Author's Note:ok ya I hope your enjoying it so far, thanks to the tons of e-mail I get on this fanfic. This one and 'Lost Love' seem to be people's favorites. Anyway, enjoy!!

Forever In My Heart
Chapter 5......
    
     Serena chewed on her lip and watched Rene run across the yard to her school, turning for a moment to wave to her mother, then disappearing inside with the other children. Hugging herself against the fierce wind that day, she turned to walk away and back to her car, glancing about nervously.
     She climbed into her brand new Four Runner and switched the engine on, still looking about. It was all his fault, she thought with anger. If he had just stayed away like he was supposed too she wouldn't be so damn nervous.
     She thought of Lita and her anger grew. No, it was HER fault. She was the one who had pushed them together and then gone and ran and told him about there daughter. No, my daughter, she quickly corrected herself. Her daugher and no one else's.
     She drove home and was walking up the walkway digging around in her purse for some lipstick when she looked up and found him standing there, his hands in his pockets, his dark eyes on her. She stopped, stood frozen, the fear coming again.
     "What do you want?"she snapped, making sure her voice remained cool and steady.
     "I want you and my daughter."Darien said simply, his eyes moving up and down her body. It had been too long for him, he knew. Much too long.
     "She's not yours, she's mine. You have no claim to her."her voice was beginning to tremble with fury, with fright."You weren't there when she was born, you weren't there when she took her first steps! You weren't there for anything!"
     She saw the hurt, the anguish enter his eyes."I know, but if you had told me-"
     She laughed this time, a long, bitter laugh."Oh yes, if I had told you you would have gladly left your precious Lita and come running back to pregnant ol' me. Thats the only reason you would have come back to me! Not because you wanted me, but because I was pregnant with your child!"
     "Thats not true-"
     "Spare me whats true and whats not. You were always full of lies. Everything you said to me was a lie, everything you ever did was a lie."
      "And our daughter? Was she a lie?"he asked quietly.
     "Rene was the only good thing that came from what we did. She was the only pure thing we made or had."she answered just as quietly.
     His eyes lit up."Rene? Is that her name?"
     "Yes, thats her name, not that its any of your business-"
     He ignored her."Rene huh? You know, I would never have guessed she was my daughter, she looks so much like you."
     "Thats enough! Off my property and away from me and my daughter!"she pushed him backward, toward his car."We don't need you. I've always been enough for my daughter and you trying to be father of the year isn't going to work!"
     He was surprised at her, more because she was shoving him so forcefully. The Serena he remembered had always been so soft and docile."What can I do to make you believe that I never stopped loving you? That what happened was all a set up?"
     "Nothing, so you may as well stop trying."panting now, she stepped back from him when he was before his car."Don't bother us again."
     He considered her, decided he would have to go through with his plan after all."Fine, fine."he held up his hands."I know when I'm not wanted."he climbed into his car, turned it on."But I will be back Serena, don't doubt that."satisfied, he pulled out and drove away.
     She was so angry she was trembling."Back, my ass."she whispered viciously.


     "I need your help Lita. I know you may not want to help, considering how much she hates you, but I need some help on this one. I can't do this alone."he rubbed his eyes, cradling the phone on his shoulder as he spoke to her.
     "I'd love to help you. Its my fault she hates you so much anyway, remember? If I hadn't gone and told her that you and I-"
     He rolled his eyes and wondered if Lita would ever get over her rambling off into different subjects."Lita. Just....when can you get out here?"
     "Oh, I'll tell Ken and we should be out there by tomorrow. Lets get Ken into this too. Oh! It'll be such fun and-"
     "Lita, this is my life were putting on the line. Could you not take it so lightly please?"
     "Of course Darien, I'm sorry. Serena will take you back, I just know it. And the child? Tell me about the child?"
     "A girl. A little girl, her name's Rene, and she looks exactly like Serena."he thought of her, smiled in memory."She's got quite a kick too."
     Lita laughed."Speaking from experience?"
     "Yea. Look, I gotta go. Get your butt out here Lita, ASAP. And thanks too."
     "Anytime Darien."
     He hung up and wondered if his plan would work. It was hasty, it was rash, but it was all he had. If he could just get her there, alone, then he could work on her.
     Digging out the card of Serena's friend, Raye, he looked at the number. He'd had a huge search done on Serena and found out that whenever she left town she left there daughter with a young woman named Raye. If he made plans with Raye, then he could get Rene to be taken care of for a little while and have Serena to himself.
      Smiling at his own brilliance, he lay back and relaxed.


     Serena frowned at her cell phone, listening to the dial tone for a few moments before hanging up. It had been her agent, telling her she was needed in a shoot in Charleston, South Carolina.
