Chapter Ten

Bringing the Dawn

Darien watched her intently as she sipped from the small china cup. For the last week he has barely left her side, terrified that she would relapse into the sickness if he wasn't near her. She still looked frail to him, her body steadily putting on weight after the trauma of the last two weeks, her skin was just now regaining its luster that had demised and her blue eyes had started to loose the haunted look. His large hand slipped across the coverlet to hold her, squeezing it to assure himself that she was alright. She squeezed back, offering a small smile.

Serena leaned back against the soft fluffy pillows, thankful when Luna came into the room and took the tray. She offered Darien a small smile, and tugged at his hand until he crawled in to the bed next to her. She almost laughed as he did so carefully, terrified that he would break her. These past two weeks had been like that, part of her thought it endearing, the other part wanted nothing more than for him to calm down and give a little space. She scooted towards him in the large bed, resting her head on to his shoulder and listening to his heart beat. He simply held her, rubbing her arm and gently kissing her forehead.

She had to admit that recently she liked that; the way he touched her every chance he got. Assuring himself that she was in fact alive and breathing next to him. Since he had taken her from the sea, and Zocite had revived her, he had been there every waking moment. Even when she could no longer tell the difference between her dreams and reality, in those moments she knew he was there and could hear him whispering in her ears.

Moving she gazed up at him, her blue eyes probing his in an effort to understand what he was feeling; he hadn't said much about himself in the past weeks. She needed to know what he thought and how he felt about her; it was time to tell the truth. To say she loved him. Her experience with death had taught her that she couldn't wait, for she might never get another chance to say what she really meant. But first she had to tell him about the cave, made she he understood that she was his in everyway. That no other man had ever touched her.

"Nothing happened, you know," She murmured softly, gaining his avid attention with a confused look.

"Huh?"

"In the cavern…he never touched me." She eyed him, unsure what to make of the frown that had appeared on his face.

"It wouldn't have mattered if he had Serena. You're mine…I love you…and nothing will ever change that. I swear to love, trust and honor you until the day I die," he ran his finger over her chin, and sealed his declaration with a tender kiss. He grinned at her loving the happiness that came to her delicate features, "Still…it's nice to know you were not harmed in that way."

She pulled him down for a kiss, showing him all the passion and love she felt in her heart and soul, "I love you too," tears streamed down her face as they kissed. Soon their kisses turned in to something more and the caresses they lavished on each other turned from gentle to commanding. He rolled her softly on the bed, concern in his eyes, "Are you sure? I don't want to hurt you."

"I'm sure my love." She kissed him, dragging his body down on hers and they made love through the day and night. Showing each other with intimate caresses how foolish they had been, and giving the love in both words and gestures that both swore never to withhold again.

- - - - - - - - -

Two weeks later, a full month after the incident Mina's father arrived at the manor. His blustering gut heaved back and forth as he screamed and carried on at his daughter. Declaring her a horrible child that considered her own wants over that of duty to her family. The fight raged until Mina broke out in tears and Malachite had to interfere, no longer taking in his wife's wishes to handle the matter alone. In the end Elroy left, disowning his daughter and leaving her in tears. Serena watched helplessly as her uncle stormed out, and Malachite wrapped his arms around his young wife, soothing her the best he could. It wasn't until dinner that night that Mina announced she was with a child; and the sadness of lose in the house was replaced with the joy of receiving. Mina had smiled over Malachite's concerned look stating that things would change once her father saw their coming child.

- - - - - - - - -

One week later Serena stepped out of the small cottage in the middle of town, waving goodbye to Ami and the tiny boy she held in her arms. The new mother was looking well, as was the child, but Serena had been concerned for the two, as Zocite was out to London on medical business. Satisfied that they were both doing well she walked to the small carriage on the road, smiling to the foot man and asked to be returned home.

Stepping down from the carriage she eyed her house with curiosity and flinched visibility when the shouting could be heard. Perhaps Elroy was back? But it seemed most unlikely, her uncle liked to travel in comfort, and she didn't see his coach anywhere. The large, ornate item was hard to miss and just as equally difficult to forget. Swallowing a gulp of air, she started up the steps of the manor. A brief struggle with the door and she stumbled in side looking around for Artemis. She spotted him right away. This was amazement in and of itself, giving the dramatics that were occurring in her foyer.

Serena sighed and surveyed the chaos happening around her, it seemed that she was doomed to this forever, as her family would probably never learn to speak softly and resolved their problems that way.

"Then go ahead and shoot the man!" Rei snarled, trying desperately to struggle from Malachite's grasp and throw herself at the man across the room at her, "I'd rather be an old spinster than marry that son of a bitch!"

