Out of the abyss, a girl emerges from the sea of ancient scrolls 
about her, her eyes wide with exhaustion, and her hands aching with 
writers cramp.  As she gathers the scrolls up, a wicked grin flashes on her 
chapped lips.  Her mangled unwashed hair sweeps her brow and her 
blood-shot eyes flash victoriously…she has done the revision!!!!!!!!
	Okay, so a slight exaggeration.  Don't worry, my mouth is fine, 
and I HAVE washed my hair (in fact I took a nice, relaxing bubble bath 
yesterday!) and I don't have writers cramp, and though I may have 
eyestrain from staring at this screen too long, they are NOT blood-shot.
	But here it is, the revision of Masquerade, in which extra scenes, 
good grammar and good spelling finally come into the picture! 
(Hopefully!)
	Oh!  I also included more lyrics of some lovely songs, because I 
found that many songs I listened to pertained so well to the story, so 
drifted them in…I know they are in abundance in the end, so I'll just say 
that I'd love for you to read them, because I believe they fit in nicely.  
However, I understand if you don't…believe me, I do.
	Thank you to all of my fans who have written me, it's great to be 
back.  I want to apologize to all of you whom I have not written.  It wasn't 
intentional.  It was merely a matter of time.  And it appears that I have yet 
to get time…you see, tomorrow is the last day of school!  Please, e-mail, I 
promise I'll answer.  I'm catching up.  Sorry for delays!
	I have had many questions about chapter four of "GH".  I'll get 
that done as soon as I can…in this past month, the APs and SATs have 
taken over my life, and only now am I standing up again.  I'd estimate 
middle July for GH, to be safe.  I MIGHT have it earlier, I have might not.  
It depends on if I get on a writing streak.
	SO HERE WE GO!!!!!  Let's go back to the past!

Love, Luck, and Luna,
Crystal Heart, the storyspinner

I don't own these characters, but the story is most thankfully mine.  Please 
don't sue.
The songs used in this story aren't mine…
"Falling into you" belongs to Celine Dion
"My All" belongs to Mariah Carey
"Whenever You Call" belongs to Mariah Carey
"To the Moon and Back" belongs to Savagegarden

* denotes thought

Masquerade
By Crystal Heart

Chapter 1 - Family and Gossip
	The blond at the mahogany desk looked absently out her 52nd 
floor story window to see the amazing night-time skyline of New York 
City when she was suddenly startled by the ring of a telephone.
	Collecting herself, exhausted over her paperwork, she took off her 
golden-frame reading glasses and picked up the phone.  She sighed,  
"Larynce and Larynce, Larynce the younger speaking."
	"Serena Larynce, if you don't come back home later tonight, I will 
go to New York, knock you out, and carry you back to Massachusetts!"
	"Good evening, mother," Serena lazily sat back in her black leather 
chair.  It engulfed her thin body, and she felt sleepy.  She rubbed her 
temples, contemplating the New York skyline, drenched in darkness, 
smattered with glitter of lighted towers of gold.  "I'll be there tomorrow 
early afternoon.  I just have to finish up some business here, go to 
Cambridge and pick up a few papers there to grade, and I'll be there."
	"But tomorrow's Christmas Eve!  We wanted you to be here with 
us the whole day!"
	"I will…later," she said, picking up another paper and starting to 
read it.  
	"Serena…"
	"Mother, please don't start with me.  We went through this last 
year.  I went though it today.  And Aunt Hetty already threw a fit when I 
wanted to stay in New York this week, instead of going to the Castle with 
her."
	"Well that just shows I'm right.  When your SENIOR partner in 
your law firm, who is also your aunt, calls it a day for both of you, it 
means that you both stop working."
	"Mother…"
	"Don't 'mother' me.  I want you home tomorrow morning.  The 
Dredsdales are spending Christmas with us, so you have to be here too."
	"ALL the Dredsdales?"  Her heart started to pound.  All the 
Dredsdales…which included…well…HIM!
	"Yes, and if you came to visit more often, you'd know.  But no, 
you're too busy with your law firm in New York and teaching at Harvard 
to come!"
	"I'm sorry…" Serena felt her mind in a flurry of wishes…to stay at 
home, to go there and finally confront him, to just forget he ever existed…
	"I'm worried about you…"
	*When ISN'T she worried?* she rolled her eyes, tugging a short 
gold curl that fell in front of her face back behind her ear.  She focused her 
thoughts on talking to her mother.  She shouldn't think about HIM right 
now.
	"Serena, you're all alone in that city, and you haven't met 
anyone…"
	*Of all times…of course!  It's the holiday season…Nothing like 
packing a bunch of people in a house to know how much you want a 
bunch a people for yourself!*  "I'm still young…"
	"YOU'RE TWENTY-SIX!"
	"That's not old…"
	"Serena, a twenty-six-year-old does not just LIVE in New York.  
She hides in the office buildings and apartment buildings, and goodness 
knows where you'll meet someone in all the millions of people who live 
there…"
	"Mom, I'm fine the way I am…"
	"HA!  If you were fine the way you were, you'd be here.  Mark my 
words Serena, if you had any sense in family tradition, you'd be right here, 
right now.  And perhaps, if you had a HUSBAND, you'd understand that 
kind of duty…it's called love of the family.  Look it up some time!"
	With that, Ilene Larynce slammed down the phone, convincing her 
daughter to get out of her chair, and start to go back to her apartment.  She 
shut her eyes a moment, gathered her thoughts, and then stood up.
	Serena sighed as she packed her things up.  *Mother…*
	Ilene Larynce was still a stickler for tradition and American family 
values.  Even if it meant beating up her daughter to take her home.  Her 
reign as the First Lady was over, but the White House was never the same 
again.  Serena laughed to herself as she thought about it.
	She brought her leather briefcase out the door of her nice office, 
and started to walk to the elevators.  She was the only one left on the floor.  
Serena felt somewhat content with that fact, and walked a little lighter.
	She got in the elevators and pressed the down button.
	Serena was a stickler for work.  It was amazing how her value of 
American family was so different from her mother's.  Serena had married 
her studies and job, and had began in her aunt's law firm and had worked 
her way to the top.  She then took on Harvard, as the new law professor.  
She rose to be head of the department.  She had a busy schedule, but she 
liked the business.  It was more professional.  And she was the 
embodiment of professionalism.
	Her very fit body was always in strict business wear, unless she 
was out in one of those social things her mother told her to attend, every 
once in a while.  She jogged every morning in Cambridge when she was at 
Harvard, and sometimes ran in Central Park early in the morning when she 
was in New York.  But no one could really tell that now.  She looked 
feminine, and she looked professional.  Right now, she was wearing a pink 
Laura Ashley business suit, and her gold hair was bouncy and slightly 
straight, curling at the ends to her neck.  It flowed to just above her 
shoulders.  But it was now elegantly coiled up in a professional French 
twist, but strands were falling out and gathering around her soft face.  She 
took the short haircut out of the fact that there was little maintenance, and 
not because it was stylish, though she looked very beautiful with her hair 
that way.
	As she stepped out of the elevator, she said good night to the 
security guard, and put on her trench coat, and buttoned up.  She wound 
her pink cashmere scarf around her neck, and put on her pink beret.  She 
then stepped out into the cold bustling of Manhattan.
	The scarf and beret gave more away about her than anything else in 
her appearance.  The scarf showed that she was soft, and very beautiful on 
the inside, that she liked fun and pretty things, though she didn't show it 
too often.  She had learned to restrain herself from careless fancies over 
the years.  But Serena Larynce, no matter how distant she was to the 
public, was still a little girl at heart, and only this way with her family and 
friends.
	Now, the scarf was whipping against the late December winds.  
Snow was swirling about, in pretty tendrils from the sky.  She walked 
briskly and lightly down 5th Avenue, passing the shoppers rushing out of 
Saks, happy with tons of shopping bags.  She passed the crowds walking 
about the Rockefeller Center, sighed and turned away while passing the 
beautiful Christmas tree, and after a few blocks, went up the steps to a 
fancy tall building.  As the doorman greeted her, she smiled and wished 
him a happy Christmas.  She then walked to the brass doors of the elevator 
and pushed the up button.  As she stepped in, she rested against the wall, 
closing her eyes lightly, pressing the button for the top floor, and inserting 
the key into the elevator that would allow her access to that floor.
	As she stepped off the elevator, and got out her key to open her 
penthouse apartment.  She entered, plopping her work bag and purse to the 
floor, already carpeted with various other things she had carelessly 
dropped after coming home other times.
	So Serena Larynce wasn't perfect.  She didn't have to manage a 
beautiful life AND clean her apartment.  That was just expecting way too 
much!  She only cleaned on rare occasions, when she knew she'd have 
company, or when she had a rare Saturday to herself.  Since she spent 
most of her engagements in other places, and since she rarely had a free 
Saturday, her apartment, however nicely it was decorated, was still a mess.
	Serena had two main alternatives when she first decorated her 
apartment, and that was the homey, or the elegant.  She chose elegant, and 
cream velvet carpets, silky cream curtains, and cream-colored leather 
furniture.  The coffee table was glass with white marble ends, and her 
walls were cream, lit dimly by the simple light at the ceiling of the room.  
The walls were also decorated with soft Monets and other impressionists.
	She sighed as that elegance had more of the homey appearance 
now, literally, for her coffee table was cluttered with coffee mugs she had 
been mindlessly leaving there for a month or so, and her couch was 
cluttered with briefs she was reading, and more papers she was grading 
covered her laptop computer, which had drowned somewhere in there.
	She stepped around the obstacles on the floor to the kitchen, which 
was spotless, for lack of use.  However, her sink was filled to the brim 
with more coffee mugs.
	*And my colleagues actually WONDER why I buy so many mugs, 
and why I like them for Christmas!*
	Serena went to the kitchen counter, by her cordless phone charger.  
She reached underneath the pile of papers next to it, pressed the button on 
the answering machine, and walked away from it, to the refrigerator, 
wondering if any of the leftovers of Chinese take out she had ordered three 
days ago was still edible.
	"Serena!"
	Serena jumped from the refrigerator and laughed when she realized 
that it was only her mother on the answering machine, and not in her 
apartment.  *If Mom saw this place NOW, she'd kill me!*  Her mother 
had undoubtedly called to find out why her daughter was not at the Castle, 
and still in New York.  *She first probably tried Cambridge and then my 
prof office, and then called here and then my work number right after this, 
and yelled at me then!  I'll have to remember that when I check my 
answering machines at Cambridge!*
	"It is 9:30 on the night before Christmas Eve.  It's bad enough you 
aren't here, with the rest of us, but it's even worse you aren't even at your 
APARTMENT!  But then again, it must look like a pigsty now!  You 
better be out shopping or doing something careless, because if I call and 
catch you at work I will ground you at the Castle until you have spent all 
of a year with us!"
	Serena then tuned out as she rummaged the refrigerator once more, 
pulling out and smelling the Chinese carton.  She wrinkled her nose and 
tossed it into her now slightly overflowing garbage can.  *I've got to take 
out the trash!*
	She opened the freezer and finally decided on an ice cream 
sandwich.
	A furious click.  Her mother had hung up.  Serena tuned in for 
more messages.
	"Rena.  Ken.  Call."
	Serena laughed.  Kenneth Larynce DID hate answering machines.
	And that was the end of the messages.
	She went into the living room, paced around a bit, and finally 
decided that the phone was in the refrigerator.
	She went to the refrigerator, and there it was, sitting next to the 
milk carton.  *I don't know HOW it got there, and I don't know HOW I 
know.* she calmly told herself.  *I don't want to know.  If I have time, 
maybe I'll clean up a little before I go to bed tonight.  It's only around ten 
or so now,* as she looked at the clock on the wall.  *I've got a few hours.  
But I probably need two lifetimes.*
	She then remembered the phone call, and picked up her phone and 
dialed Ken's cell phone number.
	A woman picked up, her slightly deep and rich voice answering.  
"Ken Larynce's phone, his wife speaking."
	"Hey Lita!"
	"Rena Larynce, if you don't get your butt here now your mother 
will kill you!" Lita scolded teasingly over the phone.
	"I know, I know, it's tough to get things done, though.  I'll try.  I 
just got your husband's message, so can I talk to my second cousin once 
removed?"  Serena laughed.
	"He's tucking his little princess in."
	"And how is his queen?"
	"Fine, my restaurant's doing great.  I'm thinking of opening in 
New York now as well."
	"So Boston, Denver, Detroit, Salt Lake City, Washington DC, 
Seattle, Orlando and goodness knows where still isn't good enough?"
	"Well, when your husband is the president-elect, the first lady's 
got to do something!"
	Serena laughed.  "I suppose so.  And are all the Larynces and 
Dredsdales there at the Castle, listening to my mother rant and rave about 
her irresponsible daughter who doesn't have her priorities set straight?"
	"Pretty much all the guests have arrived.  Mina Lockhart got here 
this morning with Andrew, and Chad Larynce and his wife Raye got here 
this afternoon.  You remember her, right?  The wedding in…what was 
it…August?  Yeah, right after cousin Loraine's!"
	"Yes, Raye is the somewhat temperamental business woman.  But 
very kind and sweet once you get to know her.  I remember her.  Didn't 
really get to talk with her or anything…hope to be better acquainted, 
though."
	"And first cousin Amy came this evening, and brought her fiancee, 
Greg!"
	"OHHHHHH!!!  THAT'S SOOOOO CUTE!!!!!!!!!"  Serena 
squealed.  "It's about time Amy met someone special.  I remember school 
years; she was more than a social recluse!"
	"Yeah, I'm pleased too.  Greg is a very sweet and intelligent young 
man. He's pretty cute.  To top it all off, he also absolutely worships her.  
They love each other a lot."
	"I'm glad, but I wish Amy had told me!"
	"Well, considering no one can ever get a hold of you…why don't 
you try a cell phone, or a pager?"
	"I fear having them robbed."
	"Then move somewhere safe!  You're twenty-six, and alone in a 
huge dangerous city."
	"You sound like my mother."
	"Well, I worry."
	"Even more like my mother."
	"Serena, you know you're always the one set apart from the 
Larynces…you never come to these family things…"
	Serena smiled over the phone.  "Well, things get busy…"
	"Busier than family?"
	"Believe me, I don't miss much except for my mom, dad, Sam, and 
you guys.  And sometimes Gram, when she's not setting me up…"
	"Speaking of setups…"
	"Oh…No…" Serena closed her eyes rubbing her eyes.
	"There's something funny going on here…"
	"And I bet it has to do with me and a Dredsdale.  The lengths my 
grandmother will go to see me 'happily settled'.  I can find my own 
husband…if I want one."
	"Serena…"
	"What?"
	"Anyways, rumor has it that the Dredsdale PRINCE is here for 
Christmas.  I don't believe YOU have ever met him, though almost every 
other Larynce girl has.  They're all madly in love."
	"Prince?" her heart beat faster.  HIM.
	"Yes…from what I hear, he's Gertrude's favorite, she raised him 
since his parents had died.  Every Larynce princess is crazy about him.  He 
is hot, I'm told," Lita laughed, thinking of the distress that was in Serena 
right now.
	"But Dredsdales are genetically inclined to look fabulous anyhow," 
Serena giggled, trying to sound calm.  Her heart…it was up in her throat.  
HIM!
	"But none are as hot as the prince.  I haven't met him, but I've 
heard.  Ken tutored him English when he first came to America."
	"From where?" Serena asked, dumbly.  Of course, she knew.  She 
knew everything.
	"Japan," Lita said, smiling over the line.
	"Japan?" she asked again conversationally…trying to sound 
calm…she knew the story…she just wanted to hear it again, she supposed.  
Besides, Lita didn't know about…that…did she?
	"But he's not Japanese.  He was born in America, had the same 
story as you did, basically, but this time, it's not a happy ending.  His 
parents got killed in a car accident, and he was taken here by Gertrude," 
Lita continued, thinking she could hear the shallow nervous breathing on 
the other side of the line.
	"Ah…no wonder the Larynce cats are all sharpening their claws.  
The matriarch's prodigy.  I think I've heard of him.  Hot, but cruel!  Isn't 
he some kind of DOCTOR or something?" she asked, again 
conversationally.  Of course he was a doctor…she'd known that for 
years…
	"Yeah.  From what I hear, he's a GREAT doctor, top of his field, 
teaching at Johns Hopskins.  I hear he also teaches a little med and bio up 
at Harvard as well.  You might know him," Lita said, *HA!  Know Him, 
or know OF Him?*
	"I don't think so.  I haven't really gotten to know the staff outside 
of the law department.  I don't think I even SET FOOT outside the law 
department buildings and my apartment there.  But anyways, about the 
prince…what was his name…Darrick, Darren, Dorkus…what was it?" she 
laughed.  Keep up the charade…besides, she never really MET him…
	"Darien."
	"Ah…with a name like that a girl ought to melt upon just hearing 
it!" Serena faked a sigh.  The name, however, was more than familiar.  Ah, 
the boy Gram always mentioned to Serena, the name that had been 
stealthily slipped into her mind and memory.  *Darien did this…Darien 
did that…*  She was FIERCELY competitive with the image of all Darien 
represented.  However, she wouldn't compete in medicine with him…she 
wasn't really into the medical stuff.  She loved politics and American 
Government and History…and she had an astounding speaking ability…a 
captain of the Debate team for three years in a row in high school, then 
another three in college.  No, Darien Dredsdale couldn't compete with her 
there, but he did projects with profs and ended up going to places like 
Poland and Italy to present his ideas…it was ridiculous the way they 
competed, and she knew it now, but when she was younger, there was an 
importance.  "Oh, I'm already feeling my cheeks flush at his name, and 
my heart is thudding."  Actually, it was, for she was going to finally meet, 
face to face, with the one man she had competed with all her life.  She 
wondered what it would be like.  And she knew, it would be strange.
	"Rena, I wouldn't talk so fast.  If everything said about him is true, 
then you will absolutely swoon once you meet him." *SWOON?  She'll be 
in love…she's already halfway there…though she's never met him!* Lita 
smirked.
	"I'm sure I will…with laughter…"  She knew of his good looks.  
She never saw him…she had many opportunities when she was younger, 
at many of the parties, but she never cared much to meet him.  She was 
always afraid…to go and find that the boy she was competing with, this 
young intelligent man, would be a nice guy.  It was TOO hard to compete 
with a nice guy.  Now, she had read some medical journals about him 
(only to remain up to date in medicine, of course).  His name was 
everywhere.  She'd never seen him before, but had a vague image in her 
mind of him.  She imagined the arrogant young man she'd always 
pictured, with slicked blond hair, and proud dark brown eyes.  He'd be tall 
and domineering, with an ego the size of Mount Everest.  To see an actual 
picture would spoil her image, and spoil her whole fancy.
	"Serena…I know you've been wanting to meet him.  When I first 
met you, one of the first things Ken said to me was that you had been 
fiercely competitive with  guy you've never met, and that he was Darien 
Dredsdale.  I don't know…we all thought that it would be romantic…" 
Lita started, thinking that she HAD to tell Serena she knew…it was fair 
this way, she supposed.  Then she could tease her all the more for 
pretending Serena DIDN'T know of him.
	"HA!  I thought I was beyond the age of romance!" Serena laughed 
nervously, having been seen through.  Her cheeks colored and she looked 
up the ceiling, closing her eyes.  Darien'd never hear about this anyhow, 
but all the same…
	"Ken married me when he was twenty-nine.  Darien's only twenty-
eight.  I was twenty-seven.  You're only going to be twenty-six.  Ken and 
I've been married for ten years now, and have a beautiful nine-year-old, 
and a wonderful six-year-old.  That wasn't too late.  Who knows, Serena, 
Darien could sweep you off your feet, and you could fall in love, as fast as 
I did."
	"Yeah, but you're sweet, agreeable.  You WANTED matrimony.  
You loved each other.  I'm not that kind of girl anymore.  I was when I 
was a teenager, and that was what being a teenager was all about.  Being 
foolish enough to fall in love with love.  Now I know romance does exist, 
but only for certain ones.  Not me.  Especially not with some "prince" all 
my mindless cousins are swooning over; he's probably got the body of a 
tennis pro, a bank account the size of Fort Knox in Switzerland, and let's 
not forget the brain of tapioca pudding…"
	"He's the HEAD OF THE MED DEPARTMENT OF JOHN'S 
HOPSKINS!"  Lita sighed.
	"Yeah, yeah, whatever.  My cousins don't care for intelligent guys; 
they tend to be boring, seeing that INTELLIGENT guys tend to talk about 
things other than other women's dresses.  I hope my taste in men is better 
than THAT, or else, he'll have to keep me up with fashion trends!"  Serena 
knew that was entirely untrue.  If he was a blockhead, then she'd never 
forgive herself for competing with an illusion.
	"We'll see, when you duel with the prince yourself tomorrow."
	"And is my charming opponent already there?" she asked, her eyes 
bright and wide.  Her heart quivering.
	"As a matter of fact, he came in an hour ago.  He then proceeded to 
be locked up in the den with my husband for an hour, and they discussed 
macho guy things.  Speaking of which, I think my husband is ready for 
you now."  Serena wanted to protest.  She wanted to hear more about 
Darien…so she'd be prepared tomorrow.
	She heard the phone being passed, and she heard a clearing of a 
throat.  "Rena Larynce.  Why aren't you here yet?  You're mother's 
worried sick about you!"
	Serena laughed.  "And how is my cousin, the president-elect of the 
United States of America?"
	"Good, if his dear cousin Rena will agree to be his wonderful 
attorney general."
	"WHAT?"
	"I meant it, Rena. I want you to be my attorney general when I take 
office.  I KNOW you'll just do a great job!"
	Serena laughed. "I'm, well, very flattered that you have asked me!  
In fact, I am going to something I don't normally do.  I'm going to accept 
this position impulsively, and not even bother thinking about that law firm 
I have in New York."
	"I know, it's complicated to get out of a law partnership, but Rena, 
I know it's been your dream to sweep all of Washington, ever since you've 
lived here to be mortified at the press."
	Serena pressed her lips, remembering the past.  She had changed 
over the years.  No, the eight year old Usagi Tsukino in that walked 
carefully onto American soil for the first time would never had guessed 
she'd end up being Serena Larynce, the former first daughter, successful 
lawyer.
	Sure, she had certainly regretted leaving Japan.  Though she was 
born in America, she had barely even begun to live when her father was 
transferred for diplomatic reasons to Japan to discuss politics with the 
Japanese president. It wasn't fair that when she was eight, the American 
government had decided that Michael Larynce was needed back in 
Washington, where he could preside over American politics.
	And certainly wasn't fair when Usagi Tsukino had to give up her 
bunny name, her Japanese name, which was a mere adoption to make the 
Larynces welcome in Japan, to be Miss Serena Larynce, always "Miss 
Serena" to everyone, or "the Larynce princess".
	And it was even more unfair when she had to learn English from 
scratch, since the only thing she had known in her life was Japanese.  And 
being a Larynce didn't help.  She didn't understand everything, but she 
knew that people looked down on her, as the dull-witted princess, the Late 
Larynce, as she was nicknamed, who'd only get what she want because 
she had the money to do it.
	Well, she showed them.  Serena was very sensitive to what people 
said, and after going through stages of arrogance, anger and self-pity, she 
decided not to throw in the towel, and just take the press on a little ride.
	She had risen quickly, taking in her information the speed of light, 
and skipping two grades…the one grade behind she had started before at, 
and then another grade for good measure.  She was accomplished, and she 
was ready.  She had shown them all.  Serena Larynce was not a dumb 
princess.  She was clever, beautiful, and very distant.
	It wasn't her fault if she was born into one of the richest families in 
America, and it was even less her fault that her father had happened to be 
likable enough to become Massachusetts state senator, and eventually 
president of the United States.  So there was absolutely no reason why the 
press should have had a field day with her anyway.
	He became president when Serena was studying in the most 
prestigious schools in the nation, when she was fourteen.  She heard about 
it on the radio, and had called her father, who hadn't wanted to disturb her 
studies; after all, she had two huge tests the next day.
	She spent only two years at the White House, when she was not at 
her private boarding school, and the remaining six years of her father's 
presidential term was spent at college.  She had only been sixteen when 
she had graduated high school.
	Serena Larynce was different, but not quite as different as everyone 
thought.  She kept the distant image because it suited her study 
environment.  If she remained distant, the press would be distant with her 
as well, calling her shots as acts of arrogance, or some nonsense 
foolishness.  But she wasn't really as distant and cold as the press said.  In 
fact, she loved her family, and she loved her friends.  It wasn't her fault if 
the press had set out to throw mud at her in the very beginning, and it 
wasn't her fault if the press decided to nickname her the Ice Queen.
	Of course, in the midst of all this, there was also another icon she 
always fought…and that was the ever-lasting image of this boy her 
grandmother had put on a pedestal…Darien Dredsdale, the Dredsdale 
prodigy…her "intended", sort of.  She knew her grandmother had hopes 
for both of them, and it annoyed her.  So she strived to be better than 
Darien, trying to show her grandmother that she was good enough for 
anyone she chose…it was her choice, and not Darien's, not Gram's.
	"Rena?  You there?  Are you reminiscing?"
	"Of course!  What else?"
	"Rena.  Don't worry about the press.  You are untouchable now.  
Perfect.  Besides, you never really cared much about what they said."
	A bump formed in Serena's throat and she laughed superficially 
and said, "No, of course not!"
	"Well, then just show them you don't care.  Be my attorney 
general, and be the best attorney general in history.  Make the Larynces 
proud."
	"All right."
	"Now pack those bags.  We want to see you here tomorrow, safe 
and sound, relaxed and cheerful.  It's the holidays, and we're going to be 
one loving family again."
	"Yeah, the bunch of brats, sweeties, gossips, charity saviors, snobs 
and other things that we are.  I can't wait.  For a whole week, and maybe 
beyond, if there is a snow blizzard.  And this time, we do it times two, 
with a new family there as well," she sighed, laughing.  No, the Larynces 
weren't ALL floozies, only a few.  Over all, the Larynces were a great 
family.
	"Well, see you tomorrow."
	"Bye, Ken, and thank you."
	As she pressed the off button, she placed the phone back in the 
refrigerator as she mindlessly took out the milk carton and poured herself 
some milk.  As she gulped down the glass, calm and composed, a smile 
crept into her like a tide.  She set the glass in the pile of mugs in her sink 
and shined.
	*ATTORNEY GENERAL!!!!!*  "WAHOO!!!!!!!" she shouted 
into the air.
	She spun around the things on the floor, and slipped on a stray 
sheet and fell the couch, laughing hysterically that no matter how late she 
had to stay up, she was going to clean this apartment, pack up, and leave 
for Boston first thing tomorrow.
	She started to organize her things and pick them up.  She took the 
shopping bags she had carelessly brought home over the last month and 
hung the clothes inside the bags up in her closet.  All those nice business 
suits which she never had the time to get out of the shopping bags.  And 
all those nice casual clothes she was going to bring with her.  Serena rarely 
went shopping, but when she did, she went all out.  She spent a whole day.  
She knew she had some things in her Cambridge apartment as well, but 
she decided she didn't need to stop by there anymore.  She had some 
papers already here, and she'd take those to grade.  As she piled stack over 
stack of briefs on the shelves, into the folders of the filing cabinet, she 
chose a few she was going to bring with her to Massachusetts.
	At four in the morning, Serena had cleaned her living room, her 
desk room, her kitchen, her bedroom and closet.  Her mugs were all 
washed, and her phone was charging in the phone set.  Two or three of her 
briefs were sitting on her desk to be packed into her work bag for her trip, 
a yellow highlighter placed on top, and a stack of papers was at the side, 
with a red marker placed on top of that.  By that, her packed up laptop 
computer sat in her nice desk chair, and a sappy romance novel was placed 
with it.
	In her bedroom all the clothes she had planned to bring were folded 
and laid on the bed.
	Serena was laid out on the couch, asleep.

