Breaking the Rules
By MaryMagdalene912
Disclaimer: You all know that these characters don't belong to me, right? Well, I'm just reminding you of that unfortunate fact. But, on the other hand, if anyone steals my plotline, they can count on having their guts ripped out to make a necklace for me as soon as I find out. Thank you (:
A/N: Thanks everyone for reading and reviewing, and your support and constructive criticism :) Means a lot to me.
Thank you, especially, merangelgal, I'm glad you feel that way.
Anonymosity, you are quite right in questioning Darien's actions, but can I just point out here, that you are wrong when you imply Darien is a fully-fledged, evil paedophile. He is someone who made a mistake, unfortunately the mistake was of a different nature to the usual pedestrian shoplifting or whatever that fifteen-year-olds do. You forget that he, too, was under the age of consent, so if we were to approach it in a legal manner, he wouldn't have been tried in an adult's court (at least, not where I live).
I was under the impression that a paedophile is someone who takes advantage of someone who is younger than themselves, but when they themselves are over the legal age limit. Darien does not fit the profile completely on both counts: Raye approaches him, which must count for something from Serena's point of view, I mean, he didn't throw her on the bed and rape her while she cried for mercy, did he? And secondly, even taking into consideration what you said about fifteen being a mature age, I still feel it is an age where people's identities and beliefs are only just developing and they may be vulnerable in many ways. Perhaps it was this vulnerability and a desire not to be alone that led to Darien's actions?
Having said all that, I do not claim Darien was right in what he did. In fact, Serena herself questions his actions later on. The part which you have copied and pasted in the review, and in other parts of that chapter, Serena is forcing herself to see the 'sense' in the situation because she is in shock, and more importantly, in love with Darien. But as I said, she questions his actions, especially when they remind her of something she has tried so hard to block out. E.g. "I nodded my head, transfixed by his slightly manic stare, not understanding anything. How could someone do that to their sister? Was Darien a monster, or just a messed up kid?" and "I bury my face in his top, my eyes getting misty. And it's not because of my undying love for Darien (although that definitely exists), rather it's sympathy for Raye." Sorry if that was not clearly defined in the story.
I hope I have answered your questions. And may I ask, what is the meaning of this: "Judging by your responses to earlier criticisms of this fic, I have high hopes but low expectations." I don't really respond well to one- or two-liner insults of my writing, if you're referring to the anonymous flame from before. Had the earlier criticism been worded in a sophisticated manner like this one, I probably would have taken the time to explain my reasoning.
And I like your musings, Serena530 :P
On with the fic! I tried to give you guys an extra long chapter to make up for my disinterest in updating sooner! :)
Chapter 8
Darien stares at his mobile, the monotone of the 'beep... beep...' from the disconnected phone call ringing in his ears. Nonplussed, he shrugs to himself, and turns up the volume of the ringer so that he doesn't miss Serena's call when she calls back, and replaces the phone in his pocket. There's a feeling of unease, lodged like a lump of coal just under heart. What was so important that she had to hang up on him so abruptly, sounding curious and slightly scared? He feels he should go over there to investigate.
"Raye! I'm going over to Andrew's for a while." He calls out. Ever since Raye got suspicious of him and Serena and even resorted to following him on a date once, he has decided he is going to sometimes dress up the truth to placate her. Usually Raye came out to investigate his claims and ask him at least five questions in quick succession so that he would 'reveal' himself. But he had managed to stay true to his lies.
"Raye?" There is no answer. Puzzled, Darien strides to her room to see if she was alright. He pushes open her door and takes in the mess of clothes spilling out of her wardrobe and the shoes strewn all over the floor. She must have left somewhere in a rush. That was funny, he hadn't heard her leave. He is just about the close the door, when he sees an open box on the floor. Curiosity getting the better of him, he peers in.
Inside he finds a few rolls of duct tape, some heavy duty rope and blades of different kinds. Sickened, he closes half empty box. His eyes focus on the label on top of the box. There, in Raye's handwriting, it says 'Raye's Revenge Kit' in childish print, red ink. She must have been putting stuff in this box ever since she was a little kid, he thinks to himself.
