Chapter Thirteen
Disclaimers: Don't sue and don't copy!
AN. Through every difficulty, may you have a friend.
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Darien had finally gotten to sleep. His body had given out and for once his sleep was uninterrupted by nightmares. Of course that didn't stop the phone from waking him.
He came out of deep sleep taking a minute to identify the sound that had wakened him. He automatically reached for the alarm clock but stopped noticing that the sound was gone. For a second he thought he was imagining things. Then it came again and this time his sleep-starved brain recognized it.
Phone!
He grabbed it from its cradle, successfully wrapping himself tightly in his sheets at the same time. "Hello."
"Darien! Oh, it's Ilene. The hospital just called! Serena woke up about an hour ago. They've already started the extra tests on her so they said that we should be able to see her once they move her to a normal room, probably early this afternoon."
He sighed hearing the news that he'd been waiting so long for. "Did they say if she was all right or not?"
"No, they aren't done checking her over yet so I guess they don't know. But I'm going to ask that same thing as soon as I can. Ken took Sammy out to help set up for a story that he's taking pictures for at the palace gardens tonight and I can't reach them yet. I've left messages with everyone I know so they should get it soon enough."
"I understand."
"Will you come by later Darien? I'm sure she'll want to see you. I mean if you aren't wrapped up in something."
He laughed looking down at the covers that were trying to strangle him. "I'll be there, what time are you going?"
"I don't know. They said that they'd call when she was settled into a new room. Can I give you call when I leave?"
"Please do. You have our number at work too right? I may be there."
"Yes, I have it. Will you tell Dr. Benton when you see him?"
"Of course I will," he said thinking of Romola's face when he told her.
"Oh, good. I'm going to call the girls yet and let them know. They've all been worried sick too. The poor things, I'm sure they'll be very glad to hear it."
"I think we all are." Actually glad didn't begin to describe what he felt at the moment.
"I know," she answered quietly. "Well then, I'll see you later dear."
"Thank you, Mrs. Tsukino."
She laughed lightly although he thought he could hear a few tears in her voice. "Thank you too, Darien."
"Romola!"
She looked up from the papers spread across her desk. "Darien! I sent you home to get some sleep. What on Earth are you doing back here again today?"
He laughed at her and walked around to pull her up from her chair. "She woke up! Her mother called me to say that we'll be allowed to see her sometime this afternoon. They should have her all checked through and moved by then."
He got her to her feet and hugged her in spite of himself. She simply hugged him back in shock. "She's awake?" she mumbled not fully understanding yet.
"Romola! I leave for two minutes and I find you draped all over a younger man." They both looked up to see Norman Benton enter the office note pad and briefcase in hand. He coughed into his hand. "Now that I have your attention might I ask if our beloved little Serena would be the one who's finally woken up?"
Darien laughed and nodded. Romola untangled herself from his arms and swept to her husband's side. "Isn't in wonderful Norman!"
He laughed at her and hugged her pecking a kiss on her lips. "Yes it is." He turned to Darien. "Have you gotten to see her yet?"
"No, her mother said that she'd call me when she was told that she could have visitors."
"Well then," Romola piped up. "I think we'd better put together a 'get well soon' package."
Darien walked into the Mercy View Hospital feeling much better than he had the first time around. Even the hospital atmosphere had changed. It was in color!
"Excuse me." The receptionist held up a finger to him while she finished flipping through a book at her side without looking up at him. For a moment he contemplated finishing his sentence with a 'I think I'm on fire. Would you mind helping me find an extinguisher?' but he figured she wouldn't find as much humor in it as he did.
OK, so he was even back to his normal goofy puns.
"Yes, sir," she said finally acknowledging him.
"Could you tell me what room Serena Tsukino is in?"
"One moment." She typed away at her computer before turning back to him. "South wing. Room 473." She pointed down the opposite hallway from the one he had been shown last time.
"Thank you," he said marching down the hallway. After a few minutes of wondering around the wing he'd found himself in he still hadn't figured out how they numbered the rooms. *Why is it that hospitals always use some odd sort of numbering system when they put their rooms together? Were med-students required to take 'foreign numbering' as one of their courses or what?*
He finally asked one of the orderlies meandering around, and actually ended up in front of the right door. He poked his head through the open doorway and found that he had to be in the right place. Ilene Tsukino sat in a small chair placed by the bedside reading. Leaning a little farther in he managed to see the form lying in the bed.
