"I know." Serena smiled at Darien, "You like my craziness, though."

"Serena. I love your craziness." Darien smiled and eased up to a stop light.

"I love you too." She smiled and leaned over to kiss him.

"Mm." Darien kissed her back before turning his attention on the road.

"You ever wonder…how the lights can tell when to turn green or red?" Serena sincerely asked.

"It's timed." Darien laughed and pull ahead.

"Oh." Serena laughed. "I thought that the lights could sense the cars or something."

"Aww. That's so cute but stupid." Darien laughed.

"Darien….you…." Serena stopped as something caught her eye.

"I wh-?" Darien smiled and glanced at her and to his surprise noticed a face of total horror.

"LOOK OUT!" Serna suddenly burst out, interrupting Darien and pointing ahead of them. Darien spun his head around to the windshield, as his eyes went wide—wider than they had ever been, and slammed the brakes. Serena flew forward and, since she was a mere five foot three inches, hit the dashboard instead of strongly against the windshield.

"SERENA!!" Was the last thing she heard before her world went dark.

Quickly, I opened my eyes. Or, at least I thought I did. I blinked a couple of times, only to be greeted by the fear of the never-ending black. I had enough of it; I wanted to be rid of the scary color. Faintly I heard a beeping sound that continued to get faster. A faint stab in the crook of my arm brought me to calm. It was now that I realized I had cool hand holding my arms, legs and head down.

"Get rid of the blackness. Leave me alone." I croaked, my voice sounding like it was unused for two years, before drifting off into was I supposed was a better place, when really it was just more terrifying darkness.

The next time that I woke I could see. The florescent lights overhead almost blinded my sensitive eyes. I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my vision of the blinding lights. I finally sat up, a cascade of blonde hair tumbling forward to just below my collarbone. That's funny, my hair was longer yesterday. I must be going mad. I thought bitterly. A further examination of where I was showed that I was in a hospital room. There was an IV sticking in my arm and that was it. I wonder what pain I need to be subsided. I was perfectly fine.

I sighed and pushed the button that would cause the bed to go up. I pushed myself up with weak arms and sat back.

"Serena?" A voice female croaked. I turned my head, cornflower blue eyes searching for who said my name. Sitting in a chair close to the bed looking like she just woke up was my mother.

"Mom…" I whispered.

"Shh." She smiled at me. There was something wrong. Under her eyes were huge, dark, baggy circles. They eyes were bloodshot like she had been crying everyday for two years and she had wrinkles that framed around her eyes and corner of her normally full and sensitive mouth. She didn't look like the beautiful woman I knew.

Her lips were stuck in a constant frown. Her head of black hair unkempt and she was strangely pale. My mother had gone from exotic beauty to what would happen if a close family member almost died.

"Mom? Is that you?" I asked, my voice sounded like sandpaper on metal instead of the beautiful singsong sound that it usually made. I cleared my throat, but that just hurt.

Suddenly tears spilled over Irene's eyes and ran down her cheeks. She was smiling, but it now looked foreign on her face.

"Oh my baby is back!" Irene exclaimed, throwing herself on me in a bear hug. A nurse bustled into the room, holding a clipboard, but when she saw what was going on ran like the room was on fire. When she came back there was a tall doctor behind her. I was trying to tell mama to let go, with no avail.

"Mama, I- I can't breathe." I gasped, trying to pry her off of me. She wouldn't listen and just made her hold around my neck tighter, pushing the last breath out of my lungs. Suddenly she was off me and I was gasping for breath, trying her refill my lungs but coughing at the same time. My eyes began to water and they blurred my vision.

"Breath." The nurse smiled at me.

"You don't want to kill your daughter when she finally woke up, now do you?" The doctor finally asked. I had enough.

"What are you talking about?" I demanded. Everyone turned to stare at me in silence. I went on, "What do you mean by 'just woke up'? I've only been asleep what, two days maybe? I mean—" But I stopped mid-sentence. It all came back to me like a flood of memories. But there were a few distinct things.

The car…accident…Darien…Darien!

Then a wave of emotions passed through me.

Fear, anxiety, adrenaline, weakness, anger, and then pain.

