together for years! Who knows maybe, I've improved."

"I don't think you can teach an extremely old dog, new tricks. Can we get back onto the topic of discussion, please?" she prompted.

"Mother?"

Karen turned around and found her daughter strolling into the restaurant with Rei beside her and Darien conveniently missing. Serena brushed a long strand of blonde hair off of her shoulder and placed a hand on her jutting out hip as she examined the image in front of her.

"What's going on here?" she asked.

"I'm having dinner with Cooper," Karen answered simply.

"And?"

"And that's it. You are my daughter, not my mother," she snapped.

"Right. Well, have a good dinner," Serena replied quietly as a bright blush came over her face. She let Rei drag her away from the scene which let Karen exhale and diffuse all of her tension.

"You okay?" Cooper asked when they were out of earshot.

"I'm fine. I just feel like I'm hiding a huge elephant from my daughter," she sighed.

Their food was finally served to them and their drinks were refreshed. The two ate in silence for a little bit and then started up a random conversation about politics, gossip, and work in general. Karen hadn't laughed or had such a witty conversation since … well since she was last with Cooper – minus the fights they've had in the past recently.

"So if you need a lawyer for your divorvce—"

"I'm not—"

"Please, don't argue with me Red. You're clearly not in a good place."

"Well anyone can see that."

"So are you going to divorce him?"

"I want to, but the fight will take years. He'll never let me go."

"I have a great lawyer who has gotten me through multiple divorces, as you well know."

"I'd rather get through this project before I take any huge steps in my marriage."

"No, no, no! You need to nip it in the bud now! He'll try to reign in any revenue that you make from this film if you divorce him afterwards. He will use this to his advantage," Cooper informed her. "Trust me, I know. I didn't want to divorce Tricia until after I was done overseeing a film that Darien was in and afterwards, she tore into the millions I made from it stating that I was supported by her during the whole process. It was complete bullshit! The woman was living elsewhere with her pool boy lover!"

"And you were gallivanting around with another young secretary, I'm sure," Karen grinned before shoving a piece of food into her mouth.

"You know me too well."

"I've known you too long."

"Wanna let me in on something? What changed your mind about letting Serena gallivant around with Darien?" he asked.

"She's a big girl; she can make up her own mind. I can tell her no all of her life, but she'll still be living it on her own. I've realized that she can turn a bad paparazzi boy into a brilliant stepping stone to positive images. She has yet to turn into a pariah of Hollywood like so many other young women I've seen," she explained.

"Wow. Quite a change, Red."

"People can do that you know. It's a great trait of the human species."

"I dunno about that…"

"So if I go through with this divorce, will you help me?"

"Yes. Of course."

"Will you be there for me if I'm upset?"

"Um …"

"Oh wait, I forgot; you're afraid of commitment."

"Karen … don't."

"Seriously, Coop. If I don't have word from you that you're with me on this, then I won't do it."

"Ginger—"

"Don't give me that!" she roared. She looked over at the waiter and called out, "Check please!"

"Karen!"

"Cooper, you'll be picking up the check I suppose. Thank you for a lovely dinner," she smiled as she started to pack up her things.

Cooper reached out across the table and clutched onto her wrist causing her to turn and look at him, "I … I'll be there."

"You will?"

"Yes."

"You promise?"

"Yes."

She narrowed her eyes toward him and studied his facial features wondering if maybe he was lying, but she couldn't find a trace of it. Either he was getting really good at covering his tracks or he was being completely honest. She knew that he was right about her needing to divorce James immediately, but she couldn't do it alone.

"I will be there for you through every single minute of the divorce. You can count on me," he declared seriously as he handed his silver card to the waiter.

"Forgive me if I hold little value on your word," she replied snidely, but she kept her arm under his grasp still. "Fine. Give me the number of your divorce lawyer and I would appreciate it if you came along with me."

"You know she might think that we're together," he said.

"I'll make sure she knows that I think of you as just a repulsive little white flea," she smiled.

"I'm the itch you wish to scratch," he sighed, leaning back in his chair and removing his hand from her wrist.

Karen finally got up as he signed off on the check and then stood up along with her. The two of them walked out of the restaurant and made it to her black Mercedes where he stood uncomfortably close to her. She leaned back against the cold door and arched her neck in order to examine his face yet again before she left.

"Are you trying to invade my space or is this just a way to get up my skirt?" she asked.

"I've been there, done that; you know what I would look like if I wanted to explore your nether region, Red," Cooper answered lazily. "I want you to know that you can call me any time, day or night, and I'll be there for you. You're the one that got away."

"And you're the one that ran away," she smirked before waving her fingers goodbye to him and slipping into the car.

