Hee hee! Story comin' at ya'! slr_europa@yahoo.com http://www.geocities.com/slr_europa AIM :: SeeShelliRun ***************************************** Love Through Time ~ A Serena And Darien Saga Volume Two, Chapter Five By Sailor Europa "...." I'm not sure how or when I said anything, but before I could scream or pass out, the scene ended, and my breath came rushing back to me. I inhaled sharply as Serene broke away in one breathless motion, still oblivious of my solemn figure, trying to hard to regain my lost composure. She stared deeply at the blonde haired man, (who, by this time I had assessed was her fiancee) her eyes boring into his own, cutting the knife even deeper. I cringed silently, able to breathe, but still unable to speak a word. Every flutter of her lashes, stroke of her hand was cutting me in two. "Darien!" My eyes shot up as she spotted me those few hundred feet away. I felt my expression slide, forcing a huge smile on my face. She blushed a bright crimson, and parted from the man, making a small gesture in my direction. For the first time, I got a good look at her future. He was fairly tall, maybe a few inches shorter than me, with thick, sandy blonde hair. He wasn't very well built, but I could tell by his build that he was by no means weak. I clenched my teeth, resigning to the fact that he was indeed really nice looking, and I could see, physically at least, why Serene had picked him. But she was never one to go by looks alone. Keeping her one hand tightly laced through his, she dragged herself over, slightly embarrassed at being caught, I could tell. I clenched my teeth, my fists balled at my sides as I mentally kept my temper in check. She approached quickly, and gave me a huge, contented smile. I managed a weak one in reply, but she didn't seem to notice my anxiety. She reached for my hand and took it in her own, smiling deeply as she gave me a serious gaze. My heart melted right then and I gave her a nervous, full smile in return. "Darien, I want you to meet my fiancee.....Luc Haricot....." She said softly, still a little out of breath. I made a mental cringe at both the note and the name of her companion. Forcing another smile, I reached for the mans hand, willing the sneer not to surface on my face as he gave me a warm grin, taking my hand in his own. The grip was surprisingly firm and I cursed it right there. He was deceptively strong, despite his book-wormish looks. He was conservatively dressed, a pair of glasses nestled in his vest pocket, and I could only wonder what they would looked like lying broken on the floor beneath us.... "Luc, this is my best friend in the whole world, Darien." She turned toward me, giving me a sincere gaze. I gave my bravest smile in return. "Serene has talked of nothing else since we met. It's nice to finally meet you, Darien." I muttered a few more obscenities as he spoke in perfect English, only a mere hint of a French accent hidden beneath the grammar. "Gee, I wish I could say the same...." Serene shot me a sharp, confused look and I clammed up immediately, ashamed, even though it was true. "So, Serene said you'd be coming on Tuesday. Why the sudden change of plans?" I practically bit out, a sour look overcoming my somewhat neutral expression. Neither of the pair noticed. "I finished up some business early in Paris, and decided I'd surprise her." He ended the sentence by sending a sickeningly sweet smile down towards Serene, which she responded by grinning madly back at him, and leaning up to kiss him affectionately on the cheek. I was left only to wish I could have gagged at that particular moment. "That's nice." I said quietly, not knowing what else I could add to the conversation. "We're going to head back Darien. Why don't you grab the picnic and join us?" Serene asked, grabbing hold protectively of the strangers arm. I scowled downwards, nodding slightly. I turned around, sighing deeply as the two chattered on, not even noticing my departure. I packed up the blanket and dishes, grumbling miserably beneath my breath, sneering openly now that they weren't around to see. I stood up as I finished and watched longingly as he slung his arm around her waist, pulling her close and planting a tender kiss on the tip of her head. She, in return, gazed lovingly into his eyes, before pulling him deeper into her embrace. I turned away just before the contact, sniveling the whole time as I did so. And to think I had to survive through this for another 3 weeks..... ***** "I hope you don't mind I told Luc where you two where." My mother said apologetically as we returned to Serene's home. Serene giggled and shook her head, leaving me only to smile in affirmative. No, of course I didn't mind.... "No, it was fine. It gave me a chance to introduce these two, alone." She answered, lacing her other arm through my own. She laughed merrily and I managed to salvage my pride and give her a half grin. Her eyes crinkled in joy as she let go of my arm suddenly. I frowned. Why was I beginning to feel like the odd one out? "So where are you staying Luc?" My mother asked. I tried desperately to tune his accent out, but to no avail. "At a hotel farther into town." He replied. Thank God. "He reserved a room a few weeks before he came down." Serene added. A thought occurred to me just after she finished speaking, but I decided to keep my mouth shut for a while. No need to utter anything that could just incriminate me...... "But you arrived so early! Will your room be available?" My mother