This is my own piece of work. Any similarity to books, real life or otherwise, 
is purely a coincidence. 

Story-line: Serena Carter's sister and brother-in-law have just died leaving 
behind a new born daughter. The baby's uncle wants her too. Can they come up 
with a compromise or will they have to surrender to...something they don't 
want?

UNION OF HATE
Chapter 1
Sailor Galaxy

" Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust..."

The priest's voice droned on but Serena Carter ignored him. She was staring, 
numb at the coffin which was being lowered in the hole into the ground. In the 
grave. Her sister's grave. Mina.

Mina Refatalki had died a month before in a car accident with her husband 
Andrew Refatalki when he was hurrying to get Mina to the hospital in time for 
the birth which was imminent in a few more minutes. Well, he did get Mina to 
the hospital, and before the baby was born, just not in the way he had 
intended. The car had skidded in a patch of ice and ploughed in the steep 
ditch which was on the side of the road. 

Mina hadn't died immediately, in fact the doctors had been sure of her 
recovery slow though it might have been. She had made it to the hospital where
her baby girl was born. The doctors hadn't realised it at the time but a 
breach had occurred as Mina was giving birth. She had died of internal 
bleeding in the womb. The doctors had tried, admittedly, but it was no use. 
She had already been very weak and added with the news of her husband's death,
she had succumbed to the relief of her own death. 

" Serena, we have to get going."

Luna's voice broke in through Serena's thoughts of the past. She turned to 
stare at her friend. Luna Monika had been very helpful. She had even offered 
to pay for the funeral. Well, Mina's at least. The great Refatalki clan 
couldn't bear for a normal human being to pay for one of their own kind, even 
though Andrew had been disowned from the family. Not that it had mattered very 
much. Andrew had the love of Mina to compensate for the loss. In the end, they 
had paid for both funerals.

" Serena. We should go home. Diana's probably missing you by now."

This brought a watery smile on Serena's tried and haggard face. Diana. She was 
the one thing that was holding Serena up at the moment. That little angel had 
taken to Serena as if she was her own mother. And Serena intended to be just 
that. Diana wasn't going to feel any loss. Of course there was the problem of 
a father figure but Serena didn't think that mattered much at the moment. 

Walking with Luna to her car, Serena looked around when she felt somebody 
staring at her. It was him. Darien Refatalki. He was Andrew's brother... not 
that it showed from their faces because their appearances were different. 
Darien's hair was ebony black while Andrew's had been golden blonde. Their 
eyes were different too. Andrew's were forest green while Darien's were a 
mysterious, dark cobalt blue. Darien was powerfully built, with broad 
shoulders, slim waist and long legs. Andrew had been shorter and he wasn't as 
broad as his brother. They were very different. Had been very different. 
Serena needed to get used to thinking of Mina and Andrew in the past tense.

Swallowing, she turned her attention back to where she was going. It wasn't 
going to do anybody any good if she kept noticing things that she shouldn't. 
So what if looking at Darien Refatalki made her legs shake with nerves and her 
stomach be invaded by butterflies. Attraction, sexual attraction, didn't mean 
anything as long as one kept his feelings under control.

Luna smiled encouragingly at Serena when she they reached the car. It was 
going to be okay if Serena pulled all her wits together. Everything would be 
okay.

                    *********************************************************                       
     It was a month from the day of the funeral. Serena had just finished 
feeding and putting Diana to bed when the doorbell rang. She ignored it since 
it was probably Artemis who was trying to woo Luna. Only Luna knew how it was 
going. Serena didn't think Artemis had a chance. One reason being their 
differences. 

Luna had long black coloured hair with bluish indigo highlights. Artemis had 
light blonde hair, on the point of being white. Luna's eyes were a peculiar 
mixture of red and brown. Artemis had striking blue eyes. Luna was serious to 
the point of ignoring everything so that she could do a job properly. While 
Artemis, he knew how to have fun even if it meant forgetting his job. But 
maybe Artemis might be successful in his courtship. After all, some people did 
say that opposites attracted. 

Serena ran a comb through her silver hair. Spraying her pulse points with a 
lightly fragranced perfume, she grabbed a natural coloured lip-gloss and 
slicked it over her lips. Standing back to view herself in the mirror, her 
small, straight nose wrinkled. She usually only wore anything formal for work 
or business parties. She hadn't wanted to go since she still missed Mina and 
Andrew but today Seiya had insisted that she needed to go out and that she 
wore something smart but casual. 

