Ok here we go.  The last chapter.

Usual Disclaimers apply!

Enjoy!
The Parent Trap - Epilogue: She married “who?”

	The flight back to California was long and quiet.  Every now 
and then Rini looked at her mother to see her silent cries, as tears 
made tracks down her face.  Rini knew the reason why her Mom was crying
and also knew her Mother won’t admit the reason.  Rini knew her Mother 
was too scared to go back to Darien, scared that he might break her 
heart again.  Rini understood, but never said a word since leaving the 
Chiba house, and she was just as sad as her Mother was at that moment.

	Serena, for her part was an emotional wreck during the whole 
flight.  Ever since their plane took off she had a million questions 
running through her head, most of them revolving around, (“Why was I so
stupid?”)  Stupid for leaving Darien or getting involved with him in 
the first place she didn’t know yet.  Part of her wished she never 
married Darien that day on the QE2, to save her from heartbreak, and 
another part wanting nothing more then to get a ticket back to Tokyo as
soon as they landed in S.F. International, and a third part that just 
wanted to forget the whole thing and move on with her life, (“A life 
without Darien.  Can I handle something like that?”)  However, during 
the whole flight, she got no answers to any of her questions.

	It was many hours later before Serena and Rini got home to the 
Vineyard.  Both were tired and almost went straight to bed.  Serena’s 
Mom came to the door way to greet them and give them both hugs.  Ellen 
saw the dried tracks on her daughters face from crying and said, “Cheer
up Serena, your home and you should be happy.  (Especially when you see
what’s in the Study Room.)”

	Serena did her best to lift her spirits and said, “Thanks Mom! 
Where’s Dad and Sammy?”

	Ellen smiled at her daughter and said, “Sammy is on a date with
Mika, and your father is in the study.”  The last part was a lie.  In 
truth he was in town running errands, but she wanted to convince Serena
to go into the study without looking suspicious.

	“Ok, thanks Mom!”  With that, Serena walked toward the study to
where she thought her Dad was.

	Rini was about to follow but her Grandma stopped her, “Rini, 
you want to know a secret?”  Rini nodded her head up and down in 
agreement before Ellen said, “Well, you should hear it right about……. 
Now.”

	Not a second later both heard Serena yell, “AAAAAHHHHHH”

	“What was that all about,” Rini asked.

	Rini’s Grandma smiled and said, “I think Usagi just surprised 
your Mother.”  Rini’s eyes bulged out before she took off for the 
study.  What she found was her Mom, standing in shock, Usagi on the 
chair behind the desk, and her Father at the far end of the room with a
goofy smile on his face.

	After her Mother told her that Dad was in the study, Serena 
left the entry way to say hi to her Dad, and began to wonder why he 
didn’t come out to saw hi, but she shrugged it off and walked in the 
study to see some one behind the desk with a newspaper blocking the 
view of whom she thought was her Dad and said, “Dad I’m home.”

	The person behind the newspaper lowered it and Serena began 
looking in shock as she stared right into the eyes of her other 
daughter, Usagi, as she said, “Hay, Mom, did you know the Concord can 
get you here in half the time?”

	That’s when Serena yelled in surprise, “AAAAHHHH!  Usagi you 
scared the life out me.  Wait, what are you…..”  Serena never finished 
her sentence when she looked to her left a bit to see Darien walking in
through the other doorway.  Darien then leaned up against a near by 
wall with a goofy looking smile on his face

	That’s when she heard Rini ask Usagi, “What are you doing 
here?”

	“Well it took us about 30 seconds after you left for our father
to realize he didn’t want to loose the two of you again.  Of course it 
helped when I knocked a little sense into him also that we should go 
after you,” Usagi explained, “But by the time we got to the airport you
just pulled out of the terminal so, we took the first Concord we could 
catch, and here we are.”

	Serena, for her part was speechless the entire time, as she had
millions of emotions running through her head, such as fear, shock, 
love, hope, and a few others all rolled up in one.  After all this, the
only word Serena was able to utter was, “Wha….”

	 Darien was just standing there, with this most gorgeous smile 
on his face.  A smile Serena hadn’t seen there since she and Darien 
were married, and always made Serena smile in return, except now cause 
she was still in shock as Darien said, “Serena, 8 years ago I made the 
mistake of walking out of your life, taking Usagi with me.  I’m not 
about to let you make the same mistake, no matter how scared you may 
be.”  Darien was saying all this while he was walking toward Serena.

	Serena was still speechless, but this time it was because she 
knew how right he was and she could only think, (“How does he know why 
I left Tokyo in the first place,”) before saying, “And I suppose you 
expect me to just brush my fears aside, go into your arms and say we 
can work this…..”  Serena never got a chance to finish her thoughts 
cause while she was voicing them, Darien walked to within 5 in. of her, 
wrapped his arms around her and started kissing her like no tomorrow.