As she drove off from the ritzy establishment, she wondered if Cooper was really going to stand by her like he said. Their past had been … tumultuous at best. She had fallen in love with him – head over heels was an understatement.

Years back…

Karen was sitting in the large suite, her legs shaking and her eyes darting from her chewed up nails to the front door. She and Cooper had had a romantic get away together, skipping around New York City like a bunch of teenagers, although one of them really was a teenager; Karen. Her parents simply rolled their eyes at the antics while resting on their Hamptons porch with their Ralph Lauren sweaters hanging over their shoulders. She was an heiress of the best sort; beautiful, smart, and a career ahead of her that was flourishing without her knowledge. The summertime was her freedom moment for her before she had to go in and work at a highly reputable publishing company that her uncle ran. Writing was her passion, but letting her imagination dance wildly free throughout New York City was her fuel.

However, all of that was in jeopardy thanks to a blacked out night with Cooper, lots of midnight tears from her Madonna-like make-up, and a little white plastic stick that explained everything. She had been a late. She wished someone would slam a hammer against a giant gong to jolt her awake from this nightmare. She couldn't possibly have a baby right now; not when everything was going so smoothly. Karen was waiting for her married boyfriend to meet with her that afternoon in their rented love-nest at the Waldorf Astoria.

"Honey I'm home!" he greeted happily, walking into the room.

"Shouldn't you say that to your actual wife?" she asked quietly as she stared out at through the large windows at the scenery of the city.

Karen was playing with her mesh gloves and then quickly changed to fumbling with her heavy strands of necklaces. Cooper, who had hardly grayed at this point, noticed the nervous tick and then looked down at the marble coffee table which had a pregnancy test sitting on it. His face went a shade paler as he took a few more steps inside.

"Is that a proposal on the table?" he asked, pointing to it. "I won't be blackmailed out of my marriage, as much as I would appreciate it, trust me."

"Why doesn't Georgina care about you having an affair with me? Surely she knows by now."

"Of course she does, Ginger, but the woman is all about her charities and spending money; not about love. We were never about love. You and me though …"

"Cut the bullshit, Cooper!" she shrieked, turning around and finally facing him. She had removed all of her make up so that her tears were now crystal clear. Karen sniffed as her face turned blotchy red and pink, "You're going to walk away from the scandal just like you have every other one."

"Scandal? This is a blessing," he smiled. "Don't you think?"

"No. Not unless you're with me."

"Red, your parents will never let me near you once they find out," he replied, shaking his head and shoving his hands into his pants pockets.

"So that's it? I have to go through this alone when you were clearly involved in it?" she exclaimed. "That is not fair!"

"Life isn't—"

"Fuck you."

"Karen, I'm sorry, but what do you want me to say? You want me to lie to you and tell you that I'll divorce Georgina and marry you?"

"No, I want that to be the truth. I'm carrying your child!"

"And you'll get plenty of support from me."

"From afar," she completed as she wiped a few tears away with the back of her hand.

"That's the way it has to be," he shrugged.

"You'll regret it. I'll be taken away from you and years down the road, you'll regret it," she hissed.

"I'm already regretting my decision, believe me. But you're a young girl; you have your whole life ahead of you!"

"Not anymore. I have a baby to worry about; my life is on hold."

"You'll see, Karen. Everything will work out. Don't view this as the end of the world 'cause it's not. You're still a teenager for crying out loud!"

"But I'm officially an adult."

"Not under your mommy and daddy Hanover. You're apart of a wealthy estate; they'll take care of you."

"They'll ship me off to France and hide from the world until I find a husband," she grimaced.

"No they won't."

"Yes they will," Karen argued. "They've already told me. I went to them last night about the situation. My mother said I will live in a château along the Riviera until they can find me a suitable match. I'm under their thumb for the rest of my life. Don't tell me that my life still has a long way to go; I'm under Hanover arrest as far as they're concerned."

"Jesus … are you serious?"

"Unless you're willing to admit to this! Then they'll let me stay here and—"

"And it'll cause an uproar among all of the elite, I'll have to get a divorce, and your father will ultimately force me to at least be seen with you like a supportive spouse of sorts," he finished. "I know how this goes. I've seen Aaron Lestwick go through it with his young assistant."

"So that's it? You're going to send me off to France like this?"

"What do you want me to say, Red?"

"I want you to say that you love me and that you'll be here for me!"

He backed away and started to walk toward the door, but not before she could yell at him, "Wait! If you walk out that door, you know that it'll be the end of this."

"I hope you find a wonderful husband, Karen."