His stomach suddenly lurches. "Serena." He lets out a strangled moan, and runs out the door.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
I awake to the feeling of someone tying my right foot tightly to the leg of a kitchen chair. "There, all done. Let's see how she likes it when she wakes up."
My blurry vision shifts slowly and I see Raye sitting back on her haunches at my feet, admiring her handiwork. What the hell has she done to me? I notice for the first time, my hands are tight so tied behind the chair that it hurts my shoulders just to sit there. I try calling out to get her to loosen my arms, but all I can hear is a muffled "Ngggg!" coming from nearby. It takes me a few seconds to realise that the pathetic sound is coming from me, and Raye has gagged me.
"Ah, good, you're awake. I was wondering how long it would take you to come around, slut." Raye regards me with an icy stare. Her eyes are so black with jealousy, rage and a strange anticipation, that I can't even see myself reflected in them.
"Now, I'm looking forward to having a little fun with you here, as Mina won't be back for a while." She smiles mirthlessly, sending a bolt of chilled ice to my stomach. "You didn't think I was going to let you get away with stealing my Darien from me, did you?"
"Mmm! Nggg, nnnng!" I try to explain that stealing him wasn't my intention, and he's her brother for God's sake so how could I steal him? I need to explain to her the difference between what a relationship between her and her brother should be like, and how it's not the same as one between her and a boyfriend. I have to tell her Darien and I are on a break before it's too late, before she ends up hurting herself or anyone else. Not for the first time, I feel sorry for Raye, who's been through a lot with Darien, but I also know she is going to be livid when someone explains to her she can't have Darien, that it's not proper.
"Uh-uh! No more noise from you, you little bitch, or someone might hear you. And don't you want to save your screaming for later?" She smiles again, a hollow mockery of a real smile. She steps away from the kitchen table and I feel like I'm suffocating. It's too late, I'm going to die. Behind her is a wide assortment of knives, blades, nails and more. A smorgasbord of torture devices.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Oh crap." Darien stands in front of his carport, surveying the damage. His beloved Merc has its convertible roof slashed, along with all four of the tyres. He knows who has done this, but can't waste any time getting angry over her. He runs to the nearest main road to hail a taxi. Finally pushing in front a woman with a lot of shopping on the ground next to her, and avoiding her death glare, he gets into the taxi and tells the taxi driver Serena's address.
"Um, I'm not really sure where that is. In fact, I'm kind of new to the area, and I was just about to call my boss for directions to the depot when you hailed me, sir."
Darien rolls his eyes. Just his luck. "Look, I'll give you however much you want, and it's only a short while away. I'll give you directions. Please, do this for me, my girlfriend is in trouble and I have to get to her."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"You know, Serena, I wish I could say that I knew from the start that you were going to steal the only person who mattered the most to me in my life, but I didn't. I thought you were a really good friend to me, fun to be with and good to talk to. Perhaps somewhat annoying at times, but you were pretty nice." She regards me thoughtfully, tapping the knife she has picked up softly against her cheek. Sunlight from the kitchen window glints off the knife, making it appear more menacing. I'm shaking with terror in my chair, praying for a miracle.
"Maybe that's why this hurts so much? I mean, I never did anything to you. Why did you have to steal my brother?" She grits her teeth and me, and I feel a fresh batch of warm tears spill onto my cheeks. I'm so scared, I'd give anything to take back everything that has happened with Darien. I've come to realise that he's not the guy I thought he was, and this wasn't worth it. Not in the least.
"Where should we start, Serena dearest, hmm?" She kneels before me, crooning softly to me as though I was a child she was trying to quieten. The calm cruelty I see in her eyes chills me to the bone more than any of the torture devices on the table. I can't help but wonder if Darien had played a big part in turning Raye into such a possessive, terrifyingly violent person. "How about your legs? Everyone's always saying how long and beautiful they are, how about if I cut them off? Slowly hack away at them, until you're reduced to a quivering mess? Then Darien won't find you so attractive, will he?"