Chapter 2 - Getting Home
	Serena lazily opened her eyes as she looked around the perfectly 
clean living room.  She was at first disoriented, but she then remembered 
why she was in jeans and a sweatshirt, with a dust rag over her golden 
curls, and sprawled out on the couch.
	She got up slowly, and looked at the clock.  It was noon!
	*Oh shoot!*
	Serena rushed into the bedroom, starting to place the clothes into 
the suitcase she had already brought out last night, er, morning.
	*I must have been more tired than I thought!  I actually slept for 
EIGHT hours!*
	She stormed into her desk room, attacking her things with a 
vengeance as they were all shoved recklessly into her work bag.
	After she showered and washed her hair, she blow-dried it, and put 
on a white turtle neck, a pink angora cardigan sweater, and some light 
khakis.  She drew some of her hair back and clipped it in a pearl barrette.  
She quickly fastened pearl earrings in her ears.  She then stuffed her 
bathroom accessories into her suitcase and out the door she went, hectic at 
2:00 in the afternoon, anxious to catch the subway to the train station.

	Darien Dredsdale paced his guest room as he talked into a phone, 
outlining a procedure to some doctors of the phone.  "You're sure I don't 
need to go and help?"  *Please say I need to go…*
	"No, I think we can handle it from here, Dr. Dredsdale.  We just 
couldn't read your diagnosis at first…have a good vacation.  Merry 
Christmas."
	*Yeah right.  Merry whatever…Bah humbug and hope your new 
years sucks!*
	He pressed the "off" button of the cordless, and carelessly tossed it 
on the bed.  He then threw himself on the soft mattress as well, and stared 
at the ceiling.
	He was trapped.  In Larynce Manor…the "Castle", as everyone 
called it.  It was a beautiful place, but he'd much rather be at home, in 
Washington.
	But no, this time his great aunt WANTED him to be here.  Earlier 
years, she had always sent him off to boarding schools and other things, 
but this year, she wanted him here.
	And from what he'd heard from Ilene Larynce's wailing, SHE was 
going to be here.
	The girl that had haunted his very existence ever since childhood.
	Sure, she skipped to two grades.  Who cared?  Sure, she was a nice 
successful lawyer with a penthouse in New York.  So what?  He'd work 
hard too.
	Serena Larynce, the first brat, as he had dubbed her, had too much.  
And was a snob, and an Ice Queen, and it was so obvious that she did not 
know anything about her family, if she wasn't here already.  Her mom had 
to DRAG her here!
	Never mind the fact that HIS great aunt had done the same exact 
thing to HIM two days before.
	But he'd listened, and he was here, unlike her.
	She was in his memory as far back as he could remember.  This 
perfect statue, who would always remain a memory of cool intelligence 
and snobbery.  And now, he was going to meet her, see that face, which 
he'd always imagined before.
	Sure, he'd seen pictures of her in her childhood, from the 
magazines, since her family was in the spotlight then.  But now, she'd 
faded into the busy world of New York.  *Meatball head.*  The very 
uniquely strange hairstyle she had maintained with her heavy river of hair 
for goodness knows how long.  He imagined her, though.  A tall blonde 
very much like her cousins, or maybe even shallow enough to dye her hair 
to another shade.  He imagined cold dark eyes.  A frail thin body, for 
starving and overworking.  Her nose would be pointing to the ceiling, and 
her neck would be arched back permanently, since she had turned up her 
nose to everyone too long.
	He smirked.  He'd be HONORED to meet her.
	But, he'd heard rumors from his own relatives, and even his 
cousins.  Serena Larynce was supposedly one of the most beautiful women 
in the whole circle, and a whole lot smarter than her cousins.
	He hoped so.  There had to be ONE woman here that he could find 
interesting enough to dance with, or else he'd be alone and fall prey to the 
scheming cousins.  Serena Larynce HAD to be smart.  After all, she WAS 
a lawyer.  Sure, he'd hate her for her intelligence, but at least she'd be 
interesting.  And besides, he didn't want to find out that this stupid little 
competition all these years was an floozy.
	He sighed, as he picked up another medical journal to read.

	Serena hurried off the train onto the platform in Boston at 4:45.  
Her family would begin dinner in an hour and fifteen minutes.  From the 
station, the taxi would take half and hour to an hour to get to the Castle, in 
GOOD traffic.
	As she had noticed, the traffic looked pretty okay, and she signaled 
a taxi.  She hurried in.  "Larynce Manor.  If you make it in less than an 
hour, I'll pay you double!"
	The taxi driver, anxious to get that double pay, drove quickly.  
Serena quietly looked out the window, watching the familiar sights pass 
her by.
	The Larynce week.  Times two.
	Serena remembered the Christmas week with her family in her 
teenage years.  Even with her crowded schedule, she always spent 
Christmas Eve, Christmas, and the entire week until New Years Day, with 
her family.  Most of the time, there was a snow blizzard to bring the New 
Year, and Serena had to stay a few days longer with her family.
	This year would definitely be different.  The Dresdales weren't 
total strangers or anything like that.  She'd met quite a few Dredsdales as 
the years had gone by.  And her grandmother spoke constantly about them, 
because Gertrude Dredsdale, was after all, her best friend.  So it was 
perfectly normal that the Larynce traditional everyone-get-together week 
was extended to more "family" and the Castle was going to be shared.
	But this time, Darien Dredsdale would be there.
	He was never there before at the gatherings, and if he WAS there, 
then she'd always have some business or test…or if not, her grandmother 
had that knack of sending Serena to do something like skiing with her 
cousins or on some stupid excursion like that.
	No, this time, they'd meet, and she quivered at the thought.
	Him, her only him, whom she had competed with all these years, 
yearned to beat.  He was a paragon, and now, he was…well…he was 
going to meet her.
	And she knew that he probably care less about meeting her.

	She could see it now.  
	Larynce Manor was fondly nicknamed the Castle by all the 
Larynces, for Serena's grandmother Gail reigned it like a queen, and the 
Larynces who lived in it were her subjects.  The Castle was built like a 
castle as well, by Serena's great-great-grandfather, who loved castles in 
youth, and decided to have one of his own when he had enough money.
	The Castle was a gothic structure, and finely built.  Not many 
repairs had to be made on it.  And, as Serena remembered, living in the 
White House was NOTHING like living in the Castle.
	All the Larynces lived in it, at one time or another.  For visits, for 
life, it didn't really matter, the Castle was so big, one didn't necessarily 
see family every day in that house!  
	Serena's own room in her childhood in the Castle would be hers 
again this week.  Closing her eyes, she imagined the multitude of sleep she 
could catch this week.  She could see her room, the perfect little place 
where she'd lock herself in many times, especially when she did not desire 
to spend time with her gossiping cousins.
	There was white carpeting, and white walls, bordered on the top 
edge to the ceiling and the bottom edge to the floor with a line complex 
golden design on wallpaper.  The space between was blank, save for the 
paintings and other things she had hung up.
	There was a shelf of awards, newspaper clippings, magazine 
pictures of her and her family, and photo albums on one wall, adjacent to 
her wonderful book collection.  There was also a window the opposite side 
of the shelves.  It was very large, and very wide, and also had a window 
seat.  Her room was on the third floor and had a view of the rose garden.  
She had spent many times sitting on the window seat, dreaming, reading, 
and studying.  Her desk was inside, by the windows.  Her bed was located 
next to the desk, a cozy thing with a white silk blanket with gold 
embroidery.  All her furniture was white.
	She shook herself out of reverie as the house came into her view.  
The trip, as she checked her brown leather-band watch on her wrist, had 
taken fifty minutes.  It was now 5:35.  She paid the driver double and 
grabbed her work bag, her laptop, and her small suitcase and went up to 
the door, pulling the sash of the doorbell.
	*Lots of pomp and circumstance.*
	Serena looked sheepish as she saw that it was dark and she just cut 
it to dinner by 25 minutes.  Her mother would have something to say, for 
sure.
	The maid opened the door and Serena smiled and greeted her 
nicely.
	"Miss Serena!  Your mother has been worried sick about you!" the 
maid began.
	"What else is new?" Serena rolled her eyes.
	It was then when all the people of the house crowded into the foyer 
and all smiled as they all focused on the very last guest.  Serena the VERY 
Late Larynce.

Chapter 3 - Homecoming
	"Rena!"  Amy came running forward.  Serena greeted her with a 
fierce hug.  She was looking better, with her porcelain face tinted slightly 
with healthy pink and her blue hair nice and fluffy.  Amy looked very 
happy and her blue eyes glowed with happiness.
	*Not at all like what she was like when we were in school.*
	Amy Anderson was not only one of her best friends, but she was 
also her first cousin, by her father's younger sister, and they had studied 
together, though Serena knew her path would be in law, and Amy's in 
medicine.  Amy was a sweet girl, soft blue-eyed, as soft as water, and her 
hair blue-streaked light, and fluffy.  She was very shy and had met Serena 
because they shared a dorm room at the private school they went to 
together.
	"Your mom's-"
	"I know, worried about me."
	Another excited squeal was heard and a blond woman pushed 
through the people on the stairs to run to Serena.  "Rena!!!!!!!!!!!"  Mina 
Lockhart bounded over to Serena.
	However shy Amy was, Mina Lockhart was much different.  The 
blond, blue-eyed angel was very outgoing and the silver-screen princess.  
She was a superb actress, and that was how she had met her movie star 
husband Andrew.  She looked amazingly like Serena, for they were 
distantly related because their grandmothers on Serena's mother and 
Mina's father sides were sisters.  However, Mina was also one of the 
Virginia Dredsdales, for her mother had been a Dredsdale.  The Dresdales 
were almost as famous as the Larynces, and they owned most of Virginia's 
seats in the house and senate.  There was even a Dredsdale as governor!
	Serena's grandmother on her father's side, Gail Larynce, was best 
friends with Gretchen Dredsdale, the matriarch of the Dredsdales.  
Serena's grandmother was the matriarch of the Larynces, so it was no 
surprise that Serena had seen plenty of Mina, since they always met at the 
constant social gatherings.
	Now, as Serena looked at Mina, she was surprised to see Mina's 
stomach quite swollen.  "Wait a minute, you didn't say you were…"
	"Expecting?  It's fabulous, isn't it?"
	"Boy or girl?"
	"We don't want to know yet.  We want it to be a surprise.  But I 
think it's a girl.  Andrew thinks its a boy.  I don't care; either way, I'm 
going to be a mommy!"
	"Mina!  Oh my gosh!"  Serena smiled glowing, dizzy with all the 
happiness she felt.  "Congratulations!"
	"I wanted to tell you in person!  I wanted to see that face of yours.  
I knew it'd be quite a show.  It appears the family thinks so too!"
	Serena was now speechless.  She just stood, shaking her head, 
trying to clear her thoughts.
	"Also, Serena, your mother is going to lock you up for a year."
	"How many people has she actually TOLD?"
	At that moment, she heard a woman shoving her way through the 
crowd by the hall leading to kitchen.
	"Serena Rebecca Larynce!  You are now grounded!"
	"Hello mother!"  Serena smiled weakly, hugging the late fifty-
year-old woman.  "I had a few problems getting here."
	"Don't give me that!  You are now grounded and you can't leave 
for another year."
	"How about another week?  I do, after all, have some classes to 
teach, and some more briefs to read.  I still have some leftover papers to 
grade from last semester.  That is LAST time I decide on an essay final!  
And where is Daddy and Sam?"
	"Right here sis!"  Sam, a tall young man at twenty-three, with light 
brown hair and the same eyes as his sister, threaded through another crowd 
to greet his sister with a kiss on the cheek.  "I have a surprise for you too!  
I'm engaged!"
	"You are only twenty-three, young man!  You're already getting 
married.  I feel ancient now!"
	"Meet my fiancee, Mika Stevens." A redhead with beautiful blue-
green eyes approached Serena and she smiled at her warmly.
	"Serena Larynce, Sam's big sister.  Watch out, he talks in sleep," 
Serena said.
	"Sis!"
	"And-"
	"That's enough, Bunny!"
	"Daddy!" Serena ran and plowed herself into her father's arms.  "I 
missed you Daddy.  You never scold me or bug me, and I'm so happy to 
see you again."
	"I don't bother bugging you because your Aunt Hetty reports to me 
every Monday morning."
	"DADDY!"
	"She's your law associate.  She knows pretty much what happens 
in your life."
	"Michael Larynce, you will stop frustrating your daughter right 
now!"  a regal elderly voice hung over everyone.  Serena turned to the 
entrance of the hall that led to the throne room, and her eyes widened.
	"Gram!"  If it was possible to glow even more, Serena did.  She 
gave the woman a hug.  Gail Larynce looked as regal as she always was, 
in a gown of blue velvet, with the tall stature she had passed on to her 
children and grandchildren.
	"Now, we don't have to all stand here.  Dinner is in twenty-five 
minutes!" Gail now yelled to everyone, looking at her gold pocket watch.  
"You've all got to wash up and get up in the Christmas clothes!  So let's 
get!"
	Serena smiled as the crowd retreated.  She was starting to feel 
claustrophobic.  Gail then turned to her and said, "Now you get going 
upstairs to your room and get on some classy clothes.  We'll catch up 
later."
	Serena grinned, and took her things up the winding stairs, through 
the crowds of Larynces and Dredsdales…some she knew, and some she 
didn't.
	She walked down the slightly crowded hall, and into her room.  
*Nothing like home.*  She then plopped herself down on the bed and 
leaned back, ready to fall asleep.  Instantly, she remembered she had to 
change for dinner.  She immediately sat up, thinking about what to wear.
	She didn't have to wear anything truly fancy, like "gala" or 
"wedding" for Christmas dinner.  No, the Larynces wore the "formal 
familiness" kind of clothing.  She pushed herself off the bed and turned on 
the small crystal chandelier.
	Little rainbows refracted from the crystal danced about the ceiling 
and Serena went to the suitcase to open it and hang up some clothes.
	Five minutes later, she pulled out a skirt of layers of lavender silk, 
looking misty and flowing, a lavender silk tunic that flowed to her hips in 
wavy ends of the same layered misty quality that would go over her 
shoulders with a wide but not low cut collar and tied together at the sides 
by a pair of lavender satin ribbons on each side tipped with pearls, and a 
lavender silk blouse.
	She took her clothes off and started with the lavender silk knee-
highs.  After, she out on the blouse, followed by the skirt and finally the 
tunic.  She tied a pretty bow on each side.  She then put on lavender silk 
flats.
	She went to the mirror and brushed her hair, sitting down.  She 
combed her hair up into two buns, capping them with lavender lace covers, 
as a family joke; Serena had worn that hair style from the time she had 
hair long enough to age sixteen.  She wore it occasionally now.  However, 
the length of her hair no longer allowed streamers of hair to fall down 
from the buns anymore, so the lace bun covers had thin lavender ribbon 
hanging down to her ears, with pearls tipping the end.  She kept her pearl 
earrings on, and decided to unbutton the top button of her blouse to put on 
a thin gold chain with a single pearl around the base of her neck.
	As she stood up, she smiled.  The hair do made her look like a 
child…a rather big child.  But she was still beautiful, and sophistication 
seeped her entire being.  She got up from her white wooden chair, with a 
gold cushion, and opened her walk -in closet door to check herself in the 
full-length mirror.
	At that moment, the dinner bell sounded, and Serena walked to the 
door, opening it and stepping out, turning the light off behind her.
	She walked into a man who was walking out of the room next to 
hers.  *The halls really should have been built larger.*
	Actually, the halls were rather large, and Serena's was at the end of 
a hall, in a circular court of rooms.  Serena had only backed up after she 
closed her door because she noticed a name plate above her room and read 
"Serena Rebecca Larynce."  It was a new improvement.  So was the little 
gold box by her door, which was apparently stuffed with mail.
	"Oh, excuse me," mumbled softly.
	Her sapphire blue eyes turned to meet ocean blue eyes, and was 
shocked to find the deepest pair she had ever seen in her life.

Chapter 4 - Who is HE?
	He was tall, with dark black hair and broad shoulders.  He was in 
great shape, Serena noted, and he was very hot.  *Who is this?*  Serena 
contemplated.
	In the dim lighting of the hallway, she felt a general air of 
romance, and she smiled him, feeling very romantic and beautiful.  She 
then turned and walked away, knowing, she'd meet him later.

	His mouth was twisted in a slight smile, and his face though 
strongly and handsomely carved, displaying slight confusion.
	*Who is SHE?*  Darien Dredsdale stood, looking after the blond 
with the gorgeous blue eyes.
	He'd been sleeping the better part of the afternoon after talking on 
the phone with Washington this morning and finding out that his presence 
was not needed.  Between structuring curriculum for Johns Hopskins, and 
correcting his final essays, he slept some more…being a surgeon, and 
professor he normally didn't get much sleep.  He'd been sleeping when he 
heard the dinner bell.  He was slightly annoyed, for he was very tired, and 
wanted to sleep a little more.  He quickly checked his slightly sleep-ruffled 
hair, and quickly went to the closet to grab his navy blue shirt.  He 
changed his sweatpants into khakis and put on a nice silk tie to finish it 
off.
	And he had stepped out to find a young woman backing into his 
arms.
	As she turned and apologized, Darien's still slightly asleep mind 
was trying to register where he'd seen her before.
	She was beautiful, in the dim light, all her features were soft and 
pleasing, especially in that nice outfit.  Her hair was adorably put up, and 
it reminded him a little of the pictures of Serena Larynce…but then again, 
all the Larynces looked pretty much the same, blonde hair, and blue eyes.
	It was then when he saw her eyes glow as she smiled, and saw her 
turn and walk down the hall.  He stood there a little while more, trying to 
place the face, but still failing miserably.  She was either a Larynce or a 
distant Dredsdale.  Who knew which.  He didn't know his family.  He'd 
been ten when he first came to America.  He was twenty-nine now.  He 
didn't have the time to get to know everyone in his family, with all his 
studying.
	Darien, however handsome he was, was not as charming as all the 
Larynce girls thought.  His looks had slightly clouded their minds, for 
Darien Dredsdale was actually a distant, emotionless young man.  And he 
saw no reason to marry, though he'd heard rumors of his marrying one of 
the Larynce princesses.
	He prided himself on proving them absolutely wrong.
	*Where did she come from?* he looked around the hall.  There 
were a few rooms everywhere, but he had no idea which on she had come 
out of.  As he looked around, his gaze fixed upon one name plaque which 
slightly interested him.
	*I didn't know I was staying next door to the Ice Queen!*
	As he puzzled over the fact that he had not yet seen Serena 
Larynce, he heard some people coming out of the room two doors down.  
Ken and Lita Larynce stepped out of the room, and smiled to Darien.
	"Hey Darien!  What are you looking at?" Lita asked nicely.
	"Serena Larynce is next door to me," Darien pointed to the plaque.
	"You met her?  She FINALLY got in about twenty minutes ago.  
There was this huge show in the foyer."
	"I didn't see her.  I was asleep, I think."
	"Well then, that's your fault.  Serena's a very sweet girl."
	"The ice queen?" he said, questioningly.
	"I resent that," Ken shook his head.  "I though I chose an open-
minded surgeon general."
	"The press are all in fear of her.  There is plenty of reason to call 
her that."
	"That's because they never tried to understand her…" Lita started, 
in defense for her friend.
	"But did she ever try to let herself be understood?"  Darien asked 
back.
	Lita was silent.  Darien had a point.  Serena Larynce never triend 
to let the press think otherwise about her.
	"She's actually very sweet, Darien, and I know you'll like her," 
Ken looked at Lita and they decided not to tell him that she'd be his 
colleague when Ken became president.
	"Well, let's get to dinner," Lita said.  "We don't want to miss 
anything!"

	Serena sat at a round table with Amy on her left, Mina on her right.  
She sat back and looked about her, scanning the room for her mother and 
father and Sam.
	Mother and father sat with Uncle William and Aunt Hilary, the 
Clintons.  The former president's grandmother was a Larynce.  It appeared 
that they were discussing White House life.  It was sweet.
	And Sam was over in another corner, talking with Bill Gates, one 
of the more popular Dredsdales…his mother was a Dredsdale.  Sam was a 
computer engineer, and was very enthusiastic about it.  Mika, as Serena 
had found out was in computer graphics.
	The dinner was held in the grand dining room, which was only 
used on very formal occasions.  It was the second largest room in the 
Castle, and just as beautiful as the Throne room.  The floor was dark green 
marble, with obsidian swirled into it, and the room was dimly lit by 
chandeliers at the high ceiling.  The walls were lined halfway up with 
wooden paneling, and the rest was white, with portraits of 
Larynces…lining all the way.  Also, every once in a while, there was a 
lamp on the wall, with a green lamp shade.
	Serena smiled as she focused on the doorway.  Ken and Lita 
entered the room, and smiled and waved at her.  She smiled, stood and 
pointed to the last few seats left at the table.  She then frowned as she 
noticed that there was another person walking with them, and that man 
was the one she had met in the hall.
	Ken and Lita made their way to the table, and Serena went forward 
to hug Lita.  "I didn't see YOU running to me when I got in!"
	"I was trying to get Kevin to take a bath."
	"Did you?"
	"After almost knocking him out, yes."
	Serena smiled.  "Nice to see you, Lita."
	She then turned to Ken, "Ken!  I'm so happy to see you, after just 
talking with you on the phone yesterday."
	"Well, you know talking isn't the same as seeing."
	"Yeah, I've missed you.  I miss having mud in my face."
	"It was your fault if you decided to come out and play football with 
all of us last year!"
	"Yeah, can you imagine!  Me, the ice queen, playing football on 
the lawns of Larynce Manor, on the day after Christmas, and then being 
tackled the president elect of the United States of America."
	She had noticed then that the young man previously with Lita and 
Ken was now up at the table with Gertrude, and taking a seat with her.  
*So he's tight with the matriarch.*
	They talked on, and as they listened to Gail and Gertrude toast the 
Christmas dinner, they smiled and clinked champagne glasses.
	Serena ate dinner to her heart's content, and after dessert, sat back, 
smiling at the others.  Chad and Raye came and talked with them a while, 
and the dinner was generally very fun and heartwarming.
	Her eyes, however, always strayed to a faraway table, where a man 
sat, facing her.  She discovered that he was looking at her as much as she 
was looking at him.
	Catching his eyes made her whole being shake.  She'd lower her 
eyes, or look away, and be extremely distracted.  The others at the table 
noticed, but did not know the reason for her distraction.  Raye Larynce, 
however, noticed, but kept the knowledge to herself.
	As dinner finished, Serena got up and walked out early, and into 
the throne room by herself, looking at the brightly lit Christmas tree, 
surrounded by darkness at the moment.
	The throne room was the largest in the Castle.  On ordinary days, 
the room would be empty, its velvet curtains drawn back on the whole 
west and east walls, letting sunlight pour in.  The room's chandeliers were 
crystal, and hung from the ceiling.  The floor was gold and white marble, 
as Serena remembered, and there was a gold carpet running the length of 
entrance to throne.  The throne was a simple elegance.  Sitting on a 
platform of gold velvet carpeting, it was gold with slight carving, and 
white velvet cushion.  Nothing more.
	On social evenings, the carpet strip was removed, but the platform 
and the throne stayed.  There were sometimes tables set up for fancy 
banquets, or an orchestra was set up in front of the throne, for a night of 
ballroom dancing.  The chandeliers were lit, and the gold and white velvet 
curtains were sometimes drawn and sometimes not.
	It was Serena's favorite room.  She loved the whole royalty of it.  
She like elegance and style.  She had remembered, that for her sixteenth 
birthday, Gram let her sit on the throne for the first time, and Serena was 
absolutely thrilled.
	Now, since it was Christmastime, there were golden ornaments, 
and red ribbons, and red satin Christmas balls.  The tree stood where the 
throne normally was, so it was large and very intimidating to any child, 
being a whole twenty-five feet tall.
	The star at the top was made out of pure gold, and was glittering 
beautifully in the light of the candles which were lit around the room.  
Serena's eyes shined as she looked around the ballroom, to see the 
garlands everywhere, with holly and mistletoe at the doorways, even the 
ones that led out to the east and west gardens, which were on the opposite 
window sides.  It was beautiful, and she spun around and around, 
imagining the balls to be held by her grandmother for Christmas and New 
Year's.  The Throne room would comfortably fit more than a thousand 
people…dancing!  At Christmas time, Serena's grandmother held the most 
exclusive, glamorous ball of the rich American social calendar, and she 
invited people all over the country.
	The Christmas Masquerade was the most famous of Larynce 
traditions.  Everyone in Larynce Port would be invited, the population 
being a number of successful businessmen, and others.  There were also 
guests from elsewhere, from around the country.  There were only 150 to 
200 Larynces, after all, and there was room for a thousand guests!  There 
was fun and excitement everywhere, and at the end of the evening, the 
unmasking occurred.  Each person unmasked his/her partner, and if you 
were under the golden mistletoe, come next year, you'd be engaged!
	Serena never really stayed around to actually get caught.  She had 
always gotten away with no man ever desiring her company, and she 
always wisked off early, without anyone noticing and came back at 
midnight just to see who the destined couple was this year.
	It was so much fun to see the surprised expressions on the faces of 
the dancers as they found out the identity of their partners, and even more 
fun to see their reaction when they were found under the mistletoe, 
because it was all so romantic.
	She finally turned and walked to the door, and walked out, wanting 
to go up to her room and read.

Chapter 5 - Meeting Dare
	She woke at six in the morning the next day, and got out of bed, 
and put on a sweatshirt and some sweatpants, and went down the stairs, 
and out running.
	The air was cool and nice, and though it was dark, Serena knew the 
grounds of the Castle very well, though the grounds were large.  She 
always jogged the same route, by the pond, up the hill, through the woods, 
across the wooden bridge over the stream, past the lighthouse, and down 
the beach, and back to the Castle.
	As she jogged in, truly awake, and went up the stairs, she smiled at 
the young man from the night before as he came in the front door as she 
was about to go down the hall.  Apparently, he had decided to go jogging 
as well.  *He IS hot, whoever he is.  I don't know who the Dredsdale 
prince is, but this guy is MUCH hotter than the prince could ever be!*  
She made that judgment on the fact that her cousins and herself had far 
different tastes in men, and while they examined the bank account and the 
looks, she preferred something much more deep.  *The Dredsdale prince is 
probably some self-centered twit snob!*
	She then took her shower in her private bathroom and changed into 
a pair of jeans and a white blouse.  It was time to bring down her presents, 
for the kids would be up in a few minutes.

	After breakfast, Serena wandered into the Castle library later, to do 
some paper grading.
	Again she found the young man she had seen before!  She decided 
it was time to meet him.  He was correcting some papers as well.  "Good 
afternoon!" she smiled, sitting down next to him.
	"It is indeed, Miss…?"
	Serena, mistaking his attempt to find out her name for a sign of 
respect just because she was the former first daughter, smiled and said, 
"Rena, please.  Just Rena."
	Darien smiled.  Rena.  She smiled beautifully.
	"And you are?"
	"Dare," he smiled, giving her his nickname, being friendly.
	"Nice to meet you.  Are you a teacher?"
	"Yeah.  And you?" he asked, gesturing to the bag at her side, with 
a paper popping out with a grade.  Being a prof was being a teacher, he 
supposed.
	"Um-hm.  I think teaching's so much fun, don't you?" Serena 
answered, not really distinguishing being a prof and being a teacher.  In 
her mind, they WERE the same.
	"Why else would I live it?" Darien asked.
	"Yeah."  Serena sighed.  "I'm liking you a lot already, Dare."
	"Me too, Rena," he said, putting aside the papers he was reading 
by students who were trying for their PhD.  He found Rena a lot more 
interesting.

