Title: Inc-epilogue Author: MarshAngel e-mail:watsonma@hotmail.com webpage: http://www.crosswinds.net/~marshangel/angelmoon.htm Serena slowly opened her eyes squinting at the sunlight streaming in through the windows. She reached her hand across the bed and her hands found exactly what she was looking for. He was warm, naked, and sleeping. Even after being Serena Derencourt, Countess de Morley for the past few days, she was having a hard time getting used to the idea that Darien, her husband, would always be sleeping next to her, that is until they had their first fight and she made him sleep on the couch. They had decided to remain in Paris for another week. Alex, Michelle, and Helena had returned to San Francisco. Michelle and Alex had actually volunteered to take over guardianship of Helena temporarily. Something more permanent would need to be worked out later. In the meantime Serena and Darien were enjoying their honeymoon. They hadn't actually ventured beyond their hotel room for the first thirty-six hours after their short wedding ceremony. "Is their something specific you're feeling around for?" Darien asked his wife. "I guess you're not sleeping then?" "No. Although I don't know why not, you've worn me out. I may never walk again." "I don't think I want to go home ever. I don't want to face Andrew or my parents or any of that stuff I left behind. I quit my job you know. I think I'd be content to lie here forever. "You're going to have to learn to stop doing that." "Doing what? Lazing around? You're going to have to get used to that. I do it all the time." "I was referring to your habit of drawing on guilt and emotions that aren't yours. Andrew understands that you don't love him. He doesn't expect that you should feel guilty because you don't. He never intended for you to know that because he knew you'd be upset by it. He will move on with his life and he wants you to do the same. "As for your father, he was obviously dropped on his head one too many times as a child if he doesn't see what a wonderful person you are. You are brilliant, absolutely beautiful and incredibly wonderful. You don't need him to tell you that anymore. Believe I can more than make up for his neglect." "You are too perfect. I can't understand why of all people you wanted to marry me. At first I thought you were just doing it for the sake of business but now I'm confused. Why did you marry me?" "Ok. I guess you aren't as brilliant as I thought. I married you because I fell in love with you before I even met you. That night Andrew invited me out to dinner with you and your friends; I only went because I knew you'd be there. "When your father first made his business offer, I decided I needed to find out everything about your family. It's common procedure. I saw a picture of you and Andrew in a magazine and decided you two didn't belong together. Setsuna thought I was nuts. As it turns out, I was right! "I love you Serena. I know it probably sounds cheesy but I used to have this vision of the perfect woman in my mind and every woman I've ever been out with was measured against that standard. When I met you I had to toss out that standard because you met and exceeded everything I thought I could want in a woman. I think I made up my mind to have you the day I met you. I think I might have even tried to seduce you even without the business deal or with Andrew still in your life." "And to think Mother Therese was worried about your soul! She should have been worried about you corrupting hers!" Serena teased. "I love you too Darien. I think what I feel most guilty about is not so much for not loving Andrew but for not recognizing earlier that I didn't. I think I forced myself to believe that I did for so long but I never really did. I'm happy I had the chance to end our relationship before I met you. It would have hurt him more if I let myself be seduced by you while I was still engaged to him. I would have given in you know. No woman could withstand you." "As for Daddy. I think I'm finally coming to terms with the fact that he just doesn't know how to love anyone. It's sad but true. I do feel badly about letting Kyler fall to Montgomery though. It's still a family business despite everything." "Are you saying you actually want to rescue your father?" Darien asked. He had expected as much. At heart Serena was very loyal. "Not exactly." A few weeks later Serena was sitting in the CEO's chair with a new view from the top of the building from her new office. The contracts had been rewritten by Darien and Kyler Inc.'s lawyers. The contracts had forced the resignations of her father and Davidson, whom as it turned out had been paid by Montgomery for insider information. Montgomery was furious. He and Davidson were being brought upon charges and in the midst of it all, Serena's aunt Vivienne was filing for a divorce, something that shocked everyone. He wasn't the only furious one, however. Serena's father wasn't even speaking to her. He'd signed the contract only because he knew it was the only way the company would survive and remain in the family. Serena wasn't too concerned however. She was too busy with everything she had to do, from running the company, to deciding what she would wear to the next event she was obligated to attend. The public's fascination with her as a CEO and Darien's wife was never-ending. Suddenly they had been launched into the unenviable position of American Royalty, titled and all. Her mind ran on the day they had first returned from their honeymoon. Setsuna had been very upset with Darien for not calling. Her mother had had a fit about the wedding and was even now still demanding that they renew their vows in public to satisfy her desire for a wedding. Darien's mother had given him a lecture about not bringing his fiancée to meet her before they eloped and there were numerous other things. The most amusing had been when Setsuna had given Darien the two hundred year old bottle of wine Vicente had sent over in thanks. Darien had had no idea what she had been talking about. As it turned out, his lawyers had called during their honeymoon, while he had been 'busy', and in his 'befuddled' state of mind he'd told them to tell Vicente to "take his company and shove it because right now he had better things to do than deal with him." The deal had been canceled and upon hearing the news, Darien sat down and drank the whole bottle of wine. Serena spun around in her chair and ran over the tasks in her mind; she needed an entirely new wardrobe. Her mother wanted a wedding and her friends wanted to be bridesmaids. They'd just have to settle for a baby shower. It's funny how honeymoons work.