I shake my head, tears flicking onto Raye's face with my vehement movements. "Please," I try to say, "Please don't hurt me. You can have him to yourself." But all that comes out is a useless bunch of non-comprehendible grunts.
"Or would it be better if I cut off your arms, then you wouldn't be able to put your dirty paws on my Darien again?" She stops for a moment. "Oops! Nearly forgot something..." She turns to my kitchen cupboards and opens one to take out a shallow wineglass with a pretty stem. Holding it to the crook of my elbow, she cuts open the flesh and collects the blood in the wine glass. I stare at her in shock, feeling the pain of the cut, but unable to respond to it. What the hell is she doing?
Satisfied that she has enough blood in the glass, she places it squarely in the centre of the dining table and meets my incredulous look. "That's so I can drink to your destruction once I'm done with you." She smiles once again, making me shiver. If that's only the beginning, what else does she have in store for me?
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
As the taxi screeches to a halt in front of Serena's house, Darien jumps out, throwing a fifty dollar bill on his seat.
"But sir, it's only - "
"Keep the change!" Darien roars and makes a beeline for the front door. He notices Raye's bike chained to the railing that goes all the way around the front of the building.
The taxi driver smiles to himself, feeling quite content that he has been paid almost five times the amount he should have.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Raye has just finished marking dotted lines around my thighs with the precision of a plastic surgeon, to indicate how much she is going to cut off, when Darien bursts in. I could have peed my pants in relief.
"What are you doing here?" Raye hisses venomously.
Darien looks at me. I desperately give him a warning look. He cannot act like I'm more important to him than she is, otherwise she'll kill us all.
"I.. I-uh I came to tell you that Serena and I have broken up," he says, his voice shaking slightly as he surveys the unholy spread on the dining table.
Raye looks at him scornfully, but her resolve seems to be wavering. "Really? So you didn't come to save Serena and put me in jail so you two could live happily ever after?"
"Well, I didn't know Serena was going to need saving. But Raye, I really mean it, I want to take care of you. And I can't do that if we're constantly fighting about Serena, can we?" He looks to me for approval, and I nod warily. I don't know if she's going to buy it.
But she runs over to him and throws her arms around his neck, smothering him with kisses. Finally she places one long lingering kiss on his lips and steps back, her face shining with happiness. The transformation is amazing, it couldn't have been more complete. "Oh Darien, do you really mean that?"
"Yes, I do, Raye. I intend to look after you, and do whatever it takes to make up for what happened... earlier. But we need to sort out a few things."
Her eyes immediately cloud over. "Like what?" She growls.
"Like the fact that we both need to admit that we have issues. And I'd like us to go to counselling together, maybe even see a psychiatrist. I think it's for the best." He sighs.
"And in return, you'll give up Serena?" She asks, her voice sounding hopeful and slightly childish.
"Well, it was her idea that we go on a break, so I don't think I'll be seeing her again any time soon." He runs his hands through his hair and looks at me, the hurt in his eyes only thinly veiled. I try to say something to him, but the gag once again restrains me.
Raye walks up to me slowly, and I cower away from her. I'm really not getting used to this weird, temperamental Raye. "I'm not going to hurt you," she says softly. The unsaid 'anymore' at the end of her sentence lingers in the air. She slowly unties the gag.
"Thank you," I gasp, moving my mouth around, to try and get it out of the unnatural shape it was in previously. She works away at the ropes as well and stands back once they're cut off. I jump out of the chair and rush to the other side of the kitchen to be as far away from Raye as possible.
"Serena..?" Raye looks at me.
"It's ok, Raye, he's right. I did decide it would be good if we didn't see each other for a while now, it's just a little tense with everything else that's going on. And Darien," I switch my gaze to him, softening it slightly. "I'm sorry that I hurt you, it wasn't my intention. I still care about you – both of you," I hasten to add the last part when I feel Raye bristling at the display of affection. "And I don't want to hurt either of you. I think what Darien said is right, you should both see a psychologist or something, because this is way out of my depth."