	They went into dinner together.
	By that time, Serena had found out that Dare was indeed a 
Dredsdale, and he was very into biology and sciences, and was an 
excellent conversationalist.  He had a motorcycle at his home, by the 
university.  He was a professor, and loved what he taught. 
	Darien found out that Rena was a Larynce, and a happy person 
who loved to talk and laugh.  He liked her smile, and could tell that her 
teaching must have drawn many students, if there were THAT many 
student papers for her to grade.  Of course, she had only responded with 
the fact that she had procrastinated the grading of the papers, which made 
him like her even more.
	"Hey Rena!  Kinda late are we?" Lita smiled at Serena, confused.  
*Rena's already tight with the prince!  Woah!  Just before, she wasn't 
liking him much!*
	"Yeah, I was talking with Dare here about life in general!"
	Lita then realized that Serena probably DIDN'T know this man 
was Darien Dredsdale.  *Well, let's not unprejudice her right now.  She 
likes him, and so, let her, and when she likes him for him, we'll let her 
know who he really is.  This will be so much fun!*
	"Sit down, Dare.  How have you been?"
	"Fine, Lita."
	Serena smiled.  *I didn't know Lita already knew Dare!"

Chapter 6 - Preparations and Reflections
	After dinner, Serena rushed upstairs to get into costume.  The 
masquerade was to be tonight, in an hour.  For that reason, dinner was 
served early at 5:00.  Now, it was 6:00.
	She went into her closet.  *Well, now to make myself look like 
someone other than Serena Larynce.  If they found out who I was, then I 
wouldn't be able to leave the ball room.  However, if they had no idea who 
I was, well, no harming them, and I'll leave early!*
	She pulled her hair into a tight blond bun and pinned it tightly.  
She then took a long black wig and placed it over, the tresses falling to her 
waist.  She pinned it securely and combed hair out.  It was a rather 
beautiful wig, and she DID look pretty in it, even if it wasn't her actual 
hair color.
	She then looked at her mask.  She was right in her beginning 
judgment.  Though the mask covered her eyes, she need insurance.  So, 
she put in her black contacts and blinked as she saw someone else's face in 
the mirror.  But she took some foundation of an almost white shade than 
her usual and placed it over her face.  She also put sliver glitter on her 
face.  She looked different enough.  It would work.  She then got up and 
went to the closet.  She was not going to be an angel, for yet another time, 
as she had been in childhood.  This year, she was going to be a ice queen, 
for of all the things the Larynces knew her to be, they never guessed she'd 
actually GO as the Ice Queen the newspapers all said she was.  She put on 
a shimmering gown of white satin, embroidered everywhere with slivery 
thread and jeweled with diamonds and pearls.  Over that, she put on a 
chiffon overdress, which was also seeded with pearls and diamonds, 
though not embroidered.  She liked it.  The sleeves were loose and she 
wore white satin gloves underneath, and tons of silver rings on each hand.  
She wore thin intricately bent silver wire snowflakes at her ears, and one 
on a silver chain at her exposed throat, which had also been whitened and 
glittered.  She then put on a white mask which was also decorated with 
pearls and diamonds, and edged with white swan feathers.  She then put on 
the glittering tiara, and slipped her feet, which were in white pantyhose 
with silver glitter, into some silver dancing slippers.
	*I might just stick around tonight.  I actually still look like a rather 
pretty dancing partner, so who knows, I might actually get asked to 
dance!*
	As she sat and sighed, with five minutes to spare, she'd thought of 
the reason why she never wanted to stick around anymore.  Back to a 
Christmas ball when she was sixteen years old…would HE be here?

(Ten years ago)
	She was beautiful.  She was an angel this year, as usual, but she 
was enthusiastic about it this time.  A white silk gown, edged with gold 
flowed to her feet, which were in gold slippers.  She wore white wings, out 
of real swan feathers behind her back, and a gold halo at the top.  She 
looked pretty.  Her golden hair was let down this time, flowing to her 
waist in waves, and her blue eyes flashed with excitement.  She wore a 
gold mask, jeweled with diamonds.
	She entered the ballroom, excited and feeling glamorous.  She 
relaxing after studying hard for the past few weeks, and she was happy.  
Tonight, who knew?  It was out of a fairy tale!  She might meet the prince 
of her dreams.
	Of course, that was only a fantasy, she thought slightly bitterly.  
Being a Larynce Princess wasn't being royalty, as she had found out.  She 
sighed at that…she only wished.
	*Please, anyone who's up there, if you're not going to let me live 
happily ever after, at least give me Prince Charming*
	As her eyes fell back from the ceiling to the crowd about her, she 
froze.  It was him.
	But shockingly enough, he was there.  Standing out on the balcony, 
with black hair and he was very tall.  He was dressed as a prince, in forest 
green velvet tunic and black pants and black boots.  He wore a gold crown, 
and a forest green mask.  A forest green cape was about his shoulders.
	Serena caught her breath.  He was HANDSOME!!!!!
	She weaved her way through the crowd, not really caring where 
she went, but not approaching her prince.  The prince had to come to her, 
as Mina always said happened.
	And he turned and he saw her, and that moment, time stood still, or 
at least Serena's heart did.  He stood up from his place by a table, and 
approached her.
	She caught her breath and smiled warily at him.
	"Good evening, bright angel," he said, taking her hand, and kissing 
it softly, lingeringly.
	"Good evening!" she smiled, a blush creeping up, and a warmth 
making her hand tingle.  Her heart was pounding, and her mind was 
dissolving away.  What had happened tonight?  Magic?
	"Do you care to dance?"
	She nodded, smiling widely.
	His eyes glittered with mirth and admiration.
	Her teeth were perfect, and dazzled him.
	They danced the whole evening.  Serena's mind was in the clouds 
the whole time, every thought tingled her mind, and her heart.  Her whole 
body was almost floating.  And her heart felt VERY warm and full.  It was 
wonderful, and before the last dance, he drew her out to the balcony and 
smiled at her, his blue eyes, which were sparkling underneath the mask, 
smiled in hers.
	He bent forward, and kissed her on the forehead, then, trailing a 
small path down her cheek to her mouth, where she met his in equal ardor, 
exhilarated and happy.  Her mind and her heart had fused in a glory of 
sensation.  His lips were warm, and so were his arms, and everything 
about him.  She curved her arms around his neck, and held on for life, 
reveling in the youth of love.

(Now)
	It was her first kiss.  It was indeed, something very special.
	Serena remembered her prince, and kept on remembering him to 
this day.  She didn't ever find out who he was, but she knew that she was 
waiting for him, and some day, they'd find each other.
	So she came to every ball, and waited around, but no one came, so 
she'd leave.
	Now, she started to forget about him, except for whenever she was 
preparing for a ball…then she'd always remember him…she always 
looked beautiful for him, in case he ever just "stopped by".  But he never 
came.  He was part of the past, and he'd never come for her.  She'd given 
up when she was twenty-three.
	Sure he was handsome, but they weren't destined, and it was all a 
bunch of teenage foolishness.  It had to be, as she reasoned now.
	As she looked at the clock, she noticed her five minutes to herself 
were up, and got out of her chair, to come out her room, meeting another 
person who was already in the hall, about to go down the hall when he 
heard Serena Larynce's door open.

Chapter 7 - Get Out the Swords!
	Darien suddenly stepped back as he saw Serena Larynce in person 
for the first time in his life.
	She was very beautiful.  She had black hair, and dark eyes, though 
he couldn't tell what color in the dim light.  He smirked…so she WAS as 
superficial as to dye her hair.  But she looked gorgeous, nonetheless.  She 
was very regal.  Her figure was outlined in white, which emphasized a 
very shapely figure.  She was an Ice Queen, and the way she looked made 
him think immediately of winter.
	"Good evening," she said, in a cold voice, which she practiced.  
After all, the Ice Queen couldn't go around with her warm cheery voice.
	That voice chilled his blood, and he felt the warmth drain out of his 
face.  No one's voice had EVER froze his heart before, but he felt it now.
	Serena looked curiously at the young man before her.  Strangely 
enough, her companion  was apparently a sun king.
	His hair was golden, a very light brown sun-streaked blond.  His 
eyes were gold, underneath the gold mask he wore.  His attire was also 
gold, a gold velvet tunic, golden velvet pants and golden leather boots, 
with a gold velvet cape with gold satin lining.  It outlined a fit, very built 
body.  His face was also a golden tan.
	He was entirely too handsome, Serena caught her breath.
	"Good evening," he said, condescendingly.  Darien had disguised 
himself well this time.  He was aware of the destiny thing, and assumed 
that if the Larynce princesses all knew it was him, they'd go after him and 
try to end up at the end.  For that reason, he dressed himself in gold, wore 
the gold contacts, put on tanning lotion, and a nice golden wig, that went 
in a full waving mass about his head under a gold crown.  It was going to 
work, he determined.
	"Darien!" Ken smiled.  "You look quite royal-like.  Sun king, cute.  
Just make sure you don't insult her too much!  I couldn't really tell who 
you were until I noticed your stride."
	He saw the second of the two figures in the hall.
	"Serena!  The ICE QUEEN?  Good choice!  I wouldn't have 
known you except for the fact that you're standing in your doorway.  You 
two are perfect complements of each other!  Sun king and Ice queen!  You 
two will have lots of fun tonight!  I had no idea you guys already knew 
each other!  I was going to introduce you when you started working 
together at the White House, but I guess that isn't necessary!"
	Serena felt a queer feeling in her heart.  So this was Darien 
Dredsdale, no mistake.  He was handsome, VERY handsome, and his 
name was Darien.  There were not many other possibilities.
	It was just as well he had chosen to be arrogant royalty!  She 
inwardly sneered.  *HIM, the SUN KING?  Already assuming too much 
are we, Prince Darien?  Ha!*
	But her heart jumped some beats.  He was FINE!  She felt her cold 
white cheeks bloom into summer roses.
	Darien, meanwhile, was trying to find a way to get away from the 
Larynce brat.  The former first kid was undoubtedly some prissy snob, and 
her voice was cold enough to freeze his toes.  But fearing he wasn't being 
courteous, he offered her his arm.  "Shall we?"
	"Shall we what?" she asked, with a smile quirking in one of her 
mouth.
	It was a kissable mouth.  Very kissable, and though appearing cold 
looked soft ad inviting, with smooth curves.  "I only offered my arm for 
fear you may trip yourself…" *over that ego!* he completed in his mind.
	Serena was determined not to show that she cared for who he was, 
and determined to show him that Serena Larynce would not be led around 
like other women.  She wanted to walk away from him, coldly snubbing 
him.  However, he was offering his arm, and as a matter of courtesy and 
pride, and somewhat intrigue, she took it.  "We shall," she said, in her 
smooth, icy queen tone.

	The evening was a far cry from perfect.
	Serena despised Darien.  He was snobbish, arrogant, and too 
handsome.
	It was obvious to every female in the room who he was and when 
he had entered.  Serena couldn't deny the fact that her partner was more 
handsome than any other person in the room.  *But he still doesn't beat 
Dare!  Dare is handsome AND sweet!*
	As she drank punch with him and danced with him, she saw the 
way the other Larynce princesses wished her death.  She wasn't blind.  
And because she pitied him only for that reason, she kept on dancing with 
him.  Besides, Darien was a good dancer, and if Darien didn't dance with 
her, then she'd end up dancing with Melvin Morris, who was looking at 
her in that weird way again.  *He dances horribly, my feet are always 
blistered when I stop dancing with him, and he gives me these weird 
goggle-eyed looks!*
	There was also a matter of pride, and because she was NOT going 
to let Darien Dredsdale triumph over her, she stuck to him.  If he chose to 
be a cold arrogant partner, then she could just as easily be one to.  *Just 
remember who started it, Dredsdale!*
	Darien, meanwhile, was not about to let Larynce triumph.  She was 
gorgeous, and she knew it.  That cold beauty, the dark hair and dark eyes 
with the delicate look to her almost made him believe that she was not a 
witch underneath all that.  He also saw the way the Larynce princesses 
wanted to get to him.  Preferring this Larynce to the others, he decided to 
tough it out.
	At least this Larynce had spirit.  Lots of it.  She was different, and 
separate from others, distinct.  She had an attitude that bit him, but set her 
apart, in a good way, even though it made him think even worse of her 
ego.  Darien thought, as he danced with her, that even though she acted 
like a two-year-old snob, she DID dance well, and her pride and character 
was, well, SLIGHTLY admirable.
	They danced around the room, each trying to out-dance the other.  
They caught eyes, and the spectators all wondered when the "entranced" 
two were going to "come down from their cloud" and find other people.
	Serena was scanning the room for someone that wouldn't mind 
cutting in on them.
	But Darien just HAD to look intimidating, didn't he?  With his 
thick, luxurious gold hair and his piercing gold eyes, he WAS the sun 
king.  He could cast a spell on her if she let herself, but she wasn't going 
to let THAT happen.
	She had to admit though, that this man was a maverick.  Not at all 
like the other men she'd danced with, dined with, and talked business 
with.  Some of them were attracted to her, some of them weren't.  But they 
all couldn't stay out in Serena's storm very long.  Men came by and 
looked, but they NEVER pushed it.  She had the impression that Darien 
Dredsdale could and would.  And the fact that they were going to work in 
the White House together made the prospect of attorney general a lot 
more, well, frightening, but very interesting.
	Sure, she didn't like his type, but there was nothing wrong with 
some harmless bantering and debating with a worthy opponent.
	"So what office will you hold in Washington?" she asked, slowly, 
curiously.
	"Surgeon general."
	"Nice," she said, slightly surprised.
	"And you?" he said, twirling her out and into his arms.
	"Attorney general."
	He seemed quite surprised at that.
	"Really?" he asked, almost skeptical.
	"Um-hm," she said, a little out of it.  *WHAT WAS IT WITH 
THIS GUY?*
	*She's clever, intelligent, beautiful.  And a shrew.  Interesting.*

	As midnight approached, Serena was still dancing with Darien, and 
having danced three straight hours after they last had a punch break, she 
should have felt tired, but she was not.  In fact, she felt like she was 
dancing on a cloud.  Though the company was not superb, the dancing 
was.  He made her feel so light and dainty, like a fairy with his dancing.  
With his remarks, he made her feel like a bitter old maid who had nothing 
better to do than be unpleasant.
	Darien was enjoying the beautiful woman dancing in his arms.  
She had a lot of spirit.  And stamina.  Three hours.  He didn't really feel 
tired, and in fact, he'd never felt better.  This girl really gave him the 
workout.
	And though they didn't talk much, he enjoyed their bantering.  
They didn't seem to agree on ANYTHING!  But then again, he didn't try 
to agree with her.  She'd say something, and he immediately decided to 
peeve her by stating that his opinion was just the opposite.  Evidently, he 
had to change his opinions on almost everything they had talked about.
	On the other side of the room, a woman with a black velvet gown 
and a black sequined mask approached another woman dressed similarly.  
"Gail, I think they're falling for each other."
	"I don't know.  They don't really appear to be enjoying each 
other's company.  Only the concept of fighting for their dignity.  They 
look like they're dueling."
	"But they've danced for three hours!"
	"Their pride wouldn't allow for anything less.  He's determined to 
dance longer than her and her longer than him."
	"But that still doesn't explain why I saw them talking this 
afternoon in the library."
	"I saw them introduce themselves.  They're Rena and Dare, not 
Serena and Darien.  But I'd much rather that way, because as their true 
selves they are getting absolutely no where."
	"It was so perfect when they were younger.  Remember, ten years 
ago, they had snuck off and kissed for the first time!  Oh, I was so happy 
that night!"
	"Yes, but we can't just tell them that.  Oh!"  Gail looked at her 
pocket watch.  "It's time to unmask.  Let's see the expression on their 
faces when they realize that the person they'd been dancing with all night 
and despising is actually the person they had met this afternoon!  This 
should be fun!"
	"All right everyone!" Gail Larynce went in front of the orchestra, 
and said into a microphone.  "It's time to unmask who you're with!"
	Around the room there were squeals of delight and excitement as 
person after person removed their partner's mask.
	As Serena stopped dancing, she felt the true weight of her body, 
and her feet began to feel sore.  She looked at Darien.  *Should I bother?*
	"Go on, Serena!" urged Mina, who stood next to her.
	"Oh, all right," she mumbled.
	She carefully reached up to removed the golden sequined and 
jeweled mask.  The face she saw was a familiar shape.
	He reached to slowly remove her white mask.  No, that angle of the 
cheek.  It couldn't be, could it?
	"YOU?" two voices simultaneously stammered out.

Chapter 8 - Aftermath
	"And let's see who's under the lucky mistletoe this year!" Gail 
smiled into the audience at her granddaughter and her prince Charming, or 
un-charming, whatever.  The surprise was evident, and it seemed to put an 
uncomfortable aura of hatred and confusion around them.
	She looked above the heads of the surprised two to find they were 
under the gold mistletoe.
	"Serena Larynce and Darien Dredsdale, do you have something to 
tell us?" Gail beamed.  This was luck!  Who knew the Christmas spirit 
would agree that Serena Larynce was just what Darien Dredsdale needed, 
and Darien Dredsdale was just what Serena Larynce needed?  "Now kiss."
	Serena had always laughed at the tradition before, because the two 
found under the gold mistletoe usually WERE engaged by next Christmas.  
It was odd and scary.  This year, she had totally forgot to look to the 
ceiling for the hidden mistletoe, which she had always found year after 
year.  She had forgotten, and it was obviously very bad luck that she and 
Darien were standing underneath the darn thing.
	But with the audience around, she didn't argue.  Christmas 
traditions were never argued.  Especially Larynce traditions.  Apparently, 
as she looked into Darien's eyes, they seemed to agree on this point.  He 
leaned in, and kissed her on the lips, and she kissed lightly back.  
Immediately when their lips touched, they moved back, stiffly, and they 
left the room together, keeping charade up, but secretly confused.

	Serena entered her bedroom.  How dare the Christmas spirit, or 
whatever it was, choose her to fall in love with a man she so obviously 
despised?  It was evident that they didn't love each other.  Serena didn't 
want to get married, and Darien would hardly be the husband she would 
have chosen if she were actually going to get married.  Sure, he WAS 
handsome, and he was a worthy bickering opponent, but really, what else 
could they do together?
	What shocked her was the fact that they actually had gotten along 
that afternoon.  It proved that they could, and to her mortification, it 
proved they could have a WONDERFUL time together.
	Sickened with a queasiness in her stomach, Serena slipped off her 
gown and went to her shower, attempting to wash away all the mixed-up 
feelings she was getting.  *ME AND DARIEN DREDSDALE?!?!  
HA!!!!*

	"It's destiny, I tell you!" Lita told her husband.  "They ARE 
attracted to each other, and destiny arranged it so that they'd meet 
unbiased first, and feel the attraction in person, and destiny made it so that 
they'd meet tonight before the ball and force them to stick together so 
long!  And destiny for SURE made the mistletoe above their heads!"
	"But who knows if the mistletoe actually works!"
	"It worked for Mina and Andrew, and Betty and Lincoln the year 
before last, and in fact, I think Serena's own mother and father were under 
that mistletoe once.  The mistletoe doesn't lie, Ken!"
	"Well, I just think that destiny or not, they are great complements 
for each other, and anyone can see that though they despise each other, 
they greatly respect each other.  Who knows?"

	The mask was beautiful, with sequins and diamonds and pearls all 
over it.  It was bordered by swan feathers and had an air of extravagance.
	Darien fingered the mask in his hand.  They never returned each 
other's masks.  Well, he'd keep hers then.  It was too elaborate and 
beautiful to just throw away, and undoubtedly expensive.  It was so 
delicate and sophisticated.  Just like its owner.
	So Rena was actually Serena, the former first kid, and the Ice 
Queen as he had always dubbed her.  From the behavior she had displayed 
this evening, he'd believe it, but from the happiness, innocence and 
kindness she had naturally displayed this afternoon, Darien was inclined to 
disagree.
	Serena Larynce was a puzzle.  That was the only way to describe 
it.

Chapter 9 - A Train Ride in an Another Dimension
	Serena got out of her bedroom the next day with her suitcase and 
her things.  It was six a.m., and she decided that she needed to start 
looking for a place to live in Washington DC right now.  She'd leave 
early.  A week early, but it didn't matter.  She was NOT going to stick 
around and listen to all the teasing about her and Darien.
	She had packed up all her things, and she planned to go to 
Washington and find an apartment to stay in while she stayed in 
Washington to do her Attorney General duties.
	She had typed up her resignation letter for the law firm last night 
when she found she could not fall asleep.  She planned to stay as the head 
of the Harvard law department.  As she took the last bag out, ready to meet 
the cab that she had called for about five minutes ago, she found that 
another person had the same idea.
	"Morning," she mumbled to Darien.
	"You're leaving?"
	"Yeah."
	"Aren't you supposed to stay the whole week at this thing?"
	"Well you aren't!" Serena bit back quietly, not wanting people to 
wake up.  In one hand he held a travel bag and across his shoulder was the 
strap to a laptop.  On the floor by his feet was a briefcase.
	"But I'm not family," he whispered quietly.
	He had a point, but Serena wasn't going to let him gloat over that.  
"Well I have some business to attend to."
	"As do I, and I want to catch my taxi, so if you'll excuse me."
	Darien went ahead, and Serena, after taking her luggage bag and 
picking up her work bag, laptop, and her purse, went up behind.

	There were two taxis outside, and Serena went to one and said, 
"Good morning, I'd like to get to the train station please."
	"All right."
	Serena noted as they pulled out of the driveway, which was a huge 
"U", that Darien's taxi just pulled out as well.
	Serena leaned back in her seat, and determined not to think about 
the strange man in that car, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.
	She decided in her mind that she'd come back for New Year's Eve 
to satisfy her mother.  *But if she thinks I'm going to stick around for all 
the Larynce women to look at me like I'm a spoiled brat and hear all that 
teasing, well she's got another thing coming!*

	"Miss, we're here."
	Serena woke immediately, and got her things ready.  When the cab 
pulled to the train station , she got out and paid the taxi driver, and went to 
the platform to purchase a ticket.  To her surprise, Darien Dredsdale got 
into line behind her.  She ignored him.
	She checked her appearance in the reflection in the ticket window 
anyway.  She looked nice.  Tired but nice.  Her hair was pulled back in a 
ponytail, which was more like a bunch of golden curly tips bundled at the 
nape of her neck.  Her eyes looked sleepy, and a smooth serene blue.  His 
reflection was behind her.  He was slightly taller, his blue eyes dark with 
restfulness. He looked nice in that forest green coat, with a black scarf 
around his neck.  He was about four inches taller than her five foot ten.
	She noted that they LOOKED like a nice couple.  Nothing more.
	As the old man in front of her walked away with his ticket for the 
7:15 going to New York, Serena stepped forward.  "I'd like one for the 
7:10 to Washington DC, please."

	He had the nerve to sit next to her.  She didn't take into account 
that the seat next to hers was the only one empty.
	For being a 7:10 train the day after Christmas, this train was 
crowded.  *This is TOO weird!*
	At least she got the window seat.  She looked out as the scenes 
passed by quickly.  She watched the sun fight through the clouds to 
brighten the snow to an intensity that was brighter than the sun itself.  
Serena reached into her purse and pulled out a pair of sunglasses.  She 
then leaned her cheek on the cold window and fell asleep.
	Darien sat up surprised when he the train made a right turn and 
Serena's head ended up on his shoulder.
	He looked at her golden head, the sun reflecting off the strands 
making a pretty halo.  She looked so pretty and harmless like this.  She 
didn't look like an Ice Queen now.  Of course when she woke up she'd be 
ready to fight with him again, all rested up and full of that energy that he'd 
seen in her.
	*Drat.*
	"Sir, ticket please?" the railroad official asked.
	Darien passed his ticket to the official.
	"And your wife's?"
	"My-"
	"In my pocket," Serena said softly.
	"Darien reached into her pocket and found nothing.  So he reached 
around her, letting her fall into his arms as he checked the pocket on the 
other side, finding the ticket there.
	He blushed slightly he conceded that the Ice Queen was VERY 
soft and warm.
	The ticketman smiled.  *Now THERE'S a wonderful couple!  
Probably just got married, too!*
	Darien handed the ticket to the official and the official punched 
holes in both.  "Hope you and your wife have a good time in Washington 
DC."
	Darien looked down to her, wondering what she'd say next.  She 
didn't jump up and deny the fact that the railroad official thought that they 
were married, and she hadn't budged when she fell into his arms as he 
looked in her pocket.
	She looked so…so…she just belonged there, and the embrace was 
sweet, and made him feel heady and warm all over.  He liked holding her.  
It made his arms tingle, and his heart overflow with an inexplicable 
sensation.  It sprouted warmth in his cheeks, and he had the impulse to just 
kiss her forehead, but decidedly vetoed that notion, as he remembered this 
was Serena Larynce, not his wife.
	And what was going on with her anyway?
	She fell in his arms to rest her head on his lap, face up.  Before he 
realized what he was doing, he reached out, and played with her blond hair 
in his fingers, and traced the curve of her face.
	"But honey, I thought we were going to the Christmas thing at the 
Castle.  The Castle is in Massachusetts, an hour outside of Boston.  It's no 
where near Washington DC.  You know how my mother gets when I don't 
attend family things.  But if you want to go to Washington, that's fine too.  
Then we can finally spend some time away together away from work, 
Darien.  Wait.  Washington is where we work.  Where are we?" Serena 
asked lazily, as she took his hand in hers, brought it to her lips, and kissed 
it, and held it at her breast, right about her heart, where he could feel it 
beating peacefully.
	So she had been dreaming.  Was he supposed to feel flattered that 
Serena dreamt that he and she were married?  And the feeling that came 
over him at this moment.  It was pleasing to him.  The tingling warmth in 
his hands, and the whole happiness she seemed to exhale enveloped him.
	"I guess even that doesn't matter much.  As long as I'm with you.  
I love you," Serena smiled in sleep, turned into his chest, and hugged his 
waist.
	Darien was surprised.
	So was Serena.  You didn't touch things when you were in dreams.  
What was going on?  She opened her eyes slowly to find herself in his 
lap…apparently, there was a weird twist in her dream.
	She pinched his forearm, painfully.
	"Ouch…what was that for?"
	She sat up.  Color was flooding quickly into her cheeks, as she 
realized that she was in his arms, like her dream.  What mortified her even 
more was that she felt just like she had felt in her dream: safe, loved, and 
warm.  The feeling of being with someone whose every touch sent a warm 
thrill to her heart, the feeling of being with someone whose every breath 
she wanted to share with.  The feeling of being with someone she loved.
	She suddenly backed away, confused, and focused on Darien.  
"What is going on here?"
	"That was what I was going to ask you." Darien stuttered, coldly.  
How did she get that Ice Queen tone so fast after she had been so warm 
and loving?  He composed himself quickly.  "I wasn't the one who fell 
into my lap and kissed me!"
	"I did NOT fall into your lap and kiss you!"
	*True, but who knew?*  "What if you did?"
	"What if I did?  It doesn't matter.  I was dreaming I was with 
someone else."
	*Someone else named Darien.  Sure.*  Darien mused inside.  He 
wanted to laugh by decided that they'd leave it at that.
	"It was such a nice dream until you just had to take me into your 
arms and let me kiss you!"
	*And I thought she loved me.*  Darien burst out laughing.
	His laugh was rich and deep.  Serena liked it, even IF she didn't 
like Darien.  It melted her insides clean.  But she wasn't about to let him 
laugh at her.  "What are YOU laughing about?"
	"Nothing."  Darien decided that he WOULDN'T tell her what she 
had said in her sleep.  Besides that might start something in her and who 
would like Serena Larynce to follow you around, thinking she was in love 
with him?
	Not that he would have minded much.
	Darien rubbed his temples.  WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH 
HIM?

	Darien gladly stepped off the train.  *What was that?  A train ride 
in another dimension?*  But he was feeling normal again, and he had 
rationalized it.  They were in sleepy moods and weren't really aware of 
what was going on.  His mind was turned off and that was why he actually 
thought those strange things.
	Serena followed him off, back to her normal commanding self.  
She walked with ice in every step, and she held her head high.  *Just 
forget the whole train ride happened.  You don't even know what 
happened, so it didn't.*
	It had been a pleasant dream, she smiled inside.  She didn't know 
who that husband of hers was, but he was extremely sweet.
	*Wait.  He was Darien.*
	She nearly hit herself in the head, but she decided to hit herself 
later.  It wasn't a dream.  It was a nightmare, and that train ride was just 
the beginning.

