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Starting Over

The morning came just as it had billions of times before casting a yellow glow over the earth reaching the two sleeping in each other’s arms. Darien was the first to wake and untangle himself from the sleeping girl beside him. She was always so peaceful when she slept it amazed him. He was certain that he could never look even remotely close to peaceful when he slept. Serena was always peaceful, her lips slightly parted allowing a bit of saliva to coat her bottom lip, not much, just a little to make them glisten. Sighing he walked to his room and stepped into the bathroom for his morning shower, it was going to be a long day and he wanted to be clean for it.

“Dare?” Serena groggily looked around her room but didn’t see her brother. Sitting up she rubbed her eyes before shifting her weight and touching her feet to the floor. Something about being alone in this moment bothered her. She’d had another unsettling dream and wanted to be sure he was okay. “Dare?” She asked and searched her room before venturing next door and into his. “Dare?” She whispered into the empty room. Clearly he’d moved all of his furniture yesterday. It was eerie to see his room empty, strange to think they were moving to a new house on the other side of the country. She looked around for him wondering if he’d gone down to help move the final objects; that was… until she saw his bathroom door slightly cracked open. Just walk away Serena… she attempted to will her feet to retrace her steps however she found herself moving towards the bathroom. She could hear the sound of the shower and saw the steam creeping out of the crack. She bit her lip as she wondered why her heart was racing. Well, she knew why her heart was racing; the issue was that she’d never seen her brother without any clothes. This puzzled her because he’d seen her nude so many times and thought nothing of it. To her, personal boundaries didn’t exist when Darien was with her yet… she’d never seen him nude and was nervous about the possibility. Rarely had she even seen him with his shirt off. Last night had been the first time he’d come around her without that item of clothing in years… save for the night she was raped. Stepping so close to the bathroom door that she felt the heat against her skin she froze. Just turn around… you shouldn’t be here… you fantasize enough about him without knowing what he looks like without clothes. Too late. Her hand was on the doorknob pushing the door open a bit more. Suddenly the shower stopped simultaneously making her stop. Her eyes were fixed on the mirror that reflected the image of the glass shower so she could see. It was steamy in the bathroom, literally, obviously Darien was a fan of extremely hot water. Suddenly the door opened and she saw Darien emerge from the shower. She took a step back continuing to will herself to turn around before the steam cleared. Her eyes refused to listen to her, refused to move away from the image in the mirror. It was like a movie, the steam was slowly clearing and he was becoming more and more visible. He grabbed a towel and began to dry his soaking wet hair allowing her to slowly scan him over. It was as though she was a tiger stalking it’s prey. She could see no flaws in him, none whatsoever. He was perfect in her eyes. She felt herself let out a large breath catching his attention. Panicking she rushed to his bedroom door and knocked as if she’d just come in. “Darien? Are you in here?”

“Yeah! Hold one second!” He called from the bathroom. She waited for him nervously hoping he didn’t know she was spying on him. Oh God what would she do if he knew? “Hey.” He smiled stepping out from the bathroom with the jeans he wore the night before on and the towel draped around his neck. “Need anything?”

“No, I was just wondering if you ran away.” She teased playfully and tried to push the image she’d just been studying out of her head. He stood in his empty room studying her eyes closely before moving to his practically empty closet and selecting a black muscle tee. She loved it when he wore that shirt, it was sexy in so many ways, and paired with his faded blue jeans… She shuddered slightly. “So… what do I need to do today?”

“Pack up your dresser.” He smiled and pulled the shirt over his head then ran his hand through his wet hair. “After you do that we’ll be about ready to take off. We’re only waiting for your room.” He winked. “So… off with you now.” He waved a hand at her then smiled broadly. She turned slowly and left the room before breaking into a painful run and rushing back to her room. She had no idea if he knew or not but she wasn’t going to stick around him to find out. What would he say if he knew? What would he think? She closed her eyes only to see him there as well.

