Two Beds and a Coffee Machine Rated: PG-13 by: Alexia-chan e-mail: alexiachan@yahoo.com Hey minna! Here's another songfic for your enjoyment! I know I should be working on "Love Boat", but I just haven't felt like writing anything on it. I'll try to have Part 4 out as soon as I can, though. This is set in an alternate reality where Serena is married, but not to Darien. Don't worry, it will all work out! As you can see, this fic is rated PG-13 due to some domestic violence scenes. This is actually pretty dark, not my usual run of the mill romantic comedy deal. I guess I'm just broadening my horizons or something, but don't worry, it still has a happy ending. Don't forget to e-mail me and let me know what you think! I LOVE e-mail, but I never get enough of it! Enjoy! Disclaimers: Sailor Moon and all related characters don't belong to be, and neither does the song Two Beds and a Coffe Machine. It belongs to Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones of Savage Garden AN: The baby's name, Daniel, has nothing to do with the Daniel from Savage Garden, just so you know. I'm also aware of the fact that I skipped a verse of the song, but I just couldn't fit it in. Serena Thompson ran out of the hotel where she worked as part of the cleaning crew. She had gotten off work late again, and was sure that Michael was going to be angry when he got home because dinner wouldn't be on the table. She rushed to her beat-up Chevy Cavalier, and drove off toward the daycare center to pick up her five year old daughter, Rachel, and her eighteen month old son, Daniel. Once back in the car, she said to Rachael, "Now, you need to take care of Daniel when we get home so mommy can hurry up and get dinner started before daddy gets home. Do you understand?" Rachel nodded and said, "Mommy, if daddy gets mad, will he hit you again?" Serena's eyes clouded up with tears, she and quickly turned away. She hadn't known Rachel had seen what went on. Forcing her voice not to sound shaky, Serena replied, "No honey. Daddy only does that sometimes." Rachel was about to open her mouth to say something more when they pulled into the driveway of the modest two-story brick house the family called home. Serena heaved a sigh of relief. She didn't really want to dicuss what when on between her and Michael with her daughter. Serena exited the car, and got Daniel out of his car seat before making sure Rachel was on the porch. She hurridly opened the door and glanced at her watch. 5:30. She still had a half hour until Michael came home. Hopefully she could throw some dinner together in time. She turned on the TV for Rachel and sat Daniel down in his playpen. "You be good and just watch TV, Rachael. Keep an eye on Daniel. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me." Rachel nodded, and was quickly absorbed in the show on television. Serena went into the kitchen and opened the refridgerator door. There wasn't much food, since Michael used almost all of the money to feul his heavy drinking habit. Serena sighed and shook her head. She closed the door, bumping her left arm. Immense pain shot through her body. Michael had hit her again, but it was getting worse. Last night, he had picked up a kitchen chair, and threw it at her, striking her arm painfully. She winced at the memory and walked over to the cupboards. She pulled out a package of rice and opened the refridgerator door again. Serena dug around until she found some roastbeef they had eaten two nights ago. Serena quickly put the dinner together. She put the roastbeef on a plate and popped it in the microwave to warm it up after the rice had started boiling. And by the time Michael opened the door, she was bringing dinner to the table. Serena smiled, and walked over to her husband. "Hey, dear. How was your day?" "The office was a living hell. I don't want to talk about it," he said gruffly, walking past her to sit down at the table. As he spoke, she could smell the booze on his breath. He had already been to the bar. He looked up at Serena expecantly. "Well, we gonna eat or not? Get the kids in here. I'm hungry!" Michael said, irritably. Serena complied, not wanting to make him any angrier. She carried Daniel in the room, followed closely by Rachel. Serena sat Daniel in his highchair, then helped Rachael pull out her chair. Michael glared at her. "You know, the kid can do that for herself." Serena was about to reply, but caught herself. She didn't want to make Michael angry in front of the kids. He could hit her as much as he wanted, but she vowed never to let him lay a hand on her children. "I know. I'm sorry. I was just helping her," Serena said