Title:Dead On.Part 8 & Epilogue Author:Tapestry Email:Shaddow_Cat@hotmail.com Standard Disclaimer Apply *denotes thought 18/7/01 "Woman was created from the ribs of man Not from his head to top him Nor from his feet to be walked upon She was made from his side to be his equal From beneath his arms to be protected From very near his heart to be loved." --Anonymous-- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Darien rushed out of his home and into the pouring rain. He didn't even know how long she had been gone. Despair and anger clutched at him. Angry that he couldn't even protect the one he loved. Angry that the Dominion had taken so much from him... His mind was in a whirl as he ran towards places Rena had onced loved. Perhaps she had went there. If she even remembered the places. He stopped in front of a phone booth. He wouldn't be able to find her alone... Punching fiercely on the telephone buttons, Darien waited for someone to pick up. "Hello??" "Amy??" "Who's thi-" "It's Darien." Amy frowned. Her brother had rarely used real names when conversing on a phone. Even when he was off duty. Something had to be wrong. "Serena's gone." "What?? When?? Ho-" "I don't know!! I went to visit Raye's grave and-" "I'll get help. Find her Darien. Don't let her do anything stupid." whispered Amy. A click sounded on the phone. Her brother had hung up. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Serena wandered the city as rain poured down her face. *Keep telling yourself that...it's only rain and not tears running down your face.* she whispered to herself. *How can I even match up with Darien?? I don't even know who I am anymore. Am I Serena Thompkins?? Serena Dancek?? Isis??* She didn't know where she was. Even if she did know once upon a time, she probably couldn't remember. "SERENA!!!" shouted a voice that seemed to be carried on the wind. *Darien!!* her mind panicked. "SERENA!!!" Serena knew what she had to do. She wasn't going to be a burden to anybody. Not to Darien, not to anybody. They'd loved her too much and she couldn't repay them with such a problem. Ducking into a dark alleyway, Serena watched as Darien ran past, still shouting her name. The few passerbys stared at him as if he had gone mad. "I'm so sorry Darien.." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Serena hugged herself tightly as she glanced around at her surroundings. Some of the old buildings seemed almost familiar. Had she seen the before?? A quick image flashed through her mind. ~FLASHBACK~ She was walking and she was angry. She'd just had another fight with Darien. Sometimes he was the most aggravating man and she didn't know if he really loved her or not. Sure, he'd said so but he had such a roving eye and he was also such a ladies man. A hand clamped over her mouth in an alleyway. A voice whispering in her ear how Darien Lachlan was going to suffer. Saying how Darien would know there was a bomb in his car now. A bombing. She screamed when the car exploded. She was sure Darien expected her to be in the car. It was the last thing she remembered before darkness overtook her mind... ~END FLASHBACK~ Serena cried out clutching her head. The image...the memory, it had been real. She felt as if she was going insane. Water splashed from the sidewalk as she ran. Trying to get away from the invading memories. Real and false. She ran as if hounds from hell were at her heels instead of merely a memory from one of her 'incarnations'. She stumbled, skinning her hands as she reached out to stop her fall. She stared at a puddle as the water reflected her face. ~FLASHBACK~ (Thompkins) "I love you, Rena." "I love you too, Darien." ~~~~~~~~ (Dancek) "I worry about you, Serena. I care about you. You know that??" "I know." ~~~~~~~~ (Isis) "No, I'm afraid not. But I believe you recieved reports concerning a certain replacement for Domina, didn't you??" "Yes,...Isis. Are they coercing-" "You fool, I AM Isis." ~END FLASHBACK~ Serena smacked at the reflection with her palm. "GO AWAY!!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!" she wailed to herself. Tears ran down her face unchecked as it continued to rain. "Why won't you leave me alone??" whispered Serena brokenly. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "SERENA???!!" bellowed Darien as he continued to search blindly. He passed by the area where 5 years ago, he'd thought Serena Thompkins was dead. A nasty voice whispered *Is there any difference whether she was dead then?? She's practically dead now.* Darien pushed the thought away. He would not give up on Serena. Not ever. He loved her too much. Whether she was Serena Thompkins or Serena Dancek. Both were practically one part of a whole. But would that whole ever be one again?? "Serena??!" She was somewhere in the city. Amy, Zach and some of the others who had known Serena were out looking for her. He tried to calm himself. She WOULD be found and he'd put an end to her silly nonsense about running away. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Serena found herself on a beach. Raindrops fell on the beach and the sea. Though she was soaked wet, she didn't feel the cold. Her wet T-shirt clung to her like a second skin. She stared at the waves washing in and out. The ocean seemed very violent tonight... She'd been to a beach at night before. One like it. Except that night she hadn't been alone. It hadn't been raining. A chill crept up her spine at the thought of being alone for the rest of her life. She wished she could remember more about her life as Serena Thompkins. She wanted to be whole again. Without thinking, her body seemed to move towards the water. Darien's feet had brought him to the beach. He didn't know why but it seemed as if something just seemed to draw him towards the violent waves. His wet ebony hair was matted to his forehead, rain streaming down his face. As he reached closer to the water, he saw a figure that seemed intent on going into the water to turn it into a watery grave. A flash of lightning illuminated the sky. It was a woman. "Serena??" called Darien uncertainly. The figure turned briefly. It was her... