Author's Notes: Revision of Chapter Three...underway.

Title: The Christmas Spirit

Author: KaBunny

E-mail: PG-13

Chapter Three: Breakfast

Andrew looked over to his cousin when he didn't hear her answer. He rolled his eyes when he saw her peacefully sleeping on the couch, her lids drawn over her cerulean eyes and her breathing soft. 'I guess she had a long day,' Andrew thought, a smile gracing his face. 'I wonder what took her so long to get here. Normally she gets here by eight at the earliest. It's strange to see her getting here at eleven. Ah, well, I'll ask her in the morning why-'

Andrew's thoughts were abruptly cut off by the light knock on the door. The blonde male didn't have to wonder who it was and he wouldn't be surprised to find his perky cousin standig there. It could only be one person. He smiled as he stood up to go answer the door. He opened it to find whom he had been expecting all along. "Hey, Darien," Andrew said, pulling the door open wider for the ebony haired man.

"Hey Andrew," Darien replied, returning the warm smile that Andrew had just offered him. "Sorry it took forever. I had to stop to buy gifts and then, I had to rent a car because they wouldn't let me back on the bus. Something about my ticket being only good until I got off the bus. And then it started snowing like there would be no tomorrow." He didn't seem to be overloaded with baggage and Andrew wanted to ask him about it, but he saw his friend's eyes drifting to the sleeping figure on the couch. The ebony haired man seemed about to say something, but Andre piped up instead.

"Ah, it's fine," Andrew answered, shrugging. He closed the door behind Darien before moving over to stand next to his friend who had his hand in the air and his mouth open in bewilderment. "This is my cousin. She just got here about five minutes ago. She's the one I told you about. She owns that Law of the Moone organization."

"Yeah," Darien said, smiling a smile of knowing. He sighed a bit, dropping his arm to his side. He decided to accept that fate had a funny way of working. "I already met her."

"Huh?" Andrew asked, looking quite confused. "How?"

"Yup. We were on the same train and I just happened to get the seat next to hers," Darien answered, shrugging slightly. Andrew sat down on the couch next to the sleeping blonde as Darien took the chair that Andrew had been previously sitting in. "I didn't really know it was her until you just confirmed it by telling me the name of her business...or until I saw her snoozing on the couch like she had been on the train." Darien reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the business card that Serena had given him. He handed it to Andrew who smirked in surprise. "She gave me this and told me to call her when she got back from her family's. Looks like I already know her family."

"Evidently," Andrew stated, handing the card back to Darien. "Are you ready to go to bed?"

"Yeah, I'm beat," Darien replied, yawning.

"Your bedroom is upstairs. Take a right and then walk all the way to the end of the hall. That's your bedroom. I have to carry sleeping beauty upstairs," Andrew said, smiling at Darien sleepily.

"I have to get one of my suitcases first," Darien stated, standing up. He moved to the door and out of the house knowing that Andrew would probably be meandering upstairs.

Andrew didn't wait for him just as Darien had predicted. He stood up and turned to the sleeping blonde who was previously sitting next to him. He leaned over and put an arm under her legs and an arm around her back to support her. He picked her up with little trouble and turned around to see Darien coming back into the house with a small suitcase.

Darien closed the door behind himself and watched as Andrew walked over to him carrying Serena. "She has a tendency to fall asleep everywhere doesn't she?"

"Sometimes yes, but only when she's tired or quite bored," Andrew said, giving a small chuckle. "Did she drool on you when she passed out on the train?"

"Yeah, and she kissed me too," Darien stated rolling his eyes. He laughed when he saw the surprised look on Andrew's face. That had just been too good to pass up mentioning. "I'll explain that one in the morning Drew. It's far too late to talk about an already weird experience."

Andrew nodded, after shaking his head, before walking up the stairs in front of Darien. He was muttering something about putting the fire out in a second. Darien followed him up the stairs. He saw as Andrew dispersed off into a room on the right as he continued down the hall to the room on the end. He opened the door and looked around. There was a dresser and a bed. To the left of him was a door which was most likely a closet. It was perfect for Darien. It was barren and simple. Just like home.

He set his full suitcase on the top of his bed. He unzipped it, beginning to rummage around in the contents of it for something comfortable to wear to bed.

