Another Black Tie Affair

By: afallenblackrose

Author's Notes: So, remember my summer class that met on Tuesdays and Thursdays and gave me the opportunity to update? Yeah, well, as of August 17 I'm done with the class, which means I don't have the opportunity to update as frequently anymore. I apologize for the delays that are going to happen between chapters but I don't get online as often when I'm at home. Thanks to anime-lover10, SerenaDarienforeverJune30, Eager Reviewer, SerentiyMoonGodness, serenityalexis, mangamania, Jessie F. Balbi, sere, rani, LGCoffeeAddict, nebelflecke, fnr03, DarkMoonVisions, dori-tori, and moonxxprincessxx18 for reviewing the last chapter. Many of you think that Darien and Hotaru are brother and sister, and a few of you think that Hotaru might be Darien's daughter. Who's right? Well, read on to find out! Hope you guys like this chapter!

Part Seven:

The Affairs

Serena left the doctor's office late that afternoon. Her purse carried informational brochures and prenatal vitamins to make sure that the baby that she was now holding in her stomach would come out healthy. You're pregnant, the doctor's words echoed in her head as she got into her car. How could that possibly be though? Darien and her had been careful, even though Serena desperately wanted to start a family with him. The only time that she could think of that they hadn't been careful was that one time before Halloween. That had to be it, since the doctor had said that she was little more than three months along. She should have known though when she came down with the 'flu' that something was up. She never got sick.

She shook her head and giggled a little bit. She was pregnant. Serena could only imagine what Darien was going to say when she told him…at that she bit her lip. Things between the two of them hadn't been the best over the last week. She wasn't afraid to admit it. Whether it was because of Darien's work or her being jealous of the aquamarine haired beauty that the media had pictured with him at that dinner she couldn't make… Serena sighed, last night had been the first time that they had been together in awhile, and she was hoping to keep things that way. She tossed her cell phone back into her purse and drove off.

She'd tell Darien the news tonight over dinner.

Serena had waited what seemed like four hours for Darien to come home. She had ordered in his favorite Chinese food from that place he had told her about when they first arrived here, and had it dished out on plates. She had even lit some candles, but he didn't show. With a great regret, Serena took the plates back into the kitchen and put some Saran-wrap over them. She knew that things at work were crazy for him at the moment, but couldn't he at least call and tell her when he was going to be home? She placed the plates in the fridge, and pulled out her cell phone. Running through her contacts, she dialed.

"Hello, you've reached Hotaru Taylor's cell phone. I can't come to the phone right now, but if you leave me a message I'll get back to you."

"Hey Hotaru…"

Darien didn't come home until after two in the morning that night, but Serena had already fallen asleep on the couch waiting for him. When she woke up the following morning, she was in their bed and Darien had already left for work. She groaned out loud when she saw this and was half tempted to call him at the office to tell her what she couldn't last night, but a bright blue post-it note on the fridge door stopped her. Walking over, she peered at it intently.

My dearest Sere,

I apologize for my late arrival last night, and I'm hoping everything went well at the doctor's office yesterday afternoon. Taking from the Chinese food I saw in the fridge and the candles on the dinning room table, you had something special planned for last night. I'll make it up to you later on tonight. It's time you spent a night out on the town.

I'll be home around six.

Love,

Darien

Serena raised an eyebrow at the post-it note. So he had noticed the Chinese food in the fridge, hm? He better have something good up his sleeve if he wanted to make it up to her so desperately. She laughed out loud. It was about time that she had a night out on the town. Ever since her arrival, she hadn't been out to anywhere except the grocery store and the hospital. But if Darien was going to be taking her out that night that meant that she was going to need to get something new to wear. Which meant…she squealed in delight, shopping! She couldn't help but jump up and down at the thought. If there was anything in the world that she loved more than Darien, it was shopping. She turned on her heal and walked out of the kitchen to get ready.

"Hey, Serena!" A voice exclaimed from behind her. Serena, who didn't seem to hear the voice, continued walking down the street browsing in store windows. Her purple aviators were pushed all the way up her nose, but she lowered them to take a closer look at a certain window's display. She had been out here over two hours trying to find something amazing to wear that night, but so far, she had come up empty. She sighed and continued on walking, until she felt someone tap her on the shoulder.

"Oi, Serena, are you deaf?" The voice said from behind her. "I've been screaming your name for the last five minutes!" Serena turned around and felt her jaw hit the floor. Standing behind her, smirking at her was Seiya! She continued to stare, much to Seiya's amusement. "Hello? Earth to Serena, do you see something you like?" He winked at her, breaking her out of her stunned silence.

"Oh, you!" She couldn't help but smack him playfully on the arm. "You just couldn't resist that one could you? But you should know better! I'm married now, or don't you remember playing at my reception?"

"Of course I remember," Seiya smiled at her. "I was just teasing you, Serena, but what are you doing in Los Angeles? I thought you would have been still on your honeymoon with Darien?"

"Darien's actually the reason I'm in Los Angeles. We moved out here a week ago because of a client that he is pursuing. He's a major client for Darien's company, and is based out here, so to be closer to this client he moved back out here. And since Darien and I are married, I came along with him."

"Wow, that's amazing," he said in response.

"It kind of is," Serena nodded her head. "But what are you doing here, Seiya? I thought you were still back in Tokyo. Did something happen with Trista and Emily?"

"Well, uh…" he trailed off looking uncomfortable at the change of topic. Serena watched him with an inquisitive eye. Something was bothering him. He finally sighed. "Honestly? Things between Trista and me are kind of strained right now. I'm not sure what's going on with her, but it's like she's turned into a different person since the New Year started. So, when Haruka called saying that she needed me in the LA branch of the label, I took the first available flight. I'm hoping the time apart will do us some good, you know?"