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Serena stared at the dark haired man standing on the beach. He had come to look for her despite her attempts to turn him away. Even in the dark, she seemed to be able to see his ocean eyes blazing at her. A nameless emotion seemed to fill her heart and her entire being. She opened her mouth to say something but his name seemed stuck in her throat... They stood there awhile, as rain poured and lightning and thunder crashed over their heads. Suddenly, a giant wave splashed over Serena, the undertow pulling her under and out to sea. A scream was muffled by rushing water as she was dragged under. "SERENA!!" Darien watched as the wave swallowed her. He seemed glued to the spot. He wanted to run to her. To save her. Her scream that was cut off snapped him back to the present. He plunged into the waves trying to find her. "SERENA!!!" Serena fought her way back to the surface. Her lungs felt like they were on fire. *Isn't this what you wanted?? To be whole?? To be free of this fleshly anchor??* whispered a voice in her mind. It was...this was what she'd wanted when she'd entered the water. But that was before she saw Darien once more....saw the accusing look filled with worry and anger. Filled with tenderness and sadness. Filled with love. His look had cut through her. Guilt rising up in her chest, making her wonder how she could wound the people who cared for her so with this simple and deadly act. Her mind seemed to grow fuzzy as an onslaught of memories seemed to crash into her mind, making her head throb angrily. She watched as her life passed before her mind's eye. Watched as everything seemed to spin dizzily for a moment then suddenly right itself. Every memory falling into place. Memories of all three identities fusing together, to make one solid whole. One name echoed in her mind as darkness engulfed her in it's sweet peaceful embrace... *Darien...* ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Blue eyes fluttered open. Serena winced painfully at the bright piercing white lights. She stared around the room. It was all white and it hurt her eyes. Was she dead??? Closing her eyes, memories ran through her mind. A single tear fell from her eye. The barriers of brainwashing had fallen... "Darien..." A click sounded, turning her head to the sound, Serena saw colour at last. There at the door was Darien. "Darien." He advanced toward her, not saying a word. Serena struggled to sit up from her position. At that moment, Darien was at her bedside. "DON'T!!" he bit out angrily as he tried to push her back down. "You're angry.." whispered Serena as her hand reached up to touch the stubble on his jaw. He flinched slightly. Serena saw his reaction and pulled her hand away as if his reaction had burnt her. "Darien.." "You're DAMN right I'm angry!! What gave you the crazy idea to go and drown yourself?? Is it me??? Or just some spurr of the moment idea??!!" "I'm sorry." "Sorry just doesn't cut it, Serena." "Why are you being so mean?" snapped Serena. Darien stopped his verbal attack and stared down at the blonde. Her eyes shining with a suspicious glint of moisture. Running a hand through his dark unkempt hair, Darien sighed and sat down on the bed. Placing a hand on that golden cap of hair, he stroked the smooth silky strands in a soothing rhythm. "I'm sorry, Serena..." "Sorry just won't cut it, Darien." replied Serena sarcastically. Darien frowned down at her. "Sarcasm isn't you, Rena." "And your gentle caring isn't you either." Darien gaped down at her... "You remember..." "Yes." Darien broke into a grin and impulsively enveloped her in a crushing hug. he hugged her as if he would never let her go or out of his sight. "Darien, no.." "Rena?" "We're not going back the way it used to be. You and me. The missions. The other women you ogle. I'm not going back to that. It'd be too easy to slip back into that routine with you." "I've changed Serena. Surely your time as Serena Dancek has proven that? The day that car exploded, everything in my life was different. I'm not asking you to go back to that routine. I couldn't. I wouldn't. It's not who I am anymore. I love you." "Serena Thompkins isn't who I am only anymore. I've changed too. And I'm glad you've changed Darien." whispered Serena with tears in her eyes. "Because, I love you too....and I couldn't bear if I didn't have you all to myself." she sobbed. Darien pulled her to him tighter. "I wouldn't be able to bear it too. I'm all yours, Rena. Now and forever." he whispered. "Forever." echoed Serena in a muffled voice. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Epilogue "Is everything set and ready to go??" asked Darien turning to Serena. Serena scanned the night as a few flashes of light alerted her that everything was ready. "Yes, sir. The terrorists are inside the lighthouse with our apy. Dodd said Tinker just got Al-Kasim to sign the contract with the weapons supplier." "Alright, Luna. Send them the message to strike." ordered Darien. "Yes, Shields." Serena took her torchlight and flicked it on and off once, twice and three times as the signal. The message was passed on and suddenly there was a loud noise from the other side of the lighthouse for diversion. The other agents charged the lighthouse and apprehended the criminals and terrorists. "Another mission, brilliantly executed." grinned Darien. "Another for your ego you mean." snorted Serena. "Awwww...come now love, why are you so cranky?? It's not my fault we got landed this assignment." "Yes, I know. It's just I never expected my honeymoon to be catching criminals and apprehending terrorists. I was thinking more along the lines of a nice simple, quiet Carribean cruise." sighed Serena. Darien chuckled and pulled her closer to him. "It's no fancy cruise or warm weather fun in the sun, but at least we're here together." Serena couldn't keep a smile of her face as she leaned her head into the crook of his shoulder. "Yes, we're here together." "I love you, Serena." whispered Darien as he leaned down. "I love you too." smiled Serena as she stood on her tip toes and caught his lips in a warm kiss. "Hey, newly weds, a little help over here?? You can snuggle and cuddle when this mission is wrapped up." came a teasing laugh. Darien looked up. "Shut up, Falcon. When you're married to my sister, you'll be singing a whole different tune." Zach stared at Darien then turned to stare at Amy. Amy smacked him on the head and dragged her boyfriend away. "Leave them alone, Falcon." "It's just a little teasing, love! I meant no harm. And Marine, where are you dragging me off to?? Marine!!??" "You've got a way with words, darling." laughed Serena huskily. "And you, wife, are talking too much." Then there was silence..... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ The End... YAHOO!!!! I've FINALLY finished!! I'm finally finished!! Oh happy happy day. Now... 1 down. 9 more to go.... *sigh* :( EMAIL ME!!! I want to know what you think. Yes, YOU!!!. Well?? What are you waiting for?? NOW!!!!! Finished:18/8/01 Corrections & additions:10/9/01