"Really, just calm down and will get this all sorted out," Mina cried, trying to be heard above the angry voices and shot Malachite a desperate look. He rolled his eyes, and tugged harder on Rei to keep her from bolting.

"Ummm, Lord Silver, I hate to interrupt but have you seen your cook Lita," Nephrite tapped Darien on the back, trying hard to gain any type of information. Darien shot his a disbelieving look and got back to cornering the slightly smaller man.

"You son of a bitch, you ruined her! So you'll marry her or I'll…"he never got to finish, before he had Jadeite's complete agreement. Darien just stared at him, having the wind knocked out of his statement with the easy surrender. He threw his hands up in the air, and eyed his riled sister.

"Rei…"

"Don't now Rei me…I'm not marrying him!" She snapped, managing to gain freedom from distracted Malachite. Serena gasped as she walked right over to the other man and punched him square in the jaw. Jadeite was knocked slightly backwards out of pure shock, before grabbing her arms.

"Ummmm, Excuse me."

"How dare you come back after what you did to me, after what you said to me? Haven't you hurt me enough, haven't you taken enough from me this past year,' she raged in his arms, "You stupid…stupid…son of a bitch," she ended in a huff.

"Where in the hell did you learn those words?" Darien asked.

Rei shot him a nasty look, just before stomping on Jadeite's foot and leaving him to hop in pain.

"EXCUSE ME!!" Everyone turned to find a flustered Lita hanging on the doorway of the pallor, her face flushed, her hand protecting her stomach and the front of her dress soaking wet.

"What happened?" Serena asked, making her way over to her friend, taking in Nephrite's stricken look.

"My water broke," Lita gasped out, clutching her stomach as another pain took her.

Nephrite fainted dead away, smacking his head with a sickening thud against the marble floor.

Jadeite and Rei stopped fighting long enough help get Lita in to the dining room and pick Nephrite up off the floor.

"Where's Dr. Roberts?" Mina asked.

"Zocite's at a conference in London," Darien answered, looking a little green as he help Lita continued to stand, he flinched when her nails began to dig into his arm.

"What…What are we going to do?" Lita asked, her voice rising in the panic and pain, she groaned and glared at Nephrite who wasn't sure if he was supporting her or being supported.

"I…I guess…guess it's just us then," Serena answered, much to everyone's horror. The men looked ready to start dropping like flies and the rest of them were starting to feel a little nauseous.

- - - - - -

Four hours later Lita and Nephrite smiled at each other over the top of their baby boy's head. His loud lusty wails could be heard throughout the manor. Jiro N. Kane was the spitting image of his father, with mother's dark chocolate eyes. Serena wrapped the baby in a soft blanket and assisted Luna in the clean, thankful that her old maid had delivered quite a few children in her years. Next morning the two were wed by a special license and took both Darien and her upon on the offer to stay through the holidays.

It's seemed this year that Christmas was going to be exciting, what with a new baby in the house, Darien investing in the shipping company that Nephrite and Jadeite had set up and the announcement which could be declared a shot gun wedding.

Three days after the first wedding Jadeite and Rei were married, a gun point; only it happened to be Rei they all feared from bolting out the door. For three weeks after Rei refused to talk to him, throwing any breakable object at his head when ever he entered sight; Darien secretly mumbled one night that if he was Jadeite he would be the first to break out the riding crop and give his sister a good spanking.

Unfortunately Jadeite over heard the comment and followed through. Rei's indignant screams could be heard for miles; and Serena began to worry about the silence that followed after that night. The couple wasn't seen after that night for nearly three days, but the maid's declared that all the food brought to their room had been eaten, along with many hearing moans of pleasure coming from the room.

Darien smiled ruefully at his wife as he held her, loving the way she felt in his arms, "Quite a gathering we have this year," he announced eyeing the vast party that had accumulated in his house.

She smiled back, happy with the family around them. Turing in his arms she kissed him, "I love you," she whispered for him to hear.

"I love you too," he nuzzled her cheek, and began to nibble at her ear. They were happy and it appeared the vows they had made almost a year ago had become unbreakable.

The day they had promised to Love and Honor.

Alright my dears that is it. The End to the story. In a way I'm sad, since I liked so much but I felt that it was time for this story to be completed and another one to begin. On that note, I'm happy to announced that I've started on a new Sailor Moon fanfic that I would like to get out before December, but I'm not sure how that's going to work. At the very least it will be out before the New Year comes around. I just wanted to say thank you everyone who has reviewed, and to please review on this chapter as well, and let me know what you thought of the story as a whole.

And please remember to look for my new story A Gypsy's Gift: She was born by moonlight, and he was created by the night. To save his very humanity she offers a gift that is as ancient as time. Love…but will it come with a price that he is no longer certain he can pay?