Chapter 10 - Some Distance
	Serena mused over the nice penthouse apartment the agent was 
showing her.  No, it wasn't like her New York one, but she had to give 
that beautiful one in New York up.
	Really, this wasn't bad.  It had a great view of the nation's capitol, 
and it took her breath away just imagining the view from the penthouse at 
night.
	The penthouse was larger than the one she had in New York, by 
far.
	There was even a second floor, where her room was, which was 
also had a balcony, which gave the stunning view of Washington's 
skyline.  The bedroom was spacious and was connected to a large 
bathroom and a walk in closet.
	The downstairs was also great.  There was a living room, dining 
space and kitchen, and a nice large den down the hall, as well as a 
bathroom across the hall from it.  Both the living room and den had views 
of the Washington DC.  The living room was spacious, and one entire wall 
was lined with windows, which started two feet of the floor to two feet 
below the ceiling.
	The kitchen was simple.  There was an island that would be 
suitable for eating once she placed a stool by there.  The stove looked easy 
enough to operate, and the refrigerator space was adequate.  There also 
many cabinets, with glass doors, and plenty of space for mugs.
	She liked this place.  She liked it a lot.
	It took three days of looking of various apartments to find this one.  
Today was December 29th and Serena was relieved.  The search was over.  
The cost would undoubtedly be high, but she didn't really care now.  She 
wanted this place.
	"How much is it for the place again?"
	"Fifteen hundred a month."
	"REALLY?" Serena asked.  Her apartment in New York had cost a 
good two thousand a month, and here was an apartment that was larger 
and less expensive, by a whole five hundred a month.  *Location, location, 
location.* she smiled to herself.
	"I'll take it.  I'll move in by the fourth of January."
	"All right.  Let's talk papers now."

	Darien sighed, frustrated, into the phone.  "I'm busy getting ready 
for going into the White House.  I don't have time for silly balls."
	"Darien!  This is a family event.  Show up, and if you don't, I will 
tan your hide the next time I see you."
	Darien looked at the calendar.  The 30th of December.  Maybe he 
could leave noon tomorrow.  He'd arrive at around 6:00, and that gave an 
hour before the ball.  Good enough.  "All right.  I'll be there."
	"Good." >Click.<
	Darien leaned back in his chair.  He was tired of arranging things.  
On the screen of his laptop, his resignation letter to Harvard was staring 
right back at him.
	*At least Serena won't be there.* he thought, with something akin 
to disappointment in his manner.

	On the 30th of December, Serena rushed to New York after 
checking out of her Washington hotel room and getting her things.
	She went to her apartment, and put her things back.  She then 
rushed down to the main floor and talked to the leasing office.  She signed 
her papers and went back to her apartment.  She called a moving company, 
and arranged the numerous small details she almost forgot.  The truck 
would come on the third of January, and she'd be hopefully ready.  She 
was going to attend the ball at the Castle, after hearing a very annoyed 
Ilene Larynce reprimand her daughter.  She'd go home later on the first 
and pack away her things then.  That gave her an afternoon and a day.
	At least her apartment was already clean.
	Serena went into the closet, grabbed a garment bag, hoping that 
what was inside it was what she wore to the gala in October.  If it wasn't, 
it was hopefully what she wore to the wedding in August, or the one she 
wore on September 7, or 14.
	She then rushed out of her apartment.  It was New Year's Eve, and 
noon.  She had no idea the business would take her that long.  She had 
wanted to stop by the law office to get her very last case outlined for the 
next lawyer to take.  But she was determined to get to Larynce Manor in 
time to make a queenly appearance at the New Year's Eve ball.  She was 
determined to put on a smiling face and deny the Christmas fiasco.  And 
she'd avoid Melvin.  But at least Darien wasn't going to be there.
	She rushed out, determined to catch the 12:30 to Boston.

Chapter 11 - Happy New Year?
	At 5:30, she arrived at the Castle.
	Serena let herself in the back door and snuck upstairs into her 
room.  She didn't want to hear lectures.  She wanted to prepare herself for 
the evening.  As she entered the room and closed the door, she locked it 
also.
	As she opened the bag.  The November 8th.  Not bad.  She went 
into the shower.
	After washing her hair and taking a relaxing shower, she got out 
and put on a robe and blow dried her hair.  She then went into her 
bedroom once more.  She sat at the dressing table and brushed her hair.  
She then swept it up and pinned it up.  Deciding she needed to complete 
the hair style with red roses, she called the maid, and asked her too keep it 
quiet that she was here.  She wanted red rosebuds.  While she waited, she 
put on a thin layer of foundation, and a little blush.  She put on some red 
lipstick.  The maid returned, and she weaved the red rosebuds in a crown 
among her golden folds of curls.  She sprinkled a few pearls here and 
there.
	She then got up and took the dress out of the garment bag.  The red 
shimmering satin was beautiful.  She put it on, and it fell smoothly to her 
feet.  It had inch-wide spaghetti straps.  The dress silkily flowed her 
curves, showing a nice figure, and from her hips, it flowed to the floor.  
She stepped into the shoes that were packed with the dress.  They were red 
satin high heels and she was a whole two inches taller, at six feet.  She 
then put on the gold rose earrings with the ruby centers, and a red satin 
choker.
	Turning around to check her back, se decided she looked good 
enough.  She stepped out of her room, to find another person, leaving the 
room next to hers.
	She stopped and just gaped.
	As he turned to see her, he did as well.

	"D-Darien.  What a, well, what a surprise!" she stammered, her 
heart pounding to her very toes.  Her body was reeling, the floor was 
slapping her feet, and she wished it would just break already and let her 
fall through.
	*You're telling ME.*  "Good evening, Serena.  I didn't know you 
were coming back for this," he said, carefully.  She wasn't supposed to be 
here, not supposed to cause his eyes to glaze over with something of a 
dream.
	"Family thing," she stammered.  It was hard to act stiff and cold 
when Darien Dredsdale was standing in front of you in a tuxedo so well 
made for him.
	She was about to walk away when she heard her name.
	"Serena!" Lita smiled from her door.  "Looks like you and fiancee 
came back for the ball to show each other off!"
	Serena turned to Lita, who stood down the hall and almost blushed.  
This wasn't going to be easy.  She controlled her voice to an icy pitch.  "I 
wasn't aware we were engaged."
	"Just teasing.  So are you going to ask to escort her down there or 
what Darien?"
	Darien looked at Serena and decided why not.  When Serena 
looked like THAT, you didn't let her just pass you by.
	"I was just going to ask her."
	"Great.  Well, I've got to help my president get that bow tie 
straight.  We'll see you there."
	Darien looked to Serena, "Care to?"
	Serena looked at him critically (though she could find no fault) and 
decided to walk away.  "I know how to walk," she stomped off, leaving 
Darien to muse more over Serena's beautiful face and what had flashed in 
her furiously enchanting blue eyes.  *Lots of spirit.  But this will be 
interesting, Miss Larynce.  We'll see.*
	*It's not as if I like her or anything.  I just like to unnerve her.  I 
like to see her irritated, and there is just something in her attitude that I 
like to irk.  Nothing more.  She and I would never get along any other 
way,* he mused as he went down the stairs after her.

	Serena looked around the room, and decided, from the looks of the 
people talking in the room, that she had arrived, indeed, fashionably late 
enough.
	"Serena!" her mother smiled greeting her daughter with a smile.  
"So you decided to join us?"
	"Of course!" Serena smiled.
	"And there is that charming love of yours.  What was his name, 
Darien?"
	Serena gritted her teeth.  "Mother, Darien-"
	"Is right here, and I was looking for you, honey!" he said, 
mockingly, putting his arm around her waist from behind, and kissing her 
temple.
	Serena looked at him over her shoulder, and saw the bitter 
challenge in his eyes.  *I have you now, Ice.*
	*I don't think so.*  Serena smoothly put her arms around his neck 
and gave him a cold but very convincing effusive kiss in front of her 
mother.
	The minute their lips met, there was electricity.  Something 
happened, and she felt this urge to just keep on kissing him.  There was 
something in her blood pounding into her mind.
	And she still couldn't believe that this was the young man that 
she'd always hated in childhood.  He was a good kisser.  And that was an 
understatement.
	Darien was stunned speechless.  So was Serena, but she didn't 
show it.  *I can't believe I just did that.* she breathed heavily.
	"So where were you Serena?" her mother asked.
	"Oh, Darien wanted to help me choose out an apartment in 
Washington, and we did that.  I'll be moving there on the third.  It's pretty 
nice," she smiled softly, as Darien took her hands and played with her 
fingers, his cheek against hers, looking down as he linked their hands 
together.
	"Great!" her mother smiled, beaming with pleasure.  *At long 
last!*
	Serena was laughing on the inside.  *So there IS a use for Darien 
Dredsdale.  I'll have to remember this the next time mom starts to get mad 
at me.*  She wanted to move away from him though.  Her heart was 
pounding, and she felt her stomach up in her throat.
	They stood, together, but apart inside.  Serena was slightly mad at 
Darien for starting this whole game, but she was determined that she teach 
him a lesson.
	And Darien was determined that she would not win.
	"Come on, sweetheart, let's dance," he whispered, his lips brushing 
her ear.
	It tickled her ear and she shivered, feeling the goosebumps along 
her skin.   She told herself to calm down.  *He's only Darien, you idiot!*
	"All right," she smiled at him with a hint of ice biting it.
	He took her arms and guided her out to the dance floor and they 
started to dance.  Since she was on high heels, her chin just reached his 
shoulder and since it was a slower dance, she moved closer and whispered 
into her ear, "You will pay for this Dredsdale."
	He laughed.  "Hold on tight, because it's going to be a bumpy 
ride," he smirked as he spun her elegantly out, slowly, and spun her back 
into his eager arms.

	At around midnight, Serena was relieved that her grandmother 
called that the countdown was on, and there were three minutes left in the 
year.
	Darien was dancing with her and whispered into her ear in a lover-
like fashion.  "So what are the worst and best things of the year, Ice?"
	"Don't call me that," she bit back.
	"Hey, just asking a question."
	"The worst thing in this year is you.  The fact that I met you, the 
fact that I'm dancing with you."
	"I think you just tried to burst my bubble.  But I won't take that 
personally, because I can see it in your eyes that this hasn't been an 
unpleasant experience," he said, gently doodling a pattern on her shoulder.
	"Yeah.  Right." Serena rolled her eyes, wanting to pull away.
	"And the best thing about this year?"
	"The best thing about this year is…" Serena began when she 
realized one of the Larynce princesses was looking at them shrewdly and 
had evidently heard every word she was speaking.  Serena casually 
brushed it off and decided to give her something to gossip about.  "The 
best thing about this year is that fact that I love you anyway."  She moved 
closer, ready to kiss his surprised mocking smile when the countdown of 
the last minute began.
	Serena was relieved and somewhat disappointed.  She really DID 
want to see Darien's face after she kissed him.
	But as the countdown continued, Serena turned to the throne, 
where grandma was smilingly counting it down.  She felt Darien behind 
her, putting his arms around her, his hands meeting at her front, and gather 
her in his arms closely, kissing the crook of her neck.  "Good shot Ice, I 
think you just gave the Larynce clan enough gossip for the next five 
months.  So the Ice Queen has stolen the Dredsdale prince from the 
heiresses."
	"Don't be too sure," she whispered, irritated.  With him embracing 
her so closely, heat was creeping into her cheeks, making her sweat, as 
well as feel dizzy.  "I plan on dumping you-"
	"Happy New Year!"
	Serena suddenly smiled and sang along with the crowd, looking 
like a shining star.  When the song was over, Serena looked around to see 
the people around the room kissing others.  Suddenly inspired she turned 
in Darien's arms, and placed her arms around his neck.  "I plan on 
dumping you on Valentine's Day.  Happy New Year, honey."  With that 
she leaned forward and gave him a kiss long and passionate enough to 
convince everyone in the room that was watching them, which included 
the Larynce princesses, the matriarchs, and friends, that Serena and Darien 
were indeed head over heels for each other.
	What Darien felt at first was coldness on her lips.  He placed on of 
his arms right at the her waist, where she was evidently ticklish, and put 
the other around the upper part of her back.  She was trying to set the 
rules.  "Big mistake.  I make the rules, Ice," he murmured before catching 
her lips in his again, and giving her a kiss that she felt she was going to 
melt into.

Chapter 12 - Home for the Holidays
	She opened the door of her room, and peeked carefully out.
	Seeing that the coast was clear, she tiptoed out, and started walking 
down the hall.
	Who knew who Dredsdale was acting so weird, but she wanted to 
avoid him as much as possible.
	Since the New Years Eve ball, everyone in the Larynce and 
Dredsdale clans had accepted the two as a happily engaged couple.  And 
apparently, Darien had no problem with such a belief, and did nothing to 
disabuse them of the notion.
	Serena did plenty.  However, she was always caught in the act by a 
teasing Darien, and she'd find it hard to keep on protesting…
	Now, she was trying to get to breakfast without him, so that she 
may at least get some time to herself.  She didn't mind having Dredsdale 
around…in fact he made life a lot spicier and fun, and exciting, but at 
night, when she tossed and turned in bed, she wondered what was 
happening, whether it was safe or not to stay around a sexy, exciting, 
handsome young man like Darien Dredsdale.
	As she slipped down the hall, she turned a corner, and fell right 
into his embrace.
	Backing away and blushing, she stammered an apology.  "I'm 
sorry, D-Darien, I was going to sneak down right now for some leftover 
Christmas cookies."
	"I'll join you," he drawled, lazily.  Why not?  It was a nice 
evening, and he loved this.  Though everyone was snowed in after New 
Years, Serena Larynce helped the time pass more…easily.
	"Oh, I don't want to trouble you…"
	"You're no trouble at all," he said, smiling that devilish grin at her.
	She laughed nervously.  "I'm plenty of trouble, Darien.  You just 
haven't seen my good side yet!"
	"Oh really?" his eyebrow lifted.
	*Oh my…* her heart fluttered.

	She sat back in Darien's embrace, as they watched, "While You 
Were Sleeping" with Amy and Greg, Mina and Andrew, Raye and Chad, 
and Lita and Ken.  His hands were in front of her waist, mingling in her 
fingers, and playing with them gently.
	"I love this movie, though it is totally unrealistic!" Serena sighed.
	"And why do you say that?" Darien whispered, kissing her ear.
	The kiss brought a blush from Serena and a warm smile from the 
others in the room.
	"Well, I can't believe a woman could fall in love with a man in a 
week, and agree to marry him."
	"Well…" Amy smiled smugly at them.  "You met at Christmas, 
and on New Years…well, everyone knows you two are in love…"
	"Everyone?" Serena's eyes widened.  *Everyone but me and him!*
	"Come on, Serena, isn't it obvious?" Mina chided her teasingly.
	Darien's arms came around her waist tightly.
	"Well, I knew him before Christmas too!" Serena said, softly.
	"You merely heard about him…" Lita said.
	"And he merely heard about you…you two never actually met…" 
Raye said, her eyes glittering in the firelight, as they saw Sandra Bullock 
yell yet again at Bill Pullman.
	"Oh, this is my favorite part!  Everybody, shh!!!" Serena sighed.
	Sandra Bullock took the newspaper-wrapped bundle from Bill 
Pullman, and unwrapped it, while he talked, "I was delivering some 
furniture down at Little Italy, when I looked in the store window, and 
then…"
	She flipped over a snow down, with a city inside.  "Florence…"
	The strains of pretty music enveloped the room, and everyone was 
kissing their spouse or fiancee gently.  Originally, had it been any other 
year, Serena would have mad a snide remark at that about being alone, or 
she would have felt extremely uncomfortable.
	Tears sat in her eyes, and she wanted to cry, as she always had.  
But this time, it was different.
	This time, well, Darien was here, and though she wasn't in love 
with him, she found comfort as he kissed her softly on the cheek, and 
pulled her into his arms more, and rested his chin on her shoulder, as she 
rested back on his chest.  The tears subsided.
	She sighed, happily.

	Eating dinner with the family was usually a terrifyingly trying 
experience.  Between Ilene Tsukino's whining about her over-ambitious 
single daughter, and that daughter's lack of family value, and Michael 
Tsukino's funny lame jokes, there was always something that made every 
cell in Serena's body cringe at it.  Probably because she never looked 
forward to having her mother pick on her single status.
	That was why she usually sat with friends at the dinner parties.  
However, her mother, wanting tradition to run her family, always forced 
her family to sit together at least once during the holidays.
	Surprisingly enough, this evening was not so bad.  Sam had a 
fiancee now, and there was that wedding for Ilene to talk about during 
dinner.  However, Serena had to admit that the largest and most enjoyable 
change was Darien Dredsdale's presence.
	He laughed with her father, and told lame jokes as well.  He 
charmed her mother.  Her mother talked constantly of how much she'd 
like a young man like him in the family…a hint to Serena, of course, and 
he kept a nice conversation with Sam.
	Through it all, he held Serena's hand.
	Serena couldn't help bit feel lightheaded and happy through the 
whole episode.

	He walked her to her taxi the morning she left, and carried her 
baggage.  Most of the family was not up yet, but some stood at windows, 
admiring the couple from afar.
	"Dredsdale…it's been…amazing…this past week…thank you 
for…making my holidays wonderful.
	"I know how it is to be single, and home for the holidays…believe 
me," he said, quietly.
	"I'll see you in Washington…" she began.
	"Yep.  Don't miss me too much."
	She smiled brightly.  "I'll be muttering your name under my breath 
for an eternity, and I'll be crying my eyes out over you.  You will occupy 
every thought I will have until I see you again, and once I see you again, I 
will obsess about ever sngle action you make around me," she laughed.  
"For the record, Dredsdale, I'll make it clear now.  I need company during 
the holidays, but when vacation's over, it's work time.  Work time HAS 
no breaks." She said, her eyes slightly cold, as she focused on him, trying 
to make him understand.  "It'll be back to normal…got it?  I don't like 
you, you don't like me.  I will be this way…it HAS to be this way…"
	"I wonder…"
	"You wonder what?"
	"What would happen if someone dared come into your life, Ice 
Queen?" he said, gently taking her face in her hands.
	"I'd make sure he never gets here."
	"Well," he sighed, backing away from her.  "I hope you have a 
good trip.  I'll see you in Washington."
	She started to get in the car.  "Wait…" he said.  She stopped, her 
heart froze, and she turned around. "What?"
	"Don't worry," he said.  "Back to normal…"

Chapter 13 - I Need Some Closure
	Serena sighed as she put the masking tape on the last of the boxes.  
As she finished, she stood up, taking the bright red kerchief off her head 
and brushing her sweat-coated forehead with her light blue Harvard 
sweatshirt.  She then put the tape down and brushed her sweat-drenched 
hands against her jeans, attempting to dry them.
	She was tired.  It was amazing.  January twelfth, and NOW she 
was packing for her move.
	What a relief.  Home sweet home.
	The game was over.  Who knew who had won.  Whatever 
happened that week was a miracle, but miracles rarely occurred more than 
once…not that she wanted to have it happen to her again.
	But she could not remember a time in her life when Christmas was 
more enjoyable than this year.
	But after she had arrived at New York and started packing, she 
started to think about it more.  Her thoughts became suddenly clear.  *He's 
obviously playing a game with me, and just because I'm the only one of 
the Larynces that actually stand up against him, he wants to make me fall 
in deep for him.  Sure, to melt the Ice Queen's heart would be the greatest 
accomplishment!  Then, he'll just relish in that heartless sun king role of 
his.  Get too close, you get burned.  Well, you've got another thing 
coming, Dredsdale.*
	She was ready to think about it more, but she couldn't…not now, 
at lest…and as it looked, not ever.  She had to move.
	She had to move fast.  Ken was being inaugurated the twentieth, as 
all presidents always were.  Today was the twelfth and she was moving on 
the sixteenth.  What fun.
	She sighed, frustrated, into her boxes.  Sorting things and packing, 
juggling her college schedule and passing of the case to another lawyer in 
her aunt's firm was not easy.
	But at least her college schedule was lighter this semester.
	Looking around her room, seeing all the clothes she had yet to 
pack…fancy cocktail dresses, gala things, and wedding things, she sighed 
miserably.  She'd need the extra time to unpack.

	On the twentieth of January, Kenneth Robert Larynce was sworn in 
as president of the United States.
	Serena Larynce became attorney general officially.  Darien 
Dredsdale became surgeon general officially.
	As Serena stood among the on-lookers, and froze her hands in her 
rose pink gloves, she looked at Darien.  He stood apart from the rest, 
looking up at his friend, admirably and happily.
	He was proud of his friend.  Serena was proud of her cousin.
	Lita stood next to her husband, and their children, Margo and 
Kevin, stood by with perfect manners and serious faces.
	Serena was happy.  Everything was perfect in her apartment.  
EVERYTHING was unpacked.
	Everything was perfect.

	The inauguration ball was the big event of the evening, and Serena 
was aware of it.  She entered the West Wing of the White House with a 
small familiarity of the house.  It was funny, coming back as a guest to a 
place where she had lived once.  She looked around her, seeing the people 
around smiling and laughing.
	Serena had entered carefully, slightly nervous.  A new society.  She 
always had to deal with the rumors that had arrived before her, and she 
always had to gain the favors of almost everyone in the room.  Great.
	But she had dressed nicely for the occasion.  She wore a black 
velvet sleeveless that collared around her neck, with a diamond at the 
center at her throat.  From the collar, the cut of fabric on either side went 
diagonally from the center of the collar to the crook of her arms and 
around to the back, where her line of skin reached down to the small of her 
back.  From there, the velvet clung to her figure, and had a slit on her right 
side to just above her knee.  She wore black suede pumps and her hair was 
again pulled up but with small black bows that had diamond centers.  She 
wore diamond earrings, and some gentle blond tendrils framed her face.
	She was ready.  She was going to take the Washington DC society 
and turn it in her favor.  As she started walking around, she felt someone's 
gaze on her.  She turned and focused on the person who watched her.
	Darien Dredsdale.

