Ok, I've gotten several e-mails, reviews, and IMs on why I've made Rei a bitch yet again in my story. I have nothing against Rei. For this story, the simple fact that I do believe Rei is one of the more beautiful girls is why she got the bitch role. Not only that, but in Sailormoon, Rei does date Darien for a little while before he gets with Serena. As far as Legend goes, Rei isn't a bitch in Legend. She is a child. I spoiled child that gets what she wants. That is all… enjoy!
Ami was stunned. The entire experience had been completely new for her. Of course, a month ago she hadn't even questioned saying yes to Serena's request. "Sure, I'll go with you." It had been a simple promise that she could hold to, but the prospect of living like royalty for a few days hadn't even crossed her mind.
Ami wasn't used to living with such amenities. Most students that attended Harvard were well to do, getting in on their father's money, but not Ami. Ami had been one of the few students that had actually gotten in on her own merit. Sure, her mother's connection with the school's Vise President hadn't hurt, but it was still her own high school grades that had gotten her in. When she finally graduated she would have hundreds of thousands of dollars of loans to pay off… but as someone had said to her in the past, "It's the good kind of debt."
Ami had thought Serena had gotten in the same way, but apparently she was wrong. Well, her father's money wasn't the only thing Serena had. The girl was actually very intelligent, a little bit high strung and emotional, but that's what made her even more appealing to be friends with.
And now here she was… sitting in first class drinking a Sprite and eating peanuts as she watched the stewardess… no flight attendant… that was PC after all… passing back and forth making sure her first class clients were happy. She had had the opportunity watch the in-flight movie, but watching people was so much more interesting.
The lady that had caught her attention first was an older woman, dressed in an expensive tweed suit. Apparently the airline had changed their rules for this one customer so that her 'Poopy,' or shiatsu as most liked to call it, could sit in its very own seat and eat pieces of pretzel from the woman's lip liner mouth. Gross!
Another older man from behind them kept trying to make his way to their seats. Making passes at the only women in first class under the age of 50. For some reason he kept talking about his huge 'assets.' After the airline attended chased him off for the third time all Ami and Serena could do was giggle. Thank god Serena was there with her or she might not have been able to handle the forwardness from the old fart.
They landed without any troubles. In fact, the entire flight had been nice and smooth. There was very little turbulence throughout the flight, and hardly any bouncing when the landing gear first hit the tar mat; the calm before the storm.
"Hey, Serena," Ami asked curiously; she had been thinking about this for some time, and she wasn't quite sure why she had waited until now to ask. "Your sister is in magazines and tabloids all the time. I mean, I see her on TV and everything. Why don't the paparazzi come after you?" They grabbed their carryon bags and were quickly walking through the airport within moments.
Serena shrugged her shoulders, "When I was still doing the party thing with my sister, heiresses weren't that big. Paris stole the spotlight a lot… you know the video and stuff… I got out right in time. Hardly anyone knows I even exist…" Serena trailed off as she saw an oncoming attack of flashing light bulbs and screaming reporters from beyond the security stop.
"Serena! Serena Welcott! How does it feel to be marrying one of the richest young men in the U.S?"
"Serena! Bride to be! What will you wear at the wedding?"
"Where's the wedding taking place! Who's invited?"
Serena had to shade her eyes from all of the blinding flashing lights. She attempted to get through the mob, and grabbed Ami's arm not wanting to get separated from her friend. She was getting crushed by all the pushing and shoving. "Ami!" She yelled out trying to make sure the girl wasn't trampled.
"Is it true there is a secret romance between you and Darien Hart?"
"Wha—No!" Serena spat out. What had gotten into everyone? "Let us through!" More flashing light bulbs.
"How long have you been secretly dating Andrew Hart?"
"Serena, is it true you're pregnant?"
"Ok! Ok! Guys. Break it up!" A security guard quickly made it to their rescue. "Let the ladies pass." A few other security officers, much bigger than either Serena or Ami, showed up quite quickly and made their ways between the girls and the slimy media. "Come on! We'll get you to your car. It's waiting." He put a hand on the girls' backs, trying to be a little more comforting, while still pushing them forward.
When they finally got to their awaiting limo both Ami and Serena were quickly pushed in. Serena felt someone grab her arm from inside the car and pull her. When she and Ami were finally sitting, free of all the insanity outside, Serena noticed who had been the one to grab her, she glared, pissed off that they would have to spend the next forty-five minutes with him.
"So much for not existing," Ami breathed a sigh of relief, not seeing their surprise chaperone.
One thing was for sure Ami never wanted to go through something like that again. Their clothes had been thoroughly stretched and even in some places ripped from all of the grabbing. She smoothed out her shirt and looked around, screaming as soon as she saw Darien. "You're… You're… Da-Da-Da," Ami had finally made it to status of 'FanGirl.'
"Darien Hart," he extended his hand to shake hers, but all he got was a spaghetti like limb as she pointed and stuttered. "You're friend is charming, Serena, really." He chuckled. He gave Serena one more look up and down. "You know Serena Cotton Tail that puss face doesn't suit you," he remarked as he gazed at her legs which were tastefully revealed by a skirt.
