Final chapter on this one. I'm so proud that I'm finishing this all up nicely.

New Beginning

"HAHA!" Serena smiled and ran playfully away from the soaked man chasing her.

"Give me that hose!"

"Make me!" She stuck her tongue out and sprayed him once again making sure to get his face.

"Serena!" He cried and pulled on the hose making her fall to the ground. "Are you okay?" He rushed to her only to be sprayed again.

"Stop that you two! Someone's going to get hurt!" Raye shouted from her porch. "Damn… acting like children." She mumbled and looked at Chad who had the appearance of a deprived child watching his friends play without him.

"Hey!" Serena screamed suddenly and tried to shield herself from the water, which Darien was now spraying her with.

"Don't drown her!"

"Let me up you big oaf!" Serena breathed as Darien quickly scrambled away from her with a worried expression.

"Should we take a break? You okay?"

"I'm fine… just out of shape."

"Oh… you look pretty good to me." He winked.

"I look better than I did." She nodded and stood to wring out her soaked clothes. Darien agreed, she had become much stronger over the past few months and more vibrant then ever. At times Darien had difficulties trying to keep up with her even!

"I'm glad you feel that way." Darien hugged her close.

"I'm freakin' cold!" She shivered and snuggled against his chest. "You are too damn it!"

"Let's go in and change then huh?"

"Sure." She nodded and followed him into Raye's home. "Why don't we buy a home?"

"Because we don't need one."

"So?"

"I'm not going to buy a house that's too big and have unused space. If we had kids it would be different."

"I want kids… doesn't that count?"

"Not right now it doesn't because we're not having any soon." He nodded and looked at her now devious expression. "What are you thinking?"

"Nothing…"

"Hey! No, we are not having kids! Not yet. We haven't done any of the things you want to."

"Okay… okay… you're right… damn you."

"You'll thank me for that." He breathed a sigh of relief.

"We'll see about that."

"I think we should go to Paris… what do you think?"

"I think it's a wonderful idea!" Serena exclaimed and jumped onto his back and wrapped her legs around him. He smiled at his ability to pull her away from the topic at hand. "I suppose I can let you change the subject if you're taking me to Paris." Her lips gently touched his ear then she climbed off of his back and smiled. "How soon are we going?"

"Soon… you need a passport first though… and I think you ought to get a physical to see if I need to carry you everywhere."

"You can carry me everywhere anyway." She winked then turned on her heels to walk out of the room so she could make her way back out to the porch.

"I'm glad you came back out because I was starting to worry about you two going at it in the house."

"Sorry Raye. No such luck."

"Where is my brother?"

"He's inside changing because he's taking his time."

"What a surprise… you know, for a "tough guy" he sure takes his time in making himself look sexy doesn't he?"

"Sometimes but I think he's just naturally sexy."

"We just have sexy genes in the family."

"No kidding!" Chad threw in randomly and smiled. "Totally true."

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"Paris! Je t'aime!" Serena exclaimed as her shoe touched the carpet of the airport floor.

"Serena, do you even know what that means?"

"Yeah, I took French."

"Me too. Well then, we'll be better off then I thought." He smiled and kissed her on the cheek. "So, as they say in French allons nous!" The two held hands as they strolled through the airport to collect their baggage then walked to the pick up area where a nice looking man stood with a sign that read "Shields." "Bonjour." Darien waved at the man.

"Bonjour monsieur! Je m'appelle Guy et je suis votre conduire." He smiled.

"Thank you Guy, you may drive us to this address." Darien handed him the address of the apartment that they had rented.

"You understand French very well sir." Guy smirked and winked at the beautiful blonde who was now stepping into the car.

"I try, but responding takes a bit more time then I'd like."

"You'll learn if you stay a while."

"I hope so. We want to live here for a few months to get the cultural experience."

"Very nice! Good luck." Guy drove them to the old stone building and helped them with their bags. "Here you are… you have good taste to live on Le Champs E'lysee."

Pretend that the following scenes are in French because I don't want to put you through the suffering of trying to figure it all out. 

"From now on it's all French okay Serena?" Darien set their bags down and looked around the top floor apartment.

"Okay Dare. I love this cute little apartment."

"Me too… I bet we need to go grocery shopping though."

"I would imagine… can we shop for some French clothes too?"

