Title: Saying Goodbye to Dorothy Smith - Chapter 4
Author: Alicia Blade
E-mail: Kammi22@sprintmail.com

Guess what, minna. School started again!!!! WAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!! So, 
here's your warning before hand, I will not be getting out a part a 
week like I was lucky enough to do this summer. But I do have this fic 
and another, A Million Kisses, almost finished, so hopefully that'll 
keep you busy for awhile! Wish me luck and nice teachers. (I have two 
evil ones :::shudder::: ) So, anyway, here's this one, here ya go!! 

"When I was really hurting,
I prayed to the Lord. 
He answered my prayer, 
And took my worries away."
		Psalm 118:5

"Dorothy, where did you get this?" asked Darien, picking the ring 
off the counter. Dorothy stopped running the water, leaving the last of 
the dishes out to dry, before drying her hands on a checkered 
dishtowel. 
	"Oh, that? Why, I'm surprised you don't already know!" she 
exclaimed cheerfully, claiming a seat at the small round table. Darien 
continued standing, rolling the ring between his fingers. 
	"I don't. Where did it come from? Did someone give it to you?"
	"Yes, in fact, the most wonderful man in the world gave that to 
me. It was my engagement ring."
	"Engagement ring? But you're not married..."
	"Not anymore I'm not, but I was for many years. My husband passed 
away about four years ago. Only a little while before you came here."
	"Oh..." Darien whispered. Never removing his gaze from the small 
piece of jewelry, he traveled over to his own seat, analyzing the 
gorgeous treasure. The ring was a glistening gold, though somewhat 
tarnished from years of wear. It held two large stones, a rare, light 
stone with tints of purple and red and a light green peridot, tied 
together by a string of small white diamonds. "Why these stones?" he 
finally asked after a long moment of silence. "The green one is my 
birthstone, a peridot, right?"
	"Yes, the peridot is the birthstone for August. The other stone 
there is my traditional birthstone, called an alexandrite, for June. 
It's extremely rare, and very expensive. To this day I don't know how 
Jacob managed to afford it. Then the peridot is Jacob's birthstone. He 
was born in August, just like you were. When he gave it to me, he told 
me that it symbolized the binding of our love, our hearts and souls..." 
Dorothy gained a glow in her sparkling green eyes as she spoke, 
remembering a love gone by. 
	"Jacob was your husband, then. How come you never talk about 
him?"
	"Well, I guess the topic just never comes up."
	"Do you ever think about him?"
	"All the time, dear. I believe that the Lord has put a soul mate 
on this Earth for every person, regardless if they will find each other 
or not. I was lucky enough to find mine."
	Grinning, Darien passed her the ring across the table. "Is it 
painful to talk about him?"
	"No, not really. He led a full life, it was his time to go."
	"What was he like?"
	Dorothy chuckled. "We're just full of questions today, aren't 
we?" Darien said nothing, but continued to smile, waiting for a story 
he knew she was boiling inside to tell. Dorothy said nothing for 
awhile, twisting the ring between her hands, before sliding it onto her 
left ring finger. "Jacob... well, he was a kind man, loved little 
children. He grew up in the country and used to love to ride horses. We 
met in a hardware store, I was picking up some nails for my father, and 
he was working there at the time, earning money to buy, or build, 
himself a house. Well, I started begging my parents to send me on 
errands for them, just to run into him. Finally, he asked me out, and 
we courted for a while. I seem to remember that he was always so kind 
and gentle, and sweet... Soon enough he surprised me by being a romantic 
as well. He was a dream come true for me..."
	Darien sighed, watching his friend's dreamy expressions. "Then 
what?"
	"Then, after it seemed like decades of waiting, he proposed and 
we were married."
	"How did he propose?" Darien continued, curiously.
	"Hm... well..." mumbled Dorothy, standing to fix another pot of tea. 
"It was one of our dates and he took me on a walk in a park. We ended 
up in a rose garden, and he sat me down on a bench... Then he kneeled 
before me and told me... oh, he was so sweet... he said that he loved me 
and wanted to spend the rest of his life with me... and then... he asked if 
I would be his wife. I squealed, 'YES!' really loudly, I'm sure I 
scared all of the others in the park that day. Then he slid this ring 
onto my finger and kissed me. About 4 or 5 months later... we were 
married." 
	Sighing, she began pouring the fresh tea into their cups. 
	"That's a wonderful story. I wish I could have met Jacob."
	"Oh, you would have loved him very much! Two peas in a pod you 
two would have been, he loved gardening as well, and his favorites were 
roses, red nonetheless! Yes, you surely would have gotten along well..."
	Dorothy smiled at Darien lovingly. Taking off her ring, he passed 
it to him across the table. He eyed her curiously, before once again 
taking it into his hands, analyzing the beautiful stones. 
	"Do you like that, Darien?"
	Never removing his gaze from the glittering gems that held it, he 
nodded. "It's gorgeous... I hope I'll be able to give the woman I love 
something as pretty."