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Serena opened her eyes slowly and stretched as she yawned. She found her lids drifting closed again, her cerulean eyes being hidden by the world. She had a silent battle with her body that was only audible by the moan that she made. She wanted to roll out of bed and get something to quell her growling stomach, but it apearred that he body wanted her to slip back off to sleep. The blonde wanted nothing to do with it. She groaned again, rolling over. She sat up, defeating her body as her hands came up to rub the sleep out of her eyes. She glanced around the room and smiled gratefully as she realized that Andrew must've carried her up here last night. A small sigh of comfort escaped her lips. 'I wonder if his friend ever arrived?' Serena thought, pulling the covers off of her. The blonde took quick note of the wrinkled clothes that she had been wearing the previous day that were still wrapped around her frame. She made a mental note to stop falling asleep in random places. She, then, glanced to the other two beds in the room. One was still occupied, most likely by Sammy though.

The petite blonde girl rolled out of the bed, slipping her feet under her just in time. She smiled at her own lack of gracefulness before glancing at her appearance in the mirror above the dresser. Her hair was a little of a jumble and her clothing from the previous day was mussed as she had originally noted, but aside from that she looked fine. She picked up the brush from atop the dresser and brushed her long hair. It went down to about mid back, but Serena could remember a time when it was much longer. The top of it seemed rather straight in comparison to the curls that swirled toward the bottom of her hair. She tugged lightly at her bangs and pushed some tendrils over her shoulder.

After setting the brush back down satisfied, Serena headed downstairs, chasing after the smell of the breakfast cooking below. She entered her kitchen, a smile spread out wholeheartedly onto her face. She easily found her way to a seat and plopped her butt up onto it. The stool tucked her neatly into the island in the center of the rom where a few plates were stacked next to a small pile of forks and butter knives.

Ilene, the woman that birthed the perky blonde in the room, was standing in front of the stove. She was leaning over a pan and to the right of the stove, there was a bowl full of a brownish colored liquid next to the bread. Serena sighed as she inhaled the smell. She could almost taste it in her mouth. "Mmmmmm...French toast...my favorite!" Serena exclaimed.

"Mine too," A male voice said from the doorway. Serena arched a brow as she tried to place whose voice it was. The voice was familiar, but she couldn't think of a name, so instead she whirled around to see who it was. Darien smiled back at her as her mouth fell open.

"W-wha-? Who...h-...how and when?!!" Serena sputtered, jumping up off her chair and pointing an accused finger at him. "Are you some sort of stalker or something?!"

"Nope," Darien replied, looking himself over mockingly. He feigned looking offended before glancing back up at her after thoroughly appearing to check himself over. "Last time I checked I was a Darien." Serena's mouth fell open again. She couldn't believe that her odd meeting had twisted itself back on her. Fate had been drumming this idea up to place on her for a long while it seemed. The blonde found herself utterly flabbergasted at just such an occurence.

"So, you're the person joining us for Christmas as per request of Andrew. Welcome to the family, Darien dear," Ilene answered, as Serena's face became contorted with confusion. Her mother conitnued to cook as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Leave it to her mother to completely miss extraordinary events at their best. "Do you know one another, Serena?"

"He...He was...He was on the train next to me," Serena said, glancing at her mother as Ilene gave Serena a confused look. The blonde decided that she probably shouldn't make such a big deal out of such an odd occurence. She turned around, facing away from her mother as a blush found itself onto her cheeks. She began to find the table top very intriguing as she waited for the conversation to change itself.

"What she means is, I sat next to her on the train," Darien corrected, sitting down at the table next to the blonde that proceeded to try her best and act normal. The ebony haired man released a small snicker at her uncomfortable proceedings to the odd happenings. It had been much easier for him to let it sink in all night long that it had been for her to have it sprung on her in the morning. He felt that he was the lucky one.

"Yeah,...that," Serena said, turning back to eye Darien wearily. She was stil trying to fathom that this had occured. It brought more strange ideas to her head in wonderment of just what else would be in store for her this Christmas. "So what are you doing here again?" 'Did that sound rude?' she questioned herself. She blinked, shaking her head. "I'm sorry. It's just really creepy."

"Yeah, imagine...I come in last night to see you sleeping on the couch. Same dilemma, different time," Darien muttered, giving a small chuckle. "I'm Andrew's friend. You know, Andrew Timbre, your cousin?" He out his hand out to shake hers again. He found her hand slipping into his with ease as her eyes diverted themselves to the floor. She shook just as she had the previous day, using the correct amount of pressure. She did glance back up at him when her hand was no longer wrapped around his.