He strolled out the door and out of her broken heart for the time being. After that encounter, she was shipped off to France, just like she had said, and was hidden from the world under her parents' control. That's where she met a flighty young man named James Roddenberg. He was smart, a rising actor among the Hollywood crowd, and he was filming a movie just down the way from her house…

The rain poured heavily as Karen sat on the floor with her daughter, playing with the Candyland game that her father had given her on his last trip out to visit. Her mother was battling cancer at the time and couldn't make it out with him, but she called frequently and sent letters filled with pictures and newspaper cut outs. The woman was dying, but she still made an effort to don on a wig and slip into a sequined gown for galas and events; she wasn't about to be shown up by Georgina Crane. Ever since the silent scandal had happened, the Hanovers and Cranes had battled it out via charities and which ones could be placed in the gossip columns the most during the month for their wonderful clothing and pounds of cash dropped at certain balls. Karen was glad she was in France for most of this sly and cunning mêlée between them all; she didn't want to be in the crossfire.

So here she was, playing with her beautiful blonde child, Serena. After giving birth in the French hospital, she had realized that she didn't need Cooper beside her so long as she had her glowing little girl. She had told her daughter time and time again that "Daddy" was on trips around the world and couldn't see her for a while. Part of it was true at least. It didn't seem to faze the little tyke in the slightest.

There was a sudden knock at the door disrupting Karen's laughter. She told her daughter to roll for her as she strolled up the source of the pounding noise. Opening it up, she discovered a strapping young man with dripping blonde hair, a five o'clock shadow and a torn up trench coat that was bloody on his left arm. She stepped back and bid him hastily to come inside.

"Are you alright?" she asked breathlessly as the stranger sat down at the kitchen table.

"I'm fine," he answered through gritted teeth.

"Mommy?"

Karen turned around from searching for a rag and bowl in the cupboards to find her daughter walking into the room, dragging her tattered stuffed animal she called Bun-Bun. She smiled and lifted her up into her arms telling her that she needed to stay in her room for a bit while she took care of the hurt man. Serena understood and told her mother to give the boo-boo a kiss. The red head grinned at her little girl before shutting her up in her room that looked like Santa and sent a toy bomb into it. She returned to the kitchen after stopping into the bathroom with a roll of bandages, some antiseptic, and thick white rag.

"So what's your name?" the man asked as he removed his coat and rolled up his sleeves.

She took hold of his gashed up arm and said, "I'm Karen."

"You're not French, obviously."

"Neither are you."

"Touché," he smirked. "Where are you from?"

"New York City."

"Why are you out here?"

"Fresh air?"

"Was that a statement or a question?"

"Sorry, I still haven't really figured out myself why I'm here," she answered. "Now my turn; who are you?"

"James. James Roddenberg."

"Oh! You're filming right down the road aren't you? Your director and a bunch of assistants came to my house about a month ago asking about the area," she smiled.

"Yes, I am filming. Should be a great movie."

"What's it about?"

"A love story with a twist."

"Like most films," she laughed.

"What? You think it's been done too much?"

"I like movies that keep me guessing. Usually the twist is too predictable," she answered as she wiped his wound with the stinging solvent.

"Ouch!" he whispered. "Well … yes, I suppose so."

"So what's the twist?" she asked.

"They don't know it yet, but they're already engaged to be wed," he said seriously, making Karen stop what she was doing. She studied his expression for a moment and leaned back in her chair. She crossed her arms over her chest and pursed her lips shut. "I know who you are and I know that your mother has exiled you out here."

"Are you going to be my knight in shining armor?" she snapped.

"Would you be satisfied with a knight in flannel?" he replied, gesturing to his attire.

"So they sent you out here deliberately? Is this wound self inflicted?"

"No, I actually fell down, trying to run away from some photographers. Your folks knew I was filming and asked if I could find a way to meet you, but you hardly ever come out of your little shack unless you're seeing your daughter off to nursery school or if you're going into town for groceries," he said.

"You've been studying me."

"Your parents have."

"I don't understand—"

"Before coming out here, I met with your mother. She's not well."

"But she won't let me come back to see her personally because I don't have a husband to show for all my time spent here."

"She just wants you to be protected."

"She wants me to show up … oh never mind," she breathed.

"I want you to come back to reality finally. Come out of this French fairytale. Serena needs to live a real life."

"You don't even know me!"

"I know everything about you. You are the remaining line to the Hanover legacy and your daughter is considered a bastard child unless she has a father to step up next to you. Do you know who the father is?"

"I … no … no I don't," she lied. She wasn't about to expose Cooper like that. Even after four years of banishment, she wasn't going to hang him out to dry like he had done to her.

"Your mother has proposed that—"

"You propose to me?" she interrupted snidely. "I'd rather not be an arranged bride, thank you very much."

"She's dying."

"It's her own fault. She smoked too much." She chewed on her nail while watching him wrap his arm up with the white bandage. "How much did they pay you?"

"They didn't."

"No, of course not. Not until you get me to say yes to the façade."

