@TENDERLY@
Author: Hikari.
E-mail: 
Rated: R
Part: Chapter 4


AN:  Ok people, here's the next chapter of Tenderly.  I hope you all
enjoy it, *and* don't forget to send me feed-back!!



Chapter 4:

	"Listen Sir."  Serena began as she stared at the face of
a plump middle-aged man.  "I really don't know why I'm here.  I
mean- I certainly don't *belong* here."  She started pacing around
the dim-lighted, small office room.  "I'm merely here because my
friend Darien wanted me to come here and speak to you but- you
see- we have nothing to talk about because- I have no problem."
Serena sat herself on the maroon leather sofa as her monologue
continued.

	"You see, he's just a little over protective but I'm a big
girl and I know how to take care of myself.  So there really is no
point in me being here.  I'm perfectly normal.  I'm not going nuts.
I'm both mentally and emotionally stable..." Serena stood up and
grabbed her purse.  "So if you just write up a note to Darien and
tell him what both you and I already know, I'll just be on my way
home."

	The man examined Serena with his gaze.  His eyes trailed
over her appearance, stopping only on her face.  Her blond hair
was tied back with a black bow to the nape of her neck.  Her
facial expression looked alive, but her eyes contradicted the
notion.  And on her cheek was the saddest attempt to cover up a
bruise.  He knew that she recognized the fact that no matter how
much base she 'caked-on,' the coloring of that bruise would still
show.

	He had apparently been staring at her face for a while
because Serena had decided to turn her face to the side.  He shook
his head slowly.  It was another one of *those* cases.  He hated
the fact that *those* types of men existed.  He especially felt
sorry for the girl in front of him because she seemed to be the
exact same age as his only daughter.

	His daughter.  'D*nm it! If that ever happened to her...'
He would make sure the guy never lived to do it again.

	"So, are you gonna write me that note?"

	Serena's voice brought him back from his reverie.  Standing
up and leaning forward on his desk, he waived his hand invitingly
towards the 'looney' couch (as so many first timers liked to call
it) and said, "Please Miss Moyers, take a seat if you will."

	"Alright."  She did as she was told and waited patiently
for him to sit back in his chair and start writing her note.

	"You were right when you said you didn't belong here.
Well..." he corrected himself. "Half right."  He saw her look of
confusion and ventured on.  "You see, no woman should ever be in
the position you're in, and if you would let me, I would like to
help you out of your situation."

	"What situation?"  Serena leaped off the couch defensively.
"I told you, *I*-*don't*-*have*-*a*-*problem*."  Walking over to
the door, she turned and spoke.  "Listen, I don't know if it's that
you're lacking *real* patients that you have to try to convince
me of seeing you, but I'm not dumb."  She opened the door.  "I
don't need a shrink!" ...And walked out.


		     *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


	"Darien, I'm home!"  Serena yelled as she walked inside
the apartment.

	"Great!"  He walked out of the kitchen and went to greet
her at the door.  "I have a surprise for you."  Darien kissed her
cheek and led her by the hand to the dining room.

	As they entered the room, Serena could only stare in joy.
The dining table was covered in a beautiful cream cloth.  Candle
lights on either side of a rose filled crystal vase, and two china
plates filled with delicious food at opposite ends of the table.
She turned to look at Darien, a smile lighting up her face.
"What's the meaning of this?"

	Darien walked over to one of the chairs and pulled it out.
"Well," he began as she sat down.  "I thought that you needed a
reward after making the effort and seeing the psychiatrist I told
you about."

	Serena froze on the spot.  "Really?"

	"Of course."  Darien took his seat.  "It takes great
strength to realize you have a problem."  Taking his napkin and
laying it flat on his lap he continued.  "I mean, you must have
realized what could have happened to you if you hadn't left David
when you did.  Right?"

	Serena could feel Darien's voice heavy with hatred as he
pronounced David's name.  "Of course."  She said half-heartedly.
'But he wouldn't have gone that far... would he?'

	"So, tell me how it went."

	"Huh?"

	"You know," Darien encouraged.  "The appointment.  How did
it go?"

	"Well, you see..." Serena lowered her head like a child
about to be punished.  "I- I went but- but I didn't stay the whole
session."  She shut her eyes tight and waited for Darien to explode
on her because she hadn't done what he had asked.

	...The explosion never came.

	"Serena..."

	Her head snapped to the side as she became aware of his
proximity.  He stood behind her, gazing at her with the most
beautiful pair of blue eyes.  Serena's heart squeezed painfully as
she noted that his gaze was sad.  It was all because of her.

	Suddenly, she felt his arms wrap themselves around her
shoulders in a hug.  "Don't worry Serena.  I know it must be hard
for you, but don't *ever* forget that you have me to count on."
He turned to look into her face.  "You can always depend on me."