"Oh, wow, I'm so sorry to hear that, Seiya," Serena said giving him a brief hug. "I'm sure everything will work out between the two of you when you go back. Women sometimes can be a little hard to figure out. I should know, since I am one." She laughed, and Seiya smiled at her.

"I hope you're right, Serena. So what are you up to right now?"

"Well, Darien is going to take me out tonight, and I was just looking for a new outfit," she explained. "But I just can't seem to find anything that screams amazing, which is weird, you know? Considering this is LA and all I thought there would be a better selection."

"There is a better selection. You're just not looking in the right place," he smiled. "Hey, I've got an idea. You said that you've only been in LA for a week?" Serena nodded. "Well, a week is not long enough to have seen the beautiful city, is it? So what do you say if I showed you around town, and helped you find that outfit that just screams amazing?"

Serena laughed as he used the words that she had just used, "You know what? That sounds like a really good idea. I would love to see this city and with a good friend. So, let's do this!"

"Okay, well then, shall we, Mrs. Shields?" He offered out his arm, which Serena graciously took, fighting a batch of giggles the whole way.

"We shall, Mr. Slater," she replied and they began walking down the street. Not realizing that they were being followed.

"Hey Hotaru, it's Serena. Where have you been, hon? I feel like we haven't spoken since you came over to baby-sit me. I hope everything is all right? Anyway, I just though I'd give you a call, since Darien is late from work like usual, and I need to tell somebody my news. I just wished you had picked up your phone, since this isn't news that should be left on a voicemail, but here it goes…I'm pregnant. Yeah, shocker isn't it? And the sad thing is that you shouldn't be the first one that I tell this to, it should be Darien, but like I said he's late from work again. …Okay, well, look, Hotaru, when you get the chance, give me a call? I'll talk to you soon!"

Hotaru sighed as she listened to the end of Serena's message that she had left on her cell phone the night before. It was true that she hadn't been in contact with her since she had looked after her, but that was because she was dealing with issues of her own. She had finally found out why Darien looked so familiar to her, and it hadn't been the result she had been expecting. If anything, it had caused her to question everything that she had come to know about her life, and it had also caused her to search for answers as to how it had all happened. She sighed again, and looked up at the elevator ceiling. The elevator was on the 15th floor, his office was on the 20th. She had five more floors to go, before she could talk to him about what she had found out.

She just hoped that he wasn't too busy to talk to her.

As the elevator stopped on each of the floors, she watched as people climbed on and off. They all looked at her with questioning glances, and she really couldn't blame them. She hadn't brushed her hair that morning, and her clothes were probably a rumpled mess. Not to mention that they weren't really business attire appropriate. She was wearing a pair of destroyed skinny jeans and a black tank top, while the people around her were in suits and skirts. She must have looked rather odd.

Finally, the elevator stopped on the 20th floor and she stepped out. Her heart was thundering like a horse in her chest. Why was she so nervous? She didn't get nervous about confrontations. But for some reason, she knew that this one was different. She walked along the hallway, receiving more inquisitive glances, but she ignored them all. She finally stopped in front of a desk where a young woman with aquamarine hair sat. The woman looked up from her computer screen, and gave her a once over.

"Um…can I help you dear?" She asked Hotaru, hesitantly.

"Yes, my name is Hotaru Tyler and I need to speak to Darien Shields," she replied.

"Can I ask what this is about?"

"Just tell him that it's urgent." The woman nodded and picked up the phone.

"Darien? Yes, a woman named Hotaru Tyler needs to see you, she says it's urgent." Something was said in response as the woman nodded her head and hung up the phone. "Go right on in." She smiled at Hotaru.

"Thank you," she whispered and moved towards the door. Before she could open it, it swung open revealing the very man she was going to go see. He looked down at her in question over her appearance and ushered her into his office. As soon as she was in he closed the door behind her.

"Michelle said that it was urgent," he said sitting across from her. "Is something wrong with Serena?"

"No, Serena is fine I'm sure," she replied her eyes on his. That hair, she should have known! "But the matter is urgent. I don't even know where to start…" she trailed off feeling her heart beating rapidly in her chest.

"Well, start from the beginning," he said smiling sympathetically.

"Okay, well, when I first came to see Serena when the two of you first moved here a week ago, I saw a picture of you and I couldn't help but feel that I knew you from somewhere," she said. "Then when I saw you in person, the feeling intensified."

"I felt the same way," Darien replied a surprised tone in his voice. "But how can that be, when I don't think we've ever met? Unless…have we met before?"

"No," Hotaru shook her head. "Trust me, we have not met before. But where was I? Oh, yes, when I met you the feeling intensified. I couldn't figure out how I knew you, and so, when I was sent to watch over Serena while you were at that dinner last week, I made a phone call to my mother. She told me this story…."

"Please continue."

"My mother met this man, almost twenty-three years ago, who was a wealthy businessman. They met, because this man wanted to take over my father's company. Things weren't going so well with my parent's relationship and this businessman was very kind to my mother. Too kind, it seems, for she had an affair with this man, however, things did not end well. My mother became pregnant, and the businessman wanted nothing to do with her after that. He left her, and my father found out about the affair and how she was pregnant and filed for a divorce."

"So, this businessman who had the affair with your mother, who was he?" Darien asked, even though a part of him already knew what her answer was going to be.

"His name was James Shields," she replied her eyes directly on his. "Apparently, I am your half-sister, Darien."

Author's Notes: Um…okay, we're going to pretend that that isn't another cliffhanger, okay? Okay. But anyway, wow, Hotaru and Darien are siblings, a lot of you saw that one coming. And what about this whole Seiya thing? Let me know what you guys think of that and I'll update soon!