"Darien, why exactly are you here, again?" She folded her arms over her chest and crossed one leg over the other, giving him a better view without noticing it. Even so, her body language expressed deep displeasure in every way possible.
"You're father wanted someone to meet you at the airport, of course… and being the obliging employee I am. I volunteered." He threw her a sexy little smile full of mischievous intentions. "Besides I knew you would be excited to see me; us being secret lovers and all."
"We are not secre— Ok! Who the hell let that out?" She was starting to get annoyed. She thought the wedding between Andrew and Serena was supposed to stay behind closed doors until the end of the school year. "I thought no one was supposed to know about all of this."
"Apparently, someone leaked a few secrets to the press. You're father is on it right now." He smiled moving to rub her belly. "So how's the baby?"
"Don't touch me!" She snapped at him, moving as far away as she possibly could. "These rumors are ridiculous."
Darien looked over to the Ami, who had, by now, stopped stuttering but was still blatantly staring at him. "Are you ok, sweetheart?" He asked a bit concerned for her sanity. If she kept this up she wasn't going to be able to function much for the rest of her visit, much less, the rest of her college career.
When Ami didn't respond Serena looked at her strangely and put a comforting hand on her back. "Ami, it's ok. I think he's human." She gave Darien a look, blaming him completely for breaking her genius of a friend's brain. "You know if you hadn't shown up out of the blue like that this wouldn't have happened. It would have been nice to have some warning." She continued to pat her friend on the back trying to get her to start acting like old Ami again. Maybe this entire trip had been too much for her; maybe she shouldn't have asked Ami to come at all.
"It's not my fault I'm so good looking." He joked. "I'm just too stunning. Too bad it doesn't work on you, though, huh?" He smiled at her then looked at Ami and took her hand into his. He rubbed his thumb over skin on the back of her hand, still trying to calm her. "Ami, I promise I don't bite, ok… you want to come back to reality again?"
"Uh-huh…" Ami nodded; the first sign of life in the girl in the last few moments was a comfort her Serena. Ami shook her head, realizing how embarrassing she must be acting. "I-I'm sorry. It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Hart." She bowed her head, not wanting to make direct eye contact. This was a man not a god! She needed to get a hold of herself.
"I have that affect on some people. And, Ami, you can call me Darien." He gave her a comforting smile, trying to make her less nervous. He let go of her hand and went back to leaning against his own seat.
The rest of the ride had gone by with little interruption. All passengers had refrained from speaking to each other. Serena squished herself into the car door, trying to stay away from Darien as best she could. Poor Ami was making her recovery, looking at her hands, and twiddling her thumbs. The most comfortable of the group, and the only male, sat leisurely, enjoying the short break from the grueling work he had gotten used to in the last month. The entire ordeal made the passenger cabin slightly awkward; at least for two thirds of the group. After spending the forty-five, give or take, minute drive back to the Welcott Hotel, Ami seemed to have grown comfortable enough in Darien's presence not to go back into a coma… for the time being.
When the car stopped Darien was the first to jump out. He lent a hand to Ami, offering to help her out of massive limo, and did the same for Serena, who knocked his hand away and stepped out of the vehicle just fine. She didn't need his help. She wasn't a child.
As soon as she was out on the sidewalk, however, she was suddenly bombarded with camera flashes, which scared her out of her wits. She stumbled and grabbed onto the closest person to her. Serena found herself being help uncomfortably close by her least favorite person. An assault of flashing camera bulbs suddenly went of. The entire sidewalk was completely filled, with what seemed like, one continuous beam of light. This new situation was not good for anyone, except maybe the flesh eating vultures that would now be able to sell that perfect shot for a pretty penny to whatever magazine they please.
"Are you alright, Cotton Tail?" Darien asked with a wink. He was enjoying this. He wasn't sure why… no… he knew why. This was the same thrill he had always received when he was younger. He had always teased her. In fact, he couldn't think of a time in which he hadn't tried to get under her skin. Making her face red, watching her stomp her foot angrily, and stamp away had always made heart pound, and it was not different now. It was like some kind of high.
She pushed him away and grabbed Ami's wrist. "Let's go, Ami." She said with acid in her voice. The sooner she could get away from the jerk the better. Why did he always have to intentionally try to piss her off? Why?
Luckily, getting into the building was much easier then getting out of the airport. Security at the hotel had heightened to a level that Serena had never seen in the time she had grown up there. With three guards at the door, several walking around the lobby, and another two guards waiting outside the Welcott personal doors, there was no way a camera could get in, but Serena's frustration was already at it's peak. When she finally made it to her father's office she burst threw the doors, not caring if Mr. Welcott was on the phone, with a partner, or even in the presence of a client. "Who told them!?!"
Ami was frightened. The simple fact that she had been thrashed about by photographers and security all day was one thing, but seeing Serena, her sweet and friendly best friend, this livid was a first. Well, that wasn't true… the entire experience had been a first, but she hadn't expected Serena to react like this. Serena had gotten so used to not being in the spotlight that it must have really bothered her; really hurt her that all of it had been ruined.