Chapter 14 - A Complication…
	Serena sighed, tired and typed more into the laptop on the desk in 
front of her.  It was late February.  She had gone through a month of this, 
and even gotten through the lonely Valentine's Day blues with sappy 
romantic movies and strawberries and white chocolate.  Not to mention 
plenty of boxes of tissue, especially when she saw "While You Were 
Sleeping."
	It was odd…Christmas was one of the most depressing times for 
her, and yet, the past one was so wonderful…but this time, well, 
Valentine's Day bit at her heart harsher than usual.  Maybe it was the 
unusually cold weather that had swept in, blamed on El Nino.  But Serena 
knew it had to do with the fact that she had a taste of something special at 
Christmastime, something that she almost wished she had now.
	But she had things to do, of course, because she was the busy 
Attorney General.  But at the same time, she was distressed.  This evening, 
she had another social thing to go to, the Lara Dredsdale ball thing in 
Richmond.  But she needed a date.  She was not about to go to find her 
mother and grandmother both asking her about whatever happened to her 
sweet heart.  The problem with Lara Dredsdale was that many of her 
friends were the mindless Larynce princesses, and Serena did NOT want 
to have them sneering at her all night, gossiping how the prince probably 
got back his eyesight after all, and was smart enough to abandon the sickly 
thing.
	Serena wasn't sickly, but the Larynce princesses did not like her 
too much, because they always called her the prima donna child, always 
requiring the best books, the best schools, and the biggest tuition.  The fact 
that Serena wore minimal makeup also bothered them as well, for she was 
pretty without the layers of glob, made them all believe she was a pale 
sickly thing for her lack of make up.  And another fact that peeved them 
was that she had beautiful golden hair full of vibrancy and always shining.  
Serena had beautiful hair, and they all envied her, for no dye job could get 
such perfectly colored hair.  Serena Larynce was beautiful, and she didn't 
care for her appearance as much as she did for socks.  And that was why 
the other Larynce princesses despised her.
	And Serena knew that if she did not show up tonight, they'd talk, 
and if she showed up without a date, they'd talk more.  There was already 
going to be enough talk when she showed up without Dredsdale.  And she 
only hoped that the princesses wouldn't go after Dredsdale like wolves, for 
NO ONE deserved that.
	Dredsdale.  How quickly people can come into a life and interrupt 
everything that was happening.  He had changed EVERYTHING for her.  
Though the holidays were wonderful, she'd made a point to avoid family 
things now, because the family would expect Darien Dredsdale to be there 
with her.  And he couldn't be.  She wouldn't allow it to be.
	At that moment her secretary came on the intercom.  "Miss 
Larynce, the surgeon general is on the phone for you."
	Confused, she looked at the laptop screen blankly.
	The Inaugural ball had been absolutely boring.  She had spent the 
evening dancing with various partners, and not one of them was Darien 
Dredsdale, to her relief, but not one was as interesting as him, nor as 
wonderful a dancer.  As she danced with partner after partner, she felt 
close to yawning.  In the end, she decided to just leave.  So she left a 
couple of hours early.  As she looked around her, she noted that Dredsdale 
had apparently gotten the same idea, for he was no where to be seen, and 
as she walked down the driveway of the White House, flagging for a cab, 
Dredsdale was getting into one.
	"Miss Larynce?"
	Serena came out of her thoughtful reverie.  "Yes?"
	"What should I tell Dr. Dredsdale?"
	"I'll take the call right now, Lucy," her heart started to pound, and 
her mind started to throb.
	She heard a click, and she breathed lightly into the phone, "Hello?"
	"Ice?" his voice, it warmed her.  But she scowled at the name.  She 
HAD told him that she watned everything back to normal, but…
	She was an idiot.  He was simply keeping his word.
	"Don't call me that," she scowled into the phone.
	"Excuse me, your majesty the high empress of Ice, Serena Rebecca 
Larynce."
	"Will you quit that?"  Serena rolled her eyes to the ceiling.
	"Then what do you want me to call you, Larynce?"
	"Larynce is just fine," she stated coolly.  "Now why are you calling 
me?"
	"You know what?  Forget it."
	"Forget what?  You never told me anything!"  Serena smirked.  
Now THIS was an interesting conversation.  Too bad it only happened 
with Dredsdale; she was kind of hoping that her prince Charming would 
be conversational, only less insulting.  And too bad he was acting like this 
now…for she remembered that more than a month ago…
	"Goodbye, Larynce."
	"No, Dredsdale, you called, and I'm curious.  The surgeon general 
does not just call the attorney general about business and just decide that 
he doesn't need to."
	"Look, it had nothing to do with business."
	Serena couldn't breathe.  There was that really annoying thing in 
her throat again.  She started to cough.
	"Larynce?"
	"Just fine, doctor, I don't need your help.  I had something in my 
throat.  Now why did you call?  A call that has nothing to do with 
business?  You of all people know that this could RUIN my rep!" she 
laughed bitterly.
	"I called to make sure your rep WASN'T ruined.  Have you seen 
today's newspaper?"
	"What are you talking about?"
	"Look at the paper."
	"I don't have a copy right here with me."
	"Get one."
	"Why don't you tell me what's on it?"
	"You wouldn't believe me."
	"All right, I'll believe you."
	"Really?"
	"YES!  Now are you going to tell me or NOT?"
	"Aliens have invaded."
	"Dredsdale, look, if you want to joke around, I have better things 
to do…"
	"Okay, okay, so that was a joke, but I think you have to look at the 
newspaper yourself."
	"You mean that aliens have really invaded?" she asked, feigning 
innocence.
	"No, now get that paper!"
	"All right!  Just wait a second."
	She pressed the hold button and buzzed her secretary.  "I need 
today's paper."
	"I thought you already read it this morning, Miss Larynce."
	"Apparently not carefully enough.  Could you please bring it in 
here, Lucy, please?"
	"Sure, Miss Larynce."
	A minute later, Lucy walked in.  "You put it in the recycled paper 
bin, with shredded paper, so if there is any of that stuff in there, you know 
where it came from."
	Serena smiled to the woman who was slightly older than she, and 
decided that she'd save the newspapers until the weekend from then on.  
She was only glad she hadn't dumped the paper in the trash with the 
leaking bottle of rubber cement.
	As Lucy closed the door behind her, she pressed the button on her 
phone.  "All right, got the paper.  What do you want me to see?"
	"Engagements section."
	"I'm starting to feel sick," Serena began, "Who's getting married?  
One of my bratty cousins?"
	"You have to see it to believe it."
	As she opened the section, she read the names.  "Lisa Arnold to 
John Staton, Maria Cassinger to Luke Wood, and special notice for elite 
Serena Larynce and Darien Dredsdale…" for a minute, Serena stared at 
the page.  "Dredsdale, is this some sick joke?  What are you pulling?  I 
will go over there and kill you for what you just did."
	"Cool it, Larynce, I didn't do it.  I wouldn't want to ruin my life."
	"WHAT?"
	"Look, we're both extremely surprised now."
	"How many people will get this news?"
	Well, I believe that the marriage announcement is on its way to 
People magazine, according to my meddlesome great aunt, who figured 
she'd speed things up, since we're getting married in the future anyway," 
he said sarcastically.
	"I will KILL Gretchen Dredsdale."
	"No, you won't.  Number one, you're a lawyer, and you know 
what that gets you.  Number two, you're the attorney general, so I don't 
advise it.  Number three, I won't let you kill her."
	"Why?  Don't you feel like you want to kill her to?  She just 
complicated our lives by ten million tons!"
	"Number four, it'd mean you'd have to kill your grandmother too."
	"Grandma!  She wouldn't do that…would she?"
	"Gertrude Dredsdale and Gail Larynce announced the engagement 
last night at a function in Chicago."
	"Have you talked to your great aunt?"
	"Yes, and that's all she said.  She thought it was time I settled 
down, and that we were going to be engaged sooner or later, why not 
sooner and not later?"
	"That is the dumbest excuse I heard, but my grandmother will use 
something like that on me.  She'll say she's old and is worried I'll be all 
alone in the world when she "passes on" and give me a break there are 
about 150-200 Larynces!  I won't be all alone for the rest of eternity!  
She's seventy-four, and doc says she's going to go on for longer than that!  
So what do we do?"
	"I don't know, Larynce.  The way I figure it, we could do one of 
three things."
	"And those would be?"
	"We could pretend the engagement never existed…"
	"I like that one."
	"I thought so too, but we'll get into some turbulence when the 
news hits the magazines.  But then again, all we have to do is write up…"
	"What are your other suggestions, Dredsdale?" Serena rolled her 
eyes to the ceiling.
	"We could stage a fight for tonight…"
	"That shouldn't be hard.  We fight all the time."
	"But then we'd be thought very superficial for being engaged for 
only a while and argumentative.  Let's just way we'll never hear the end of 
the matter if we do it this way."
	"So what are we left with?"
	"Well…um…"
	"Just say it."
	"We could follow it through-"
	"WHAT?" shrieked Serena.
	Lucy came running in.  "What is it, Miss Larynce?"
	"Funny, I didn't think the Chicago Bulls could ever lose," Serena 
laughed, putting a hand to her now sweaty forehead.
	Lucy then closed the door behind her, and she frowned as she 
heard Darien's laughter on the other side of the line.  "Shut up Dredsdale!"  
she ordered coldly.  "I'm upset as it is already, I don't need you to make it 
worse."
	"Creative thinker, Larynce.  You're creative."
	"Thanks," she sighed, sarcastically.  "I'm not going marry you, 
Dredsdale."
	"No, I wasn't going to suggest that.  I just thought we could hold 
off the break up for a while, just to make the engagement believable.  
Therefore, when we broke it off truly, then we could just go our own ways 
and everyone in our families would think we were so hurt, the matriarchs 
wouldn't try to pull a stunt like this ever again.  You know, not a marriage 
of convenience, but more of an engagement of convenience."
	"You DO have a point.  If we pull this off, my family would really 
lay off with the matchmaking.  But you might be viciously pursued by my 
cousins after."
	"I can handle them," he scoffed.
	"So we'll just use the engagement to our advantage."
	"Yeah."
	"There's only one problem," Serena sighed.
	"And that would be?"
	"We couldn't possibly be a happily engaged couple, Dredsdale.  I 
don't even LIKE you!"
	"That's quite a strong thing to say to your fiancee, ICE!"
	"DON'T CALL ME THAT!!!"
	"All right, all right, Honey."
	"I don't like that either.  Stick with Larynce."
	"Fine."
	"But we can't act like…fiancees!"
	"We did at Christmas."
	"Christmas is another world…" she said, as her heart pounded.  To 
have him hold her again…"But then again, we just have to be slightly 
loving the first few months, and start having some problems with each 
other so that when the engagement break off comes, it'll be expected."
	"Good, Larynce."
	"So how long will this last?"
	"I have no idea."
	"When do couples normally break it off?"
	"There is no such thing as a normal break-up time."
	"So when?"
	"I don't know!"
	"Fine, let's make it interesting, and contradict that gold mistletoe.  
I feel very poetic today.  I say we break up on Christmas Day, right at 
breakfast, in front of everyone.  You can get me a totally horrid gift and 
I'll start crying about how horrible you make me feel in general, the gift 
only supporting my argument, and I'll break it off."
	"But that makes me look like a jerk."
	"And you AREN'T one?"
	"I resent that."
	"Besides, no one's going to believe a man to be tearful."
	"Fine, you break it off.  After all, you have deliver the gut-
wrenching news to Gail and Gertrude."
	"Don't remind me.  We'll let them be happy old ladies for now, but 
it most definitely won't last."
	"So are you coming tonight, Larynce?"
	"I'll be there, but I think fiancees arrive together.  Also, I don't 
want to face the curious press and the family alone."
	"All right.  How are you getting to Richmond?"
	"Train."
	"Great.  I'm taking train too.  I'll stop by your office at noon, and 
we'll leave for the train station."
	"But right now, it's nine o'clock!"
	"Yeah, grab your stuff from your apartment, and pack some work.  
You'd have to leave at this time to get there in time by yourself anyway, 
so don't complain."
	"You know, there IS a reason why I'm the LATE Larynce."
	"There's also a reason why you're the Ice Queen, but you don't 
accept that, so I don't accept tardiness.  See you later, HONEY," he bit 
out.  >Click.<
	Serena hung up the phone and looked at the phone, then the 
newspaper.  She was engaged to Dredsdale. This would certainly be a year 
to remember.
	Serena got out of her desk and left her office.  She met Lucy on the 
outside.  "I have to go shopping for a stunning dress.  I'll be back at eleven 
thirty.  I think I'll take today as a sick day.  If anyone calls, take the 
message, if Dr. Dredsdale calls, place his message on the top.  If the press 
calls, say no comment and hang up."
	Lucy nodded her head.
	Serena left, her trenchcoat in hand, mission in mind.  Two and a 
half hours, and one absolutely eye-numbing dress.

Chapter 15 - And…ACTION!
	Serena breathed in and out slowly sitting back in her seat.  *12:10.  
God Dredsdale.  You're punctual.* she thought, sarcastically.
	At that moment, Lucy buzzed.  "Dr. Dredsdale is here to see you."
	Serena almost fell out of her chair.  *He's here, already?*  she 
though panicked.  "I'll be right out."
	Serena grabbed her the bag that contained her dress and slung it 
over her shoulder, as she held it by the hanger hook.  She then grabbed her 
brief case and walked out.
	*Here we go again.*
	"Larynce."
	"Dredsdale."
	They stopped in front of each other.  Standing in front of her 
secretary, the both cringed at each other as they both leaned in stiffly.  He 
kissed her mechanically on the cheek, and she pecked him.  The quickly 
stood back up straight, and Darien said odd, clearing his throat, "Ready to 
go?"
	"Yeah.  Lucy, take the rest of the day off, we are closing early this 
wonderful Friday.  I have a social thing to get to, and I've already 
informed Ken of it.  He's going to call me using your cell phone, 
Dredsdale, seeing that I don't have one."
	"Get a pager."
	"I'm working on it."
	"Sure," he rolled his eyes.
	"Look, let's just get this over with, Dredsdale."  With that, she led 
the way to the elevators.
	However, as she realized there would be a shell of press outside the 
building, as there had been when she came in earlier, she waited for 
Darien.  As they got on the elevator, she quickly snatched his hand, and 
held it.  His hand was VERY warm.
	Darien nearly jumped back.  "What do you do?  Soak your body in 
ice?"
	"No, it just comes naturally," she smiled.
	She was beautiful when she smiled.  Very beautiful, Darien noted.  
He gripped her hand, as he felt the fingers grow warmer by the second.
	Serena held her breath.  It was odd, the way they touched.
	At ground floor, the elevator doors opened.  
	The press saw a beautiful couple walk to the door.  Right before 
exiting the building, Darien helped Serena into her coat, and wound her 
scarf about her neck, and straightened her beret.  Serena reached to 
straighten a lock of hair, and he kissed her forehead automatically, though 
it appeared very loving to the press.  He opened the door for her, and 
guided her out, keeping his palm at a protective position at the base of her 
back, at her waist.
	"Yes…" she said to a reporter nearby, as they continued to the taxi 
which waited for them.

	Serena walked out of her hotel room, which was across the hall 
from Darien's.  He wasn't out, so she knocked on the door, but found that 
it was open.
	She pushed open the door wider.  "Dredsdale?"
	"Here, come in."
	Serena stepped in, with her dress coat on, finding Dredsdale 
adjusting his bow tie to no avail.
	"Ha!  Come on, I can tie it right," Serena said, coming up to him, 
adjusting it herself, like the so many times she had done so for Sam when 
they were kids.  "There.  you owe me now.  Let's go."
	As Darien looked at his reflection in the mirror, of the two people 
who stood next to each other, he concluded that she could tie a bow tie 
right.  She was already wearing a thick formal winter coat, so he couldn't 
see what she wore for tonight.  He only hoped she had as much taste as she 
had skill in tying bow ties.  But if Larynce had on something that was half 
as stylish as she had on all those previous evenings, his eyes would be 
glued on her the whole evening, and that did not seem so displeasing in 
HIS mind.
	"So when did we officially get engaged?"  Serena asked.
	"We told our beloved matriarchs yesterday, and are formally 
announcing ourselves tonight.  We truly got engaged a few days ago, and 
here is your engagement ring…" he said, reaching into his tux jacket.
	"You didn't have to.  We could have just said we didn't have time 
to get it," Serena protested.
	"But then we would have to get the ring later.  Either way, same 
outcome.  Take it, Larynce, put it on, and let's go."
	"You don't know my ring size, and I don't want a ring!"
	"I've held your hand before, I think I know by now what your 
finger size is.  Besides, you HAVE to take the ring.  You're my fiancee, 
remember?"
	"It won't fit, and I still don't want it."
	"You haven't even seen it yet, now open the box and put it on."
	She looked around, distracted.  She finally focused on him, and 
said the lamest reason she could think of, "I'm waiting for you to get on 
your knees."
	*She's stalling.  She doesn't want to make it official.*  "Fine," he 
kneeled down and sighed resignedly.  "Marry me Larynce."
	"You have the romance of a rock, you know that?"  Serena said, 
rolling her eyes, as she opened the box.  "The romance of…oh my god!"
	It was circle of gold, with a diamond that had the purity of water.
	"It's the classic diamond ring, only much richer.  It was my…it 
was my mom's.  Her engagement ring.  She'd want my fiancee to have it, 
even IF we weren't really getting married."
	"It's almost alive.  So bright and beautiful.  I…I can't wear this.  It 
has special meaning."
	"Great aunt Gertrude wants it this way.  She gave me the ring for 
my "beloved" when I was twenty-one, and I was to keep it until…IF I got 
engaged, and if I didn't give my fiancee this ring, then I was 'turning my 
back on my own mother'.  Now come on, try on the ring."
	"All right," she agreed, dazedly.  "Do you want to do the honors?"
	He took the small black velvet box, and took out the ring.  He then 
took her cold left hand and slipped the ring on her finger.
	The moment she slipped in on her finger, it fit perfectly, and at that 
instant, she realized she had just promised herself in marriage to Darien.
	It shouldn't have hit her so hard.  After all, she knew that she was 
engaged to him beforehand, but now, everything seemed to become 
magnified, about more than a thousand times.  Maybe because now, it 
might actually be real.  A part of her was rather sad at the depressing state 
her life had just slipped into…engaged to a gorgeous intelligent man that 
her grandmother sent her up with…and she was still not pleased…
	The difference was definitely noticeable in her expression.  Darien 
noticed it, and realized that with that ring, he just sealed an engagement.  
No matter how false it was underneath, it was true to the very last detail on 
the outside.  Serena Larynce was now his fiancee.  Annoyingly perfect, 
bitingly cold Serena Larynce…beautiful, vivacious Serena Larynce.
	At least she was interesting…more than interesting…the thought 
crossed his mind that had it been anyone else, Darien would have opted for 
breaking off the engagement as soon as possible.  But…there was 
definitely a distinction with Serena Larynce…most definitely a difference.
	"Are we ready, Larynce?"
	"All right," she said, clearing her throat.  "Let's knock them dead."

	They walked out of the taxi in front of a large banquet hall.
	"Looks like we're fashionably late, Larynce."
	"Well, here we go.  Come on…honey."  With that, Serena threaded 
her arm in his, and they held hands.  She noted that his were very cold.
	Hers were surprisingly warm, and Darien couldn't remember for a 
second why she was the Ice Queen when she was so warm.  It was contrast 
to what they felt just ten minutes ago, when he'd given her the ring.  He 
shook his head and they entered the building together, and went into the 
coat check.
	As Darien helped Serena take her coat off, he was stunned by her 
gown.
	It was a forest green velvet dress, sleeveless of course, to show off 
those beautiful pale arms.  The cut was pretty low, and curved around her 
closely, until it reached her waist, when it was followed by a forest green 
satin pouffy skirt, with black sparkling lace screening over it beaded with 
pretty sparkling beads.  At her ears, emerald earrings, glimmering against 
her hair, which she had pinned up with emerald combs.
	Darien should have been used to it by now.  Larynce couldn't pull 
that many tricks and still get the kicks.  But he couldn't get over how 
lovely she looked each time he met her at one of these things.  Always a 
different beauty, but nevertheless always stunning.
	He whispered teasingly into her ear, "Nice, Larynce.  I think I'm 
proud.  You're gorgeous."
	"You know Larynce jewels…they're enchanted…" she muttered, 
smiling.  "Just doing my part in the fiasco," she continued simply, but 
blushed inside at his compliment.  It was nice that he appreciated the effort 
she put into selecting a gown for tonight.  But having him whisper 
compliments into her ear just gave her a case of excessive shivers.
	With that, he put his arm around her waist protectively, as a fiancee 
would, he concluded, and guided her to the ballroom.  Serena figured that 
the same thing, and just leaned against him.
	The minute they entered, they were barraged with questions.
	"You didn't, did you?"  Ilene pushed herself to the front.
	Serena lifted her left hand to show off the engagement ring.
	"It's gorgeous!" Ilene beamed.  "I only wish my daughter TOLD 
me about it, instead of leaving me to find out in the paper."
	"Sorry, mother, it's just that things were moving so fast…"  Serena 
breezed, looking up to Darien, with that glance of admiration a fiancee 
would have, though it was not entirely fake.
	*If it had to be someone, I suppose Darien is the best one.  He's 
interesting enough, and at least I won't be bored these next several 
months.  Plus, I have to admit, he is the most GORGEOUS guy I have 
seen in my life.*
	"When is the wedding?"  asked another guest.
	"Next June."
	"Next March."
	Serena and Darien looked at each other and Darien smiled.  
"We've been so caught up in the whole concept of being engaged we 
haven't really discussed the wedding yet," he squeezed Serena's hand.  
Serena stiffened slightly, and she knew Darien felt it, because he seemed 
to tease her more by holding it more firmly.
	Suddenly realizing she had to spend a whole evening with the 
Dredsdale, she decided to make the most of it.  *Just because we're 
engaged does NOT mean we like each other.*  Going back to the game 
they had played at the New Year's Eve Ball, she decided that the game 
was the only way to make it convincing.  Otherwise, she'd kill him by the 
end of the evening.
	A part of her heart felt a warm completeness, as it had felt the 
week they had after New Years, after being snowed in.  In fact, she was, 
for the first time, happy again, in all honesty.  There was something about 
him…
	She leaned her head on his shoulder.
	Darien turned to look at her head.  She looked up at him, with the 
challenge issued in her eyes, laughing.
	*You're on.*
	*I'm going to win.  And when I do, we'll celebrate this hoax 
tonight.  If I win, you buy champagne.  If you win, it's on me.*
	*All right.*
	With that, his hold around her suddenly got a lot more tight around 
her, and more personal.  Serena caught her breath.  *Okay, Dr. Dread.  
Let's play.*

Chapter 16 - Heart to Heart
	Serena sipped the champagne they had bought together, fifty-fifty, 
sitting in Darien's hotel room, on a chair in the corner, watching TV.  
Darien walked out of the bathroom with only his shirt and pants from the 
whole tuxedo outfit.  The rest was thrown on the bed.
	Serena sighed.  This was certainly quite a way to spend the 
weekend, with a man she didn't even like.  They wouldn't even get along, 
if it weren't for those silly bets.  At least, that's what she told herself.
	Tonight had been dangerous.  When Dr. Dread was charming, she 
knew it.  The way he'd hold her, the way he'd keep her close to him.  It 
was as if they really WERE engaged.  Well, they were, but not in the 
strictest sense, she hoped.  They couldn't ACTUALLY get married.  
Dredsdale was only around for the games, the make-believe.  It would 
have never worked if it was real.  *Though,* Serena thought.  *If it 
COULD work out in the real world, it'd make life a lot less lonely and 
more interesting.*
	She had floated the entire evening…in his arms, in her mind, in her 
heart.  With him, she felt as if she was high on a cloud, being swept up and 
carried over some strange threshold…a new emotion, perhaps, but who 
knew what it was.
	"So Larynce, we have to discuss a few things."
	"What would that be?"
	"Wedding date."
	"You said March, I said June.  Let's compromise.  May."
	"April."
	"WE'RE NOT EVEN GETTTING MARRIED!!!!!!!!"
	"So?  We still have to agree."
	"Then I suggest this.  The later we put it, the fewer wedding 
preparations we'll have to make before this whole thing is off.  Let's face 
it, Dredsdale.  We're breaking up at Christmas.  We don't want to start 
preparing for a wedding that's never going to happen."
	"True.  But I still say April, and we agree on April." Darien said.  
But he didn't want to agree with Larynce.  The ease he'd felt when he was 
with her was entirely too frightening.  The whole sense of being in a 
couple with her really made no sense at all.  He had tried to charm her out, 
to see her squirm, but she took it coldly, and just fought back, muddling 
his mind up with confusing dreams of kissing that beautifully curved 
mouth.
	"April showers…"
	"But May flowers?"
	"If I AM going to get married, it might as well be beautiful outside 
when I tie the knot."
	"We're not getting married, as you are constantly reminding me."
	"But since you're so in love with me, you'll let me have my way, 
right dear?" She flashed those beautiful perfect teeth of hers, and he 
wanted to melt.  When she smiled at him, even superficially, there was a 
certain warmth.  When she smiled genuinely, which was VERY rare, 
Darien sometimes thought he was in love.  Those eyes were warm, a warm 
blue sky in the summer when the sun was out.  Pure, joyful, unblemished 
blue.  And her lips had that special quirk in an honest smile, the kissable 
quirk.  But it was only that.  She was gorgeous.  Who WOULDN'T want 
to kiss her?  It wasn't as if he actually liked her mind or anything like that.
	"Tell me about yourself," she said, suddenly.
	"What?"  Darien asked, puzzled.
	"Tell me about yourself.  If we're engaged, we should be able to 
talk as if we knew each other.  We don't right now.  I don't want to 
accidentally something that isn't true about your life, only to have myself 
contradicted, and we're supposedly in love, so I'm supposed to know a 
LOT more about you than I do right now.  You don't have to get too 
personal or anything, but tell me enough so that I can talk to others about 
you without having to worry about being wrong."
	"All right, pour me a glass of that, will you?"
	"After I go to my room and get some PJs on.  These heels are 
killing me, and I'm starting to get cold in this dress."

	"Okay," Serena said, settling down on the opposite side of the bed 
in her pink silk jammies.  "Shoot."
	"Well, as you know, I'm surgeon general of this beautiful nation, 
and I teach at Johns H, heading the med department."
	"Cousin Amy teaches there, right?"
	"Yes, that would be Amy Anderson and her fiancee Greg Urawa, 
who are on Cloud Nine whenever they're together.  It gets annoying to the 
staff at times, for they never seem to be able to do anything else but talk 
about the wedding."
	"It's an improvement from when she was a child.  She was always 
so SERIOUS!"
	"And you weren't?"
	"What do you mean?" Serena shifted in her place, suddenly self-
conscious.  She played with a loose thread on the bed cover.
	"You skipped two grades.  You KNOW what I mean," Darien said, 
gently.
	"No, I don't.  I was being ambitious."
	"You were also so studious you didn't go out in the social circles 
like your cousins," he looked at her, matter-of-factly.
	"Hey, that's a PRIVILEDGE!  If I ended up like them I'd kill 
myself!" she joked, fighting to keep the atmosphere light.
	"Okay, so it's a bad suggestion."
	"If I remember correctly, you've met all my cousins, and according 
to Lita, they're all in love with you.  Would you prefer I was one of them, 
another starry-eyed grown-up teenager?  And they're all very materialistic 
and stuck up.  They want husbands who look like tennis pros and who 
have bank accounts in Switzerland.  But my favorite has to be Candy 
Larynce.  Such style!  No one could wear an elegant dress and still manage 
to look desperate."
	Darien laughed.  How true.  However, he became serious again 
rather quickly.  "You say that they're materialistic, but what about you?  
What do you live for?  You aren't materialistic, but you don't really shine 
with ideals in your eyes."
	"Fairy tales don't come true.  I thought they did, but when I came 
and found that I LIVED a fairy tale, I found that it wasn't one at all, 
because fairy tales don't exist.  Don't get me wrong.  I like my life, and I 
like my family, despite all the materialistic snobs (which only total to be 
about an annoying ten; the rest of them are quite nice), and I like what I 
do.  I just don't want to wish for more, because I'll only be let down in the 
end."
	"No such thing as love?" he asked, gently, reaching across, taking 
a small grip on her chin, and tilting her eyes to meet his.
	Serena nervously drew in a breath, and then began.  "There is such 
thing as love.  Otherwise, Amy would never blush when Greg walked into 
a room, and Lita wouldn't get that expression in her eyes when she talks 
about Ken, even after all these years.  And my every time my father 
doesn't think anyone's looking, he'll take my mother's hand, and hold it, 
or bring it to his lips and kiss it.  There is love out there, but I'm just 
saying that it's not out there for me.  I believed in it before, but that 
illusion was shattered a long time ago."
	"How?"
	"Oh, I met a guy, never knew who he was.  He gave me my first 
kiss, and I got all starry eyed and I hoped I'd see him again.  I waited for 
him until I was 23.  Of course, in the end, I was totally depressed, and 
decided that I wasn't ever going to put myself into believing those things.  
Besides, I don't have time for relationships, and I don't have the emotional 
strength.  I can't believe this.  You hardly know me, and I already told you 
this.  I'm still working up the courage to tell my friends not to bother with 
their lame attempts at setting me up."
	"They really can't do that now, can they?."
	"No, but this whole thing was started by matchmaking, only at the 
highest level, the matriarchs.  But at least the friends stop now.  They all 
wanted to see me 'happy'.  You know, marry off the unlucky one.  I'm the 
last one of all my female friends to still be single.  I'm an endangered 
species," she laughed.
	"No, you're extinct now," he reminded her.
	"We're not REALLY getting married, though.  And why am I 
saying all this?  I thought you were supposed to tell me about you."
	"You started it."
	"Well now I'm ending it; your life now.  Why don't you take one 
of my cousins out of my hair and marry them?"
	"Aside from that fact that they're ALL scheming cats out to rip 
each other's faces off?"
	Serena laughed.  "No, tell me, you're the Dredsdale prince.  Why 
haven't you actually settled down with a princess?"
	"I'm REALLY idealistic, I suppose.  I believe strongly in love, and 
I believe that it WILL come for me some day.  But not too soon.  It'll 
come when I'm ready for it.  I'm a go-with-the-flow guy.  I had to be 
when my parents died."
	"Lita told me about it.  How old were you?" Serena's eyes became 
soft, caressing his face with a gentle almost tearful blue.
	"Only ten years old.  It tore my heart out.  I was totally lost.  But I 
met someone."
	"You work fast!" Serena teased lightly, "Ten years old and already 
attracting someone!"
	"No, not necessarily attracting.  She just made me think, that's all.  
She was a little girl, running into the hospital room with this beautiful red 
rose.  Said her brother was born that day, and that she wanted to give it to 
her mother, but she decided I needed it more.  So she gave it to me.  She 
was a sweet thing.  She got me believing again.  Seeing her made me 
realize that I could go on, as long as I toughed it out."
	The alcohol started to make Serena a lot more understanding and 
calm, but also somewhat light-headed.  "This is so weird, but I need to ask 
this question.  I bet you know I was in Japan in my childhood, so I guess 
it's not that odd.  Do you remember if the girl had a funny hair do, and 
blue eyes?  And do you remember if that nurse that chased her out had on 
some fluorescent pink-"
	"Bunny slippers?" Darien completed.
	"Then…then…Darien, I met you when I was six years old!"
	Darien suddenly broke out in a smile.  "This is just amazing.  Are 
you sure?"
	"I remember.  I went to hospital because Sammy was born and I 
remembered being very bored so daddy brought me to a flower shop.  He 
let me get one red rose for mommy, but on our way in, I saw that across 
the room, there was dark-haired boy crying about his parents.  So I went 
over to him and gave him my rose, and told him to be brave.  Then I was 
chased away but a nurse with fluorescent pink bunny slippers."
	"Did you ever find out why the bunny slippers?" Darien laughed.
	"I didn't, did you?"
	"No."
	A few moments of silence followed in which they both burst out 
laughing.
	"Well, that will remain a mystery to us.  So go on about your life.  
What other things happened.  When did the prince get HIS first kiss?  I 
told you mine."
	"When he was twenty years old."
	"THAT old?"
	"What?"
	"It's just that…"
	"Let's just say that I wanted to find THE one.  I told you I was 
super-idealistic."
	"So did you find her?  And if you took so long to find her, why 
isn't she going out with you," her heart started to sink.  It wasn't jealousy, 
but if he had been with someone else…
	"It was at a masquerade.  She was so beautiful.  She reminded me 
of the little girl in Tokyo Hospital, but she was older, more beautiful, and 
so idealistic.  She was probably seventeen, about to graduate, thinking the 
world would be in the palm of her hand with no problem.  So I asked her 
to dance, and we danced the whole evening.  And at the end, I kissed her."
	She was slightly upset.  "So did you ever meet HER again?  That 
was dumb.  Dredsdale, you are dumber than I thought.  You should have 
chased her down, found her.  You waited until you were TWENTY for 
her, for God's sake.  That's most of your life!  If you are waiting for her, 
you should be pretending to be engaged with HER, not me.  Or at least 
you should be MARRIED!  If you were married to the dumb girl, we 
wouldn't have to go through all this!"  Serena said bitingly, with what 
seemed like a bit of icy envy on the fringes.
	"I COULDN'T see her again." Darien mused.
	"What do you mean?"
	"I didn't return the masquerade for many years.  My aunt kept me 
busy all the time at Christmas," Darien smiled.
	"Woah, this is just a little too weird for me.  I have the distinct 
feeling I will eat those words I said before.  Christmas?  Masquerade?  
Was this at Larynce Manor?"
	"Yeah," Darien looked hopefully at her, watching her thought 
processes go through her eyes very quickly, creating a whirlwind of 
thought radiating in those blue orbs.
	"So then, so then, did you call her-"
	"Bright angel?  It IS you, isn't it?  I kissed YOU that night.  I don't 
know, when I saw you the first time just this Christmas, you looked 
familiar."
	"So I waited until I was 23 for YOU!?!?!?"
	"You make it sound as if it is a bad thing."
	"Dredsdale, let's be serious.  We have done nothing but play this 
stupid game since we met.  I can't believe I waited for YOU!!!"
	"I crushed your beliefs," Darien smiled, slightly.  He had affected 
Serena Larynce.  Of course, crushing beliefs was a very bad thing to do, 
but HE HAD AFFECTED HER LIFE!!!!!
	"It's just as well that you did, I couldn't stay up in the clouds 
forever, you know.  And it wasn't just you."
	"So what's made the difference?"
	"What in the WORLD do you mean?"  Serena looked up from the 
pattern of the comforter to his deep eyes.
	"I mean what made the difference.  When you were a teenager, the 
newspapers all said you were a clutz who would never apply herself.  You 
were idealistic.  But you lost those ideals when I never came back.  What's 
made you change?  Was it me?"
	"Don't remind me."
	"No, I'm not trying to insult you.  I'm just curious.  I mean, a 
princess born into an empire, which you said wasn't very great for you 
after all.  Why didn't you just drop into the crowd and live a normal life?  
Some people, after losing their ideals, even drop to the way bottom.  I 
want to know what kept you up."
	"Because I needed to prove something to myself, I suppose.  It's 
true, I guess.  I was an awkward preteen obsessed with what people 
thought of me, because I had no idea who I wanted to be.  I guess in the 
end, after deciding the press knew NOTHING about me, I'd show them, 
and maybe I'd show myself just WHAT I could do."
	"You've certainly shown that.  But Serena, are you really happy 
the way you are?"
	"Why shouldn't I be happy?  I'm part of a legacy that rivals the 
Kennedys, and I'm able to fight my way from being the dim watt to the 
star.  That gives me a LOT of satisfaction.  I prof at Harvard, where all my 
students respect me, and most even like me.  I've got a great career in 
Washington, heck I'm attorney general!  I earned my way there!  I did the 
work, I was approved by the Senate, though they did frown upon it in the 
beginning because I WAS a relative.  But my rep stuck, and they accepted 
me in the end anyway.  And if I can't hold it out here, I'll go off into New 
York again and start up with Aunt Hetty again.  Heck, I could go 
anywhere and I'd be able to set something up.  My life's stable.  It's fixed.  
There are no more chances, no leaps of faith, because I don't need 
anything."
	"What about anyone?  Do you need anyone?"
	"I have my family…" she started automatically.
	"When you decide to visit…" he reproached.
	"Wait a second here, what are you doing?  Why are you attacking 
me like this?"  Serena narrowed her eyes, annoyance starting to come in 
like a tide.
	"I just want to find out a little more about you, that's all."
	"Well, I think that for the first time we're seriously talking about 
our lives, this is getting a little over my head here."
	"Sorry."
	They sat in silence for another five minutes when Serena 
interrupted the silence.  "And who are you to judge anyway, Dredsdale?  
You know nothing about the way I had to life."
	"Larynce, you know that that isn't tr-" he sighed.  She was crying 
too much to reprove her.
	He wanted to touch her cheek, but decided against it.  She wasn't 
his fiancee in real life, and she didn't like him.  *And I don't like her that 
way either, so we'd just kid ourselves.*  "I'm not judging, I just wanted to 
know more.  I'm sorry Larynce.  I'm trying to find out too much about you 
at once.  It's just that you're different.  And I wondered.  You know, when 
I was a teenager, I'd read about you in the papers, and see how hard they 
were on you, and I pitied you.  Some others might have caved.  I didn't 
know what kept you going.  Maybe it was because you were insensitive to 
their criticism, or maybe it was because you were so sensitive you were 
determined to prove them wrong.  The press took your rise to success the 
first way.  The way I see it now, I think it's the second.  You're a very 
sensitive, passionate person, and I can see that now, and I could hit myself 
in the head right now if it'll make you feel better.  Just don't cry, Serena, 
please don't."
	She was silent a few moments, looking out the window.  This was 
a strange experience.  She actually told Dr. Dread all about herself, and 
she didn't feel weak, as she should have felt.  She felt better, having 
shared these feelings, only maybe sharing them with Dredsdale wasn't the 
best idea.  But then again, he WAS her fiancee.
	"Serena?"
	"How about I hit you instead?" she smiled, trying hard to banish 
tears from her eyes.
	Darien laughed.