	Some time later the two broke the kiss and Darien said, "Yes, 
Serena, I believe we can work this out.  I realize that leaving you 8 
years ago was a mistake and I am so sorry Serena.  I love you so much,
I would do anything to prove that to you."

	Serena, buy this point was beyond pure joy at Darien's speech,
and said, "Just promise me one thing Darien.  Don't ever leave me 
again, cause I love you too much to have another heart..."  That was 
all Serena could say before Darien's lips took hers again.  Not 2 
seconds later, Serena began to kiss back, thinking, (“OH ya!  We can 
work this out all right.”)  But that’s as far as she could think before
losing all coherent thought and started to passionately kiss the man 
she has always loved, and never stopped loving.

	However she did manage to remain aware of her surroundings long
enough to hear, “We actually did it.”  Followed shortly by ‘Thunk’ 
‘Thunk’ as her daughters slumped to the floor in relief.

	And all this went on before the eyes of Serena’s Mother, Mina, 
and Andrew, as Mina said to her Mom, “Ok, now we just have to start 
planning a wedding.”

	The only thing Ellen could say was, “And Lita is catering the 
wedding this time.”

	Mina said, “Don’t forget to have Ray to marry the two off.  
She’s always wanted to marry one of her friends since she became a 
priestess you know.”

	“YOU BETTER BELIEVE I WANT TO DO THIS,” was Ray’s reply nearly 
10 months later, as she was getting dressed into her Priestess ropes, 
“But why did we decide to do it on this boat?  I hope I don’t get sea 
sick.”

	After Darien and Serena came down from cloud 9 that day 10 
months ago, Darien had taken a ring out of his pocket and proposed to 
Serena on the spot, which Serena said yes.  Both Serena and Darien had 
a lot to do before they got married.  Darien, for his part, had 
resigned from his position at the hospital and moved all his belongings
to Napa, and got a job at Napa General Hospital.  Plus he had to enroll
Usagi into school.  Rini remembers the day her friends met Usagi and to
say it was comical to see the looks on their faces would be an 
understatement.  All and all, things looked pretty good during the 10 
months it took to plan the wedding.

	It was decided the wedding would be held on the QE2.  Serena 
and Darien wanted to relive the days they spent with each other from 
that drip they took where they met, and everyone agreed.  All of 
Serena’s friends and family came.  Amy managed to get the time off of 
work and brought her husband Greg, and two girls, one was 7 years old, 
and the other was only a few months old.  Lita came to cater the 
wedding, Ray came as the priestess who would marry the two.  When Ray 
found out she was going to marry Serena off, she practically jumped 
around in joy for her friend.  Serena had chosen her sister Mina as her
maid of honor, Sammy as the ring bearer, Andrew came as Darien’s best 
man, and you guessed it, the twins were the flower girls.

	Mina said, “We‘re on the boat cause it’s where the two met in 
the first place and they wanted to relive those days, to create a 
romantic atmosphere.  Are you ready?”  At Ray’s nod, the two walked to 
the reception hall and took their places.

	During the perporations, all day, Serena had been a nervous 
wreck, (“I think mom calls it pre-wedding jitters.  The name fits.”)

	Just then Serena’s Dad came in, “It’s time sweetheart.  You 
ready?”  At Serena’s nervous and slow nod, the two walked to the 
reception hall, and started to walk down the isle.  

	She looked to see Darien in a very handsome black tux, and 
Serena smiled at him as he smiled back, and they kept their smiles on 
their faces during the entire ceremony, barley registering Ray’s words 
the entire time until she said, “By the power invested in me by the 
state of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife.  You may 
kiss the bride.”  Darien didn’t waste any time there and removed 
Serena’s vale to look into the eyes of his beautiful wife, and placed 
his lips on hers for what seamed like hours before Ray said, “Ladies 
and gentlemen, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Darien Chiba.”  The gusts 
all clapped in joy for the couple, but neither noticed, for they were 
still kissing.  It wasn’t until Ray whispered, “You can come up for 
air now.”  However they didn’t for at least 5 more minutes, and then 
walked back up the isle in a shower of rice.  All Rini and Usagi could 
do at this point was hug each other in great joy that their parents 
were now “Finally” married.

	Serena walked up to the girls, with Darien, a while later and 
said, “Girls, your Dad and I have something to tell you.”

	The girls looked at their parents and asked, simultaneously, 
“What is it Mom?”

	“How would you girls like to have a little brother in about 7 
months?”  The next thing that happened was what Serena didn’t expect.

‘Thunk’

‘Thunk’

	Darien chuckled at this and said, “You certainly got right to 
the point dear.”

	Serena smiled up at her husband, “(Gosh it sure feels good to 
call him my husband again!)  Well they started it.  They’re the ones 
that put us in The Parent Trap in the first place.”

That’s it for this story.  PLEASE send me comments at gbess@iname.com 
and visit my web site at www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Courtyard/2058