meekly. Michael smiled. "See, you can be a good wife." Serena returned his smile. He could be so sweet sometimes, and yet so violent at others. Serena turned to look at him again, and his eyes blazed in anger. "Didn't we just have roastbeef last night?" Serena swallowed hard. She was afraid that he would comment on the shoddy dinner. "Um, it was two nights ago, actually. I couldn't help it! I had to work late at the hotel, and I didn't have time to cook anything special tonight." Rachael took a bite of the food. "I think it tastes really good, mommy!" "Thank you, Rachel," Serena said softly. The rest of the meal was eaten in silence, and after dinner Racheal was helping Serena clear the table. "Rachael, can you bring the last plate in for me, please?" Serena called from the kitchen. Rachael grabbed the plate, and skipped off into the kitchen, but tripped on the throw rug, sending the plate flying across the room. It hit the countertop and shattered into tiny peices. As soon as Rachael hit the floot, she burst into tears. Serena ran over to her crying daughter, and held her. While Serena was helping Rachel up, Michael came into the room. "What happened here?" "Nothing. Rachel just tripped and fell. She broke a plate, but she's fine," Serena replied, walking over to where the peices of the plate were. Michael walked over to join her. "So, how should we punish her?" At the word punishment, Rachel's eyes filled with tears once more. "Punish her? For what? Having an accident? It could've happened to anyone!" Serena snapped, not caring that she was making her husband furious. She wasn't about to let him punish her daughter. Michael gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. He had taken enough of Serena's crap. "You're going to regret EVER talking back to me, bitch!" Michael said, his eyes blazing with fury. He stomped over to Serena, and pushed her. Serena fell to the floor with a thud. Michael walked over the kitchen table, and picked up one of the heavy wooden chairs placed around it. He walked back over to Serena, his piercing gaze never leaving her face. He stood over her cowering form. "Tell me you're sorry and you love me, and I'll put this chair down and simply forget you ever talked back to me." Serena considered her options. She wasn't sure that she wanted to admit her fault, since she certainly wasn't in the wrong. She looked up at her husband, and spat out, "Never!" Michael's eyes narrowed. "You asked for it!" He brought the chair crashing down on Serena. One of the legs struck her soundly on the forehead, leaving a large gash and blood quickly oozed down her face. Her body went limp as consciousness left her. Rachel, who had been watching this exchange quietly in fear, suddenly cried out. "MAMA!" Michael spun around, his eyes blazing in anger once again. "You're just like your mother," Michael said, stepping over Serena's body. "You whine just like her, and you also talk back. I don't like it when people talk back to me, do you understand?" Rachel nodded mutely, too afraid to speak. "Good," Michael murmured before kicking his daughter in the stomach, sending her crashing into the cupboards. Rachel let out a weak moan before slumping to the floor. Michael shook his head and went over to the fridge to grab another beer before heading back into the living room. Hours later, when Serena woke up, the kitchen was pitch black and her head was pouding. She reached up to touch her forehead, finding it covered in blood. She vaguely remembered what had transpired. Rachel fell, then the plate, then Michael being furious. She sat up slowly, then noticed that Rachel was curled up in a ball and whimpering. Serena crawled over to her, not wanting to stand up yet. Serena gently touched her daughter. "Rachel, are you ok?" "Mommy, please don't let him hurt me again." Rachel cried. Serena wrapped her arms comfortly around her. "Don't worry darling, we're going to leave daddy so this never happens again, I promise. Now let's go upstairs and get some things together, but be really quiet. We don't want to wake daddy up." Serena couldn't believe what she was doing. After all the years of abuse, she was finally doing what she should've done a long time ago. She and Rachel walked quietly up the stairs to Rachel's room where they packed her small purple suitcase with some clothes a few toys that she couldn't bear to leave. They padded softly to Daniel's room where Michael must have put him sometime before he went to bed. They quickly packed up his belongings and a diaper bag. Serena sent Rachel down with Daniel before she entered her and Michael's room. Luckily, the closet was