	She laughed slightly, nibbling at a small cookie. "I'll make you 
a deal. When you find your princess, and you know it's her, I'll give 
you this ring. And if you like, you can give it to her, as an 
engagement or wedding ring."
	Darien gasped, lifting his eyes to clash with her smiling, 
emerald gaze. "A...are you sure?"
	"Yes, of course! I have no use of it anymore; I certainly don't 
want to be buried with the thing! If you like it that much, and want it 
for your bride, then it's yours! Just... as long as I get to meet this 
girl of your dreams first!"
	Grinning widely, Darien passed the ring back to her. "Of course 
you will meet her! And you'll have to come to the wedding too, you 
know!"
	"Oh, I'm sure I'll be able to take the day off, I wouldn't miss 
it for the world!"

	Staring up at the tall, dark building, Darien wondered why it 
looked so much more ominous than it had yesterday. He finally came to 
the conclusion that Serena must have shined her light upon it. 
Everything was happier, brighter when she was around. 
	The dirt path beneath his feet made the day seem warm and humid, 
burrowing up in small puffs of smoke whenever someone would walk by. He 
watched the open French doors, welcoming in visitors as Dorothy's 
acquaintances took their seats. Up in the dusty windows, hundreds of 
little faces watched on in awe from their bedrooms, wondering when the 
grown ups would leave, so that they could go out and play. 
	"Can't just stand here all day, Darien," he muttered to himself, 
urging his feet to move forward. He knew it would go by fast. That he 
could get whatever it was Dorothy wanted him to have, and leave, quick 
and painlessly. Then he could go home and take a nice long nap. He 
hoped his dreams would no longer echo of his former memories. They were 
starting to hurt. 
	Slowly, he forced himself forward, up the short flight of stairs 
and into the dark, antique lobby. Many others had already claimed their 
seats, some still stood in small groups, chatting amongst themselves. 
Gulping, he walked to the front of the room, claiming a seat in a 
corner. He didn't want to walk far when they called his name. Smoothing 
out his jacket, he attempted to keep his mind occupied with thoughts of 
cookie dough and algebra problems. As imagined, a smile crept over his 
lips. 
	'She may not be here with me right now, but that doesn't mean I 
can't imagine she is,' he comforted himself unconsciously. 
	Soon enough, a man in a gray business suit walked up to a podium 
at the front of the room, urging others to take their seats in order to 
begin. The conversations in the room dulled to steady hums as people 
claimed their chairs. 
	"Hello ladies and gentleman and welcome to The Nguyen Orphanage. 
We are here to pay respects to Mrs. Dorothy Smith, and distribute her 
belongings as she has wished. You are all gathered here to receive 
gifts from our sadly deceased friend. I will begin with reading a 
statement from her will, which she was coached in writing by myself," 
he began. Darien figured that this was her lawyer, it seemed obvious 
enough, as the man picked up a short stack of papers, nicely bound 
together, and began to read. 
	"'My friends and family, as you are hearing this read to you, I 
know that I have passed away. Please find comfort in the knowledge that 
I have led a wonderful life, and it was my time to leave this world and 
travel on to the next. I thank you all for leading me down such a happy 
road in my lifetime, and please know that I love each of you very much. 
Please take these gifts, my belongings, and find joy in each of them. I 
pray you will think of me in Heaven every time they are used, touched, 
or looked at. With much love to all, yours in Christ, Dorothy J. 
Smith.'"
	Clearing his throat, the man flipped to the next page, raising 
his eyes to the audience. "I will now begin reading her individual 
comments for each of the will recipients, and my assistants will pass 
out your new belongings.
	"'To Mrs. F. Otomodachi, my friend for life, and co-business 
partner. I leave you with my life work, The Nguyen Orphanage, as well 
as all priceless painting and artifacts within. To you I bestow a third 
of my life savings, $10,000.'" From in the crowd, Mrs. Otomodachi 
sobbed loudly, burying her face in a handkerchief, and Darien sighed 
sadly. This could take a while, and he no longer wanted to be here, if 
he had ever wanted to be in the first place.

~ Half an hour later ~


	"'To C. B. Sakura, a most dearest friend. I leave you with the 
oak dining set, table and chairs, in my private dining room, as well as 
the diamond earrings you always announced that you loved so very much, 
and as promised.
	"'To D. Chiba...'" Darien sat up unconsciously, raising his droopy 
and tired eyelids in new awareness. "'I wish to you a wonderful life, 
you have made me so proud and I love you as if you were my own son. I 
leave you with my red rose china tea set that we were so accustomed to 
using at daily tea time. I also give to you my engagement ring that you 
admired, to be passed to wife and children.
	"'To R. Ame...'"
	Too lost in slight shock, Darien didn't hear, didn't pay 
attention to, anything else said that day. His mind could only picture 
the golden ring, the alexandrite, the diamonds, and the peridot...