"We're not sure yet, Serena. If you could just sit down, calm yourself." Her father had in fact been speaking with someone on the speaker phone, but he wasn't concerned with that right now. "Lou, I'm going to have to call you back," he quickly hung up without waiting for a response. While he was sure his daughter had only just found out about the spill of information, Mr. Welcott had known for hours. In fact, Luna had burst into his room while he was still in his pajamas early that morning with the news. It hadn't taken long for him to get into action; start the process of finding out who had started the rumors and what exactly was being said.
"What are they saying?" Serena asked concerned.
Serena's father sighed. "I'm sure you've heard some of it. Of course, they know you're meant to marry Andrew later this summer… but there are rumors out there that say you're cheating on him with Darien," He motioned to the business man who had quietly entered the room and had leaned himself against the wall. "You're also pregnant apparently…" He tried to keep the last one in; he didn't want to hurt his daughter anymore than she already had been. "They're… someone said…"
"What is it Daddy?!?" Serena said with some desperation; tears started to run down her cheeks. It was over. Everything was over.
"You don't know who the father is. Darien or Andrew," He delivered it like a Band-Aid should be removed, quickly and without flinching. He only hoped that would help, but, of course, even a Band-Aid couldn't heal a reputation.
"It's over… everything…" Serena sobbed to herself. "How am I going to face my friends! I'm all over the tabloids… I go to Harvard University! No one's ever going to respect me there ever again!" Her childish yelled was probably heard throughout the entire house. "Why did I even agree to all of this? I wish I hadn't come back!" She turned on her heals and threw the door open. Childish; she was like a thirteen year old. Maybe she hadn't completely grown up since she had left.
When she made it out to the foyer she was happy that no one was present to see her sobs. That there would be no one to ask her what was wrong or what had happened? She stopped in the middle of the marble tiled room and put her hands to her eyes, covering them as she cried.
"Stop it!" A male voice bellowed from behind her. She hadn't heard him approach. She hadn't even known that anyone was following her, but she definitely hadn't been expected to be reprimanded for her sobs. She had a right be upset. "Stop crying. You're not a child!"
Serena turned towards him, still crying, but with anger in her eyes. "I have a right to be upset, Darien!" She yelled. She took a few steps towards him as she wrapped her arms around herself, almost cradling her chest.
"Yeah, you have a right." His voice hadn't faltered. He was loud; not as loud as she had been in her father's office, but no one ever raised their voice to her. Not one ever had; not even her father when she had been punished as a child. "You want some respect? You want to be treated like an adult? Start acting like one! This isn't the end of the world!"
"What would you know?" She asked. "All of these rumors can do nothing but boost your reputation."
Darien sighed; realizing that this wasn't making her calm… this was not making her understand anymore than what she already did. He closed his eyes thinking what would help; trying to convince her that what he said was true would not be easy. Whether she would believe him… the chances were slim; not with how he had been treating her. "Do you really think I want to be seen as this? I have a business degree, Serena. I have a reputation too, but I'm not stomping my foot and screaming at everyone, am I?"
Serena started to sniffle. Her sobs slowly started to stop. "Yeah… but you're a m—"
"A man?" Darien laughed. "You think all men like this kind of gossip being spread around? The newspapers are saying that I'm sleeping with my brother's fiancé, Serena. What man from France, Japan, or Australia is going to respect or even want to work with someone who betrays his own family, and the family of the man that he works for?"
Serena couldn't help but look to the ground ashamed. She was still upset. She was still confused. What would she do about all of these rumors? How was this all going to be cleaned up?
"Look," for the first time in his relationship with Serena he had never touched her in kindness; pinching and tickling had always been tools of annoyance. And she had always flinched away from his hand; it was like a defense mechanism that had been embedded into her from years of teasing. When he had put the effort into trying to be courteous she had always pushed him away or slapped his hand... but she didn't now… not when he put his fingers beneath her chin and lifted it so that her beautiful… beautiful blue eyes would look into his. "We'll get this worked out, ok? We both have our reputations on the line. We just need you to be calm, take everything that's being said about you as an adult, alright?"
Serena nodded. She took a deep breath in, wiped her eyes, and nodded one more time. An adult; she had always said she was one… always thought she was all grown up; that somehow just leaving this world of lime light and Gucci had automatically made her one, but now she knew that wasn't true. It took a little more than that.
"Let's go back?" He pushed her slightly on the small of her back wanting her to go back towards her father's office; to make amends with everyone. He was quite relieved when she complied and started walking. He couldn't help but allow his eyes to travel down to her backside as the distance grew slightly between him. He chuckled, his thoughts suddenly turning a little more playful. "You know… You're ass looks way bigger in person than it does on the internet." Yeah… he wasn't about to stop getting his thrills. After all, this was little Serena Cotton Tail.
Author's Note: Well, that turned out a little different than I had planned. I had most of the chapter done a few days ago, but I finally finished it. I know a few of you have asked why Serena is so emotional; I hope that that was just answered. Also, don't ask me where Andrew is… he's going to show up… and actually meet Serena soon, I promise.