His heart nearly stopped in his chest. Serena laid there with her face turned away from him. Her hair, which was no longer in its accustomed style, lay haphazardly around her frame. In the afternoon light filtering through the window next to her it gave off a golden glow. One hand lay in her mother's next to her and the other was placed over her stomach.
For a minute he simply leaned against the doorframe watching her obviously sleeping figure. If his heart had any doubts left that she would be all right it had forsaken them now. His poor little angle lay there quietly, much like she had only a few weeks before when she'd fallen asleep in his arms. So peaceful and serene. He smiled to himself, for once her name actually fit.
He wasn't sure how long he simply stood there watching her. From his point of view he couldn't find anything wrong with her. No tubes or wiring extended from her and no bandages were in sight. She looked perfectly normal and happily sleeping, but he knew that she was probably still hurting. Especially if she'd already learned of Neil's… of Neil. Ilene flipped a page in her book and for a minute looked over at her daughter. Both women faced away from the door and hadn't noticed him.
Time to change that.
He walked in quietly hoping not to disturb Serena's slumber. Ilene looked up to see him approach, a smile twinkling for him, which he returned. She looked so much like her daughter when she did that.
"Hello Darien," she whispered.
"Hello Mrs. Tsukino. How's our patient?"
She laughed slightly and turned to her again slowly easing her hand out of the younger woman's kissing it lightly. She stood and walked with him towards the door before answering him. "The doctors say that she'll be just fine. She has some stitches across her right temple and a brace to try to stabilize her collarbone while it mends. Otherwise she's tested out just fine."
He nodded thankfully, her words touching home. She would be perfectly all right.
"Her medications have her extremely drowsy though so she's slept mostly. Ken and Sammy won't be able to be here until at least five so I've stayed with her. But something tells me that you wouldn't mind a watch or two," she smiled at him.
"If you don't mind, yes I would."
She nodded before looking away, serious again. "Darien, she asked the doctors about Neil when she came to and they told her… But she hasn't said a word about him to me. I think she's still in shock or something. Maybe she'll talk to you."
He closed his eyes a moment. So she already knew. He'd wondered how he would tell her if he had to. But now he had to think of a way to help her through this. Not only did she have her own health to worry about but also the pain of his death. "I'll see what I can do."
"I know you will. Will you stay with her until I get back? I'll try to hurry the guys."
He smiled down at the older woman. "Take your time. I don't mind in the least."
She looked at him thankful for a moment before taking his hand a squeezing it affectionately. She looked back at Serena for a moment before saying goodbye and heading out the door. He watched her leave and slowly took her place in the chair beside Serena's bed.
Serena slowly opened her eyes again. The sun shown in through the window she was facing. For a moment she didn't know where she was until the vague memories filed themselves back into their respective places. Memories she wouldn't mind forgetting. But they were still there in front of her mind's eye.
She closed her eyes again gathering her strength together again. She slowly reached a hand up to rub the sleep from her eyes as she rolled away from the sun's glare. Her mother had been with her most of the day and she was expecting to find her still sitting there when she heard a just as familiar voice come from her side. "Meatball Head?"
She popped her eyes open as she turned to see Darien sitting where her mother had been when she fell asleep. His eyes were trained on hers and she could see the telltale blood shots that announced the lack of sleep that her mother seemed to have been suffering from as well. He looked worried but other than that he was the same old stabile friend that she was used to. And the one, she admitted immediately, that she needed.
"Darien?" she croaked out in a small whisper. She coughed lightly trying to get her vocal cords into working order again.
"It's all right," he whispered taking her hand in his. But his hand wasn't what she wanted. She tried desperately to sit up but he beat her to it. He hopped over from his chair to her bed and placed his other hand gently against her shoulder, sufficiently restraining her. "You need your rest." Slowly he eased her back down to her pillow.
"I've apparently been 'resting' for most of a week. What I need is you to help me up for a minute." She wasn't about to spend the rest of her life on her back and she wasn't going to start acting like it.
"Serena…"
She lightly brushed his hand away from her shoulder and elbowed her way up to a sitting position. He helped her up and reached behind her to arrange her pillows so that she could lean back against them. But with his arms already half way around her she didn't feel like moving away from him.
She looked up at him and caught his eyes when he turned back to her. He stopped possibly seeing the look in hers. He gently wrapped his arms around her scooting closer to lay her against his chest. She accepted gratefully sliding her arms around him.
She noticed immediately that he held her carefully, possibly afraid that he'd hurt her. But she felt him gently lean down to kiss the top of her head lightly a few times before he laid his check softly on top of her forehead. She sighed and closed her eyes snuggling against him letting his warmth comfort her heart.