"Oh! So you must've been who he was waiting up for last night," Serena replied, finally understanding it. She nodded her head as she placed a plat infront of him before pulling one infront of herself. She couldn't wait for her mother to finish the food that she was preparing. In fact, Serena was nearly drooling in anticipation. Silence had fallen inbetween the two of them as they both appeared to fall into a comfortable stand point.

"So, Darien, where are you from again?" Ilene asked, setting a plate full of delicious French toast in the middle of the table. The older woman began to serve the ebony haired man and placed some on her daughter's plate as well. Then she wandered to the cabinet to look for the maple syrup as Serena got up to get the butter. The blonde soon found herself, as quickly as possible, back infront of her food, buttering it like she hadn't eaten a day in her life.

"I'm from Manhattan. I work in a medical practice there. I'm a family practioner," Darien explained, smiling gratefully at Serena as she handed him the butter and a butter knife. He buttered his French toast not noticing the blonde next to her nearly drooling into her food as she poured the syrup onto it. Ilene did notice Serena's antics and stole the syrup from her in disdain before handing it to the ebony haired man with a smile. "Thanks, Mrs. Moone."

"Cute and polite...are you single too?" Ilene inquired, smiling mysteriously. The older woman released a small laugh.

"MOTHER!!!" Serena growled, dropping her knife when her mother asked. It clinked loudly on the glass plate that was swimming in the syrup she admonished on her food. The blonde easily found her cerulean eyes slitted at the woman that had birthed her. Darien seemed to be trying to ignore this encounter by munching on his breakfast, but it was hard even as Serena shifted her gaze back down to her food.

"Well, sweetie, you do have to settle down at some point," Ilene replied, glancing to Darien before turning her attention back to cooking breakfast. The blnde growled, her teeth grinding togethr slightly. Serena had glanced down at her food, not feeling very hungry now that he mother had destroyed her appetite.

"Mother...," Serena grumbled, glaring at her dear, old mother's back. 'I can't believe that woman! She's just getting bolder as the years go on,' the blonde thought, still glaring at her mother's back as if she could bore holes through the woman with her eyes.

Darien looked from Ilene to Serena. The blonde seemed really upset about it, but the older woman didn't seemed phased by the anger put forth by her daughter. A small laugh escaped his lips. He couldn't help it. He could tell this argument must've happened every year, without fail. Serena would probably argue of how she was just fine without a husband and Ilene would probably argue that it goes against nature not to be married before your twenty-fifth year. It was quite hysterical when you were watching from the sidelines. But, alas, Darien contained his laughter when Serena glared at him too. I tmust've really upset her if she would turn such eyes on someone who was not involved in the least.

'Poor Serena,' Darien thought, mentally giving a chuckle. He could imagine himself in the same situation if he had parents. 'It's so amusing though.' Suddenly, he felt more at home than he had ever felt before. The comfort surrounded him and oddly enough, he was astonished by such an odd feeling. None of this had shown through on his face, however. Another thought also drifted across his mind and then an ideal followed; an ideal that he would never pursue. He thought about just what his life would be like if he did date the girl sitting next to him, playing with her food. As soon as it had appeared, however, he had brushed it aside once again.

'Oh, please,' Darien thought, biting into anothe piece of dripping deliciousness. 'I already feel like one of the family. More like a son than some outsider and I just got here. So, why would I want to go and screw it up by thinking about absurd things?' But, what caught him the most was he didn't know if the idea was so absurd. This idea drifted around as he continued to munch down his breakfast.

Darien sighed. He took the last bite of his French toast and pushed the plate away. He glanced up at Ilene just as she sat down with a plate of French toast in front of her. It was time to brush aside foolish notions and get back to the real world. "Um, Mrs. Moone?"

"Yes, deary?" Ilene asked, buttering her French toast. Serena was still oddly quiet.

"Would you like me to do the dishes when everyone is done eating?" Darien inquired, standing up as if to move toward the sink. He was most certainly gentlemanly.

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Chapter Three revision COMPLETE! Wow...I'm on a roll. Two chapters in one night.

Stay tuned for Chapter Four: Snow Angels...White winters definitely aren't overrated! Adults always revert back to children when playing in the snow...and children love having snow ball fights!

Ja ne! KaBunny