So know she was dressed in a black evening dress which reached her knees. It 
was sleeveless but a choker was attached to it to hold the dress up. There was 
also a gold hooped belt going around her waist and falling to the hem of the 
dress on one side. The casual part was done. Now for the smart. Serena grabbed 
the suit jacket and put it on. It was the same colour as her eyes and the 
light blue accented her fair skin and the rosy pink of her sensually curved 
lips. She knew she looked like a million dollars. The clothes did that. They 
had been very expensive. Serena had gotton them when she had been promoted and 
could afford something like this.

She was supposed to be going out for a entertaining business dinner with a 
colleague from work. Seiya Granger. They had previously gone out but had 
decided that they didn't suit to be involved in a romantic relationship. So 
know they were just friends. She thought that it must be Seiya when Luna 
called up to her to say that the visitor was for Serena.

It wasn't. Boy, it wasn't. Serena stood there, frozen in amazement, even when 
he went over to the drinks cabinet and poured himself a drink as Luna must 
have asked him to do. And Luna, where was she? 

Serena looked behind her and sure enough, Luna was creeping upstairs and when 
she caught Serena's eye, she winked. Serena scowled back at her and turned 
around. She was disconcerted to find Darien Refatalki's eyes on her. They slid 
from the top of her shining silver hair to the tip of her polished blue court 
shoes, pausing in between to admire the more womanly attributes of her figure.

Serena seethed inwardly. How dare he look at her in such a brazen way?

" Well, Mr Refatalki, what brings you here? This so out of place for you and 
beneath your dignity that I'm surprised you could bring yourself a mile within 
this place."

Darien Refatalki's jaw clenched, but still he continued to stare at Serena.

" Ms Carter. My quarrel is with people, not with places."

" I'm amazed. You strike me as a man who would start an argument with anything 
over everything."

He inclined his head mockingly and through half closed eyes, surveyed her 
again.

" And you strike me as a woman who loves making trouble wherever she goes and 
then sitting back to view and enjoy her efforts. And by this I mean any kind 
of trouble."

Serena opened her mouth to make a reply, any reply which would firmly put him 
in his place, but before she could say anything, he continued.

" Enough! I have not come here to be insulted and to be insulting in return, 
even though what I have said about you is true." 

Serena caught her lower lip between her teeth. That man was an arrogant jerk, 
even though he was a very handsome jerk, who didn't have anything better to do 
than go around beckoning with his little finger expecting everybody to-

"- and so I regret to inform you that we are at a crossroads over Diana unless 
we can come to an agreeable arrangement."

That brought Serena's attention back to him and she realised that he had been 
talking all this time. Talking nonsense. Diana was staying with Serena and 
there was no crossroads or disagreement about it.

" Pardon? I don't understand what you're saying."

He sighed.

" It is not difficult to understand. Andrew's will clearly states that unless 
we both keep Diana, we can't be her legal guardians separately."

Serena stared at him and he stared back. Andrew had written that in his will? 

" But- but there has to be some mistake. I'm not sharing Diana with you. You 
don't deserve her after what you did to Andrew and Mina. "

" You don't have to share her. You can give her to me. I have talked to my 
lawyers and they say that I can keep Diana as long as I have your agreement."

" And I can keep her as long as I have your agreement."

His dark head lowered and lifted in a nod.

" Yes. But unfortunately for you, I am not in an agreement for you to keep 
Diana. So, now all I need is your signature on a piece of paper stating that 
you are happy with me keeping Diana, and we can be on our way."

Arrogantly, he reached inside his jacket's pocket, and took out a folded 
paper. Unfolding it, he slid it across to Serena and taking out a gold studded 
pen, rolled that over to Serena too. 

Serena stared at him open-mouthed. Of all the arrogant, narrow-minded, 
inhumane-

" Now, if you can just sign on that bottom line, I have to get going for a 
business dinner that I can't be late for."

" You know, I've always heard that Greek men don't really care what others 
think. They don't care what happens to other people as long as they get their 
own way. I never believed that but now, you've sure put me right."

Darien Refatalki paused and looked at Serena.

" I don't give a penny to what you think of me as long as you sign the 
document. I've already told you that I'm going to be late for a business 
dinner."

" Well, you can be late for it. I'm not signing any document which has 
something to do with you."

He sighed impatiently.

" I don't think you understand everything Ms Carter. There are only two 
choices. Either we look after Diana together or I look after her separately, 
while you agree not to see her."

Serena shook her head.

" I think you're the one who doesn't understand Mr Refatalki. We have three 
choices. Look after her together, you look after her or I look after her and 
you agree not to see her."

" I'm afraid that is impossible. Diana is a Refatalki and she is going to stay 
one. She deserves to stay with her family."

" You sure didn't think about that when you disowned Andrew. He was more 
Refatalki than Diana and yet you forbad him any contact with his family."