	It was 3:45 am, and Serena and Darien were still sitting up on the 
bed, talking.  It seemed that they couldn't think of one thing NOT to talk 
about.
	"So Dredsdale, since you grilled me earlier, I think it's only right 
that I grill you now."
	"Proceed, counselor."
	"Very funny.  Now tell ME, doctor.  How does a ten-year-old boy 
from Japan not knowing a WORD of English, manage to actually 
BECOME surgeon general, let alone a head of the department in the finest 
med school in the nation?"
	"I studied."
	"But what kept YOU going?"
	"I guess it was you."
	"Me?"
	"No, not you now, you as a little girl.  That moment when I got 
your rose, everything was a lot more clear.  You made everything 
simplified.  I just had to take everything one step at a time, and keep 
everything up.  And I guess, it had to do a little with the fact that I was 
forever trying to conquer your image…Aunt Gertrude always talked about 
you…'Serena Larynce this…Serena Larynce that…' I really hated your 
name at many points in my life."
	Serena laughed.  "Join the club.  If I had to hear your name more 
time, I was going to scream!"
	Darien smiled at her, a lock of his hair falling in front of his face.  
	Serena's expression changed, and she leaned forward, pushing 
back the lock of hair, and kissing his forehead.  She then settled in his lap, 
and let him play with her golden locks.  "But weren't you lonely?"  Serena 
was startled inside.  She had affected Darien Dredsdale's life, not only 
affected, but inspired it!  That gave her a feeling of satisfaction.  And the 
fact that he was just as miserable competing with her as she was with 
him…
	"Weren't YOU?" he smiled down into her upturned face.
	"I had Amy and Mina, and my own circle.  Contrary to popular 
belief, Serena Larynce DID have friends.  The Ice does melt, you know," 
she smiled.  "So you weren't lonely?"
	"No, Ken was there for me, and so was Aunt Gertrude.  Ken was 
one of my best friends.  He met me when I just came.  Taught me English 
and introduced me into the trade.  You know, I got into the circle.  Being a 
Dredsdale and in the circle, I guess it's a lot of influence, even though I 
DID have to spend quite a couple years just as a doctor, and another 
couple as just a prof.  I wrote a lot of med papers while I was both.  That's 
what essentially brought me to where I am now.  I did make a few changes 
to med procedure in the US, and I guess Johns liked the changes a lot, and 
so did the health department.  The last few months, when Clinton was 
leaving office, the surgeon general was preparing for resignation as well 
and Ken asked him to look into some candidates for surgeon general.  I 
came up in the conversation, and Ken was interested.  We'd lost touch for 
a few years, and he called me up one day and asked me if I was going to 
the Larynce thing at Christmas.  I said yeah I was and we set up an 
appointment there.  When I got there, he offered me the post.  Of course I 
took it.  So I guess my road's been kinda based on luck and my own 
work."
	"And in all those years, you never tired of just going around by 
yourself?  Earlier in my career, there were times when I got pretty lonely."
	"I didn't say that pushing myself to the limits wasn't painful 
socially.  You already know that.  And yeah, I guess I DID miss just fitting 
in and hanging around instead of studying.  But I really didn't care about 
that.  I had my share of girls courting me," he smiled again down at her 
face as the lock of hair fell again in his eyes.
	"Darien!" this time, she didn't reach to fix it.
	"It's not as if I was looking for a relationship with them, and 
eventually that number died down.  I pretty much was as interesting as a 
bowl of oatmeal.  Cold oatmeal."
	"And why are you telling ME this?" she said, as she traced a 
pattern on her pajama top buttons.
	Darien was strangely affected watching her, lying in his lap.  
"Because I guess you understand what kind of person I am, and where I 
came from.  You've been through it.  And also probably because we ARE 
engaged."
	"Don't remind me." she said, then looking up at her fiancee, with 
his heart-pumping smile.  She then turned away, and looked to the mirror 
to the right of the bed, and looked at them.  They were a beautiful couple, 
and in this position, they looked almost loving.  Her heart yearned for 
something like this, and now that she had it, it was so…so…indescribable.  
	He took her hand and held it.  "Larynce, I never thought I'd be 
sitting up on a bed at late hours talking with the Larynce princess in her 
pink pajamas.  And I never imagined what a different image you presented 
from who you were."
	"Yeah, well, I guess that shoots down my image of the self-
indulging prince who flirted with every woman in the book."
	He laughed.  "You haven't even BEGUN to know me, counselor," 
she sat up, pushing him, as they both fell back on the bed.  Serena leaned 
her head on his chest, and he put his hands around her, meeting at her 
front, where her hands met his.  They reveled in the moment.
	They may have both been drunk, but Serena had to admit that she 
had never felt so warm and safe in her life.  She closed her eyes and drifted 
off in safety.

	Serena's mind slowly drifted out of sleep, and into the waking 
world.  As she slowly peeled her eyes open, she pushed herself slowly out 
of bed, and looked around her.  She thought a while before she realized it, 
but in the end concluded that last night she had probably exposed herself 
more than she had ever done before with no one else but Dredsdale.
	As she attempted to sit up, she felt a bully of a headache come 
down on her.  *Hangover.  I am NOT drinking that much ever again!*
	She groaned inwardly as she realized that she was still in his room.  
Where was he?
	*Oh, well.  I'll take advantage of the situation and run into my 
room, and I'll just pretend that last night ever happened.  It was a huge 
mistake.  It was the late hours, and it was the champagne.  He probably 
doesn't even remember, and if he does, when I'm through with him, he'll 
think he DREAMT all it up.*
	She went to the edge of the bed and started to stretch, and then set 
her foot down.
	"Ow!"  Serena nearly jumped back.  There, on the floor, with a set 
of blankets as his mattress and a pillow for his head, Darien Dredsdale 
slumbered.
	*I took his bed.  Oops.*
	Serena decided to sneak out on the other side of the bed, and get 
out as soon as possible.  She didn't want Darien to even THINK last night 
had occurred.
	The games were fine.  They could play the games.  They just 
couldn't do anything else.  If they let emotions and understanding get in 
the way, the whole engagement situation, as well as her LIFE, would be 
seriously messed up.

Chapter 17 - Birthdays
	She sat up in bed slowly, looking at the clock.  9:00; she stayed up 
to 3:00 a.m. yesterday for him, and Dredsdale hadn't called.
	And now, she woke up late, when the class she was supposed to 
teach was at 9:15.
	*KILL DARIEN DREDSDALE!* suddenly entered her list of 
things to do.
	They had gotten engaged only four weeks ago, and she had to 
admit, it took some getting used to.  They were now the most glamorous 
couple in the nation, and had their pictures on the front of every magazine 
in the country.  Just last week, TIME magazine cover featured a picture of 
both of them, their profiles facing out to the right superimposed on an 
American flag.  The title read "Camelot Returns?".
	They had appeared together at over fifty social gatherings in a 
duration of less than four weeks.
	At least Dredsdale provided pretty good company.  Spending too 
much time with someone less energetic, less witty, and less annoying 
would be too dull.  No, Dredsdale, with his perfect smile, perfect walk, 
perfect air, was an exciting person to be with.  And she was actually 
getting used to the idea of being engaged to him; it was actually seemed to 
be an appealing idea, when one read all the magazine articles about their 
charming fairy tale so-called "love story" and all that propaganda.
	Unfortunately, she didn't like him enough not to plot his demise.  
*If HE thinks that he has the right to keep me up all night, waiting by the 
phone…besides!  It's HIS turn!  He's supposed to call.  I called the night 
before!*
	Okay, so she DID like talking to him; but he listened, and he talked 
back, and they had good times on the phone.  The phone was a great way 
of communication.  She loved the rich smooth sound of his voice, it didn't 
make her lose her mind the way his smile did.  Though she could literally 
hear the smiles over the phone.
	Okay, she DID like his company too, and there was just something 
about talking with him that made everything more fun and interesting, just 
sitting through the whole day, and wanting to tell him about it, even if she 
did nothing, which was rarely the case.  And even if there was nothing to 
talk about, they'd do something about that.
	But no, he didn't call last night.  She was slightly upset, but more 
cranky than upset.  She dragged herself out of bed, and went to her closet, 
yanking out a sweatshirt, and some jeans.  She hurried into the bathroom.
	Five minutes later, she exited the bathroom, and went down the 
hall, and out the door, without a glance to the calendar.  Marked under the 
27, however, in tiny print, the words "My Birthday".

	"Miss Larynce?"
	Serena turned from the front of her still empty lecture room (she 
was still five minutes early).
	Her first student to enter the room, a young happy 19 year old, 
smiled at her.  "Hello, Crystal.  How are you this morning?"
	"Fine.  But you look tired."
	"I won't be once I get started in the lecture."
	Crystal smiled.  Serena "Loquacious" Larynce was probably the 
hardest professor to take notes from.  She had no organized notes, but 
managed to structure her ideas in her lectures, which were all done without 
the aid of notes or text, unless she actually Xeroxed something for the 
whole class for them to read.  Her ideas flowed the speed of light, and it 
was hard to always follow her; 75 percent of her class brought mini tape 
recorders, and Serena was noted as the prof who racked up the most costs 
on campus; even though she did not use any thick expensive textbook, it 
was the batteries for the recorders, as well as tapes themselves, and 
notebooks, that costed a bundle.
	But Crystal was getting along in the class.  She liked Professor 
Larynce.  And as Serena had heard, she had Professor Dredsdale as well, 
before he retired from Harvard.
	"I meant to ask you something," Serena smiled at her student.
	Crystal looked to Serena, while putting her books down in a desk 
in middle back.
	"Yeah?"
	"Your records…I was checking them out…say that you used to 
study a little med here as well as law; in fact, you had my fiancee for  
professor once for bio…" she blushed.
	Crystal smiled.  *She has it BAD for him!*  "Yeah!  The girls in 
my class all SWOONED whenever he entered a room!  But I decided after 
this year that I wanted to go into law for sure; before, I was studying both 
pre-med and pre-law, but now I'm sure."
	"Tell me, what is my fiancee like, as a teacher?"
	"He was a really good teacher, a lot like you; entered the class, and 
did the class impromptu.  Would draw diagrams randomly and expect us 
to see them clearly.  No offense, but he's as bad an artist as you are…" she 
alluded to the many different diagrams Serena had always charted out on 
the board in crooked boxes that never fit all that she needed to write.
	Serena laughed, filing the information in her mind.  She liked 
hearing praise about him, though she wasn't in love with him.  It gave her 
a warm feeling of knowing her fiancee, even if he wasn't a true fiancee, 
was a wonderful person.  She also liked to hear about him, which made her 
feel slightly embarrassed, but not embarrassed enough not to pay attention 
whenever someone mentioned his name.
	"Professor Dredsdale was also a very eloquent speaker, as you are.  
I liked his class.  So did most of the female population at Harvard; they 
were all kinda disappointed when he chose to resign when he became 
Surgeon General."
	"I'll bet," Serena laughed.
	Now, the class was starting to fill up, so Crystal went back to her 
seat, and smiled back at Serena.
	"All right, class."

	Serena sighed, as she got into her office at 11:45.  Finding piles of 
mail in the mailbox (she had gotten in from Washington last night) she 
decided to read through all of them first.  She'd have a short lunch break at 
12:45 and then whisk off to teach at 1:15, and after that, her 4:00 was 
canceled for the day, for classes officially ended at four.  Today was the 
last day before spring break.  All her students were all anxious to get of the 
class, and restless.
	She sat back and played the messages on her machine.
	"Hello, Rena darling."
	*What's the special occasion?  Mom's calling, and using her nice 
voice!*
	"I called to find out if you were all right.  AFTER ALL, you DID 
miss the St. Patrick's Celebration at the O'Briens, and you know we 
ALWAYS go…"
	Serena sighed.  Gentle reproach.  Not THAT bad, but the guilt trip 
stung, of course.
	"But of course, I understand how you must want to spend as much 
time as you can with Darien-oh-he's-such-a-sweet-boy!"  (Okay, so 
Darien's name really wasn't all that, but it ALWAYS sounded like that on 
the phone, and Ilene Larynce never said his name without the phrase!)
	"Call me when you have the time…"
	*And strength…* Serena mentally added.  She didn't have that 
now.  It had taken her a whole waste of ten minutes to get her class to calm 
down this morning, and additional ten to get her talking speed up to par.  It 
was odd.
	*I must be getting old.*
	There were no other messages, and Serena wistfully thought of 
Darien.  No, she didn't EXPECT him to call ALL the time, but…
	She opened up the first envelope, and began to read.

	At four o'clock, Serena walked, exhausted after many hours of 
teaching, in her mind swearing that she had to make up for the jog she had 
missed this morning.  As she walked by the super's office, he smiled at her 
and said, "Your fiancee left a little something for you…I unlocked the 
door so the boys could unload it…"
	Serena, suddenly very curious, as well as excited, took her stairs 
three at a time.  Her heart was pounding as she wondered what in the 
world Darien had gotten her.  On the floor mat of her apartment door, 
there sat a single white rose.
	Serena smiled.  *He's sorry…*  She picked it up, smelling the rose 
smilingly, dreamily.  It was as if the hero had returned, though she 
wouldn't admit that.
	She unlocked the door to her apartment, determined to find out 
what Dredsdale had done; sure, they weren't a truly engaged couple, but 
the press didn't know that, and Serena was always a sucker for gifts…
	However, the white rose slipped gently out her grasp, drifting 
softly to her hardwood floor, which was gently layered with scattered red 
rose petals.

	She would have sat down, but there was no where to sit.  The 
couch was drowning in roses, as was the table.  Even her usual eating 
wood stool had a vase of roses resting there.
	"Wha-?"
	She laughed and slipped off her shoes, not wanting to crush the 
rose petals on her floor.  She then entered the room and spun around the 
room, deliriously.
	Oh, it as wonderful to be engaged, even IF your fiancee didn't love 
you!  But what brought on the surge of romanticism?
	*What's today?  The ONE MONTH ANNIVERSARY?  No, he's 
not that romantic…no, wait…what is today?*
	She went to the calendar, and then was startled to realize it: *It's 
the 27th, as in, my birthday!*
	She smiled as she looked around.  *So he didn't have the courtesy 
to call to wish me a happy birthday, and yet, he goes to these lengths?*  
she laughed.
	She walked around the apartment, reveling in the romantic sea of 
candlelight and roses, and stopped by her kitchen counter, where bouquets 
blanketed the entire white marble top.  It was so beautiful.  Somewhere in 
her heart, she wondered why a man so arrogant and dense as Darien 
Dredsdale would possibly be so romantic with a woman he didn't even 
love.
	In her heart, though, there was feeling of warmth and 
embarrassment, to know that something about her made him go to all these 
costs.
	She walked though the rose-garlanded and petal-carpeted halls and 
rooms, she came to her desk, where lay a single white rose, and a card.
	*Ah…* Serena felt a nice glow of satisfaction as she picked up the 
card and read it.
	"Go to Helzberg Diamonds on 17th."  *Aren't WE personal today, 
Dredsdale?* she smirked.  *Helzberg Diamonds?*
	She immediately got her coat, wondering where Darien was 
leading her.
	Before she left, however, she made sure all her roses were in water.
	As she walked out the door, she took her two white roses.

	"Ah Miss Larynce!" the forty-ish blonde smiled at her.
	Serena smiled back.  "I take it that you've been expecting me…"
	"Your fiancee said that you'd be around here about this time."
	Serena laughed.  He had this planned, and she was still 
wondering…what in the world was his surprise?  Why was he doing all 
this?
	"This is for you…" the woman took out two white roses, as well as 
a single card and a long flat box wrapped in gold foil with cream roses 
printed on it.  She carefully took the wrapping off, and folded it nicely, 
putting it aside.  The box was long, black, and velvet.  Serena had a 
sinking, melting feeling as she opened the box, but her eyes glittered 
wonderfully when they focused on a diamond bracelet, entwined with 
golden filigree which was shaped into rosy flourish.
	Serena wanted to hug the lady who gave it to her.  "It's so 
beautiful…"
	"Mr. Dredsdale spent a long time here, but when he saw that 
bracelet, he snatched it up immediately," the woman beamed.
	Serena smiled.  "I love it.  Where is he?" she asked, as clasping the 
bracelet about her wrist, marveling at the living glow of it.
	"I was told to give you these things after."
	Serena took the envelope from the woman, and smiled as she 
opened it to find yet another one of Darien's single cards, with the gold 
rose imprinted in the corner.  On it was written, in Darien's sharp concise 
handwriting, "Saks Fifth in Boston." *Yet another beautifully eloquent 
note!* she laughed.
	Enclosed was a train ticket for 6:00.  On impulse, Serena decided 
to follow long and hope that not packing would still be all right.  Besides, 
Darien planned it.  As she took her four roses out into the Cambridge air, 
she smiled as she, for the first time in a long time, dreamt of romance.

	A tall five ten blond strolled into Saks Fifth, having no idea where 
to go, but as she walked through the crowd, she walked towards 
information, where she'd probably figure out where the heck she was to 
go.
	As she approached the counter, the young man smiled at her.  
"Serena Larynce?"
	Serena smiled, and blushed.  "Yes?"
	"Your fiancee left this for you…"
	He gave her a white rose, as well as another envelope.  Inside it, 
she found another card, which said, "Women's evening gowns…wear it 
for tonight…"  *Gotta teach him how to write.*
	She smiled, and took her roses with her to evening gown 
department.

	It was a white satin spaghetti strap.  It fit her nicely, and accented 
her stunning figure, flowing all the way to the floor.
	The saleslady also handed her a shoebox, in which were white satin 
high heels, and white opera gloves, as well as a comb of gold and 
diamonds.  Twined in the little bundle of white was yet another white rose.
	Serena put all on carefully.
	Darien was planning an evening out for her?
	There, in her white satin purse, there was another envelope, as well 
as diamond starburst earrings.
	"7:30 at Hilton Restaurant on Main."
	She smiled, dazed, as the woman also handed her a night cloak, 
and a garment bag, in which her sweatshirt and jeans were put in.

	She was beautiful, sitting in the elegant surroundings, looking 
around her for his face.
	The white suited her perfectly, as he'd hoped, and his bracelet 
cuffed her wrist snugly, elegantly.  He hair tumbled form the comb, and 
the curls lightly danced on her creamy shoulders.  Her figure was stunning.
	He had arranged all this as a stunt to show the world just how 
romantic they were, and perhaps there was a little in him that wanted to 
see her pleased, melting into her surroundings in wonder and romance.  
However, he knew that if he didn't make his entrance soon, she would 
most certainly have a lot to say.  It was best to get her while she was still 
in astonished romantic stupor.
	A waiter walked to her table, carrying a tray that held five white 
roses to bring her total up to eleven.  On the tray was also two empty 
glasses as well as another envelope, this one with a gold rose imprinted on 
the envelope as well.
	She opened it slowly, to find two tickets to the Rose gala on June 
17th and smiled as she read the cream colored piece of paper, with the 
gold rose in the lower right-hand corner.

"Larynce",
	Happy 27th on the 27th of March.  I'm sorry I wasn't able to call 
you last night…(wince).
	Anyhow, I wish you a wonderful birthday, and I wanted to show 
you how much I appreciate you, and admire your spirit and enthusiasm, 
and perhaps show you a little of something inside you didn't know you 
possessed (no, it's not life; it's romanticism).  I have to admit, Larynce, if 
there's a woman I had to be engaged to, you are the best one on my list.
	So, let's make your 27th memorable.

Your "beloved" fiancee,
Dredsdale

	She smiled into the air.  There he stood, in a black tuxedo, smiling 
warmly at her, carrying a single white rose…his blue eyes were glittering 
with mischief, and she couldn't help but blush under his very startling 
gaze.  It was the kind that would melt most teenage girls, and maybe even 
herself at that early age.  However, now she was different, because she 
was of course older.
	But that look in his eye, the flash in the smile, as well as the fact 
hat Dredsdale went to such a drastic measure to charm her on her birthday 
made Serena want to just collapse with tears of joy, and fall in his arms 
and say that she loved him for it, which was totally irrational, because she 
didn't love him, right?
	*A dozen white roses, and a sea of red…he really is romantic 
today, isn't he?*
	He stepped towards her, and she watched, dazed and admiring.  
*Thank you so much, for all you've done for me.*
	She stood up, and as he stood before her, smiling at her sparkling 
radiant face, he thought he ever saw anyone so beautiful in his life.  He 
wanted to kiss her, and hold her and tell her that she was the most 
beautiful, the most intelligent, the most interesting person he'd ever met.
	She stood up as he approached, her eyes flashing with happiness 
and unborn tears.  As he got the table, she threw herself into his arms as 
everyone in the restaurant applauded.

	"You went WAY overboard this time, Dredsdale," she smiled, as 
the danced to the slow soft music in the background, a deejay had replaced 
the quartet from dinner.
	"It's worth it, isn't it?" he teased.  He danced with her as they 
danced to the slow rhythm of Celine Dion's "Falling into You"

"And in your eyes I see ribbons of color
I see us inside of each other
I feel my unconscious merge with yours
And I hear a voice say, "What's his is hers"

I'm falling into you
This dream could come true
And it feel so good falling into you

I was afraid to let you in here
Now I have learned love can be made in fear
The walls begin to tumble down
And I can't even see the ground

I'm falling into you
This dream could come true
And it feels so good falling into you

Falling like a leaf, falling like a star
Finding a belief, falling where you are

Catch me, don't let me drop!
Love me, don't ever stop!"

	Serena laughed, to interrupt the threateningly true lyrics.  
"Honestly, I don't believe I've ever been more stunned and out of mind in 
my life.  But you still did not call last night."
	He pressed his forehead to Serena's and smiled into her eyes, 
saying softly, "You'll forgive me anyways, right?"
	Serena laughed.  "I don't know, Dredsdale.  It'll take more than a 
few roses and a diamond bracelet to make me happy again," she teased, 
rolling her eyes mockingly.
	"How about a kiss?"
	"Umm…" she shifted uncomfortably.  She had to admit…it 
sounded tempting…but cats would talk before she told HIM that.  "I was 
just kidding; of course I forgive you.  Besides a kiss isn't a really good 
idea-"
	"Shut up for once Larynce…" he leaned his head down and gently 
captured her lips in an embrace that startled both him and her.

"So close your eyes and let me kiss you
And while you sleep I will miss you…"

	It was very gentle, like an angel's, and it wasn't the first time they 
had kissed, but it was the first time that there was that strange underlying 
feeling.  A warm feeling took her soul, and Serena felt something that 
wasn't there before, not only gentleness, but also a certain feeling that was 
hanging heavy in her heart.  There was security and protection in that 
promise of a kiss.  Was it love?  As she looked for an answer in his cloudy 
eyes, she found nothing but a gentleness that held her in a web of 
admiration and warmth.  Serena shivered as her arms went around 
Darien's neck, and she put herself into his embrace.  He held her 
delicately, and she felt protected, and felt her soul lighten up and her heart 
started to creep into her eyes.
	She quickly closed her eyes, closing away the emotion, and started 
to back away from the embrace, frightened of what had happened.
	Was it supposed to be this way?  She never thought so before?  Did 
happily ever after exist?  In him?  Darien Dredsdale.  A sea of roses, a 
glittering bracelet, and all the riches of the world, perhaps, in his eyes, and 
would he offer them to her?
	Her mind closed to questions once more as she just savored the 
moment, and held him even more tightly, drinking in the atmosphere.
	Darien smiled, and kissed her forehead, and held her to him as they 
danced more.