     It was how sudden the call was that had her frowning. Usually she was given more notice, not just 'hey pack your bags and get out there by tomorrow.' But work was work and she had an obligation to fullfill.
     She told Rene, listened to her daughter protest a moment, then give in when she realized her mother wasn't bending about going. She drove her to Raye's the next morning, had only a moment to thank Raye since her plane was leaving soon. But in that moment she noticed a certain gleam in her friends eye, as if she knew something that Serena didn't. But she didn't have time to think on it, as she was running late.
     She got to South Carolina, rushed to the location, and was shocked to find it a deserted beach area with no one in sight for miles. Quickly, she turned back to the cab driver to tell him to wait, but he was already gone, disappearing into the distance.
     "Great."she muttered, carrying her small bag and looking about."Just great."stuck in the middle of nowhere with no phone or-
     Blinking, she quickly looked through her purse and found her cell phone. She turned it on, then nearly screamed with impatience when it said 'out of range.' She was stuck. She was most definitely stuck.
     When it began to grow dark, she grew frightened, glancing around and listening to the quiet of the sea. She had to get up and find something, or else she'd be spending the night there.
     Wrapping her arms around herself, she walked down the beach, straining her ears for any sounds of cars or people. Her prayers were answered when down the road came a single car. She stuck her hand out and motioned for them to stop, relieved when they did.
     Relief quickly turned to disbelief and anger."What the hell are you doing here?"
     Darien leaned over and opened the door himself, throwing it open."Get in unless you want the psychos that live around here to get you."
     She crossed her arms over her breasts, tapped her foot and looked the other way."I'd rather take my chances with the 'psychos' around here then with you."with that said, she turned and began walking down the side of the road again.
     He followed her, trailing along side with the car door open."Come on Serena, don't be stubborn."
     "WHAT are you doing here anyway?!"she snapped without looking at him."How did you know I would be here?"
     "I have my ways. But forget that and get in the car."
     "There's no way I'm going to-"she was cut off when the sound of a gun being fired filled the silent night air, causing her to jump and nearly have a heart attack. Just as she was glancing around into the darkness, she felt the bullet wiz past her head, narrowly missing her.
     Fear engulfed her over the anger she had been feeling and she struggled not to faint on the spot."Serena, get in!!"Darien ordered.
     Another shot was fired and this one she also felt just before she dropped to her knees, then lept into the car when several shots were fired one right after another. She shut the door as Darien sped away amid bullets shooting around them.
     "I think we lost them. I told you there were psychos around here."he shook his head at her as he drove."I just can't believe-"a gunshot cut him off and just as she was getting down for cover,  the car began to swerve over the road, running in circles until it finally hit a tree on the side of the road.
     Serena touched a hand to her head, felt blood."Ow. Jesus, what happened?"she rubbed where she had hit as they swerved.
     He glanced around behind them, looking frightened and bent over to unhook her from her seat."Oh God, you didn't hit your head that hard, did you? Were going to have to run."
     She looked at him."Run? What for?"she looked up and saw then the smoke coming out of the engine of the car."Oh."
     "Come on before they get to us."he rushed out of his side of the car and practically hauled her out of her side also."Hurry, come on!"gripping her arm, they began running into the forest, where the darkness and the sounds immediately began frightening her.
     "Isn't there any other way to go?"panting, she tried not to imagen what could be in the dark."Do you even know where your going?"
     "No, I'm just hoping we can hide until they pass."he stopped and she heard rushed footsteps heading straight toward them."Oh God. Get down!"he tackled her to the forest floor before she could react.
     With his body on top of hers, she listened with fear as the footsteps stopped near them. She looked through the trees and bit back a scream when she saw it was two men, large in build, and both of them were carrying shotguns.
     Breath held, they waited until the two men passed them and continued on. As soon as they were out of hearing, Darien stood and pulled her up."Lets go."he began running deep into the forest again.
     "Are you sure there gone?"she glanced over her shoulder to make sure.
     "Yea, we just have to find somewhere to hide until-"he halted suddenly and she bumped into his back."Perfect. That will have to do."
     She looked around him and saw a small, beat up cabin, but to her it looked like heaven."Oh thank God."
     Moving swiftly, they ran across the remaining space to the cabin, and once they were inside Darien shut the door and barred it. He turned back to find Serena touching the cut she'd gotten across her temple. He went to her, examined it and was relieved to find it wasn't serious.
     "You'll be ok."he stroked his hand over her hair."Were safe now."
     Her blue eyes snapped up to his just before she slapped his hand away."Yea, my knight in shining armor."