"Think of your little girl."

"I have!" she roared. "We've been fine without a man for this long. Why would I need one now?"

"To get back into that society."

"The one that punished me in the first place? I may be young, but I'm not stupid," she scoffed.

"Says the girl who got knocked up and rescued by her parents," James said as he finished wrapping the bandage. "Just think about it. After the filming is done, I'd be willing to marry you, call Serena my child, even adopt her so that everything is legal, and we can all move back to New York. Your family misses you."

"I don't even know you! You don't even know me?"

"That's what marriages used to be like back in the 1600s."

"And women had no rights … you really want to use that time period as a reference?" she questioned, arching an eyebrow.

"You're right," he laughed as he stood up. He looked out the window that was just above the kitchen sink and stated, "The sun is coming out finally."

The two were silent as they watch the rays of light break through the clouds. Karen glanced over at him and got to her feet. She cleared her throat a bit before speaking, "Take me out every night for a date up until you leave. If you peak my interest until then, I'll go back with you to New York to get married."

"Great."

"I'm doing this for my mother, by the way … and for my daughter."

"I completely understand."

"I'm not an easy flower to be picked, James. I have thorns and I won't go into this arrangement without a fight," she informed him.

"I can already tell," he responded with a curt nod.

The months went on with the two of them dating. She wasn't head over heels or even in love with the guy, but the thought of her sickly, dying mother who refused to see her without a husband at her side kept popping up in her head. If this is what it took to survive and lead a life with her daughter without any repercussions, then she would do it. She was a lioness protecting her baby cub.

As for the lion himself…

James was in a private room at a bar with a whiskey sitting front of him. Darien sauntered up to him and sat down at the table without even being offered the chair. The blonde man tossed out his sleek phone across the glossy table and glared at the young star that had his daughter wrapped around his finger.

"Is this true?" he asked. "Are these photos for real?"

"Yes," he said glancing down at the image of Cooper and Karen sitting at dinner together with his hand over hers. "I sent someone out to take it. I know that they're working together on the film because I signed with her, but I think there's something more there."

"Of course there is. I've looked into it myself. The two had a torrid affair together back in the eighties. Everyone knew about it. I wouldn't be surprised if he was still wanting her," James shrugged. "You don't think I haven't covered my tracks? Her parents set up our marriage."

"There's something else you need to know; she repeatedly used the word divorce. My informant told me," he said.

"Who's your informant?"

"Hello."

They both looked up to find Rei standing at beside their table. She dragged a chair from another place setting and plopped down as if she belonged there nestled in between James and Darien.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked the two blackmailers in front of him.

"Because we know you hold the strings that your daughter is attached to," Rei answered. "I don't want her back in the show. I thought that exposing her to the real world of being a celebrity would help, but instead it just made her more famous in a good way!"

"So you're doing this for fame," he gathered. His blue eyes jumped over to Darien, "Why are you doing this?"

"I like her and I think she's been kept in the dark for too long. If Karen is going to be going through this, intimate details about her life and Serena's life will come to the surface. She needs to be protected at all costs. I figured you would be the man to do it," he explained.

James grabbed his phone and stared at the picture of Cooper's hand clasped over his wife's wrist. The marriage was arranged, yes, but he had gained a sort of possessiveness over his dearly beloved. The image spoke more than any words could at this point; the two were still in love. He had never gained her love or her trust. Karen used him like a pawn in order to get back into the states and into her parents' good graces. Although, he wasn't any saint himself. He had used her intelligence, their high profile wedding, and money to build an empire. This could all come crashing down if she divorced him. Her millions, her supportive name, and the contacts she had would be erased from him. And more to the point, Serena would find out that he wasn't her real father. The main reason the Hanovers chose him as their prime husband material was because he looked so much like the bubbling baby photos that were sent to them from France. It was like a bad soap opera story line, but it was all about image … everything was about an image.

And the one thing that was apart of that happy-go-lucky family image was not having a divorce. In fact, the main reason he had approached the subject at all with the Hanovers was because they guaranteed him that this high-priced marriage would last him for as long as he needed. He wasn't ready to break from this … not yet. If Karen was even thinking of divorce, he would have to destroy her and her reputation. James needed to get to Serena first and get her on his side.

"I'll take care of this," he announced before downing his drink. "Don't interfere unless I ask for it. Got it?"

They nodded in unison, signaling to him to stand up and leave the premises. He phoned his secretary as he left the bar and made it into his vehicle. He asked the drowsy sounding girl where his wife was staying. She gave him all of the information that he needed to enter her suite. Now the chips had to fall into place according to his own sick and twisted mind …

Please review! More unveiling of Karen's past is coming up and few more unexpected turns are coming your way! ^_^