They both remained silent for a while simply staying close together. She opened her eyes again as she felt him shift slightly to kiss her bangs again. "Serena," he whispered, "you have no idea how much you scared me."
There were so many emotions hidden behind his voice and she knew exactly how scared he must have been. She curled her legs around his side and snuggled as close to him as possible, silently cursing the brace across her shoulders that didn't allow her to hug him any tighter than she was. But he pressed her closer to him gently, careful to make sure he wasn't going to hurt her in the process. "I'm sorry Darien, I'm sorry…"
He chuckled softly. "It's all right. All I care about is you. And right now all I want to hear is that you're okay."
She sighed closing her eyes and just letting him support her. "I'm okay." She was lying.
He held her for an uncountable period of time. Occasionally he would rub his hand over her back or kiss her hair again but he didn't say a word. And she lay in his arms weeping silently. There wasn't any reason for the tears, and at the same time there were too many reasons.
…Neil.
She buried her face in his shirt trying to hide the sobs that were threatening to over-take her. But it had always been useless to try to hide something from Darien. He noticed and silently brushed away some of her hair that had fallen into her eyes. He tucked it behind her ear and slowly lowered his face next to hers. She raised her head so that it rested just below his jaw, her nose pointed so that it almost touched his chin.
There in his comforting embrace she could feel her fears melting away from her. He was here and real. Everything in him told her that she would be all right. She felt that same strong protection and her heart began to feel safe again, even though she still felt that empty hole in the middle of her chest.
She let her tears subside and risked taking a hand away from around him in order to wipe them away. A part of her was afraid that if she let go he would disappear. But he simply leaned down to kiss her forehead while she sniffed away the tears, and gently tucked her back under his chin. "It's all right," he whispered. "I understand."
She closed her eyes again letting him take over her senses. He always understood her and he was always there for her. She slowly snuggled into him knowing just how much she needed him and knowing acutely how much pain she must have put him through. Her poor, dear Darien would have been terrified at the prospect of losing her. Much like what would happen to her if the situation was reversed.
But Neil was a different story. She had admitted to herself that Darien meant more to her, but she still couldn't believe…
"Darien?" she whispered. "Is Neil really… gone?" She bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling.
He slowly ran a hand through her hair to try to calm her. "Yes, Serena, he is."
She closed her eyes again as two tears rolled down. She didn't want to believe it. But she knew deep in her heart that it was true. He wouldn't lie to her, but she just… She broke off into sobs as the truth truly dawned in on her. He was dead. He had been right there beside her. Right next to her and he'd died right there beside her. He was dead! And only the few inches between them had spared her life. Why? Why take him? Why not let him stay with her? Why?!
She sobbed incoherently as Darien held her close, rocking her slightly. He didn't know what else to do. He wanted to be able to dry her tears away and tell her that it would work out. That he would somehow make everything all right again. But he couldn't. He couldn't bring Neil back and he couldn't take this pain in her heart away. All he could do was hold her and try to be there for her. It was all he could do, and he hated it.
He wanted to sweep her away somewhere that she'd be safe forever. He wanted to make her forget this ever happened. He wanted to keep her locked away from any other pain that could possibly hurt her ever again. But he couldn't, all he could do was hold her close and hope that somehow he could keep her safe for at least a time.
Slowly her sobs quieted, the strain finally beginning to take its toll on her. He leaned back from her just a bit as she sniffed again trying to let go of her tears. He brushed a hand over her check to help her rid the trails from her face. She looked up at him with a mixture of sorrow and hope in her eyes. But the red rims betrayed her. His poor little princess, she didn't deserve this. He leaned back to her and kissed her forehead again just trying to stay close to her. He held her there a moment fighting against his own tears. She didn't need to see this from him, she needed support and he wasn't about to let her down.
He finally broke away noticing the weakness in the arms she still had around him. He gently lowered her back against her pillow. She didn't argue this time. "Darien, what time is it?" she asked quietly.
He looked at his watch wondering why she would ask. "Uh, four fifteen."
"Oh. Mom said that Dad and Sammy wouldn't get here until probably five. I wonder where they are."
She lie there looking a little glassy-eyed and he wondered how long she could stay awake. "Your mother said they were setting up for some banquet thing at the Imperial Gardens tonight. Apparently your father is taking pictures for the paper at it."
"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that," she said looking back to him. "Thanks for coming Darien," she whispered. "I really needed you here."