"I guess, I don't want to look so American."

"Me either… I wonder how you meet people here because this culture isn't quite like ours."

"We'll figure it out okay?"

"I trust you… maybe more than I should." Serena smiled and kissed him passionately.

"Whoa, hey… shopping first… European sex later."

"Fine, but I'll be counting the hours."

"Why you're not on an hourly payroll."

"Hey! You asshole!" She smacked him playfully then skipped towards the door. "Let's go shopping."

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Darien sat at the small dining room table staring at Serena who was eating some fresh bread and watching the news. A sudden calm seemed to wash over him as he seriously considered marrying her. When they had first met he'd never intended this to be a relationship much less an adventurous roller coaster. He had wanted to free her from the prison he thought she was in but as it had turned out he'd been the one who needed to be saved; saved from his emotionless flings, his self absorbed world, from himself. Her struggle with life had scared him into knowing that he was in fact perishable and he could die. "Thank you."

"You're welcome… now hurry up and eat before it cools." She pointed her finger at the slices of bread and jam in front of him oblivious to the fact that he was thanking her on a much more serious level.

"No… Serena… thank you." He asserted in English for the first time in a few months.

"For what?"

"For saving me from myself… sitting here with you… after everything… I guess I feel lucky that's all."

"Uh huh… okay."

"Want to go to the Eiffel tower today?"

"Sure! Can we go to the restaurant?"

"Of course darling… of course." He smiled and stood. "I'm going to go out and get some groceries for dinner, what would you like?"

"Whatever you want is fine with me." She watched him leave the apartment and wondered what he was up to then dismissed it, if he wanted to be devious he could be. She puttered around doing house chores while she waited for his return, she wasn't supposed to lift heavy things but when she needed to vacuum under the sofa so she slightly lifted and scooted it to the side. "That was pretty easy actually." She smiled to herself. "My doctors don't know shit." She continued to vacuum only to feel a sharp pain shoot across her chest. "Oh! Okay, okay… I'll stop." She gasp and lay down on the couch. "Ow… oh… Dare, hurry up and get back here." The pain was debilitating and a wave of electricity would stretch across her chest when she breathed.

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"That one." Darien pointed to the perfect ring. He would never admit it but he felt excited about the idea that he would propose and she might accept. The teller smiled and put the ring in one of the signature ring boxes. Wanting to surprise her Darien frowned. "Can I have that put in a larger box please?"

"Of course sir… wanting to surprise that special someone.?"

"Yes… I think it's time to seriously settle down."

"Good choice sir."

"Thank you." Darien nodded and paid for the ring. "Off to the store… I wonder that she wants for lunch…" He walked down the Champs E'lysee and entered the deli, bought some sandwiches then returned to the apartment where Serena was laying on the couch gasping for breath. "Serena!" He dropped the groceries and ran to her.

"My pain pills." She managed to utter weakly.

"Okay." He hurried and grabbed the pills and a glass of water. "Here honey."

"Thank you… Jesus… that hurts." She swallowed the pills and closed her eyes to try and calm down.

"What happened?"

"I… lifted the couch."

"If I didn't love you so much I'd smack you for stupidity."

"I don't care."

"Well, so much for lunch." Darien smiled and sat on the ground next to her and placed a hand on her sweating forehead.

"Sorry."

"I don't mind."

"Good." She smiled and eventually fell asleep, he on the other hand sat there staring at her sleeping figure; something he found himself doing more and more often.

"Please don't go down hill on me. I don't think I could handle that." He whispered softly into her ear. She rested until the sun went down and the lights lit up the giant tower that loomed over the city.

"Hey… are we going to dinner?"

"If you'd still like to… how are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling drowsy but other than that I'm okay."

"Okay then… let's go…"

"Yeah… let's do that."

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"Will you marry me Serena?"

"What?" She asked again unable to process the words that had left his mouth.

"Serena… I love you so much… you have brought me so much joy, and now… I want you to be a permanent fixture in my life… Will you marry me?"

"Is there any answer I could give besides yes?"

"Not really." A smile spread across his face as she flung herself into his arms and kissed him. Right at that moment the clock struck on the hour and the glittering lightshow began; the Eiffel tower's lights sparkled as if to say. "This is the beginning of a whole new chapter in their lives."

END