asked curiously. It was all I could do to keep from groaning. I should have known she'd be the one to ask that. I waited curiously as Serene and "Luc" discussed the problem, hoping that the painfully obvious solution of him staying with her, wasn't as obvious as it seemed. The last thing I wanted was him under the same roof as Serene.....It'd be weeks before I saw her again. "Well, Darien, you have an extra room, don't you?" I coughed, my eyes growing wide. I shot an immediate look down at Serene who was already giving me a hopeful gaze. Oh God.....Now what do I do? "Yes Darien! Why don't you put him up?" My mother piped in, smiling at me. I shot her a fiery glare, stuttering as I tried to come up with a half way decent excuse as to why I couldn't. Somehow 'I hate the man...' wasn't going to cut it. "Uh.....I dunno...." I mumbled half heartedly. I felt my forehead perspire madly, and I glanced back down at Serene and sighed. She gazed up at me wistfully, her huge blue eyes pleading desperately with me. She was rendering me helpless, and I wanted to shut her out, but I couldn't. My heart sinking, I realized I couldn't say no to her. Sighing as I finally tore my eyes away from her, I dropped my head and nodded. "Sure.....Yeah, he can stay with me." I gave a weak smile towards the happy couple, hardly managing to realize what I had gotten myself into. Serene gave me a relieved grin, her eyes twinkling. She leaned up and kissed me sweetly on the cheek. "I know it'll be hard. Thank you." She whispered into my ear. I sighed, defeated once again. The air had been taken out of me and my thoughts, and I let my shoulders slump. My mother gave me a proud smile and I just let out a resigned sigh. The next few weeks were not going to be pretty. ***** "So, Serene, where are you two planning on holding the ceremony?" My mother asked excitedly after only five minutes of peace at the dinner table. Serene's face illuminated as she pointed to her mother. "Me and mother are going to be staking out a few chapels and cathedrals this week and then we'll narrow it down." She answered excitedly. I rolled my eyes, wishing dinner would hurry along and I could just escape to refuge. That is, until I remembered I was taking the Frenchy home with me. Sighing, I speared a carrot angrily, sneering down into my plate. What was wrong with me? "We both agreed we wanted a large wedding, so we are hoping that we can land a cathedral." Luc's French lilt stung the air and I mimicked the annoying voice, only wondering how Serene could stand being around him for so long. Or how she was going to live with him. "And lots of flowers. I can't imagine having a wedding without the ceremony absolutely filled with flowers." Serene added wistfully, Luc punctuating the remark with a little, French chuckle. I groaned, wishing I didn't have to take anymore. I glanced upwards to find my mother giving me a disapproving glare and I heaved another large sigh, my eyes peeking upwards, feigning interest. I felt the bile rise in my throat as Serene and Luc grinned ecstatically at each other, the older occupants of the table grinning madly as the couple chattered on about the details. I glared discontentedly at my napkin, wondering if I shoved it in my ears if I could block out the events that were taking place all around me. I moaned miserably to myself, the other four too wrapped up in the sickening display of affection to notice. "Have you had a chance to shop for a dress yet?" "No, unfortunately not." Serene said, her tone finally dropping to discomfort. She sighed, playing with her napkin. "I know what I want though." A warm, slight smile played on her lips as her eyes wandered aimlessly up the room, sighing happily. I couldn't help but grin along with her. Again there was that familiar look of intensity flickering throughout her expression, a few notes hidden beneath the compassion in her eyes. God it was so easy just to dive right into them, the pools of blue.... Why hadn' t I noticed them before? "So, Serene, Luc....." My mother gave them a sly grin as she set her dinner plate aside. She set her chin on her hand, as she grinned maliciously. "Where do you two plan to spend the wedding _night_ ?" I sputtered. Night? NIGHT?! Both Serene and Luc turned identical shades of red, and my mind just went ballistic. For some reason, it had failed to wander into those realms of thought, but now that the idea was forced upon me, I couldn't even comprehend it. I didn't want to. God, everything ached when I thought about it. I swallowed hard, my forehead moistening in anxiety. My palms got clammy, and my breath came quickly. God, what was happening to me? "I plan on taking her to my fathers' chateau in Orleans that night." Luc answered quietly, grasping Serene's hand, stroking it gently. I clenched my teeth, a bitter taste rising in my throat. I wasn't quite sure how long I would hold up. It was all I could do to keep my mind on my quickly depleting dinner, as I ran the risk of it wandering to the topic at hand. And I knew, that could get dangerous. "It's incredibly romantic." I closed my eyes, the only thing coming to mind, a cozy little cottage, nestled away from the city life of Paris.....God, no matter how hard I tried, nothing could tamper that image. I balled my fists, nails stinging into my bare flesh, the pain not dampening the vivid picture in full view in my mind. "It's got a huge fireplace, right in the bedroom, and a full view of the country side even while you lay in bed...." That