Tears began to form themselves in her eyes once more. He couldn't bare to see her cry again and brushed a hand across her check smiling down at her. "Don't thank me, just remember I'll be here any time you need me. I promise," he added.
She smiled at him. He laughed lightly at her bangs that kept trying to fall into her eyes since they weren't curled up like she normally had them. He brushed them back trying to tuck them behind her ear. He stopped short.
He hadn't noticed before but now that he had moved her hair away he could see the stitches that trailed from the corner of her forehead across her temple and ended in her hairline. Her right ear was bruised and scratched. Small scrapes and bruises traced from her jaw line down her neck. He could just make out the brace that was stretched across her shoulders under her gown to immobilize her collarbone.
He found himself trying to track his hand down her injuries when she silently took his hand in hers. He looked back up to her eyes but she turned away hiding her right side from view. "Serena," he breathed not knowing what else to say. Full realization smashed into him and his heart froze. For possibly the first time he knew just how close he had come to losing her. And it scared him all over again.
He brought the hand she had wrapped in his up to his lips and kissed it lightly closing his eyes against the thoughts flowing through his head. "Darien?" He opened them again to look down at her. She looked back, worried. "Darien, are you all right?" She raised her other hand to brush his face gently.
He sighed looking at her. He took her other hand as well. "Promise me you will be," he whispered back to her deadly serious.
She stared at him afraid or shocked a moment before settling for a quiet affectionate look. "I will be," she said with a light air that made him believe her. She used their intertwined hands to pull him down to her.
He responded with a smile, propping himself up on his elbows above her. She raised herself to place a kiss on his check before whispering, "Don't worry about me. I'm not about to leave you." He closed his eyes savoring those words. He wrapped an arm around her to keep her close for a second longer then lowered her back to the bed adjusting the pillow under her head.
"You'd better not," he teased quietly. He leaned down pecking a kiss on the tip of her nose. She giggled at him but her eyes weren't going to stay open much longer. "Good night Meatball Head," he whispered.
She smiled slightly, "Night Muffin."
Darien paused to glance around the corner of Serena's doorframe. She sat in bed reading quietly to herself. For once her mother wasn't with her, but he figured that since she'd known he was coming she may have left her side a little early.
He knocked lightly on the frame beside him to get her attention. She looked up and smiled brightly at him, all thoughts of her reading material forgotten. He laughed at her. That same bright smile…
He walked in, quickly hiding his surprise behind his back. It didn't escape her notice. "Oh, what have got? Something for me?! Darien you didn't need to. What is it?!" He thought for a minute that she was going to jump out of bed to attack him to find out what it was. She really was acting much more like herself.
"And I thought those medications were suppose to make you calm down not go hyperactive. Oh, wait, you're always hyperactive." He paused thoughtfully.
"For your information I am off all of my medications except one," she huffed. "And I am not hyperactive! Now give, what is it?" She switched from a normal sitting position to sitting on her knees as she snagged her pillow up in her arms rather than lying on it.
He laughed at the cute picture she made, and he noted with some amusement that her 'meatballs' had found their way back to their rightful place. "OK, calm down. These are for you," he said holding out the bouquet he'd been hiding. Six white and six pink roses stared back at her. They even retained some of the raindrops from the storm brewing outside.
She gasped and sat there looking at them with her mouth open in shock. She was so cute when she was like that. OK, so she was always cute. And right now all he wanted to do was sit there and think about how cute she was! *Boy, am I losing it here or what?*
She finally remembered to close her mouth and cover it with one hand as she looked from the flowers to him again. There was a slight sparkle of tears in her eyes and she dropped her hand to give him a quick smile. "Darien…" She turned away with a blush rising in her checks. "Why do you always do this?"
"Do what?" he asked innocently hiding his smile and sitting down on her bed.
"This!" she said wiping away a single tear and motioning to the roses.
"Well, gee, if I'd known I was going to upset you I would have gone with the carnations."
She laughed at him taking the flowers from him carefully. "I don't like carnations."
He chuckled, "I know."
She laughed too taking a moment to brush a hand over their petals. "They're beautiful," she whispered. "But you shouldn't have. They probably cost a fortune! And, Darien Chiba, where do you get off giving me roses!"
"You never minded before," he said innocently.
"You didn't give me a full dozen! And besides, these are way too expensive." She looked back down at them noting the crystal vase that they were perched in. But her eyes softened as she gazed over them again. "But they are beautiful."
"They reminded me of you," he said feeling very sappy.