Okay… pack the dresser… pack the dresser. She repeated to herself and found an empty stack of boxes she hadn’t noticed earlier. Her room was pretty much empty save for her bed and that dresser. Sitting on the floor she opened the drawer that held her tapes and toys. With a sly smile she began to pack the drawer into the box being sure all of her tapes were there. Yup, just the way you left them. She smiled and continued to place the items away. Lingere, the tapes, various toys including bondage materials; many fine memories went with them. Just as she finished her door opened making her jump and shove the flaps of the box together. “What?” She snapped at the two young men standing in the doorway. “Oh… sorry.” She blushed and grabbed a large felt tipped marker to label the box. “I’m done in here if you’re here to move everything.”

“Yup…” One of the men smiled then stepped into the room motioning for the other to follow. “You’re… uh… Serena aren’t you?” He asked bashfully then blushed as she nodded her head yes. “Look… I uh… I’m such a big fan of yours. That routine that you did with your brother years ago… the one that won the tournament… that was beautiful and amazing… and your gymnastics are incredible!” Her eyes widened. She’d never had anyone approach her as if she was a star for those feats.

“Thank you!” She stood and held out her hand to shake his. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You’re… um… you’ve got some blood on your tank top.” He said nervously then frowned. “it’s from the cuts that man gave you when you were raped isn’t it?” She stepped back and looked down at her shirt then blushed as she realized she was still only wearing her panties and her tank top. She hadn’t even put a bra on yet! The man’s eyes wandered down to her thighs seeing the cuts in them and the almost all faded bruises.

“Hey! Get out!” Darien shot from the doorway eyeing the two men. “She isn’t even dressed yet.” He stormed into the room and placed himself in front of her to block their views. “You can wait until I come and get you.” He growled making the men back out of the room. “You really have no shame do you?” He then turned on her and noticed the blood on her shirt. “Damn it.” He then looked her over more closely and noticed the deeper cuts between her legs were bleeding fairly heavily. “Serena!” He growled and picked her up carrying her to the bathroom to doctor her wounds. Setting her on the large counter he grabbed a washcloth and stood in front of her cleaning the blood off of her. “Probably my fault for letting you wander around so much.” He sighed and looked into her eyes as he pressed the cloth to her. It was if he was trying to look into her soul. “We need to get you dressed. Mother’s in a hurry to leave, Andrew and Molly are downstairs waiting to say goodbye, then the movers are impatient.” She watched his eyes change color as he went through several emotions. “Come on.” He lifted her from the counter and took her into the closet pulling her shirt off and tossing her one of her many bras before searching her closet for a shirt and pants.

She dressed then let Darien lead her out of the closet and past the men who’d re-entered her room despite being told to wait. He glared as he pulled her forward, down the stairs and out of the empty house to his Mercedes. “I’m riding with you? Wait… we’re DRIVING?” She asked exasperated it was annoying to think she’d be stuck in a car for who knew how long. “I hate driving.” She crossed her arms and looked at her brother with defiance.

“Well good then. You’re not driving. You’re riding in the passenger seat. So get in, sit down and shut your yap for a moment.” He smiled playfully and opened her door for her. Ilene and Ken stood close by watching the two. Once she was in the car Darien walked to their parents who spoke a few words then got into their car. “Okay, we’re set.” He smiled as he came back to the car bringing Andrew and Molly with.

“Bah Sarenah. Ah’m gunna miss ya!” Molly smiled after she opened the door and hugged her good friend. “Awe gosh… ah’m cryin’!” Molly gasp and quickly pulled away to let Andrew have his farewell.

“Don’t mind her Serry. We’ll be visiting.” He hugged her then stepped back to give Darien a clearly unwanted and overly brotherly hug. “Bye you big oaf! Don’t chase all her potentials away.” Darien laughed then hugged Molly lightly before shutting Serena’s door and getting into the car himself.

“I don’t want to go.” Serena said silently as she looked at her friends through the glass. She had thought she could leave them but it was hard to imagine them not being just down the road. “Can’t we stay here while mom and dad move?”

“No.” Darien sighed and started the car. They pulled out of the driveway behind their parent’s car leaving their life in Virginia behind them. She looked back at her friends and wondered if they would come to visit as Andy had promised.