	Serena stared into space as her friends chattered on beneath the 
shade of the large oak tree in the courtyard. Leaning her back against 
the trunk, she sighed, tilting her head to the side. Unconsciously, two 
fingertips came up to stroke across her lips, reminiscing on the feel 
of his kisses. It had all seemed like a dream...
	"Serena? Earth to Serena!" yelled Lita agitatedly. 
	"Huh?" she asked quietly, raising her eyebrows confused at the 
girl. 
	"Where did YOU go?"
	Gulping, she leaned back again, closing her eyes. "Nowhere. I'm 
just tired, Lita."
	"Right... just tired." She paused for a moment, before scooting 
closer to the girl. "So where did you go yesterday?"
	"I told you, I was at a funeral."
	"Mmhmm... who died?"
	Her eyes flying open, Serena turned to look at the brunette in 
shock. "How can you just ask me something like that and sound so... so... 
Lita, try to be considerate!"
	Rolling her eyes, Lita leaned against the tree as well. "Aw, come 
on Serena, it's obvious you're not sad or anything right now. You're 
off in la-la land somewhere, and you've got this weird day-dreamy face 
on. Don't try to pretend your heartbroken now!"
	Humphing her shoulders, Serena, pulled her knees to her chest, 
resting her arms on them. 
	"She's right, Serena," said Mina cheerfully. "If I didn't know 
better, I'd think you were on a date yesterday."
	"I was NOT on a date! Look, I went to a funeral with someone who 
was REALLY sad. I wanted to comfort him," she pouted. 
	Mina and Lita exchanged glances, before grinning evilly at their 
friend. "Him?" they asked in unison. 
	Groaning, Serena tried to hide her head. "It... it wasn't like 
that..."
	"Oh, no? Then what's up with the spacing out?"
	"And running your fingers across your lips... Almost as if you were
thinking of kissing someone..."
	"Guys, leave me alone! It's none of your business!"
	"We're your best friends, of course it's our business!"
	"Yeah, what do you think, Ames? Shouldn't she tell us who she 
went to this 'funeral' with?"
	Slowly, Ami's blue eyes raised to stare at her friends. Clearing 
her throat, she set her textbook aside. After contemplating a minute, 
she shrugged indifferently. "I suppose I would like to know what all 
the fuss is about... though, it IS her life. Still, we're her closest 
friends, and it would be most polite of her to report to us of her 
activities outside of school hours, especially when pertaining to a 
love interest."

	Serena glared at her and drawled sarcastically, "Thank you SO 
much for your help, AMES."
	Smiling innocently, Ami folded her hands in her lap and waited 
along with Mina and Lita. Serena looked between the three of them, 
before smacking her head hard against the tree. 
	"Fine! I... I was at a funeral with... Darien."
	A silence draped over them as Serena waited patiently for their 
reactions. Eventually, Lita cleared her throat, running a hand through 
her thick bangs.
	"Uh... you all heard Darien... too, right?"
	She was greeted with mute nods. 
	Rolling her eyes, Serena began explaining, "A couple days ago I 
ran into him and he was really distraught because a close friend of his 
had died, so I offered to go the funeral with him and... comfort him 
while he was there."
	"Are we still talking about Darien?" Mina asked slowly.
	"YES! We are talking about Darien, alright?!"
	"I thought you hated Darien..." muttered Ami.
	Sighing, Serena's shoulders dropped in regret. "I do not hate 
him. I never... 'hated' him. We just... argued a lot..."
	A silence passed over them again. Finally, Lita tilted her head 
to the side. "So what's the deal with you two now?"
	"What do you mean?"
	"Well... are you friends... CLOSE friends... or... MORE than friends?"
	A lump settled into Serena's throat. Looking down on the soft 
grass below her, she shrugged. "I... don't know."
	"What do you mean 'you don't know'? Did he ask you out?"
	Shaking her head, Serena closed her eyes. "No, he didn't. But... 
he... he did..."
	"He did... what?" asked Mina impatiently, unconsciously leaning 
forward. 
	"He k...kissed me."
	"WHAT?!"
	Burying her head in her arms, Serena waited for them to calm 
down. 
"When? Where?"
	"How many times?"
	"Did you like it?"
	Holding up her hands, she successfully silenced them all, 
somewhat surprised that even Ami had become excited about the gossip. 
"I am NOT going to go into detail, that would be wrong! He kissed me 
after the funeral, once in his apartment, once in the hallway, and YES 
I liked it! Now, if you'll excuse me... I have to go prepare for an 
algebra test next period." Standing, Serena brushed off her skirt and 
began walking away.
	Not long after though, she felt someone grabbing her hand. 
Turning, she saw that the three had followed her, and Mina now stood at 
her side, grinning happily. 
	"Serena, even though Darien is the last guy I ever thought you'd 
fall for, I have to say that I think you two would be very cute 
together!"