"Oh stop," she giggled as she moved them to a place on her nightstand, which was already cluttered with 'get well' cards. Most probably from the girls he imagined. She set them down carefully and then launched herself into his arms. "Thank you," she whispered in his ear.
"You're welcome," he whispered back. "But I have another surprise for you."
She shot away from him. "Whatever it is you're taking it back to the store!"
He laughed uncontrollably and before he could say anything a new voice popped up from the doorway. "Sorry dear, but they won't take this old model back."
She looked up and gasped slapping both hands over her mouth before she began giggling again. "Romola!"
The older woman swept into the room holding a package in her hands. She walked over and gave Serena a hug looking her over carefully. "Well now, these doctors had better be taking good care of you or I'll smack them around a few times until they do."
She laughed at her. "They've already had Dad tell them the same thing."
"Oh, well, good then." She sat down on the chair that was still set beside her bed. "Now then, if I might be so bold as to offer you this after the berating you just gave him," she nodded towards Darien, "here."
She held out the flower-patterned box. Serena took it looking from her to him and back again. "Oh, Romola, you didn't have to. What is it?"
The other woman smiled. "Open it and find out."
She looked at him and he smiled enjoying this. She looked down at it and then untied the ribbon that held it together. She carefully opened the lid and—
"CHOCOLATE!"
They both laughed at her and she immediately stole a piece and ate it like she was in the middle of a craving fit. Romola looked over at him with a smile. "You see, I told you she wouldn't mind our little 'get well' gift."
"Oh, no way, you really shouldn't have," she said around her bite. "But I'm soooo glad you did!" They all laughed as she snagged another piece and forced both of them to take one too. "You just don't understand how bad hospital food is! I mean for a while there I thought I was going to have to get better just so that I could eat some real food again. Oh, but gee, don't tell them that OK?" she said lowering her voice.
They continued to laugh their way through a couple hours. Romola was the first to notice the time. "Oh dear! Norman will kill me if I'm late. We have to be at some expo-something or other tonight." She paused her tirade enough to hug Serena again. "I'm so glad you're almost out of this place dear. Your desk is lonely without you, not to mention that partner of yours." She gave him a devilish smile before giving her one last squeeze and nearly running out the door.
"She's going to get me in trouble yet," he mumbled watching her go. He wasn't prepared for Serena to throw her arms around him and hug him fiercely. He turned back to her, managing to turn enough in her grasp to hug her back. "Uh, Serena?"
He heard her giggle lightly. "I'm sorry," she said letting go and looking up at him.
"Oh, don't be sorry," he said not exactly wanting to let her go anyway.
She laughed at him again. Her unruly bangs draped themselves back into her eyes for the hundredth time and she attempted to blow them away. It didn't work. Chuckling he brushed them over and tucked both sides behind her ears. She had some of the stitches out already and she looked much better all the way around. But he still worried about her a bit. Every once in a while she would laps into a silent stare and he knew that the emotional scars would be much longer lasting than the physical ones.
"You really do need to find a way to get a curling iron snuck in here don't you?" he teased lightly.
"Yeah! The first thing I do tomorrow when I get home is curl these stupid things! Or maybe I'll cut them short so I don't have to curl them anymore. I don't know, all I know is that everyone keeps dropping by and I keep looking awful!"
He laughed and pulled her into a hug. "You look beautiful," he said into her hair.
She laughed, "If you think this is beautiful it sure doesn't take much to impress you does it?"
"All it takes is you."
She sighed contentedly. "You really have to stop saying things like that. You're going to spoil me."
"I thought that's what women are for."
"To be spoiled? Where did you come up with that?" she asked looking up at him.
"The book I'm reading. 'A Hundred and One Ways to Pick Up Women in Hospitals.'"
She slugged him in the shoulder before using the same hand to pull him towards her. She quickly gave him a kiss on the check and hugged him again tightly. "Thank you so much Darien. I would never have made it through this without you."
He hugged her back tightly, knowing that she hadn't completely gotten through this yet.
By the time the hospital's lights were turned off and a quiet had settled over it the storm outside had escalated. The lightning and thunder was enough to keep her awake, but she hadn't intended on sleeping much anyway. This was the last night she would have to spend in this place and it couldn't have waited any longer to get here!
She simply laid there watching the storm blow out its frustrations. Nurses and orderlies passed by her room on their way to somewhere else. Somehow she wondered if everyone walked through life trying to get somewhere else. How many times did she wonder what would happen if she died? How many times did she wonder if everyone she cared about would go on? How many times did she think of whether or not they would eventually forget her?