And that's when I felt it. I felt like my head was slowly tearing open. I could feel non-existent blood pour down it. I let out an agonizing scream, eyes shut tight against the searing pain ripping through my flesh and muscles. I fell forward on the bed, and I only knew this because I could momentarily feel fabric on my cheek.

This time when I sat up, I was alone. I was nighttime outside, and the lights were off. I was almost pitch black in here, and I began to have a panic attack. I pushed to nurse call button over and over until someone opened the door, allowing light to pool onto the bed. I knew they were there, and there was light, but I was still pushing the button over and over again, sobs racking my body.

The person switched the lights on and walked over; big warm hands engulfed mine and pried my fingers away from the button. I didn't even bother to look at whom it was, I just flung myself into the warm, broad chest of a man and clung to him as if my life depended on it. The person was very understanding and stroked my hair, whispering nothings in my ear and rocking me back and forth because I climbed into his lap.

After I got control of my emotions I slowly moved away, off of his lap. I wiped my still somewhat leaky eyes with the back of my hand and sniffed my runny nose. The person handed me some tissues and I gladly took them.

"Sorry to go all nervous wreck on you," I said unable to look whoever it was in the eyes, "I just cant stand the dark anymore." The man chuckled slightly, and I was instantly reminded of Darien. I was to afraid to ask about him and I hadn't been awoke long enough to.

"I have to go. I'll see you around." And with that, I didn't feel the presence of a body any longer. I looked up, but the door was closed and the light was on. It was almost like I dreamt the whole thing.

Lying back down, I tried to sleep, but restlessness took over. My body was stiff, but my legs couldn't stop twitching. My back began to ache, and I felt like the walls were closing in on me. I began to breathe heavily, and I shut my eyes tight, trying to fight off the feeling of anxiety that was overcoming me. Soon a plump nurse came in and gave me another shot.

The next time I awoke Mom, Raye, Lita, Mina, Andrew, Sammy, Jon, and Grandma Lynne, were all staring at me.

"Hello everyone." I smiled. Glad to have my voice back.

"Welcome back, Serena." Lita smiled and gave me a hug.

"Yeah. We missed you." Raye nodded.

"Yeah." Everyone else agreed.

"Micah says hi." Grandma Lynne laughed.

"I feel like I've been hit by a bus." I laughed, trying to make the best of the situation.

"Serena." Irene shook her head.

"I'm kidding."

"Okay. Everyone. Serena doesn't need to be bombarded with people all at once." Grandma Lynne stood and shooed everyone else out. "I have something I need to ask her. The rest of you will get your chances to talk."

"Aww." Sammy pouted and followed the clan.

"Okay." Grandma smiled and sat next to me on the bed.

"Yes." I shrugged eyeing the food on the side of my bed, trying to remember the last time I ate.

"Darien?"

"Oh. Grandma." I began to cry. "How is he? Why hasn't he been here?"

"Serena. I wish you wouldn't have gotten involved with him." Grandma sighed. "You should have seen how heart broken Raye was to receive the news that her sister is with her ex."

"Grandma…I didn't plan for that to happen. It just did. I love him so much."

"Serena. Darien's in a coma. The same as you were. He's not doing very well."

That was the most horrible news I would ever get in my life.

"No!" I began to cry. "We're supposed to be together."

"Serena. You were unconscious for two weeks. A couple of days from now will make his third. Almost a month."

"Grandma. I love him so much. He's prefect. Why would God do something like that. You're lying. You just don't want us to be together." I cried.

"Serena."

"I hate you! Get out! GET OUT!" I cried as the realization of not being with Darien hit me.

"Serena." Grandma hugged me and began to sob. I held on to her for dear life. We held each other for what seemed like hours.

"I want to see him." I whispered. "Please."

"I'll see what I can do." Grandma got up and left. Ten minutes later a nurse came in followed by my mother with a wheelchair.

"Can you stand?" Irene asked.

"I think so." I nodded as the nurse stretched my legs before helping me stand to sit in the chair.

"Serena. Are you sure? He's pretty beat up."

"I'm sure." I nodded and wiped the newly formed tears…afraid of what was to happen.