"I'm falling into you
This dream could come true
And it feels so good falling into you

Falling like a leaf, falling like a star
Finding a belief, falling where you are

Falling into you"

Chapter 18 - Phone Calls
	Darien sighed as paper after paper of medical terms he was tired of 
staring at started to blur his vision.
	Sitting in his bed at half past midnight, he was tired.  Today was a 
long day.  He had to collect med papers from a few people, and from 
others, exams.  He'd gotten the exams out of the way, but he was still 
working on the papers.
	Suddenly, the phone at his bedside rang.
	Taking his glasses off, he reached for the phone, and sighed into it.  
"Morning, Lovely," his husky voice fell over the line.
	"Am I the only one that calls you this late?" she smiled across the 
line.  Serena's heart smattered.  That husky almost sleepy voice of his 
made her heart pound, and her mind fill up with a love potion.  She 
couldn't have fallen in love with the voice.  But not the person.  HA!
	"Yes, I don't think anyone else is as annoying."
	"Of course, but remember, I'm the fiancee, so I suddenly have the 
right, don't I?" she smirked over the line.
	As strange as it was, Darien liked getting Serena's phone calls, and 
calling her.  They'd call each other every night at around this time, and 
converse on things that were on the agenda, or questions that were raised.  
He loved to hear her voice.  The velvet sound of her almost sore throat 
(from talking all day) was something that triggered dreams.  Two months 
into the engagement now, and Darien was satisfied, somewhat.
	It was that connection they'd feel, at times.  She pretended now 
that on her engagement, she simply went to bed, and nothing important 
happened.  Darien was smarter than that.  He knew that she was scared, 
and that first night was extremely weird for both of them.  They really 
connected that night.  Larynce was an ice cube now, and stayed away as 
much as possible.  Except for on her birthday, which was a little touch of 
heaven.  However, it was different now.  She didn't even put the bet for 
champagne on anymore, but only was the quiet fiancee who appeared to 
say loving things in his ear to make him smile.  At least, that was what the 
press called it.  In reality, Serena was making a droll comment on the attire 
of one of her cousins, or something of that nature.  He'd laugh.  When they 
were alone, however, it was a different story.  She found the way to push 
him off, or push him away.  She never stayed around long enough for him 
to talk to.
	But then again, Darien didn't REALLY mind.  After all, Serena 
Larynce was NOT the ideal fiancee.  He wasn't even going to get married, 
so he didn't really have to push the matter.
	But there were times when he wished that perhaps there was 
someone out there for him, that would care.
	Like that would really happen to him.
	Serena and him alternated nights calling each other, when Serena 
started the tradition the second night of their engagement, asking him what 
we were going to do with their careers.  "I had that question presented to 
me by a friend of mine.  I said that I intended to keep my job, and you 
yours.  But my friend didn't believe me because we were such a romantic 
couple she didn't think we'd get along without each other."
	Darien laughed.
	Laughing and scoffing comprised most of their hour-long 
conversations each night.  Even if they had nothing to do, they'd read 
papers to each other and laugh.  It was odd.  Darien got the feeling that 
Serena felt safe when she could be with him alone on the phone and not 
have to see him.
	Serena had that EXACTLY in mind.  In fact, it was perfect.  If he 
tried anything even slightly romantic, she'd just hang up and claim 
disconnection.  Serena never understood why she wanted to talk to him 
every night at such a late hour, for such a long time, but she reasoned that 
she enjoyed their dueling over the lines, and she enjoyed his insights and 
thoughts, especially since they were so different from the dreary common 
ones she was used to hearing.
	Since the engagement began, since that NIGHT, she had been very 
careful with the Dredsdale prince.  It was hard to act as his fiancee and not 
feel the urge to be his in real life, for in public, he was the ideal fiancee, 
the one she'd always wanted, and he'd make her laugh and he'd do such 
romantic things.  He always sent her a flower at the office, which ever one 
she was in for the day, a white rose, and she'd smile like a shy 
embarrassed school girl.
	Now, her birthday was a fluke…it was a touching escapade, and 
she was surprised Darien never asked for the bracelet back, as she had 
expected, and so, she decided that he meant to spend more than four 
thousand dollars on a birthday present he wasn't actually engaged to.
	Of course that was just for the outer appearances.  No one was to 
know about their agreement.  And she didn't want to stick around longer 
than she had to so that he could snub her and make her feel like a brat all 
over again.  She knew he was acting, and Serena readily admitted that he 
was a GREAT actor.
	But she was pretty good to.  There was more than once when she 
saw that overwhelmed look in Darien's eyes.  She relished in those 
moments.
	"So there anything special coming up this weekend?" he asked, 
casually.
	"Going to Mina's for lunch."
	"Good.  And evening?"
	"Plan on staying the night.  Mina and I have a lot to catch up on.  
You?"
	"Hospital seminar."
	"All day?"
	"Yes, all day.  But at least now, I won't have those young female 
interns giving me those starry eyes now.  I'm a taken man."
	"That is, until we break it off," Serena reminded him, and herself.
	"True," he said, somewhat disappointed.
	Serena couldn't wait for the engagement to be off.  Only eight 
more months.  She was surprised they had survived two already.  She had 
been actually engaged for TWO MONTHS!  She looked at the ring on her 
finger, and played around with it.  Being around Darien, pretending to be 
in love with him, when he was pretending to be in love with you, was 
dangerous for any woman.  If Serena weren't so set against him, she might 
have fallen for him.  Emphasize the MIGHT.  But two months had passed.  
I'll be it, two VERY long moths passed, but Serena was sure that eight 
could be passed the very same way, no complications.
	"So what's going on up there in wonderful Massachusetts?  Long 
time since I last came up."
	"So visit some time.  Harvard's grand this time of year.  Students 
are cramming and teachers are furiously writing new exams."
	"Well, we haven't got much better at Johns right now."
	"Oh yeah, clear the tenth of May.  You have to come back and be 
my fiancee at the Harvard professor gala thing."
	"All right, but the third, a week before, is the Johns H one."
	"And the week before that, the 26 of April.  That's Ken's birthday 
ball at the White House."
	"And the weekend before that is the coming weekend, so we've got 
our next weeks booked."
	"My cousins would sneer that we don't spend any time together 
alone, as a couple."
	"But that's not what we ever wanted in the first place, now, was 
it?" he asked, hoping to hear something to prove otherwise.
	A silence.  "No, it wasn't," she said quietly, and hung up.

Chapter 19 - Man I Wish the Stork Existed!
	Serena smiled across the lunch table at Mina.  "The salad looks 
delicious, and I love your ranch!  It's so isolated from everything else, and 
so perfectly situated.  It's got GREAT decor."
	"That's Susie Setsuna's job.  Great fashion design, but she is 
GREAT at interior decor.  And I like the secludedness too.  I've been 
around people all my years, but now, I just want it to be me and my family 
right now.  It's nice here.  Very quiet.  The nearest town is an hour away.  
You know, you might want a life like this.  You've been bugged by people 
all your life.  It's so relaxing here."
	"I'll remember that when Dare and I settle down!" Serena laughed.
	"And how is your handsome fiancee?"
	"He's great."
	"Did you invite him here like I asked you to?"
	"He had a med seminar, so I didn't think he could squeeze it in.  I 
left it at that."
	"It's just as well, because I didn't know Andrew was going to have 
to go out of town for an appearance in LA."
	"Yeah.  It's just as well because now it's just us and we can 
gossip."
	"So?"
	"So what?"
	"About you and Dare…"
	"What about us?" Serena asked, cautiously.
	"How are you two?  You don't get much time together.  I know 
how THAT feels.  I always wanted to be with Andrew all the time, and it 
drove me crazy that we weren't together!  You know, when we were 
engaged, I called him every night at insane hours and talked to him, just 
because I missed him!"
	At that, Serena looked up, slightly surprised and smiled.  Inside, 
she was panicked.  *We talk to each other every night at insane hours, and 
the engagement is always on my mind, but then again, I think about the 
ending of the engagement, not about the fiancee.*  With that, Serena felt 
comforted.  So long as she looked forward to the end of the engagement, 
they would be okay.  No emotions or feelings to clutter up her business 
world.
	Mina leaned back in her chair, and rubbed her now very large 
tummy.  Her smile suddenly disappeared, and she frowned very quickly.  
"Oh my gosh, Serena!"
	Serena was on her feet in a minute.  She ran to Mina's side.  "What 
is it?"
	"I think my water just broke."
	Serena's eyes widened and she looked around, panicked.  She 
quickly guided Mina to her room, and helped her lie down.  Her eyes 
focused on the phone on the desk.  "I'm calling for help."
	She ran to the phone, and instead of dialing 911, she decided to 
page Darien.  She then gave Mina's number into the pager, and then called 
911.  Unfortunately, the nearest hospital was two hours away.  From the 
way Mina started to cry and kick and scream, it didn't look like it was 
going to be that easy on Serena.
	*Please, Darien, where are you?*
	The phone started rang an hour later, after Serena had pulled her 
hair out, and cried with Mina and reassured her.  "Hello?"
	"Serena?  You paged me.  What's up?"
	"Oh, Darien, there's a huge problem here.  Mina's water just 
broke, and the ambulance is two hours away, and she's really screaming!"
	"All right, Serena.  Listen to me.  Ask her how early is the baby."
	"Dare wants to know how early the baby is."
	"A FEW WEEKS!!!!" she screamed.
	Serena brought the cordless with her to her friend and comforted 
her.
	"You heard her," Serena said into the phone.
	"All right, and how far apart are her contractions?"
	"WHAT?"
	"How often is she screaming really loudly?"
	"She's constantly screaming right now."
	"Louder than usual."
	She looked at the clock helplessly.  She then looked at Mina.  
"How far apart are the contractions?"
	"An hour and half," Mina breathed out.
	Serena repeated to Darien.
	"Looks like the ambulance will get there in time, but you'll have to 
do a lot of the work.  Listen to me, Serena you have to do a few things…"

	Serena collapsed into the seat by Mina's bed.  "Whew!  What a 
trip, Mina!"
	The ambulance had arrived at the ranch in time, and Mina had her 
son at her ranch, but had been brought afterwards to the hospital, to make 
sure she'd be okay.  Darien was right, and though Serena had to do most 
of the work, the ambulance driver and his colleague had helped when they 
had arrived.
	And now, they were in the hospital, Mina gently holding her son 
and Serena ready to fall asleep with exhaustion.
	At that moment, a knock came at the door, and Andrew peeked 
around the corner.  "Dare said that I had to rush back to the hospital.  Are 
you all right, Mina?"
	Serena smiled.  In all the excitement, she had forgotten to call 
Andrew.  It was a good thing Darien did…*Darien always remembers to 
small sweet details, doesn't he?*
	"Yes, I'm fine.  Isn't he beautiful?"
	At that moment, Serena realized that she didn't belong in here, and 
decided to leave the family to themselves.
	As she started down the hall, she looked absently around her, 
feeling lonely and tired.  She needed someone here for HER right now.
	It was an odd feeling.  She felt lonely, and tired and very old.  
Everything seemed so much more colorless and empty.  Her life seemed to 
be missing something.  For the first time, that little emptiness in her heart 
was swollen and ached.  She wished, for the first time in her life, that 
someone was here with her.  Him.  She wanted him to be here, taking her 
in his arms, holding her.
	As she decided to that she was overreacting and just needed 
something to eat, she headed towards the elevators, wanting to go the 
cafeteria.  Someone down the hall was evidently a Mariah Carey fan, 
"Whenever You Call" was coming out of one room or another.  Serena 
wanted to cry.  The melody was more than familiar to her.

Love wandered inside
Stronger than you
Stronger than I
And now that it has begun
We cannot turn back
We can only turn into one

She felt the tears accumulating…this was what all came down to, wasn't 
it?  In the end, that strange feeling, called love, which did not exist for 
cold ice queens…

I won't ever be too far away to feel you
And I won't hesitate at all
Whenever you call
And I'll always remember
The part of you so tender
I'll be the one to catch your fall
Whenever you call

It was just amazing how well Darien knew her…the way he always knew 
the exact moments to joke with her, and when to be serious…and the 
gentleness of his touch…a tear slipped down her cheek.

And I'm truly inspired
Finding my soul
There in your eyes
And you
Have opened my heart
And lifted me inside
By showing me yourself
Undisguised

*No comment,* she thought, as she walked down the hall.  This was 
depressing.

And I won't ever be too far away to feel you
And I won't hesitate at all
Whenever you call
And I'll always remember
The part of you so tender
I'll be the one to catch your fall
Whenever you call

	She waited a little and the elevator bell dinged.  She waited for the 
doors to open and when they did, she couldn't move.  How did he know?  
Her face paled and she was frozen in place, when she suddenly smiled.
	There he was, mussed hair, exhausted, just like her, from travel, 
rather than frustration, loneliness and fatigue.  Here for her.  He put his 
hand to her cheek, and caressed it lightly.  Serena felt that emptiness 
quickly being filled, as the wound that was born in her heart suddenly 
disappeared like magic.  The feeling would not be ignored.  She felt the 
warmth, creeping into her cheeks, and confusion pervading her soul.  But 
right now, she couldn't fight them, when she was too tired, and too weak.  
She simply hurled herself into his arms, and started to cry, holding on for 
dear life.
	He held her, holding her shoulders, looking at and feeling the 
security and warmth flood into her.  The feeling of having her in his arms.
	She looked up gratefully to him, as if to say thank you, but instead, 
her arms twined about his neck and her hands pulled his head to hers, as 
she kissed him gently.

And I will breathe for you each day
Comfort you through all the pain
Gently kiss your fears away
You can turn to me and cry
Always understand that I
Give you all I am inside

I won't ever be too far away to feel you
And I won't hesitate at all
Whenever you call
And I'll always remember
The part of you so tender
I'll be the one to catch your fall
Whenever you call

Chapter 20 - I Shouldn't NEED Him
	Serena stepped out of the limo, and smiled to Darien, putting her 
gloved hand on his arm, as he guided her into the opera house.  He held 
her hand lightly in his.
	Her heart was pounding.  He always made her feel so nervous now.  
However, there was something in his presence that indicated that if he 
WEREN'T here, she'd feel even more miserable.  Therefore, she found a 
strange comfort in being on her nerves.
	They walked up together and walked into a box where they greeted 
Amy and Greg.
	"It's so wonderful that you could join us!"  Amy smiled.
	Serena kissed her friend's cheek and shook Greg's hand.  "It's 
been a while since I've seen you, and all."
	"Great."
	"Besides, Darien and I haven't been able to be together for a 
while," she said, tightening her grip slightly on Darien's hand.
	It was all strange and out of whack now.
	Serena really didn't know what to think.  It had been a month since 
that day Mina had her child, but Serena remembered like it was yesterday.
	The holding, the comforting.  Serena and Darien never really 
talked about it, but she knew that she needed him there when he came.  
And she knew that he knew it too, or else, he might not have been there.
	He just knew she needed him.  He had flown to Los Angeles, 
fought the crowds and found Andrew, and together, they had set out for 
Cheyenne.  Darien had driven them to the hospital in a rented car, and was 
parking as Andrew rushed to his wife to congratulate his wife and see his 
son.
	Darien rushed to his fiancee, to hold her and tell her that she had 
done a wonderful job.
	And Serena still didn't know why she cried that day.  Darien never 
talked about it either.  But she realized one thing that day; she needed 
Darien that day, more than she had ever needed anyone in her life.  The 
emptiness was filled that day, and though the emotions and feelings she 
had been trying to avoid in herself had surfaced, she ignored them, and 
found that the filling of that void was well worth the confusion.  But only 
for that day.  It was strange now.  Serena Larynce depended on Darien, for 
a day.  But it didn't matter that it was a day.  It was the fact she had 
depended on him…counted on him…TRUSTED him.  It was strange to 
have that dependence on someone.  Serena never thought that it would be 
possible to depend so much on one person.  But then again, after that 
event, she never really NEEDED Darien to hold her again.  She was all 
right afterwards.  But she was changed too.
	She liked talking to him every night, even if it WAS to argue over 
something.  But it was hardly like that.  In fact, if they didn't abhor each 
other, they might have been friends.  But then again, Serena knew that 
what they had was not dislike either.
	It was all in the middle in that cloudy gray area, she supposed.  
Darien was a nice guy to keep conversation with, and a good person to 
calm her down when she was feeling distressed.  Other than that, well, 
those feelings of melting were hardly what she called permanent 
dependence or anything, nor were they anything to worry about, because 
as for as her life was concerned, those problems did not even exist.
	But she liked being around him.  He made her feel beautiful with 
his flirting and teasing.  It was the game, and the game, and she played the 
game as well.  To the press, they were Camelot all over again.  Beautiful 
princess and HOT TO DIE FOR prince.  She sometimes thought that it 
was because she even WAS beautiful, or at least with him, and at times, 
she believed that she even looked beautiful to him.  And even THAT 
thrilled her.  The way that he'd look at her while they danced, even if it 
WAS an act.  The way he'd hold her possessively, even if it WAS all a 
joke.  It made her feel warm and gooey inside.
	No!  She was acting like a teenager?
	Was she falling in love with love again?
	Or was she falling in love with Darien?
	Either was bad, but the second was worse.

	She sat at a dining table, alone, looking into the crowd 
absentmindedly.  She didn't like going to these events alone.  She wished 
he had come with her.
	As she put her silver fork down on her plate and sat back in her 
chair, she DID wish that Darien was here.  They'd be playing the game 
again, or whispering something about Candy Larynce's low-cut see-
though getup.
	Serena sighed and played with a stray tendril that came across her 
face.  She then reached her hand back and fixed in the curls in the 
amethyst and silver barrette more securely.
	At that moment, Darien Dredsdale was standing at the doorway, 
watching his fiancee in blank and obvious admiration.  Dressed in 
lavender velvet, with a silver-embroidered bodice, low-cut and sleeveless, 
and very form-fitting, her blond curls, which now reached past her 
shoulders, and curled lightly with bright silver and sparkling amethyst 
among the strands of gold.  The straps of the gown here an inch thick and 
came down in an oval, and Serena had worn a gorgeous amethyst and 
silver necklace.
	She was beautiful, and Darien knew everything about that beauty, 
for he studied it time after time after time.  She never was too dull to 
study, and everything about her appearance was fascinating, and perfect.
	But that wasn't the only thing about Serena Larynce.  She had a 
heart of gold.  She had frozen it before for protection, but he liked to see 
that ice melt away, leaving nothing but a vulnerable girl, whom he was 
falling in love with.
	He was accepting it now.  Serena Larynce was different in his eyes 
from any other woman because he had special feeling for her.  It was 
different to be with her than any other person in his life.  He was defensive 
because he was vulnerable.  He had told her more about himself than he 
had ever told anyone in his whole life.  That touched him, and frightened 
him.  It was so soon, wasn't it?
	He sighed and decided that he wanted to get SOME dances with 
his fiancee this evening, and if he just stood there the rest of the evening, 
he was getting nowhere.
	Serena sighed, thinking about him.  *He's at some dinner with 
some cousins, and I understand that, but if he were my true fiancee, and if 
he loved me, he'd be with ME, or I'd be with him.  It wouldn't matter.  
But then again, it's only business arrangement.  It's not like we're going to 
actually get married,* she thought, regretfully
	At that moment, she felt a light tap on her shoulder and she 
immediately sensed the touch.  It was the touch of Darien.  Only his would 
make her feel so frightened and pleased at the same time.
	She turned cautiously, hiding her small affection in the midst of 
blue confusion.
	Darien took her into his arms, a gesture of an fiancee that came 
with the contract, and whispered, "Thought you'd be bored."
	"Without our bickering?  I have to admit, Dredsdale, it IS rather 
dull without your annoying presence."
	"How about we leave?  It's only nine, and we can walk around a 
little."
	Serena felt her heart beat faster.  "How about we stay here?"  
*Where it's safer for me to stay around you, where you can be that sweet 
fiancee I want you to be.*
	Darien, inwardly disappointed decided to accept it, and instead 
offered his hand, "Care to dance then?"
	"I'd love to."
	As the walked out to the dance floor, Serena worried that she was 
spending too much time getting to know this young man who was easily 
taking away her life from her grasp.

	He held her hand, as they walked into the chapel, and sat in chairs, 
smiling at Greg, who stood at the front, with his best man at his side.
	Serena gripped his hand even tighter as some of the Larynce 
princesses approached them.
	He smiled, and put his hand protectively about her waist.
	She smiled at him, and kissed him on the cheek, making her blush, 
as she realized that they had an audience.  He chuckled, and guided her to 
a seat.
	As they sat, watching the wedding take place, Serena felt her hand 
being held affectionately.  As Amy walked down the aisle, her eyes 
sparkling with mirth and excitement, Serena smiled at her cousin, and felt 
the tears coming.
	He smiled at her, and touched her cheek, with his finger, collecting 
her tears, making her smile.
	As the two at the altar said their vows, the two in their seats 
watched with ardor and a seriousness that forced them to think about 
this…

Chapter 21 - We Need To Talk
	"Hello Gram," Serena said, grudgingly as she pecked Gail 
Larynce's old cheek with a small hint of coldness.
	"Rena, darling, what is wrong?"
	"I came here early because I need to talk to you."
	The Fourth of July barbecue was two hours away, but Serena 
wanted to have some time with her grandmother on her own.
	"What is wrong?"  Gail asked.
	"What's wrong?  You decide to take my life, and throw it into 
disarray and ask what's wrong?"
	"Oh that."
	"Oh that?"
	"I know you don't usually wear such royal blue, but I thought 
you'd look nice in it…"
	"No!"  Serena stamped her foot.  "The dress is fine.  I wanted to 
talk to you about my fiancee."
	"Oh, Darien Dredsdale is such a sweet boy.  I'm glad you're going 
to marry him."
	Serena sighed, exasperated.  "YOU decided that, now, didn't you?  
Neither Dredsdale nor I know what is going on, and I'm very frustrated 
now.  You really screwed with my life!"
	"But now you're happy with him, aren't you?  Doesn't Gram know 
right?"
	Serena sighed, exasperated.  Confronting Gail Larynce was like 
confronting a brick wall.
	"Sure Gram, I like him enough…"  *Enough to KILL him for all 
the confusion he's causing, and enough to kill HER for starting it.*  "I'll 
see you later, Gram."
	"Yes, and don't forget to wear the royal blue.  You'll look 
BEAUTIFUL."
	"Sure, Gram."

	Serena walked about the patio, smiling in the summer breeze at no 
one in general.  Darien was on his way here, and she was being surrounded 
by her littlest cousins, smiling and playing along with them.
	"You be the princess, Aunt Reeny!"
	She wasn't really their aunt, but it was easier than saying "second 
cousin whatever", and they were in too much awe of her to call her just 
cousin Serena.  However, they didn't like saying Serena either, but Reeny 
just worked perfectly.
	"What?  I don't want to be the princess!" she smiled.
	"But you're pretty!"
	"So are you!"
	"But you look like a princess.  Aunt Candy says you're the Ice 
Queen, and that you could freeze us, but I told her that you weren't cold at 
all, and you couldn't' freeze us 'cuz you never did before, and that you 
weren't a Queen because you weren't THAT old!"
	Serena smiled.
	"Aunt Candy also says that you're very ugly, but I told her that you 
were pretty, and you looked prettier than her.  She has too much make up."
	Serena was laughing.  "Well, I still can't be princess anyway, 
because I still don't have my prince!"
	"Uncle Darien's coming, right?"
	*UNCLE DARIEN?!?!?!?!?!*  "Since when did you start calling 
him Uncle Darien?  We're not even married yet!"
	"But you're going to, and when we saw him a month ago when he 
visited Daddy, daddy told us he was Uncle Darien, and that he was going 
to marry you!"
	Serena blushed.  *Kids just say the DARNDEST things!*
	As she stood, talking with her little cousin, she felt a hand rest on 
her velvet-covered shoulder.  She turned carefully.  Only one person could 
make her heart beat ten times faster like that.
	But when she turned around, she found that her heart had lied.
	But it wasn't a huge disappointment.  With a little relief, and with 
more joy than usual, she greeted Raye Larynce.
	"How ARE you?  I haven't seen you in a LONG time!"
	Raye smiled, her white teeth, brilliant and her violet eyes 
sparkling.  Serena always loved those eyes.  They were so unique and 
beautiful.
	Though the two women had only met each other last year at Raye's 
wedding, they had gone on shopping expeditions, and gone to various 
functions together.  Raye was a wonderful woman to stick around with, 
because she was so open and honest.  Chad loved her very much, and 
Serena liked Chad a lot, and liked his tastes in everything.
	And his taste in women was NOT bad.
	Raye was always very understanding.  Not only was that special 
about her, but she had the advantage of knowing Darien when he was a 
child, for she had gone to school with him.  Raye could always see the 
whole story, and evidently, she saw the whole story in the engagement too, 
for a few weeks after the engagement was announced, Raye had called her, 
and Serena had confessed everything to her, and Raye simply understood.  
>From that time, they had grown VERY close.
	But now, no one knew what was going on in Serena's head.
	Raye drew her friend to a corner and they started to talk.  "So is he 
coming?"
	"Yeah, of course."
	"Something's up, isn't it?  You're so nervous around him now."
	"He gives no reason for me not to be nervous."
	"Are you feeling something for him?"
	"I…I don't know!"
	Raye nodded understandingly.  "I know I can't tell you what to 
feel, but I'll tell you that in all my years of knowing Darien Dredsdale, I 
don't believe I've ever seen him as happy as he is with you."
	Serena nodded, touched by that comment.  A warm feeling of 
smugness came over her, and she felt a satisfaction that was not known to 
man or woman.
	"But if he hurts you, I will gladly kill him for you."
	Serena laughed.