It took them a week to drive across the country to their new home. Darien nudged his sister awake as they entered Washington’s state border. “Hey… hey! Wake up welcome to our new home!” He exclaimed as Serena slowly opened her eyes and looked around wide eyed. Unlike Virginia Washington looked like a desert wasteland… at least in the east. “I know this doesn’t look too great but that’s the amazing part of Washington. The east part of this state is separated by a mountain range making this part like a desert. The other side of the mountains is where we’re going. It’s green and lush year round.”

“How can it be green year round?” Serena shot and remembered that back home all of the trees were losing their leaves to get ready for winter. Darien laughed at her blatant disregard for tree classification.

“Washington is the evergreen state meaning practically all the trees are evergreens and don’t lose their green color.” He smiled and looked at her with a triumphant look. “Bet you didn’t know we were born here.” Her face became still as she turned with new interest to the land. “In Seattle though.”

“Oh.” She sighed and sat back thankful she wasn’t born in this deserted looking place. “So are we going back there?” She asked with a bit of hope in her voice. She wanted to be in a big city and there weren’t many in Washington as far as she knew.

“No, we’re going to Vancouver… It’s just across the Columbia from Portland Oregon so yeah. You won’t be too far from skyscrapers and tuberculosis.” She looked at her brother with a horror stricken face. What sort of comment was that?

“What?” She gasp then narrowed her eyes as he laughed heartily. “Whatever you jerk.” She looked out the window at the passing fields of gold. Soon the landscape changed to reflect the climbing elevation of the mountain then the cloudy, wet, green valley. “Oh… my God is this where we’re going to be living?” She asked and looked up at the dark grey November sky. “It’s not even blue!”

“It rarely is.” Darien nodded and admired the ominous clouds. “It’s like this all the time. It rains constantly as well.” Despite the beautiful green of the trees and bushes, despite the deep rivers she felt herself become depressed. Rain? She hated rain. “You’ll like it here. I promise you.”

“Uh huh.” She snorted and waited to come upon their new home. She wondered what it would look like. It was probably going to be a smaller house then back at home. Something she wasn’t looking forward to. Finally they arrived in front of a new looking two-story house. It was clearly modeled in the new craft of stone Tudor European homes. “It looks… nice.” She smiled weakly at the house that would become her new home. Unlike the house in Virginia this one was in a subdivision and was surrounded by a plethora of other homes. It didn’t have the grounds the last house had, and it certainly wasn’t near the size.

“It’s more than nice. It’s brand new! It’s stunning!” Darien jumped out of the car and quickly rushed to open her door and get her out. She emerged from the car and looked around noticing the neighbors looking at them with interest. More than likely the moving van, which was parked in the driveway being unloaded, drew them to wonder who was moving into the neighborhood. He took her inside so they could both explore. Ken ventured in with them as Ilene remained outside to boss the movers about.

They explored the house until Serena found herself leaning heavily on Darien’s arm for support her body exhausted and in pain. “I think that’s enough for her eh son?” Ken said softly as Darien scooped her into his arms.

“I think so too.” Darien carried her upstairs to her room, which the movers had managed to put her bed. “Time to rest Serena.” He lay her down then lay down himself placing a strong arm around her. He watched as the movers brought the boxes into her room and eye them suspiciously. No doubt their closeness puzzled many people but he didn’t care. I was his duty to make sure she was safe and content. One mover in particular stared at them each time he entered the room. “What?” Darien snapped nastily scaring the man away.

“What?” Serena asked groggily and turned slightly to him making him regret his tiny outburst. “What’s going on?” She asked and opened her eyes slightly.

“Nothing Serena go back to sleep.” He smiled at her and placed a kiss on her forehead. “Don’t worry, everything is just fine.” She went back to sleep allowing him to resume glaring at the movers who kept staring at them. Finally the team of men left allowing Darien to relax. He was glad to see them go because nothing bothered him more than men eyeing Serena when she was sleeping. It was as if they were wondering if they could take advantage of her in her unconscious state.

“Hey there kiddo. You hungry?” Ken asked as he entered the room with a bag of food from a fast food restaurant. “Burgerville. My favorite… haven’t had it since we lived her.” He set the bag next to the bed and looked at his sleeping daughter. “This will be good for her… I’m convinced of it.”