did it. I stood up brusquely, my mind racing a mile a minute, too preoccupied, to tortured to even excuse myself. I clenched my jaw in rage as I threw my napkin onto my now empty plate and clomped off, my feet trudging heavily through the hallways. My mind whirled helplessly, caught in some wild web I couldn't escape. The only solution I could come up with was to get as far away from the two of them as fast as I could. ***** "What is wrong with me...." I stated rather than asked. I closed my eyes violently, my cheeks scrunching up as I tried so hard to erase the images that were now running rampant through my brain. The 'chateau', the bed......Serene and Luc. God, and that image of their embracing bodies at the lake, that one seemed to be dominating all else. No matter what I did, I couldn't shake the image of their two bodies, so close.....I wanted to rip everything limb from my body! That couldn't possibly cause half as much pain as this whole ordeal was putting me through.... "Darien! Here you are...." Serene's concerned voice cut through my thoughts, thankfully, and I felt my heart leap as she walked onto the large balcony that yawned out over her backyard. She gave me a cautious look as she ventured towards me, compassion displayed on each of her delicate features. I gave her the biggest grin I could manage, still rubbing my now throbbing temples with my fingers. "I was so worried, what with the way you bolted out of the room. What happened? Are you OK? Are you sick?" I sighed, shaking my head. "No....no, I'll be fine." I wasn't quite sure I was ready to confess all that I had been going through. God, I had just met her husband to- be, the last thing I needed to do was put him down right to her face! Even though I really, really wanted to.... "What's wrong, Darien? You've acted really strangely ever since I told you I was engaged. Are you sure you're completely all right with it?" She asked suspiciously. I stared, a little annoyed, for a second, before I shook my head angrily. "Of course I am, Serene. Like I said, it's just moving a little fast for me. I can't believe things are progressing so quickly, and I'm having a hard time acclimating myself to it." I sighed, exasperated. Her concerned look completely faded and she gave me a puzzled look. "It's moving too fast for *you*? And since when does the speed of my relationships affect you? And why?" She asked, thrusting her hands on her hips. My eyebrows furrowed and I inhaled. "I'm only saying I think this whole wedding is taking place a little swiftly. I'm only thinking of your well-being Serene. It just hardly seems like you." I answered simply. Her face grew blank, and she laughed tightly and quickly, almost maniacally for a few seconds. "And since when have you been an expert on how *I* act?" She asked loudly, her tone rising slightly. "I never claimed to be, Ser. " I paused. "But ever since you've returned, you've been.....different. I can't explain it, but you're not the same." I answered in a tone equally as upset. Her face was stern and her eyes, void of compassion and caring, now bore angrily into my own. I glared back, just as sure of my stand. "We all change, in one way or another Darien, but contrary to what you might think, I *am* the same person, and I always will be. Whether I'm married or not, I'm still me!" She sighed, and I cringed at the last sentence. Once that ring was on her finger, everything changed.... "You aren't the same girl Serene...." I mumbled sadly as I turned away to scowl now into the empty sky. "Everything has changed...." I could hear a muffled sniffle and I felt a sharp pang in my heart at the sound. God, to hear her cry, and know I'd caused those tears.....My mind drifted back to that unforgiving night, two years ago, when an immature form of myself had done the same thing, horrible, gut wrenching sobs disappearing over the hills as my best friend ran from my life. That was last time.......And I had just done it again. ***** "What did you say to her, Darien?" The annoyed voice of my mother rang out from behind me. I groaned, exasperated, pausing right in my tracks. I heard her stop a few feet from where I stood. "You will turn around and face me. I am still your mother." I spun on my heel, giving a weary look in her direction. "I just told her how I felt, and that's it." I said honestly. At least it was the truth. "Darien, I don't know exactly what the truth is to you, but you really upset her. What did you tell her, exactly?" She asked angrily, coming closer to me as she spoke. I exhaled sharply. "I told her that she seemed to have changed, and that she wasn't the Serene I remembered...." I said simply, not wishing to elaborate any more. "Darien, you've been acting strangely ever since Luc arrived." She paused. "No, since that day we all had lunch together. Ever since you found out Serene was engaged. Now, as an objective third party, I can tell you that the beautiful blonde that ran after you at the table, concerned and the like, was exactly the same girl you knew, albeit more mature, but Serene all the same." I groaned, not wanting to hear the rest of what she had to say. She stopped, and I could already hear her words, rolling over in my head.... "I think it's your perception of her that's changed." I stopped. That hadn't been what I was expecting.... *************************************** I wonder if there is a 12 step program for people like me.... slr_europa@yahoo.com http://www.geocities.com/slr_europa AIM :: SeeShelliRun