I take a shaky breath and catch a glimpse of the wine glass with my blood in it, still sitting calmly on the table. I think we're going to have to get a new dining table, I'll never be able to eat there again. Feeling sickened, I look at both of them, standing there, not knowing how to act. "If you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to lie down. I feel light-headed from all that." I say, gesturing to the table. I catch sight of Darien's eyes widening as he sees the wine glass with the deep red liquid in it.
"Serena, wait!" Darien calls out to me, and I stop in my tracks.
"Raye, can you go and wait outside for me, I need to say goodbye to Serena." Raye looks at him suspiciously.
"I promise nothing out of the ordinary will happen. Come on, Raye, if you're going to let me look after you and help build our relationship back up from the ground again, I need you to trust me."
Finally Raye nods meekly, and heads off outside. There is almost an air of excitement about her, as though she can't believe she's finally getting what she wanted all along.
When Raye is out of earshot, Darien approaches me. "Serena, I'm sorry for all this," he says heavily.
"Yeah, well, not all of it was your fault." I raise my eyebrows.
"If you're referring to Raye being such a psycho, it's probably my fault too." Seeing the surprise in my eyes, he adds, "Yeah, I've thought about the consequences of what I did, too. I have to live with myself everyday."
"Look Darien, I think what's important now is that you two get the help you need." I say.
"We will, but just tell me you forgive me for dragging you into this mess and putting you in danger." His gaze holds mine, begging for compassion. "From the day that I met you, I've been attracted to you." He traces my eyes, nose and lips with his finger. My eyes almost slip shut. He has magic fingers, this guy. "And not just your looks, either."
"Darien, I forgive you, but you didn't drag me kicking and screaming into this 'mess'. If I remember correctly, I willingly agreed to go out with you." I lead him to the door. "Just take care of yourself, okay? And try to explain everything to Raye, and why what she wants is not right. You're the only person she'll listen to."
"Goodbye, Serena." I watch as he meets up with Raye, and they walk off, wheeling the bike between them. Then I go to my room, shut the door, and fall into an exhausted sleep.
SIX MONTHS LATER
"Serena, you've got a letter!" Mina walks by with the mail in her hands and drops a letter into my lap. After looking at the small insignia in the corner with 'Kairus Rehabilitation Centre' written on it, I flip the envelope over. No return address. Odd. I didn't think I knew anyone in rehab. I open the letter.
Dear Serena,
I'm sorry I didn't write earlier. Raye and I have been very busy undergoing post-trauma therapy, counselling and just generally doing bonding activities. I guess this decision was for the best, because things are certainly looking up for Raye. She's lost that haunted look she's been wearing for ages, and I, too, feel as though a great weight has been lifted off my chest.
We are nowhere near done here, because they have recommended that we undertake long-term counselling due to the fact that Raye's possessiveness hasn't left her completely and that sort of thing. But we're working on it together, and we're hopeful. She's made some advancements like you wouldn't believe!
The reason I'm writing is to see whether you and Mina would like to come up to visit us sometime. We've got the most breathtaking views here, and it would be nice to see some familiar faces again. (Although Raye and I have become quite friendly with some of the other long-term residents here!) I've also included directions on how to get here, because it's a fair way away from where you guys live.
Having said that, if you do visit, I also want to remind you to take things slowly. Raye has indeed lost her violent streak while being here, but I'm unsure of how she's react to seeing you again. However, our counsellor did also recommend the visit, a while back.
Let me know what you think.
I'm still thinking of you,
Darien
I sit back on the couch and let my mind wander. Am I ready to start a relationship with Darien again? Have I forgiven him for what he's done? Well, though I can't certainly forget about his past, I find myself thinking about how much I should let his past affect our future together. That, and I thought it was extremely sweet of him to take Raye into his care and get professional help for both of them. Paying them a visit couldn't hurt, could it?
"Mina!" I call. "What do you think of going on a long road trip with me?"
A/N: That's the end, guys! Let me know what you thought of the ending. Was it too rushed, did it come soon enough, was it what you expected? I value all your reviews! Sorry if it was shorter than you expected, as with my other story, I kind of started this one without a clear plan of where it was going right from the beginning, but now that the event unravelled the way they did, I felt this was the logical conclusion.