	Tears escaped from her eyes without permission.  She didn't
want to cry in front of him.  It seemed like crying was all she
ever did when he was around.  Why did he constantly make her feel
so... so...  'I don't know.'

	Serena lifted her face to his and smiled.  "I'm not really
hungry, but thank you Darien, for the wonderful dinner."  She
kissed his cheek.  "I know I can always count on you."


		     *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


	That night, Serena lay in bed at the side of the man who
confused her every thought.  She had been staying at his apartment
for almost two weeks now and Darien still displayed that 'friendly'
front she knew so well.  He had acquired it when they had broken
up, years ago.

	She knew she had hurt him when she confessed her need to
see other people.  It had been a bad time when she had chosen to
tell him.  Serena scolded herself mentally as she thought back to
her college days with Darien.  She really shouldn't have slept
with him... she had taken away his first time.  Her, who wasn't
worth even his smile.

	Serena grabbed some of the sheets and curled up into a
ball.  She knew he probably hated her now.  It was obvious in the
way he hadn't even attempted to kiss her lips.  'Ah!'  She was so
perplexed with his attitude... with the way he made her feel.

	She was always happy when she was with him, but it made
her sad to think that this was what she had lost.  And that's when
things got her confused.  How could she be sad at not being with
him when she had been the one who broke things off?  Which brought
up again the question that she asked herself every night and day...
why did she choose David over Darien?

	Looking at the serene face that Darien displayed, melted
her heart.  Closed eyelids with thick dark lashes, a straight nose
laudable of any comparison with a Greek sculpture, and full thin
lips.  He was so handsome, so adorable, so beautifully male.

	Serena ran a hand over his bangs, brushing them away from
his face.  Temptation had always been her weak spot because, before
she knew it, she was kissing Darien's lips.  They were so soft and
warm and... ANSWERING?!  Darien was kissing her back!

	He opened his eyes and pulled away from her.  "Serena, what
are you doing?"

	'It's now or never.'  And with that thought in mind, Serena
straddled Darien and took off her pajama, leaving only her underwear.
"Darien, I want to sleep with you."

	Darien eyes widened at her request.  Had she gone crazy?
"Serena, I think you probably had a little *too much* wine tonight."
He tried to wriggle himself from underneath Serena but failed
miserably in the process as she pinned him down.

	"I'm not drunk!"  She laid herself on top of his chest, her
voice breaking as she asked, "Darien, do you still love me?"

	His arms instinctively came up and encircled her body,
pinning it down further into his own.  "Yes..." he said as he
began to stroke her hair.  'More than you'll ever know.'  He
finished for himself.

	Raising her head to meet his, Serena placed small butterfly
kisses all over his face.  And when she stopped at his lips, he
kissed her back with the passion she had been yearning for.  Soon,
her whimpers turned into moans as her head swam with the thought
that this man loved her.  *Her*, not some bimbo from who-knows-where,
but *her*!

	She could feel Darien undo her bra and slowly remove it
from her breasts.  His hands softly caressing her skin, heating up
her center in a way that not even David had done before.  She had
nearly forgotten what having sex with Darien was like.  'No,' she
rectified herself.  'Not sex, but making love."

	Soon she was crying out Darien's name in fervor as she rode
on wave after wave of blissful emotion.  He too calling out to her
as they linked hands and reached oblivion together.  Falling asleep
almost immediately after they had come back.


		     *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


	Serena awoke early and looked at the magnificent guy next to
her.  She knew that he had let her use him.  Most people would say
that it had been the other way around, but she knew better.  He
hadn't wanted to sleep with her because he knew she didn't love him.
Yet, his love for her forced him to succumb to her wishes.

	She wiped away the tears that were threatening to fall and
slowly got out of bed.  She dressed in a t-shirt and sweatpants and
left the apartment with the intention to get some air.  Her life was
getting too confusing and she needed to find out what she really
wanted.

	When she reached the lobby, she realized she had forgotten
to let Darien know where she was going.  Walking over to the security
guard, she asked him for pen and paper, and wrote Darien a note.
She handed it to the guard and walked outside.

	Serena walked through the paths of a nearby park, letting
the cool morning wind distract her from her thoughts.  She had to
decide.  She had to figure out what she wanted and why.

	She sat silently on a park bench, unaware of the person
behind her.  His hands landed harshly on her shoulders, startling
Serena.  She turned her head around to see whom it was, her eyes
widening as she recognized the face.  "David?"



TO BE CONTINUED...

*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*

What will happen next?  Will Serena go back to David?  Will Darien get
Serena's note?  What *is* in Serena's note?  And what about the shrink?
And most importantly... Will Darien *ever* get to kick David's A$$?!

All these questions and more shall be answered in the next chapters of
Tenderly.  So stayed tooned!!

Jya ne!

ATT:  Hikari-chan.

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