Now she knew. She had seen it written in the eyes of every person that came to her bedside. And she was sorry she had put them through it. But most of all, she was sorry she had to go through it herself.
A call came over the intercom for some doctor or another and she turned away from the door to watch out her window. For a while she just wanted to forget she was in a hospital. She just wanted to watch the storm blow over.
Odd, she hated rainstorms but yet she wasn't the slightest bit frightened of it now. Somehow it seemed comforting to know that there were other things in life that she had no control over. Her life could be summed up in the things that had been thrust upon her. Forcing her to bend and lean in whichever direction they blew. She had to learn to move with it. If she fought, there was no way she would stand up again; she wasn't strong enough.
And she didn't feel strong enough for anything now. Lying there alone she wondered if she could manage to get back up from this or if she would always be slightly bent.
A bolt seared by her window with a shattering blast just behind it. She jumped up in bed and away from the window in fear. Storm analogies were fine as long as it didn't try to kill her in the process. So maybe she would have to bend more with the problems that rose in life, but she could still be afraid of lightning storms!
She sat up in bed with the covers drawn up to her chest staring out the window. Another bolt flashed past startling her again. She silently hoped that there weren't any small children near windows with the same view as hers. It could scare the daylight of a kid.
A thought flashed past her mind as sudden as a thunder bolt. Darien. He had said that he liked rainstorms and thunder and lightning never fazed him. She'd commented more than once on his iron nerves, but as she watched out her window she wondered if he had ever spent a night like this. After the accident that had left him with amnesia and without a family she knew that he had spent a good couple of months in a hospital before being moved to the orphanage.
She could envision a small boy about eight years old sitting in bed watching a storm like this one. He would have been scared to death but what could he do? A hospital wasn't much of a place to find real comfort or solace, especially without any family or friends or anyone that truly seemed to care. The insecurities had to be impossible to bare. How could he have gotten through that?
She scooted back against the wall behind her and pulled her pillow up so that she could hug it to her. How could such a small boy ever work his way out of those fears and those scars? But she knew Darien; she knew what that little boy had grown in to. A man that tended to hide himself away from others. That didn't like to get too close for fear of losing them. Someone that had become so completely accustomed to shutting away his emotions that it was just his nature anymore.
But yet, she mused, that didn't describe the real Darien she knew. The man she knew had a heart as hard as a diamond but it was worth three times as much. He had a protective nature that would make him meet death itself before he would let anything happen to those he cared about. He cherished the people close to him even though he didn't let many in. He was fiercely devoted to them and he wasn't a person that could use someone or ignore someone in need, even if he tended to ignore his own. He was completely selfless when one of his friends needed him.
When she needed him.
She couldn't believe that the same little boy that knew next to no real love in his life would turn into the man that she admitted openly that she cared so much for. And who had proved time and again that he cared for her just as much. How could someone who was so sweet and compassionate to her when she needed him not have known that same feeling when he needed it. Perhaps someone had been there for him. Someone that worked in the hospital or in the orphanage maybe. Maybe he did have someone that was there for him.
With all her heart she hoped so. She couldn't bare the thought of him been alone and frightened like that. Such a gentle soul should never have had to go through that. But then again, if he hadn't he wouldn't be the same man she knew now. There won't be a Darien right? Hadn't he said that to her once?
She looked over at the roses that sat perched on the table beside her. Her dearest Darien. She promised herself that she would not let him feel that again. She would be there for him with open arms if he ever needed her. After all, he was always there for her.
She brushed the roses with one hand looking lovingly at them. White and pink. White still meant friendship but she wondered what pink was suppose to represent. She thought for a minute trying to remember what pink symbolized. Wasn't it passion? Pink and red were normally the colors of love. Red for true love and pink for passion or involvement…
A passionate friendship. Yes, she supposed that would fit well enough. Darien would know exactly what each color stood for. He loved roses; why she didn't exactly know, but she would just have to ask him that someday. She laughed at herself looking over at the beautiful flowers next to her. "They remind you of me do they? Well, my darling, I think they remind me of you even more."
She looked back out at the storm smiling to herself. She felt a bit stronger with him in her mind. He had always been her strength and he still was, even when he wasn't by her side. The lightning flickered past again but the storm was slowly passing away.
Passing away indeed.
She yawned tiredly and laid back down again giving the vase one last look. "Night, Darien."
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@}->-- "In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life. It goes on." -Robert Frost.