	"Me too," added Lita, nodding. "And don't worry too much about 
whether you two are an item. I'm sure he's noticed what a great girl 
you are!"
	"And besides, if he kissed you... then I'd say you're already close 
enough to dating," finished Ami. 
	Serena smiled at each of them happily. "Thanks a ton, you guys! 
That means a lot!"
	Turning, they all began walking back to the school building. 
	"Just... make sure to invite us to the wedding!" Mina couldn't 
resist teasing.

	Walking into his apartment, Darien slipped off his shoes and 
dropped the large box containing the tea set onto his coffee table. 
Rubbing his temples, he sighed, collapsing onto the sofa. 
	'The ring... she gave me the ring...' he thought to himself. Reaching 
into his pocket, he pulled out the small velvet box, falling down into 
a lying position. He opened the small container, taking the ring 
between his fingers.
	He twirled it slowly, watching it glow in the light from 
different angles. It was an extraordinary ring. So perfect and 
beautiful... He couldn't believe it was his now... And he could only think 
of one other person to give it to.
	'But would she take it? Wouldn't that be moving too fast for her? 
She's only 14 years old, I couldn't possible give her an ENGAGEMENT 
ring. I mean, we rarely even talked up to two days ago. Who cares if 
I've been in love with her for months...'
	Closing his eyes, he let these thoughts take him away, until 
another voice tore into his train of thought.
	"I think she would take it. In fact, I know she would be thrilled 
to receive a ring from you! She's in love with you, you know."
	His eyes snapping open, Darien sat up to see an old woman rocking 
back and forth on his large reclining chair. 
	"D...Dorothy?"
	"Hello, Darien. Bet you thought you'd gotten rid of me, didn't 
you?"
	"Wha...? How?"
	"Oh never mind the 'whats' and 'hows,' they make no difference 
you know. I've come here to talk to you about something of great 
importance, and I want you to listen good."
	Gulping, Darien tossed his legs over the side of the couch, 
feeling the carpet beneath his feet.
	"Y...Yeah?"
	She stared at him for a moment, before rolling her eyes. "Didn't 
I teach you better manners than this! You should have offered me a cup 
of tea by now."
	Slowly, a grin spread over Darien's lips. Shaking his head, he 
stood and opened the large box, pulling out two teacups. "You haven't 
changed one bit, Dorothy."
	"Would you want me to?"
	Not bothering to answer her question, he walked into his kitchen, 
starting up a pot of tea. From behind the island, he could see her 
stand and wander around the apartment, looking at the books on his 
shelves, picking up a couple trinkets off the tables.
	"You're still growing roses, I see," she remarked, noticing the 
many plants out on the balcony. 
	Finally, the tea was done. He fixed a cup the way she liked it, 
walking back to the living room and handing it to her carefully. 
	"Thank you so much, dear. Now, take a seat so we can discuss the 
matter of... er... this princess of yours."
	Taking a deep breath, Darien could already feel a blush beginning 
to tint his cheeks. She always could make him do that, especially when 
talking about girls. 
	"Wha...what about her?"
	"Well, to begin with, when did you meet her?"
	He sighed, claiming a seat on the sofa and staring up at the 
ceiling. "We met about six months ago... at an arcade."
	"An arcade? What's a bright young man like you doing at an 
arcade?"
	"Well, my best friend works there. Um... Andrew... I told you a bit 
about him."
	"Ah yes, I remember that now. He seems like a nice boy by your 
description. But, we're already getting sidetracked. You know how 
easily I lose my train of thought. Anyhow... you met her half a year ago, 
you say?"
	Darien nodded, sipping at his drink. 'This brings back memories,' 
he thought silently.
	"And how long have you two been going out?"
	Coughing suddenly at the surprising question, he set his cup down 
on the table, clearing his throat. Finally regaining his voice, he 
managed, "Well... you see, Dorothy... it's like this. We... we're NOT going 
out..." he said, then mumbled to himself, "unfortunately."
	She laughed loudly. "Well you sure could have fooled me! You two 
were so close yesterday, I find it very hard to believe you're not a 
couple. Besides... didn't you kiss her?"
	Choking slightly again, Darien could feel the blush grow darker. 
"Well... that was... uh... how did you know about that?"
	"Oh, dear Darien, I've been watching you the past few days. I 
wanted to make sure you would be alright before I completely crossed 
over to the next world. Now... if I'm not mistaken... I believe she kissed 
you back, aren't I right?"
	Sighing, Darien leaned back again, remembering her lips so gently 
caressing his own, and then... not so gently. "I... don't know... all I know 
is that... it was the most incredible feeling..."
	Dorothy sighed, her eyes glazing over. "Well, I DO know. Darien, 
Ms. Serena is an absolutely lovely girl, I can see why you are in love 
with her. I have already seen how happy she makes you, not to mention 
how happy you make her. You truly are a match made in heaven. So, don't 
you worry if she's not in love with you, because I tell you, she is! 