     He frowned at her sarcastic tone."Whats that supposed to mean?"
     "Thanks for rescuing me, but nothings going to change."she looked around the cabin and hoped she would be able to hold out against him for one whole night."So keep yourself away."
     He watched her move away and sit on an old couch that was ripped and dirty. Scratching his head, he realized it wasn't going to be as easy as he had thought."Serena, didn't you hear anything Lita told you?"the confusion and frustration was evident in his voice.
     She looked over at him."Believe her? How am I supposed to believe anything from the two of you? She came to me and drove me away, just as much as you did."
     "But I never KNEW she went and told you all those lies. If I had known then I never would have believed you when you said you were in love with another man. I would have stayed with you and we could have raised our daughter together."when Serena kept her back to him, he sighed and collapsed on another old couch, dust flying up around him."Whats the use."he mumbled to himself.
     She heard his quiet comment and glanced at him, seeing the sad, hopeless expression on his handsome face. The ice that had surrounded her heart for the past eight years finally began to crack when she saw how depressed he appeared and some of what he was saying broke through to her.
     "If....if what your saying is true, then why did you stay married to Lita for all those years?"the question had burned through her mind ever since Lita had told her all of what had really happened.
     His shoulders remained slumped and he didn't look at her when he spoke."I HAD to stay married to her. My grandfather was dying, at least the doctors said he only had some months to live and his dying wish was to see Lita and I married. So we became engaged, but then I met you.....and you know everything else that happened after. I married Lita and-"he halted and recalled it from years before."She fell in love with my cousin Ken at the wedding. They fell in love the same way we did, at first sight. She told me and I didn't care. Well no, I was happy for them, but I never touched her. We agreed it would be best to remain married and appear happy so my grandfather would never know the truth. Its sad to say, but I was sure he would die soon. The doctors had said it anyway."he blew out a breath."But he didn't die until last year. I'd forgotten how strong my grandfather was and he lived for years more. Thats why we stayed married for so long. As soon as my grandfather passed away, we got a divorce and she married Ken."
     She took a moment to digest this information, remembered meeting Ken, Seiya's older brother."Ken is her husband?"
     He nodded."Yea. There happy together, although I have no clue how he puts up with her. She's crazy, always pulling the most idiotic stunts."
     "I have to agree with that."she smiled, then froze. She couldn't believe she was laughing at Lita and the crazy character the woman had."Oh God."
     He looked at her sharply."What?"
     Sighing heavily, she went and sat next to him on the little couch, surprising him."I didn't want to believe either of you because....well, it was easier hating the two of you. Its been easy to justify what you guys did to me and victimize myself."
     "I am sorry Serena, if I had known Lita-"
     She waved her hand, cutting him off."Never mind that. Its past. I have to learn to accept that we both made mistakes, although most of them were Lita's fault."she tapped her fingers on her thigh."And there was also that we should have trusted one another better. If we'd had more faith......"her voice trailed off.
     Hesitant, but needing her close, he pulled her into his lap, kissed her."I'm sorry I hurt you. I never meant too. God, it was the one thing I would never have wanted to do in my life."
     She framed his face between her hands, gazed at him and wondered how she could have ever lived without him."I'm sorry I hurt you too. I'm sorry I never told you about Rene; I'm sorry I didn't share her with you."she kissed him, tears stinging her eyes at the immense love she felt blooming through her heart once again."It makes me wonder how I could have ever lived without you."
     He hugged her close, laughed."Lita was always telling me how I was such a bore to be around, that I'm always in a bad mood."he kissed her tears away, desperate for her."I have to admit, she was right. I've been the biggest jerk the last eight years."
     "I can just imagen. You always were so cranky when you didn't get your way before. I'm pretty sure you haven't changed one bit."she bit back her laugh when he pulled back.
     "I am not. I don't get cranky, six year olds get cranky."when he saw her smug grin, he smiled."Ok, maybe a little."
     "Darien.....its been eight years since we first made love...."she whispered into his ear, sending chills down his spine.
     "And we made Rene that night too."
     "Yea....your right."she kissed his neck, moved her lips up and nibbled on his ear, causing him to suck in a sharp breath."Perhaps you'd like to make another child?"
     "Honey, you always were able to read my mind."

    
     The next morning they left the cabin, walked out toward the road and she was amazed when moments later a taxi appeared and they took it back to the city. Once at the airport, he bought them two tickets and explained that before they picked Rene up he needed to get something at his home.
     They arrived back home and went to his estate, an extremely large mansion. He left her to go to his study, returning moments later with something in his hand.