Chapter 22 - Another…er…Complication
	"…and that's why the judge must…" she trailed off, as she looked 
at the window of the classroom.  He was there, standing, wet, and he 
looked like he needed her.
	An odd feeling…being needed.
	"Um…I think I'll let class out today twenty minutes early, if you 
don't mind," she said, as she checked her watch.  "You all look tired 
anyway.  We've covered a lot of work today.  By next week, I want you to 
read through the next two chapters, and we'll discuss more.  Class 
dismissed."
	The students all sighed with relief, as they stood up, and packed up 
their things.  She answered all last questions, and walked to Darien, who 
now had come in.
	He stood there, hair rumple from travel, and a slight five o' clock 
shadow, but nevertheless there.  He immediately took her into his arms, 
and he kissed her, thoroughly, at first hungrily, then gently.  She wound 
her arms around him, taking him into her embrace, showing that she 
sincerely missed him.
	He liked the feeling.  A lot.
	So did she.  A blush crept into her cheeks as she realized what she 
had just done…but it was excusable, right?  What else did a fiancee do 
when she saw her fiancee for the first time in two weeks?  Never mind the 
fact that they weren't really getting married.
	"Darien, what are you doing here?" she whispered against his 
warm chest, as he held her, bound tightly in his arms.  She felt his heat 
through the many layers of clothing she wore.
	It had taken a lot to get him there.  He had gone out of an operation 
when the patient died anyway, and it hurt more than anything.  It 
happened, and the chances for success were slim to none.  Standing in the 
empty corridor, having nurses and surgical assistants tell him that it wasn't 
his fault, got to him.  He didn't need them there.  He only needed Serena, 
because Serena would know how to comfort him.  Serena knew 
everything.  He needed her.  He loved her.
	"I needed to see you, I guess," he said calmly.  She started to back 
out of his embrace, looking at him carefully.  He didn't want to scare her 
away.  The look in her eyes was one of fright and bewilderment.  It stated 
to come to him.  He didn't want her like this.  Her wanted her to be 
relaxed with him.
	"Come on, let's go back to my place…" she said, as she got her 
coat and umbrella.
	The walked through the rain in silence, but he found immense 
comfort in holding her hand…immense warmth.  they arrived, and Serena 
turned to him, and softly smiled, waveringly.
	Serena bit her lip.  "Why don't you come in and sit down?" she 
looked up at him.
	She was a vision.  The raindrops were playing like clear pearls in 
her tendrils, and her eyes glittered with a small happiness and fondness.  
Her cheeks, which were lightly coated with a sheen of rain, glimmered 
lightly.
	"Yeah, I'd like that," he said, as he followed her in.
	She went inside, and grabbed a flannel blanket, and draped it 
across his shoulders.  "You're all wet.  You must be so cold!" she said, 
softly.
	"Well, not anymore," as he caught her arm, and twisted her into his 
arms again, holding her warmly.
	She backed away, after sharing a few minutes of warmth, and 
cleared her throat.  "What's wrong, Darien?"
	"It was an operation…and the patient didn't live.  He wasn't 
supposed to, but…"
	"Darien, you know those things aren't your fault…" she said, as 
she caressed his face lightly, looking softly into his eyes.  "You can't play 
God, and as much as you'd like to believe you can save everyone, there 
are some…" she trailed off.  "We've had this conversation enough times 
for you to know what I'll say, so we'll just sit here for a while, while you 
gather your thoughts, all right?" she said, as she sat down next to him, 
leaning her head on his shoulder.
	He looked at the golden head at his shoulder, and felt a warmth, a 
care.  No one had ever been able to toss aside work just to sit next to him, 
and tell him things off life, and no one ever knew when to ever talk with 
him, and when to leave him alone.  He drew a breath.  It was only right.  
She had to know.
	"Look, I know things have been difficult, and we've been through 
so much that it's frightening.  We've essentially gone through the part of a 
romantic couple.  Things are so different now.  I wasn't counting on this, 
but I'll tell you one thing.  Serena, you know me more than anyone else 
does, and now I see why you've always seemed…different to me."
	"What do you mean?  We play games, if that's what you mean by 
different…"
	"Look, Serena, it isn't a game anymore.  Don't you see that?  This 
is serious.  When we entered the engagement, maybe it was a game.  But 
things have changed.  You have changed, and I have changed.  It's 
different because now we've gone though things together.  I know you, 
and you know me, more than anyone else has ever known me in my entire 
life.  I think about you every hour of the day, and if I don't, I make up for 
it when I feel my heart cry for you.  You are solely the most important 
person in my life.  Wheatever you do, I feel it.  Whenever you smile, I feel 
it.  When I stand in Washington, feeling a hollowness in my heart, I am 
glad to know it will fill up again when I see you.  When I am cold or 
depressed, I know that when I see you, the warmth of your smile will 
evaporate all sadness or disappointment.  When I'm with you, I can 
believe that stupid superstitions like the gold mistletoe work, even IF I 
don't know why.  When I'm with you, I can almost believe that everything 
in the world is made of gold and pearl, simply because you love it.  When 
I'm with you, I can almost believe that life is perfect.  Let's face it, Serena, 
I…care about you.  I think I'm…"
	"Don't say something you'll regret, Dredsdale." Serena 
interrupted.  She stood up from her chair, feeling her knees shake.  No, this 
couldn't happen to her now.  It was too soon, and too fast, and this 
shouldn't have happened.  She was Larynce, and he was Dredsdale, and 
there was nothing that would ever make them both of the same world, the 
same name.  She DIDN'T care for his theatricals.  "You're only saying 
this because you've had lack of sleep, now, you can go into my guest 
room and rest.  I know you've had a lot of things going around in your life 
in the last few days, and that's why you think that what we have is special, 
why you think we…but Dredsdale, you're lying to yourself.  You just 
need rest."
	"Don't you see that I love you?  I NEED YOU!!!!!"
	Serena looked up, startled.  A moment of silence passed between 
them, and Serena could not remove her eyes form his face.  Finally, she 
stammered out some words, carefully.  "Rest…you need rest.  I think I 
need to go out for a walk," she said, as she got up, and grabbed her 
umbrella.

Chapter 23 - A Revelation
	She cried every night before she fell asleep.  *What's going on 
with me?*
	It was pain.  He never called her anymore, and when she called, he 
never answered the phone.  She wanted to talk to him, but he wouldn't.  
The past two months were torturous.  She'd go to various society things 
without him, and come up with excuses for the people who were 
concerned.
	She'd come up with excuses for herself.
	Finally, she just got sick of everyone and everything, and decided 
to back away and hide out.  She stopped calling her friends and talking 
with them a week ago, because she got sick of all the pity and comforting.  
SHE WOULD NOT BE COMFORTED FOR BEING IN A 
RELATIONSHIP THAT NEVER EXISTED!!!!
	So now she was alone, because that was the only way for her to go 
on now.  She didn't want to deal with her problems, and she didn't want to 
think about HIM.  Her friends would only want to talk about her feelings, 
which she had yet to understand herself.
	She missed him…his companionship.  He was…everything.  He 
could comfort her, make her feel drunk with happiness, he could make her 
feel strangely mad and pleased with him at the same time, and he could 
kiss her with something that she had never felt before, no matter how 
many times they had kissed.  He could make her love him.  What they had 
was special, and he ruined it all by telling her that he needed her.
	It was what she needed to hear.
	But it wasn't what she wanted to hear.
	It was true that she loved him, and it was true that she needed to 
hear that he loved her, but she didn't want to fall in love, ever, in her life.  
She liked her life the way it was.  But lord, she needed him, no matter how 
much she was telling herself that she didn't.  Every minute of this was 
torture, killing away her heart, leaving nothing but pain and sorrow and 
tears.
	*Life's so complicated now.  It was perfect before he entered the 
picture.*  She was ready to kill her grandmother the next time they met, 
which was only two months away, at the Christmas dinner.
	*God, the Christmas dinner.*  That was when she and Darien had 
chosen to break it off.  Who knew what was going to happen now.  They 
hadn't broken it off officially yet.   But they were going to, undoubtedly 
soon.
	She loved him, that was true.  But she didn't want to believe it.  
Admitting that she loved him was admitting that she had a weakness, that 
no matter how hard she was, and how remote she was, and how strong and 
smart she was, that she was still as weak as anyone else, that she could be 
crushed in a second by one gesture of his hand.  She didn't want that.  But 
even though she didn't want to admit it, that pain was in her now.
	She had spent her life building that reputation of hers, and she 
spent even longer than that telling herself that she didn't need anyone or 
anything.
	But it all changed when she was engaged.
	Getting engaged had to be biggest mistake of her life.  She thought 
that it would only be a long game, but now, it had been a path of 
discovery, and she found that every engagement, no matter how false, 
influenced life.
	Just the concept of being bound to someone else, to feel what he 
felt, and to go though his troubles, was enough to make her learn life.  But 
when love played a role, then the whole engagement changed.
	As she sat in her room, she looked to the window, up to the moon, 
as the radio announcer introed the latest from "savagegarden".

"She's taking time, making up the reasons
To justify all the hurt inside
Guess she knows from the smiles and the look in their eyes
Everyone's got a theory about the bitter one
They're saying 'Mamma never loved her much'
And, 'Daddy never keeps in touch
That's why she shies away from human affection'
But somewhere in a private place
She packs her bags for outer space
And now she's walking for the right kind of pilot to come.
And she'll say to him

I would fly you to the moon and back if you'll be…
If you'll be my baby
Got a ticket for a world where we belong
So would be you my baby?

She can't remember a time when she felt needed
If love was red then she was colorblind
All her friends they've been tried for treason
And crimes that were never defined
She's saying, 'Love is like a barren place,
And reaching out for human faith
Is like a journey I just don't have a map for'
So baby's gonna take a dive and
Push the shift to overdrive
Send a signal that she's hanging all her hopes on the stars
What a pleasant dream

I would fly you to the moon and back if you'll be…
If you'll be my baby
Got a ticket for a world where we belong,
So would be my baby?"

	At that moment, she realized something.

Chapter 24 - Letting Her Go…
	He sat in at his office, taking in the morning around him.  He was 
depressed.  He blew it.  She wasn't ready.  *But I AM!!!!*
	She was perfect, everything he wanted in life, captured in one 
smile, one person.  Pure and beautiful.  He loved her so much.
	He had never felt such a bond and such an understanding as he had 
when he was with her.  She was so special…a delicate moon beam, right 
in his hands, which so quickly vanished.
	It wasn't going to be the same anymore.  Whenever he stood with 
her, or danced with her, he'd know, that deep inside, she didn't love him, 
and the pain of having her in his arms, but not having her in his heart, was 
too much to bear.
	He was going to let her go.  She had to realize it too.  And this was 
the only way.
	Besides, it was best for them right now anyway, because he 
couldn't stand to look into her eyes again without those feelings he wanted 
in there.

	"Darien Dresdale announced earlier today outside the White House 
that he and Serena Larynce will not marry, and that the engagement just 
isn't working out.  Larynce is in hiding in her Cambridge home, she 
refuses to give a press release."
	Serena stared at the radio as she heard it.
	He had broken it off.
	It was not possible.  It couldn't be.
	He had broken it off.
	It was three in the morning, and she had just settled down at her 
bed after furiously cleaning her Cambridge home.  She had thought all day 
after that revelation, and decided that she needed to stay busy, because the 
revelation scared her.
	She WANTED to marry him.  She loved him.  She wanted to be 
loved by him.  It was a risk, but not worth it, definitely.  She was willing 
to take the risk, and yet, the risk wasn't there because she knew he already 
loved her. Loving him was one of the best things she had ever done, 
because loving him made her feel whole.
	Love wasn't the weakness.  It was the strength.
	She shivered as she thought of her revelation again, the words 
echoing in her mind.  She wanted him to love her.
	The song was important.  The song knew.  And now, she knew.
	She loved him.  He loved her.  They could get married.  And she 
could live happily ever after.  It was all so perfect it was scary.
	As she sat back in bed, she had turned on the all news radio station, 
and had just heard that her fiancee had called it off.
	It was then she realized that he might not love her anymore.
	Of course she was angry.
	She immediately picked up the phone and got Dredsdale's 
apartment in Washington.  Of course, an answering machine picked up.
	"Dredsdale here, but busy.  Leave a message."
	"DREDSDALE!!!  WHAT DO YOU MEAN IN BREAKING OFF 
OUR ENGAGEMENT?  WE HAD AN ARRANGEMENT!"  Not really 
realizing why she had called, she hung up, shocked at herself.
	As she breathed heavily, looking at the phone, she started to cry 
even harder.
	The engagement was off, and the chapter was closed.
	He didn't love her anymore.

Chapter 25 - We're Here For You
	As she sat in her office, mindlessly working on a case study by the 
Supreme Court, she looked up as Lucy entered.
	"There are some ladies here to see you.  They said that you invited 
them for lunch.  It wasn't on your schedule, but the first lady was in the 
group, so I…"
	"Don't worry, Lucy.  Show them in."
	The minute Mina, Lita, Raye and Amy entered the room, Serena 
smiled and went to the and they embraced.
	"Welcome back into the human world, Rena," Mina smiled softly.  
"We were worried for a while."
	"It was nothing," Serena smiled, pathetically.
	"So what's been going on?"
	"Well, why don't we go to a restaurant first and I'll tell you 
everything you wanted to know."

	"…and now, here I am, in love, and he's broken off the 
engagement, and I can't really blame him."
	They were speechless.  Serena picked more at the salad.
	"So you two never really fought?"
	"No."
	"But he still loves you, right?" Mina asked, gently.
	"No, he doesn't.  That's why he broke it off, don't you see?  In the 
White House, we're fine.  I just do my work, and he does his, and we don't 
usually cross paths now, because I'm reviewing some Supreme Court 
decisions, and he's doing something or another.  So now, we're back to 
where we began, only worse than that."
	"I don't think he broke it off because he didn't love you, Rena," 
Raye said softly.  "I think he broke it off because he loves you still.  He 
wants the best for you.  I know him."
	"I don't think he knows what's best for me.  If he did, we'd still be 
engaged, calling each other at insane hours, and deliriously happy 
together."
	"But given the circumstances…"
	"I love him.  That isn't a circumstance.  That is pure pain and 
torture.  I can't say I regret loving him, because it makes me feel special 
when I think he did love me.  And I can't deny that loving him has made 
me a better person.  I love him, and he doesn't love me.  I'd accept the 
situation if I were less determined, but I'm not.  I want to fight for him, but 
I can't if he won't let me.  It's horrid!  And I don't even regret this pain!  
You know, this is the reason why I always thought love was a weakness, 
but even now, I won't admit that."

Chapter 26 - Someone Else?
	She caught his eye from across the room at the gala.  He was there, 
but he brought an escort.  Candy Larynce.
	Serena had a deadly flame in her eye at the moment.  He had the 
nerve to bring Candy Larynce to a White House function.
	She was ready to kill him.
	But she calmly told herself in her mind that this chapter was over, 
and that Darien would always be in her heart, no matter HOW dumb he 
was acting.
	Though this came close to pushing him out of her heart.
	She couldn't believe it.  She still would love him after he did 
THIS?
	She felt tears in her heart, but wouldn't let them come to her eyes.  
It would be humiliating.  Not that it wasn't humiliating enough.
	Candy Larynce.
	*Love is strength, yeah right.*
	She wanted to just give up and become herself again, the late 
Larynce that wandered around , distinct from everyone else.  She wanted 
to be alone and the Ice Queen again.  But Darien just wouldn't let that 
happen, not would he?
	She felt her heart, and life, falling out of her grasp and to the floor.  
She didn't want to see this.
	Everything was in tailspin now, all because of one man, and he had 
to be the one man she'd spent her life building her heart and mind against.
	She knew that he would eventually find someone else, but why did 
it have to be soon, and why did it have to be Candy?  She wanted to leave.  
She couldn't breathe, and she wanted to think by herself.
	"Would you like to dance?"
	"Yes, sir, I'd love to," she said to the perfect stranger.

	It was killing him inside.  He only brought Candy to make her feel 
jealous, and only Serena knew if he and succeeded.  Now she was dancing 
with her fifteenth partner that evening, and he desperately wanted to go 
and rip that man from his princess.
	He hated this waiting.  He had to do something.

	Serena sprawled out on her bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to 
sleep, but her eyes were reluctant.  Her pillow was wet, for countless tears, 
as she tried, once more, not to think of him…
	She sat up, and, depressed, she turned on the light, and tried to read 
a romance to novel to cheer her up.  However, the story was too 
depressing for her…it told of two childhood enemies, who met later, at a 
masquerade, and fell in love, and so on, and they lived happily ever 
after…happily ever afters never existed.
	She turned on the radio as she started to cry again, and she looked, 
from her place on the bed, out the window, to stare, once again, at the 
moon.

I am thinking of you
In my sleepless solitude tonight
If it's wrong to love you
Then my heart just won't let me be right
'Cause I've drowned in you
And I won't pull through without you by my side

I'd give my all to have
Just one more night with you
I'd risk my life to feel
Your body next to mine
'Cause I can't go on
Living in the memory of our song
I'd give my all for your love tonight

Baby can you feel me
Imagining I'm looking in your eyes
I can see you clearly
Vividly emblazoned in my mind
And yet you're so far
Like a distant star
I'm wishing on tonight

I'd give my all to have
Just one more night with you
I'd risk my life to feel
Your body next to mine
'Cause I can't go on
Living in the memory of our song
I'd give my all for your love tonight

Chapter 27 - Deja vu
	She ran up the steps at 5:47.
	*Never cut it THIS close.*
	"Miss Serena!  Your mother's been worried sick!"
	Serena smiled.  *Nothing's changed HERE, at least.*
	It was difficult, but Serena had finally closed the chapter of being 
engaged.  She was all right now.  She smiled as she thought of the past 
year.
	She HAD changed.  A year ago, she was not even aware that she 
was going to be engaged, that she was going to fall in love.  She now 
wondered if she was better off then, not loving, and not hurting inside 
every time she heard the name Darien Dredsdale.  She loved him.  It was 
the experience.  She had to go through it.  She was happier now, because 
she had left that behind her, and let that experience improve her.
	Or at least that's what she told herself.
	But did she believe it?
	"Rena!"  Mina came running forward for a hug.
	Lita smiled as she approached her friend as well, and Amy walked 
slowly, with Raye, both with slightly swollen tummies.
	"Your mother's going to ground you!"
	"Nothing new, now is it?"
	They laughed.
	Raye hugged Serena meaningfully.  Only she knew how much 
Serena was thinking of not coming.  She whispered into her ear, "He's 
here alone, Rena.  Didn't bring a date.  I think he's hiding in his room 
right now."
	Serena looked, startled, at her cousin.
	"So what are you naming the kid?"
	"Don't know if it'll be a boy or girl yet."
	"Serena Rebecca Larynce, you are now grounded for a year!"
	Serena smiled at Ilene Larynce.
	"I was worried about you," Ilene sighed.  "But I'm glad you 
came."
	Ilene had figured that Dredsdale's presence in the house must have 
contributed to her daughter's already tardy nature.  She wished she could 
understand what her daughter was feeling, but Serena didn't talk much 
about her relationship with the Dredsdale prince, and Ilene decided that it 
was her daughter's choice whether she heard it or not.
	"Mother, I'm glad to see you," Serena said.  "I think that I'd like to 
talk to you and dad; we haven't talked in a while."
	Ilene smiled, and realized what her daughter meant.
	"Our door's always open," she said, meaningfully.
	"And there is my favorite granddaughter!" Gail Larynce smiled 
carefully, approaching Serena.  She had not talked to Serena since the 
break off of the engagement, and was feeling slightly guilty.
	"Gram.  I missed you." Serena smiled, hugging the old woman, 
showing her that she forgave easily.
	"Where's daddy?"
	"Right here, Bunny."

	Dinner was long and difficult.  Serena didn't really want to eat 
anything.  Not when he was in the room, sitting with his great aunt.
	It was like putting salt on an open wound.  It stung.  She wanted to 
cry, but she didn't.  She told herself that she was a better person, and that 
though she loved him, she didn't need him.
	She finally gave up and went up to her room, saying she had a 
headache, which was true.  All this forcing herself to go on was getting to 
her, and her heart was starting to weigh a thousand tons.
	As she got some mail from her mailbox, she noticed a small 
package at the foot of her door.  It was in gold paper, and tied with a 
cream ribbon.
	She picked it up, and went into her room.
	Curious, she opened it up first.
	There was no note, there was no card, and nothing to identify who 
the giver was, but Serena knew.
	The gift was a gold chain, with gold snowflake with a diamond 
embedded in the center.
	Serena smiled, as tears came to her eyes, and as she suddenly 
thought that she had a lot of things to do for the masquerade tomorrow.

	She entered the room, golden hair, golden glitter sparkling in the 
golden folds of her hair, and among it, a gold hair clip.  She had rosy 
cheeks and a smile, both with gold glitter on.  She wore a dress of gold 
satin with a large skirt, sparkling, and belling with gold lace and gold 
embroidery.  Her bodice was gold with gold sequins and gold thread 
embroidery, and she wore a gold satin sleeveless and low-cut top, with a 
gold necklace on.  It was a gold snowflake.  She wore a gold crown, and a 
gold mask…HIS mask, as he noted form the far corner of the room.  The 
gold eyes underneath glittered sadly with tears about to form.  Wouldn't 
he have loved to see her now?  She flaunted the diamond engagement ring 
on her ring finger, as she walked about the room on her gold high heels, 
secretly searching for him.
	And she saw him.  At the far corner of the room, there stood a man 
with white satin, and silver embroidery robes.  His hair was black, but 
streaked lightly with silver frost.  He wore a silver mask…her mask.
	She walked up to him, feeling a burst of courage as she 
remembered the necklace around her throat.  She offered him her hand, 
and he took it, wordlessly, noting in his mind, however, that she was 
wearing their engagement ring.
	As they danced, she realized how much she had missed him, and 
how much she still loved him, even though she had known that before.  It 
was a reality check.  She had not seen him in a so long, and she wanted to 
hold on to him forever.  The chapter might have been closed, but she 
couldn't help but go back to it again and again.
	Her courage was quickly dissolving, as she felt her heart dissolve 
into tears once more.  But she wouldn't let it take her over.
	As the evening drew to a close, the fairy tale started to drift away, 
as Serena realized that he wasn't going to ask her again, that this night was 
the last night for them, and she whispered to him.  "Darien…I, I…"
	"Okay, it's midnight!"  Gail Larynce said into the microphone.  
"It's time to unmask!"
	Darien softly took of her mask, and looked away.  He wasn't going 
to look into those eyes expecting to find that the emotion he wanted wasn't 
there.  He didn't want to know what her response was.  He already felt bad 
enough.
	He felt the mask being lifted off his eyes, and he looked down at 
her, as her eyes were averted and she looked at the mask in her beautiful, 
metallic gold-colored nails.  He didn't want her to look up at him.
	"And let's see who's under the mistletoe this year!"  Gail was 
saying.  "Serena and Darien again!  I think it's trying to tell you 
something."
	Serena, surprised, looked up to find the gold mistletoe indeed 
above their heads, and a sudden tide of courage overtook her.  She smiled 
quietly, as tears brimmed over her cheeks.  It WAS meant to be.  She 
turned to him, and said bravely, teasingly.
	"So, my Ice Prince, what say you?  Should we just give it up and 
accept fate?"
	He smiled back, said silently, "What do you mean, my Sun 
Princess?"
	"I think you are crazy about me," she teased.
	"I think you are insane about me," he smiled back.
	"What if I said you were true?"
	"And what if I say that YOU were true?"
	"Then I'd tell you I love you."
	"You would?" he was startled.
	"Yes, I would."
	"And what if I said that I loved you?"
	Serena was silent.  The chapter wasn't over.  It just begun.
	Darien kneeled down before her, and took her hand.  "What if I 
told you that every time I'm without you, I want to scream injustice, and 
curse love?  What if I told you that every time you smiled, I wanted to keel 
over with happiness, even if you weren't smiling at me?  And what if I 
told you that every time you talk to another young man I want to pull him 
away and keep you to myself?  What if I asked you to marry me?"
	Serena gaped.  He was asking her again.  She started to cry all over 
again, and looked into his eyes, and saw a world in there, and all of it was 
reflecting her.  "What if I answered yes?"

Chapter 28 - I Love You
	She sighed, dancing in his arms, in the empty ball room.  Her arms 
were wrapped tightly against his neck, and his tightly against her back.  
They danced to the haunting echoes of a distant melody, in the next room.
	The grander ballroom was a setting for new love stories, and a new 
year, but for the two in here, their story was becoming even sweeter.
	She leaned her cheek to his shoulder, as he kissed her softly on the 
ear, and traveled the kiss down from the curl of the ear to her neck, throat, 
and then her mouth.
	It was warm, passionate, true, and everything that was good in the 
world.  She clung to the warmth, knowing it'd always be there.
	"I love you!" she said, for the hundredth time this vacation, kissing 
him with a passion that had continued throughout the week.
	He kissed her, and held her tightly, and smiled, "You are so…"
	"So what?" her head came back to look at him.
	It still happened.
	When they looked into each other's eyes, there was overbrimming 
joy, and undulled love, and dark passion.  Always.  The meeting of the 
eyes was a meeting of loves and feelings, and Serena's heart always felt 
touched after such a gaze.
	"So beautiful, intelligent, perfect…perfect…"  he said, kissing her 
nose, then forehead.
	She loved his kisses.  They made her feel dizzy.  Tears came to her 
eyes, as she kissed him softly on the lips.  "The minute I saw you, that first 
night, I felt something in me, and when I found out you were Darien 
Dredsdale…" she laughed lightly, as he met her forehead with his, softly.
	"When I found out you were Serena Larynce, I laughed…"
	Serena frowned.  "At what?"
	"Me, not being smart enough to see a princess when she walks up 
to your face."
	Serena smiled shyly.
	"I love how you smile like that…"
	"You love everything about me…" Serena teased.  "In the last 
twenty-four hours, you have told me you love my laugh, my tears, my…"
	"I love you…everything about you, Serena.  When I look at you, I 
wonder how you and I ever got to be…"
	"Join the club!" she teased.
	"Incompatible from the start…"
	"Probably argue ourselves to death…"
	"At least life will be interesting…"
	"Yeah…interesting."

Chapter 29 - Married Life…Now and Always
	Dancing in his arms in white satin and lace, she smiled at the 
handsome man and said, "I love you…"
	Jealous, her husband cut in.
	Serena blushed.
	"Sorry, DAD," Darien tried out the new name on his father in law.  
"Even former presidents can't take my beautiful wife from me for long…"
	Serena smiled, and went into her husband's arms, as he held her 
closely.
	"Hmm…Serena Rebecca Larynce Dredsdale…long name, but it 
feels so wonderful to hear!" she craned her head back to look up at the 
ceiling of the tent, as if looking to heaven.
	Darien kissed her neck, and then cheek as she looked to him again.  
"It's a beautiful name…I love it…"
	Serena giggled against his cheek.  "Not as much as I love knowing 
that I am your wife!"
	"That sounds even better…"
	"How about I love you?"
	"That's music…Honey, if you keep this up, I probably will never 
let you go…"
	"Can I get that in writing?" she laughed in his arms.

	She looked peaceful, her face turned to the window of the train, the 
sunlight filtering down on her face, catching in her golden hair, pooling at 
that arch of her neck, and glittering on her soft eyelashes.  She looked 
peaceful, and he caressed her hand, and brought it to his lips.
	She fell into his chest cozily and leaned on him as he placed his 
chin over her golden mass of hair, kissing her temple, her ear, and tracing 
a line all the way down her neck, and nuzzling at the crook of her neck, 
feeling rather lazy himself.
	"Tickets?"
	The attendant looked him questioningly.
	Darien took both from his pocket and the attendant punched holes 
in them.
	Serena smiled in his hold, as the attendant smiled to them, "I hope 
you and your wife enjoy Washington…"
	"We already are…" Darien whispered into Serena's ear, as he saw 
her a sliver of smile pass through her lips.

	It was 5:30 pm.  She was home early today.  Now that she took 
only taught two days of classes at Harvard, things were better for her.  
Most of her meetings were done via computer and phone now, and Serena, 
though not spending as much time AT Cambridge, still spent as much time 
working with the people there.  
	Today wasn't a work day, though.  She had to go up to rearrange a 
few courses though, and that was a meeting early this morning.
	The minute she closed the door, she fell back on it, closing her 
eyes and smiling.  It was over.  Two days away, even though it was only 
two days, was still torture.
	But now, she was home, and she'd be with her husband, and 
perhaps they'd go out to eat tonight at a beautiful restaurant.  Then perhaps 
they'd go to a movie, or walk around a while and then warm up at a cafe.
	She wrenched off the beige pumps, and tugged at her beige suit 
jacket buttons, and went up the stairs in the penthouse apartment.
	She found her husband already asleep on the bed.  She pulled off 
the blazer, and pulled off the annoying pantyhose, and decided that there 
was nothing more romantic than just spending the night in your husband's 
arms.
	She promptly slipped into bed in her blouse and skirt, and hugged 
her husband.  She felt the sensation of being moved closer to him, as he 
put his arms around her, kissed her forehead, and whispered, "Welcome 
home…"
		
	They walked up the steps to the Castle at 5:30, arguing.
	"We wouldn't have been this late if you had done your Christmas 
shopping earlier."
	"Give me a break!"
	"I would, but I give you too many already."
	"It's not my fault I'm pregnant."
	"Back to the point, why did you suddenly decide you absolutely 
HAD to go out and buy a present this morning at eleven o' clock?"
	"Mrs. Dredsdale, your mother…" the maid who opened the door 
began.
	"…Is very worried about you," they both completed, rolling their 
eyes.
	As they entered the house, Darien took her hand, and held it 
possessively.  "We'll probably be grounded."
	"We needed a vacation anyway," she smiled, leaning into him, and 
kissing him sweetly on the lips.
	"I love you, Serena."
	"I love you, too."

THE END

Copyright 1998 by Crystal Heart