And I'm never wrong, you know," she added with a wink. 
	Darien chuckled, nodding his head. She was right, he remembered. 
Dorothy was known for never being wrong. Sighing, he closed his eyes, 
picturing his joyous meatball head. "I certainly hope she's in love 
with me, Dorothy. Serena is... perfect. She's exactly what I've always 
wanted, always... needed... She's something special."
	"Well, don't you go forgetting that YOU'RE something special too. 
Any girl would be lucky to have you speak of her that way... and Serena 
is no different. I'm sure she realizes that. I could see it in her eyes 
when she looked at you. She is your princess, and believe me when I say 
that YOU are her prince."
	An inescapable grin crossed his lips at Dorothy's words. "Thank 
you."
	"For nothing! Oh, well look at the time, I should be going, you 
know."
	Furrowing his brow, Darien watched as she stood up again, heading 
for the door. 
	"Wait!"
	Turning, she stared at him. He jumped up from the couch, walking 
over to his close friend. "Dorothy... I... I do have to thank you for the... 
the ring... and... the advice too..."
	She grinned, patting his cheek as a mother would. Then she 
stopped, taking a step back and furrowing her brow. "And since when did 
you get so tall?" she accused, making Darien laugh. 
	"Must have happened overnight!"
	She smiled amusedly. "Oh, Darien. You do deserve the very best. 
And it looks to me like you've found her."
	Taking a deep breath, Darien wrapped the plump woman in a giant 
bear hug. She giggled, hugging him back.
	"Good bye, Dorothy..." he whispered, tears coming to his eyes.
	She shook her head, pulling apart slightly. "Now none of that! 
I'm not leaving, not yet at least. You said that you had always wished 
I would be at your wedding. Now I'm telling you, dear, that I WILL be 
at that wedding, if I have to fight hell and high waters to get there! 
Even if you can't see me, I'll be right in the front row, smiling
proudly. But... you can't have a wedding without proposing first!"
	Darien blushed again, tears starting to roll down his cheeks. 
Looking away, he whispered, "I don't know if I can..."
	"Sure you can. I assure you... she will say yes. She loves you 
Darien. If you don't believe me... ask her yourself. Now, there's a girl 
waiting for you, and I'm taking up your time. Go get her!"
	Before Darien knew what she was doing, Dorothy reached up a hand 
and knocked hard on his forehead.

	"HUH?!" he yelled, sitting up straight. He soon found himself 
sitting on the couch, gasping for breath. Slowly, he laid down again, 
staring up at the ceiling. "It was a dream... wasn't it?"
	Closing his eyes, he let his body relax. 
	KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! 
	His eyes sprung open at the sound. 
	"So that's what woke me up..." he whispered to himself. Standing, 
he rubbed his hand through his hair, walking to the door. 
	The second he opened it, a bouncing girl collided into him full 
speed, throwing her arms around his neck. He yelped in surprise, his 
arms nervously tying around her waist, one hand unconsciously pushing 
the door shut. Finally, he brought himself to look down on a head of 
long, golden hair tied into two meatballs. 
	"Serena? What... what are you doing here?"
	With an ear to ear grin, Serena pulled away from him, holding up 
a folded piece of paper. "I brought you a surprise. Look!"
	With one arm still holding her tightly to his chest, the other 
took the paper from her grasp. Unfolding it slowly, he looked down on 
the open piece of paper. His eyes widened, his jaw dropped noticeably. 
Somewhere in the corner of his mind he could hear Serena giggling. 
	"Ninety... ninety-two?! You got 92%?!"
	"Yup! I got an A, Darien, and I owe it all to you!"
	Lowering his stare from the paper, he looked down on her pale 
blue eyes, so full of life. 
	"Serena... this... this is so wonderful! I'm so happy for you..." On 
instinct, he bent down, kissing her tender lips powerfully. She gasped 
in surprise, before leaning forward as well, her eyes drifting closed. 
Her mind swam in a million different emotions, and she delighted in 
every one of them before finally he pulled away from her. Sighing, she 
let her head fell onto his shoulder, burying into the crook of his neck 
as she breathed in his scent.
	Wrapping his other arm around her slim waist, he kissed her 
forehead gently. "Sorry Serena, it's just... when you're so close, it's 
awfully tempting..." he whispered. 
	She giggled below him and he could feel her tilt her head up and 
kiss his neck tenderly. "But I like it when you kiss me," she said, 
equally quiet. 
	Unable to hold back the large grin boiling through him, he looked 
down on her, seeing her gorgeous eyes gazing back up at him. Bending 
down, he lightly brushed her lips with his own, before lying a single 
butterfly kiss on her temple. "Good, then I plan on kissing you a lot 
more..." She giggled at his statement and he leaned his head on top of 
hers. "Serena, I'm so proud of you."