     "I have something for you here."he opened his palm and revealed a sapphire dimaond to her, huge and shooting light and hope into her eyes as she gazed at it in shock."It was my great grandmothers ring. My grandfather gave it to me before he died."he was silent a moment, staring down at the ring before he reached for her hand to hold in his."He always wondered why I hadn't given it to Lita, why I never asked for it. I think he knew more then we had told him."taking a deep breath, he slid it on her marriage finger."Marry me Serena. I know this is coming eight years too late but.....I can't go on without you. You or Rene. I want you to  be my family, I want you to build a life with me."he watched the tears gather in her eyes, spill over."I love you more then life itself."
     She let out a laugh, full of happiness and joy, so much she felt her heart would burst."Oh Darien. Of course I'll marry you!"he swung her into his arms and kissed her, holding her as she both laughed and cried.
     It seemed like a dream to her, like she would wake up any moment and find she was still alone and the only joy in her life was Rene. She had gone so long without him and feeling heartache she was afraid to hope and believe.
     They went to Raye's, where she found to her astonishment, Lita, Ken, and Seiya all watching Rene ride a pony around the back yard of the house. Serena nearly fainted on the spot.
     Darien noticed and quickly caught her."She's ok, see. Its just a pony."
     "Oh God. What are they all doing here?"she didn't see Darien flinch at her comment. She rushed forward."Rene! Rene!"
     Her daughter stopped her trotting and turned to look over at her mother."Mommy! Look at me, I can ride!"she began trotting again.
     She held her stomache and reassured herself she would be all right. She couldn't protect her from everything, after all."Yes, your very good darling!"she looked back at Lita, Ken, and Seiya as they approached her."What are all of you doing here?"
     Ken and Seiya glanced at one another nervously, but Lita's smile was brilliant."You've made up! The two of you finally made up!"
     Serena planted her hands on her hips."Lita, I want to know how the hell you guys knew where to find my daughter! I-"she halted and whirled to narrow her eyes on Darien."Or should I be asking you instead?"
     He smiled sheepishly, scratched his head."Ah, Serena, darling-"
     "Don't you darling me. Whats going on here?"
     "Oh too bad, the cats out of the bag."Lita didn't seem guilty at all like the three men."It was time you two got pushed together, and Darien saw to setting it up."
     "Lita!"the three men snapped, there voices sharp and full of warning.
     Raye approached the group carrying drinks."Here you go guys, I got-"she halted when she saw Serena and Darien, paling visibly."Oh....hehe....hey Serena."
     "You too Raye?!"
     "I'd love to tell you."Lita cut in, wanting to spill the whole story to her."What his plan was."
     She crossed her arms over her chest, tapped her foot and eyed Darien."Go ahead Lita."
     "Well you see, Darien was desperate to get you to believe he still loved you. Especially after finding out that you two of you had had a daughter together."she didn't notice Darien rub his face and skake his head at her, Ken and Seiya patting his back in sympathy."So he made this plan to have your agent call you and tell you there was a photo shoot you were needed in when there wasn't really one at all. I drove you to the photo shoot."she smiled at Serena's shocked look."Didn't know I could look like a man so well, did you? But anyway, after I left you there Darien was supposed to come along and find you."she motioned to her embaressed husband and his brother."You'll have to admit that Ken and Seiya shoot pretty well."
     She didn't think she could get over her shock as she stared at all of them in horror."You set it all up?"she whispered to him.
     He rubbed the back of his neck, shot Lita a quick glare."Yea, I set it all up."he waited for the shouting to begin, bracing himself.
     He was shocked when she crossed to him and kissed him."Your not such an idiot after all."
     He pulled back, looked into her eyes and saw amusement instead of anger."Your not mad?"
     "No. Lita just told me how desperate you were to get me back. Truth is, it makes me feel really good."she laughed and pinched his nose."Oh Darien, I'm going to laugh at you about this for years."
     "Years?"Lita noticed then the huge rock on her finger, gasped with glee."Oh! Oh!"the tears came and Serena couldn't believe how much she had changed since she last saw her."I'm so happy for you guys!"
     Serena laughed even more."Imagen this, me actually liking you one day Lita."
     "I'm glad you do."on impulse, Lita jumped on Serena and hugged her. To the men's further shock, Serena, laughing, hugged her back.
     Darien snatched her out of Lita's grasp, kissed her and touched his forehead to hers."I can't believe were together at last."
     "Believe it buster because I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."


Stay tuned for the Epilogue! Its not really necessary, I could just end the story right here, but I think it would be even sweeter if I added an epilogue. So consider it a bonus for you readers who have been waiting patiently for this fanfic!~sailorperfect@yahoo.com