“Me too.” Darien nodded and tightened his grip around her fragile body. “Getting her away from those monsters back home.” Ken’s face grew serious as he looked at Darien. He knew that Darien was on a mission to make Serena’s life better, to protect her from the evils of men yet, he couldn’t seem to see past the danger he himself posed. Ken used to think that Darien would grow out of his protection phase however, he hadn’t and now Serena had been attacked for it. She suffered in Darien’s absence from her own misery; it was as if he’d become the only light in her world.

“There are monsters everywhere Darien. Even in you and I. Just remember that.” Darien looked at his father and nodded. He knew the truth in those words. It was the evil inside of him that had made Alan jump out the window, which had broken Andrew’s arm, and wanted Fiore dead. He wanted them all dead, every man who’d taken advantage of Serena’s bad judgment. “Enjoy your burgers.” Ken offered and walked out of the room choosing to let Darien think about the way he coddled Serena. It was so very clear that Serena was becoming dependant of him, she always had been to a point but it was worse now. She cried for him in her sleep if he wasn’t by her. Yet Ken sensed that Darien wanted it that way. The young man wanted to be needed, wanted to be her world. Most people saw Serena’s flaws but no one seemed to look at Darien’s. No, he was the savior, he was the person trying to rescue her; but no action was ever selfless. Darien was just as confused as Serena, two people caught in a world of pain and suffering. He only hoped that one day someone would come along and make them realize it. There had to be someone out there who could love Serena for who she was, and stand up to Darien. There had to be someone who would liberate her from her volunteered prison. There also had to be someone who would do the same for Darien.

The next day Ilene and Ken left to start their new careers. Once again the siblings were left alone in the house. “You unpack your room Serena and I’ll go do mine.” Darien smiled and kissed her forehead before going into his room for the first time since their arrival. Serena sat among the boxes debating which to put away first.

She decided on her private drawer first. It was important to get that done first so Darien could unpack the rest of her room if she was feeling tired. Digging for the box she found it and opened the flaps to begin putting it back into the dresser it came from. One by one she removed each item. After it was put away she took inventory of it all being sure that the movers hadn’t taken anything. It would be sick and disturbing but still possible. Scanning the contents of the drawer she froze. One of her movies was missing… her personal favorite and the most explicit of the tapes she’d starred in. “Oh God…” She gasp and put her hand over her mouth wondering which sicko took it. “Oh!” She shuddered imagining some guy in his thirties watching the film and doing unspeakable things to himself. “DARIEN!” She closed the drawer and stood up feeling herself begin to hyperventilate. She wanted to be an actress someday! What if the sick bastard who took it pasted it on youtube or something!

“What?” He rushed in and took a good look at her immediately furrowing his brow. “What’s got you so upset?” He looked at the box marked “Serena, Personal DO NOT OPEN!” and returned is eyes to her full of new concern. “What’s wrong?”

“S… Someone… no… some sicko stole one of my home made movies!” He raised an eyebrow and stepped forward taking her hands and setting on the bed pulling her down so she was beside him. “I mean… who… who would be sick enough to do such a thing?”

“What sort of movie was this?” Darien asked without emotion in his voice indicating he already had a pretty clear idea of what it was. She only looked at him. “I see… well, you’re the one who made them. I hardly see why you’re hyperventilating. You’ve let countless men take you to bed, why should one watching you in bed bother you?” She stared at him with her jaw halfway to the floor. “Don’t look at me like that you know I have a point. Plus, what are you going to do? Call the company and complain about it? Then they’ll be looking for it to watch together. This is one of those things you can’t really prove.”

“I can’t believe you’re the one being calm about this.” She gasp and looked into his emotionless eyes. “I mean… you!”

“Like I said Serena. There’s nothing you can do… I mean what? You want me to go there and look for your sex tape? I’m sorry but I draw the line there. I won’t do that for you.” She smiled and nodded realizing she was over-reacting.

“I love you.” She smiled and hugged him close making him laugh. “What?”