	"When I was taking the test, at first I couldn't remember a 
thing, but then I closed my eyes and I could hear your voice telling me 
what to do, and it all made sense. I remembered everything you told me 
yesterday."
	Smiling, Darien held her tighter, opening his eyes. Everything 
felt right with the world. Then, his stare stopped on something sitting 
on his coffee table. Well, two things, actually. Other than the large 
box, two teacups, still half full, were sitting innocently on the wood 
surface. Furrowing his eyebrow, he tensed unconsciously, remembering 
how they got there.
	Serena, feeling his change, looked up at his face. "Darien, 
what's wrong?" she asked, seeing his look of astonishment. Following 
his gaze, she saw a large box on his table, along with two pretty 
teacups, filled with half-drunken tea. "Darien? Did you have company?"
	Shaking his head slowly, he released his hold on her, walking
over to the table. She followed behind him expectantly. "Darien, what 
is it? Were you expecting someone or..."
	Closing his eyes, he let the smile tug at his lips. Turning 
again, he looked down on Serena with a loving gaze. "It's a long story, 
and not important," he said, taking one of her hands to her lips and 
kissing her knuckle softly. Her confused gaze quickly turned to one of 
admiration. 
	Ignoring the blush creeping onto her pale skin, Serena looked 
down at the cups again. "It's a very pretty set. Have you had it long?"
	"No... about 2 hours, actually."
	Furrowing her brow, she looked at him from the corner of her eye. 
Then, her gaze filled with understanding and she stood up straighter. 
"How WAS the will reading?"
	Sighing, he picked up the cups, taking them into the kitchen to 
be washed. "It wasn't too bad. Would have liked it more if you were 
there, though."
	She grinned secretly at his loving comment. "What else did you 
get?"
	After setting the cups into the sink, Darien cleared his throat 
somewhat nervously, remembering the ring in his pocket. "Oh, just the 
set and a couple other... small things," he said vaguely, hoping she 
wouldn't continue her questioning. He was in luck as she turned her 
attention to the set again. 
	"Is that... the tea set you and Dorothy..."
	"Yup, that's the one we always used," he said with a sigh, 
turning back to her. She stared at him a moment, not sure of what to 
say or do. Their new relationship was still so unsure to both of them, 
still somewhat awkward. 
	Finally, Darien reached out his arms and a smile crossed her face 
as she threw herself into his embrace. Sighing, Darien wrapped his arms 
around her, drowning in her sweet, feminine scent. 
	"Oh, Serena..." he whispered into her hair. "I don't want to think 
about any of that right now. I only want to think of you... this gorgeous 
angel who just happens to be in my arms..." Craning his neck, he rested 
his forehead on hers. She giggled quietly, meeting his gaze. Reaching 
up one finger, he traced it along her ear and jaw line. "You're so 
perfect. You're absolutely incredible. You know... I don't deserve to be 
with you..."
	"Hm?" she started in surprise. "Darien, that's not true, you..." 
She was silenced by his lips teasing hers, and melted into his arms. 
When finally he pulled apart, he was holding her even tighter. 
	"Though I sure am glad I have you," he concluded. He held her for 
a few moments longer, his thoughts continuously drawn back to the small 
velvet box in his pocket. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. 
"Serena... there... there's something I want to ask you though... Something... 
kind of important..."
	She raised her ever innocent eyes to his, smiling at him 
curiously. "What is it?"
	Clearing his throat nervously, he looked down on her. "Not... not 
here, though."
	"Huh?"
	Grabbing her hand, Darien walked out of the kitchen. In the 
living room, he realized he was still holding her test paper and handed 
it back to her. "You should keep this to show to your parents," he said 
while slipping on his shoes. She folded it up neatly and placed it into 
her pocket, before she felt Darien's hand secure around her wrist, and 
she was dragged outside.

	"Do you come to the park a lot?" Serena asked, leaning up against 
Darien, their fingers laced together. 
	He sighed, looking up at the large trees casting painted shadows 
over them. "Yeah, it's nice when I need to think, or just relax."
	"Where's your favorite place to go here?"
	"The rose gardens."
	She giggled slightly. "I should have guessed." 
	His grip tightened slightly for an instant, bringing her hand to 
his lips and kissing her palm gingerly, before resting it at his side 
again. Serena smiled happily, leaning up against his shoulder. They 
walked in silence a little while, listening to birds and children in 
the distance. Finally, Darien broke it, asking, "Serena, when's your 
birthday?"
	"Hm? Uh... June 30th. Why?"
	"So your birthstone would be... the alexandrite, wouldn't it?"
	She laughed awkwardly. "I guess, but those are too expensive. The 
more traditional stone is the pearl, it's what people give me mostly. 
Then there's also the mythological stone, which is the moonstone. And 
then... er... I'm sorry, Darien, that was probably too much information, 
wasn't it?"
	Darien was no longer paying attention, his free hand clenched 
around the small velvet box in his pocket. Beneath his breath, he 
mumbled, "It's simply too perfect..."