He shifted uneasily in his chair and faint colour bloomed under his tanned 
cheeks.

" Do not start an argument of which you know nothing about, Ms Carter. The 
disowning is a private matter between the Refatalkis."

" Yeah? Well, it involved a lot of people including my sister. So I think you 
don't have any right for a privacy in this matter since the Refatalkis' 
thought that Mina wasn't good enough for Andrew."

" Nothing like that was ever said Ms Carter and now-"

" It wasn't said but it was implied Mr Refatalki. You of all people should 
know that many things today are implied rather than said."

" That may be so Ms Carter but we are getting off track here."

" The way I see it, we haven't got a track to get off of. Diana is staying 
with me. What are you going to do with her while you go off on all your 
business meetings? Take her with you and keep the buggy in your office while 
you discuss things with a rival company? I don't think so."

" I am very busy yes. But you also have to work and I don't see your boss 
letting you bring the child to work with you everyday. 

" I can work from home and I have Luna to look after Diana in the odd times 
that I can't."

" Whereas with me Diana will have a normal routine. She will have a nanny, a 
nurse, and a helper with her. She will be well taken care of and will grow up 
to be-"

"- a spoilt little rich girl all ready to step into the shoes of a rich man's 
wife and hostess. Love doesn't enter into your equation does it?"

" Love has nothing to do-"

" Yes it does. More than anything else and you-"

" We can provide more things for her than you can Ms Carter. She will be happy
and contented-"

"- all the while not knowing the happiness to be a part of a close knit 
family."

Serena shook her head and her silver hair flowed behind her. The light caught 
it and Serena noticed Darien staring at it, captivated. He seemed to shake 
himself out of his entrancement when he saw Serena looking at him. The air 
seemed to be lanced with thin threads of nerves. Licking her lips, she rubbed 
the sides of her forehead with her fingers. 

She swallowed to relieve the dryness of her throat.

" Money isn't everything and I have enough. I know I might not be able to 
provide for Diana as well as you but-"

"- there's no might about it-"

"- but as I said I can give her love and comfort."

" Look, it seems as if neither of us is prepared to give Diana up."

" Yes."

After a pause, Serena lifted her head and hopefully tried to lift her spirits.

" Isn't there anyway you can overrule the will so that I can take keep Diana?"

Without looking at Serena he smiled grimly.

" You mean so that I can keep Diana."

Holding out a hand when Serena opened her mouth to protest, he continued.

" No. I'm afraid not. That's why it's taken me a month to approach you about 
this dilemma. The only thing my lawyers have been able to come up with is this 
compromise that you aren't agreeing to."

Serena sighed quietly and gazed out at the street. She noticed a limo parked 
outside the house. Darien Refatalki sure knew how to live in style. While she 
wasn't poor, she couldn't afford limos even if they were rented. She'd never 
been in one. She sighed again. She was attempting to push her problems out of 
her mind by thinking about things that were irrelevant at the moment. That was 
only going to make the problems worse.

Turning back towards the man who was causing her this worry, she was taken 
aback to find him studying her. Again. Hot colour rose in her face as she saw 
that the skirt of her dress had ridden up too high and was now displaying a 
lot of leg. A bit more higher and she'd show him that she was wearing black 
lace underwear.

Uneasily, she tugged the hem of her skirt back down. She didn't like the way 
her heart had perked up in anticipation instead of dismay at the thought that 
Darien Refatalki might see her underwear. Serena wasn't a prude and had 
enjoyed several love affairs in her life so she didn't know why this man made 
her feel like a shy, naive but eager virgin. She was just going to have to 
keep her mind on business and only business. Nothing else. Nothing.

" So what are we-"

She cleared her throat and tried to make her voice go normal again instead of 
the low pitched husky sound it had emerged as.

A slight smile curled the edges of Darien's lips.

" What are we going to do?"

Darien shrugged indulgently.

" We haven't got much choice have we but to look after Diana together?"

" Excuse me?"

" We will have to look after Diana together."

" And pray tell me how we're going to do that with you living in Greece, me in 
London and basically us hating each other's guts?"

" I don't hate you Ms Carter. You're just not my favourite person."

Serena stiffened. He pretended not to notice.

" There's only one solution to this problem."

" And that would be...?"

Serena spread her hands in a wide arc. She would do anything to keep Diana. 
Anything.

" We'll have to get married."


What do you think Serena's reaction will be? Suprised? Horrified? Will she 
accept? Or not?

This story might seem very similar to Ashley's Tug of Love, but trust me, the 
only same thing is going to be Serena and Darien getting married. The whole 
theme is going to be different.

Sailor Galaxy

sailorprincessuk@yahoo.co.uk