“You don’t love me as much as they’re going to when they watch whatever you have on that thing.” He shielded himself as she smacked him. “Hey! You know I’m only playing!” She growled and tackled him onto the bed then began to beat him with a pillow. “Stop… hey stop! I don’t want to hurt you!” He warned and looked at her between her hits. She ignored him then squealed as he flipped her over and stood up being sure not to trap her under him.

“Pussy.” She laughed as he stood. “Afraid to wrestle with me?”

“You’re not strong enough yet. Physically or mentally.” He breathed and ran both of his hands through his hair. Something he did when something really bothered him. “I’m going back to my room to finish what I’m doing. I’ll be in to help you when I’m done.” He quickly left her to herself making her wonder what bothered him. Was she really so fragile he was afraid to play with her the way he used to? Her thoughts slowly wandered back to the tape as she unpacked. She knew it was the most explicit but why would someone choose that one over the others? They weren’t exactly labeled… it must have been pure luck that they chose the one the liked the most. Coincidence that they would draw the tape she had the most fun in unless… the movers took their time over that week and watched them! Suddenly a new panic enveloped her as she went back to the drawer to check. She had a way of leaving the tapes in a certain position so she’d know if any of her boyfriends watched them. Sure enough they had all been moved. The throngs of each tape were off from her normal positioning system. Someone in that company deliberately watched every tape until they found the one that excited her the most. She wondered if she should tell Darien but opted against it. The fact that they had taken a tape is different then them actually previewing them all to pick their favorite. That sort of news would piss Darien off to no end.

She attempted to forget the whole thing and continued to unpack. Though the thought that someone was in that box bothered her more than she’d thought possible. If they watched the videos and took one what else did they do with the things in there? Perhaps it was better to throw it all away? Deciding to leave the issue for later she continued to unpack her room. Slowly but surely she put everything into it’s place.

“All done?” Darien asked as he stepped into the room a few hours later. Just finishing her work Serena looked up and smiled with a nod. “Good! Let’s look you over to see if you’re bleeding at all.” He then stepped up to her and lifted her clothes to examine her. Finding nothing he smiled and hugged her close as the doorbell rang. “Neighbors?” He turned and walked downstairs pulling her along. Stepping up to the door he pulled it open to come face to face with a red-headed teenage boy and four teenage girls. “Hello, can I help you?” Darien asked curiously.

“Hey! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Rubeus and these are my sisters, Prisma, Catzy, Avery, and Birdie.” Rubeus motioned towards each girl as he stated her name. “We live two houses down… Welcome neighbors!” Darien stood silently taking the group in. Serena stood behind him safely guarded by his strong figure as he thought about what Rubeus had just said.

“Hello. My name’s Darien, this is Serena.” He smiled and shook each person’s hand but blocked her from doing the same. Seeing this Rubeus lifted an eyebrow but smiled nonetheless. Serena looked Rubeus over briefly then moved her eyes to the four women behind him. Each had her own definite sense of style yet the same vain air to them. Prisma wore a dark green and black top with a black skirt and knee high boots. Her dark green colored hair was swept up in a loose bun accenting her strong facial features. Catzy wore her hair in a fashion that was slightly similar to Serena’s spaghetti and meatball fashion except her buns were shaped like cones and the rest of her dark purple hair cascaded freely down her back. Her pink and purple pinstriped shirt hugged her body tightly which was contrasted by the jagged cut purple skirt she wore. Avery looked most like her brother with orangey red hair pulled back in a tight bun with a bright yellow bow. Her orange corset top was laced snugly making her chest appear squished. Her tight mini skirt and lace up orange sandals completed her outfit. Birdie, in Serena’s opinion was by far the prettiest girl of them all. Her long silver hair was French braided into a long ponytail with her bangs covering a lone braid crossing her forehead. She wore an icy blue jumpsuit with dark blue boots. To say the least they were a colorful bunch surrounding their brother who was wearing a brown sweater and matching pants.

“Nice to meet you both… would you like to take a tour of the neighborhood?” Rubeus offered as his sisters giggled amongst themselves. Darien nodded and pulled Serena out of the house but her hand and locked it behind him. “Oh… okay then… let’s start with our cul-de-sac shall we?” Rubeus smiled and began to lead the group.