	"Darien, what is it? What's wrong? Why did you bring me out here? 
What do you want to ask me? Darien?"
	Sighing, Darien stopped in the middle of the path to stare at her 
concerned blue eyes. She gulped, turning to face him completely. Biting 
his lower lip, he closed his eyes, attempting to gather his senses, all 
the while wondering if he had the courage to go through with this. 
Suddenly, he felt two gentle fingers trace down his jaw. Opening his 
eyes, he smiled down on her. 
	"Did I do something?" she asked quietly, her voice shaking 
nervously. 
	He knew he needed her in his life, the pain and pleasure in his 
heart told him that. But it would still be difficult, there was no 
escaping the fearsome worries that she wouldn't... he couldn't think of 
that. 
	"Yeah, Serena... you did something."
	Her eyes immediately filled with regret, sorrow, and fear. She 
thought her entire being was trembling. What had she done to make him 
act so distant all the sudden? After the past few days, she thought 
everything was going so well, and now...
	"Oh, Darien, I'm so sorry," she said, just above a whisper, 
afraid that if she spoke any louder her voice would crack and dry in 
her throat. "Whatever I did, I'm sure I didn't mean to, I know it was 
an accident, and..."
	Her rambling was caught short by gentle lips teasing her own. 
	Darien stood closer to her, breaking free from her kisses, his 
hands resting on her hips as her dazed face looked up at him in 
confused silence. "You made me fall in love with you, Serena," he 
whispered so that only she could hear him.	
	The look in his eyes was enough to make her melt, to make her 
every limb collapse beneath her, but the words uttered so tenderly 
shocked her to unbelievable awareness. 
	"Wha...?" she uttered disbelieving. 
	Inhaling deeply, Darien took her hands into his and led her over 
to a wooden bench on the side of the path, forcing her to sit down as 
he paced slowly in front of her. Her ears rang of the subtle statement 
as she stared straight ahead, paying no heed to the fidgety man before 
her. 
	"You love me?" she whispered slowly, letting the words hang on 
her lips. The full impact of that sank into her mind, until a smile 
creased her lips, making her realize exactly the importance of his 
confession. A picture evolved in her mind of holding his hand, watching 
the sun set, sharing secret kisses and caresses, declaring their love 
occasionally to break the comfortable silence. 
	Snapping from her lovely daydream, she noticed that he had 
kneeled in front of her, his hands resting on the bench, on either side 
of her legs as his deep blue eyes stared into hers with hope.
	"I never imagined... I would be lucky enough to hear you say that," 
she finally managed to admit, her eyes shining in a love of their own. 
	Darien grinned, inhaling a deep breath. "Serena..." he whispered, 
more to himself than the girl before him. "I don't know exactly how to 
say this, I've never really said it to anyone, and I'm afraid I'll say 
the wrong thing and lose you, but... but you're here now, and you have to 
know. I... I love you. I have loved you from the moment we met, since the 
moment I laid eyes on you, since the moment I heard your beautiful, 
chiming laugh. And the past couple days I've only wanted you more, 
needed you... more..."
	Serena sighed with happiness, almost not believing her ears. Had 
it not been a week ago that she was nothing more than his secret 
admirer? And then, he had been hers as well. It was all too perfect. 
Happy tears began to build at the corners of her eyes. For a moment, 
she was choking on happiness, on tears, on air, before she managed to 
stutter, "Darien, I love you too."
	Darien froze. His head had bent down, trying to think of what to 
say, how to go about asking her to... be his wife. And then, her quiet 
words broke all chain of thought. Looking up, he saw her gazing down on 
him, a smile on her lips, tears glistening in her eyes. After a moment 
of hopeful thinking, he allowed the worried frown to curve into a 
delighted grin. She loved him. It was remarkable how very much that 
helped his cause.
	"But Darien..." she continued in a whisper. "That's... not a 
question," she stated matter-of-factly. He chuckled for a moment before 
again searching his mind for the correct words to say. 
	Taking in a deep breath, he began. "Serena... I know you're still 
very young, probably too young for what I'm about to ask you. And you 
can say that you want to wait, I'd have no problem with that at all, 
as... long as you say yes. And Serena, if you say yes, I swear I'm going 
to burst with happiness, which may not sound very pleasant, but... 
Anyway, Serena, I love you. I've always loved you, even before we met, 
which makes no sense, obviously, but you see, I used to have dreams of 
a girl just like you, a princess, actually, and I always knew I loved 
her... so... so I know I always loved you... And I know that all of this is 
happening so very fast, that we weren't even close up to a few days 
ago, but you said that you loved me, and I know I love you, and so I 
guess it really shouldn't matter how fast it all happens, as long as 
we're both happy, right? And you make me so very happy, and I know 
given the chance I could make you equally happy. And... I... I want to 
spend the rest of my life doing just that. I want to spend every waking 
moment of the rest of my life... with you..." his voice dropped to a steady 
whisper as he stared up at her eyes, overwhelmed in emotions. "I want 
to... to wake up with you every morning, and fall asleep with you every 
night, and... and... I want to introduce you to everyone I meet as my... 
fianc鮮. and after that, my... wife."
	Serena furrowed her eyebrows slightly. "What... do you...?"
	"Serena... will you marry me?" he whispered, almost inaudibly. 
"Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
	As she stared in awe, he reached into his pocket, producing a 
small black box. Opening it, he showed her a gorgeous ring of her own 
birthstone, the alexadrite, and a green tinted stone, surrounded in 
rings of small diamonds. Dizziness suddenly overcame her and she 
grasped at the edge of the wooden seat, trying to breathe calmly. She 
watched Darien purse his lips together, and gulp as if his throat were 
tied into knots. She felt the same way. A warm tear streaking slowly 
down her cheek seemed to be the only sign that this wasn't a dream. 
Even then, she hardly believed it. 
	Another image appeared in her mind's eye. She stood in a flowing 
white gown, looking down an aisle of roses. At the end Darien stood in 
a black tuxedo, grinning adoringly back at her. Her friends and family 
stood off to the side, her father with a small, but gentle smile, and 
her mother crying with pride, sadness, and joy.
	"Yes..." she said, her unsteady voice cracking slightly. Darien, 
who had been staring at her with more fear by the moment, raised his 
eyebrows, just barely. Happiness began to cloud the deep blue gaze, 
though he dared not smile. "Yes," she repeated, more forcefully this 
time. Finally, a wide grin spread across her face and she pushed 
herself off the bench, falling to her knees and into his arms. "YES!" 
she screamed, then again and again. "Of course I'll marry you, of 
course I'll be your wife!!" 
	Darien stared into space a long moment, before finally, slowly 
wrapping his arms around her. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he 
could hear her chattering still, jumping from 'I love you' to 'I'm 
getting married' to 'What color will the bride's maids' dresses be?' 
and back to 'I love you' again. His lips curved upward gently and he 
closed his eyes, picturing himself 50 years from now, sitting next to 
Serena, his beautiful wife, holding her hand, drinking lemonade on a 
warm day, and watching their 15 grandchildren play happily in the 
sunshine. 
	The woman of his dreams loved him, and was now... his fianc鮠
Darien, the man who could never get close to anyone, had a fianc鮠He 
never imagined how wonderful that would feel. 
With a smile that made his jaw hurt, he pulled her away shortly, 
before pushing his lips to hers in a strong and powerful kiss, holding 
her to his body with every ounce of strength he contained. Her fragile 
hands held onto him just as powerfully, grasping at the material of his 
shirt, squeezing his shoulders almost roughly, as if he minded. After 
prying away from her sweet, ruby red lips, Darien led a trail of 
butterfly kisses down her cheek, her neck, her shoulder, her 
collarbone, kissing every inch of skin he could find in reach. Finally, 
he settled with simply holding her, burying his face into her golden 
hair and breathing in her deliciously ethereal scent. Pulling back 
slightly, he reached for her arm, still tied about his shoulders. 
Pulling her hand down in front of his chest, he slid the ring onto its 
appropriate finger, kissing the glistening stones once. Her eyes 
twinkled at him lovingly, and he didn't think he could stop grinning if 
he tried. Tying his arms around her again, he closed his eyes, 
whispering into her ear,
	"I love you, future Mrs. Darien Chiba."
	She giggled and he knew she was blushing. For the first time, he 
also realized that people had stopped in the park to watch them, 
smiling with dreamy looks. It only made him feel even luckier. 
	"I love you too."
	He held her close to his chest, his eyelids closed lightly. They 
fit into each other's arms perfectly, like pieces to a puzzle that had 
finally found their match. Eventually allowing his eyes to open, he 
looked up into a pale blue, sun-filled sky. Instantly, a bright light 
filled the sky in front of him and he was forced to squint to see 
through it, until a blurred shadow seemed to drown out the blinding 
flare. As his eyes became accustomed, he saw the familiar, smiling face 
of Dorothy Smith. Her emerald eyes glowed with pride and happiness, 
laughing slightly. As he watched, he noticed her wink slyly at him, a 
mischievous grin tilting the corners of her lips, before holding two 
thumbs up. He couldn't help but chuckle, only holding Serena tighter 
and leaning his head on hers. Looking on, he saw another shape, this of 
a man, come up and wrap his arm about Dorothy's waist. She turned in 
his embrace, holding him gently and giving him a small peck on the 
cheek. They seemed to talk for a minute, Dorothy gesturing to Darien a 
few times, before the both of them gave him genuine smiles of 
happiness. Turning, arms still wrapped around each other, they walked 
together into the light. 
	'Goodbye, Dorothy.'

There will be an epilogue, thanks to Stormlight, so look for it next week!!  
Tell me what you think! Kammi22@sprintmail.com