“So… Darien… how old are you?” Prisma ventured with a seductive smile. Feeling jealousy fill her Serena glared at the girl then squeezed his hand causing him to sigh.

“I’m almost eighteen… a senior this year.” He smiled and continued to follow Rubeus and listen to his endless prattle about the houses and people in the neighborhood. The two listened politely occasionally sighing from his judgmental commentary.

“Leaving the cul-de-sac now we enter the rest of the neighborhood where all the weird people live.” He laughed making his sisters snicker. Walking along Serena spotted a teen on his bike jumping off of a home-made ramp. It didn’t seem that safe but he executed his moves with all of the precision of a well-versed rider. As they neared him Rubeus began to grow quiet instead watching the boy teen with a sadistic smile. “That’s Seiya Kou. He’s a freak. I suggest you stay away from him.”

Serena watched Seiya stop his bike and watch the group carefully. His long black ponytail blew in the slight wind as his icy blue eyes scanned them then connected with hers for a brief moment. Serena’s gaze soon drew Darien’s eyes in the same direction. Seiya was still, as though he were a statue. “Hi.” He smiled and began to approach the frozen man with his hand still clamped around Serena’s. Seiya quickly scanned his eyes over the two and stiffened as though he were preparing to run. “My name’s Darien. This is Serena.”

Seiya examined them once again and grunted his icy eyes fixed on Darien’s. “What do you want?” Darien seemed to loosen a bit making Serena feel suddenly nervous. This Seiya was cute, his slim features and piercing eyes immediately drew her to him.

“Just leave him alone Darien. He’s a freak.” Rubeus laughed with his sisters making Darien turn violently while releasing Serena’s hand. Though she couldn’t see the look on his face Serena could imagine the evil eye he gave the red head.

“You have no right to call anyone a freak! As far as I’m concerned you’re an asshole and you can leave Serena and I alone.” The emphasis on the word Serena made her smile. Already he was beginning to find possible threats to her. Turning back to Seiya Serena saw a look of shock on his face. Had no one ever stood up for him? “Sorry about them Seiya. They were just leaving.” Darien said loudly making the group retreat.

“Thanks… that was a first for me.” Seiya smiled making Serena’s heart flutter. He was dreamy, not in the classic and smoldery way Darien was though. No, Seiya was a mysterious sort of sexy. “New around here? Well, let me save you the trouble. It’s social suicide to be friends with me so walk away now and you won’t be disappointed.” Serena frowned at the definite tone Seiya had.

“Let me save you some trouble. There’s no possible way I can commit social suicide. People flock to me.” Darien crossed his arms looking at Seiya pointedly who smiled deviously. “I think you underestimate yourself.”

“Darien… you’re all right.” Seiya smiled and looked at his new friend’s companion. His eyes moved over her then back to Darien. That was it, unimpressed, unmoved by her beauty. Darien saw the interaction and moved towards Seiya.

“Play football at all?” Serena snapped her head towards her brother with a slack jaw. Seiya had just over looked her and now Darien was trying to bond with him? What the hell was going on? “I was the quarterback back at home…”

Seiya began to reply when a tall, drunken brunette stumbled out of the house behind him and shouted his name. “Seiya! Get in here now!” Serena fixed her eyes on the woman and frowned. The woman’s body was scantily clad as she stumbled towards the now terrified looking teen.

“I’ve got to go… I’ll stop by some time. Bye Darien!” He turned towards the house then paused turning his head to look over his shoulder. “Serena.” The two watched Seiya rush to the house and disappear into its depths. With a skeptic look Serena swung her eyes towards her brother as if he were a stranger.

“Don’t look at me like that. He’s the first one to look at you and not immediately associate you with sex.” Darien didn’t even look at her as he took her hand and began to lead her back to the house. “I think he could be the one I pick for you.”

“What?” She exclaimed and pulled her hand from her brother’s. As cute as Seiya was there was no way she was going to try and gain his attention. If Seiya didn’t freely give his affections then he wasn’t worth it. “Screw you Darien!” She stormed towards her house wanting to distance herself from Seiya’s house and Darien’s concentrated eyes.