already open, so she quickly grabbed some clothes and a suitcase, and shoved them in. She gathered some jewerly and shoes, and was finally ready to leave. As she was walking toward the door, she turned to Michael and mouthed 'goodbye', then walked out of the room forever. Once downstairs, she gathered her children, and drew them into a hug, before walking out of the house one final time. She loaded them in the car, and pulled out of the driveway, not knowing where she was going. > And she takes another step > Slowly she opens the door > Check that he is sleeping > Pick up all the broken glass and furniture on the floor > Been up half the night screaming now it's time to get away > Pack up the kids in the car > Another bruise to try and hide > Another alibi to write > Another ditch in the road > You keep moving > Another stop sign > You keep moving on > And the years to by so fast > Wonder how I ever made it through Serena kept driving, watching all the familar things in her life pass her by as she drove past the city limits. She continued on to the interstate, heading north from New Jersey. Maybe they would go to New York, possibly, Vermont. She knew they couldn't live on the credit cards and the small amount of cash she brough. Hell, Michael would probably call and cancel the credit cards just so she couldn't use them. Serena thought of going to her mother's house in Ohio, but her mother had warned her about Micheal, and his temper. Her eyes clouded with tears when she thought about how was she going to be able to buy enough food for the children. She promised herself that feeding Rachel and Daniel would come before feeding herself. Serena got off at the next exit in hopes of finding a decent place to spend the night without spending too much money. > And then there's the children to think of > Baby's asleep in the backseat > Wonder how they'll ever make it through this living nightmare > But the mind is an amazing thing > Full of candydreams and new toys and another cheap hotel > Two beds and a coffee machine > But there are groceries to buy > And she knows she'll have to go home > Another ditch in the road > You keep moving > Another stop sign > You keep moving on > And the years to by so fast > Wonder how I ever made it through After driving well into the early morning hours, Serena finally pulled into the parking lot of a cheap motel. She woke up Rachel, who was sitting in the seat beside her, and they got out of the car. Serena glanced back at Daniel, who was still sleeping. She decided that she would just let him sleep, and they entered the motel. As soon as they stepped through the door, the manager looked at Serena strangely. Serena realized that she must've looked like a mess. She hadn't bothered to look in the mirror before she left. "Ma'am, were you in a wreck? Your face is covered in blood," the manager asked, concern evident on his handsome features. Serena couldn't take it anymore, and the weight of what had happened last night finally came crashing down, and she burst into tears, sinking slowing to the floor. Rachel, who was standing near the door, made her presence known. "My daddy hits my mommy," she whispered. The manager came around from the desk he was standing at, and went to talk to Rachel. "My name's Darien. What's yours?" "Rachel," she answered shyly. "What's your mommy's name?" Darien prodded. "Serena. And I have a little brother, too. His name is Daniel," Rachel said, opening up to the kindly man. "And where's Daniel at?" Darien hoped that he wasn't still with the abusive husband. "Oh, he's out in the car," Rachel replied. "I'll tell you what. I'm gonna go out and get him because he shouldn't be all alone and why don't you see if your mom's alright," Darien said, standing up. Rachel nodded and went over to her sobbing mother, embracing her. "Mommy? The nice man is going to get Daniel, and he sent me over to make sure you were ok. I think he's really cute!" Rachel said, running her had through her mother's shoulder- length blond hair. Serena sniffled and sat up, wiping the tears from her cheeks. A few moments later, Darien walked in with Daniel in his arms. Darien carried Daniel over to Serena's awaiting arms, and crouched down to talk to Rachel again. "Do you want to go in my office and watch some TV while your mommy and I talk?" Rachel nodded and Darien led her into his office with Daniel in his arms. When he came back into the lobby, he walked over to Serena. "I'm going to call the police," he stated simply. Serena's eyes filled with alarm. "No! You can't do that. He's really a nice guy, but sometimes his temper acts up." Darien reached out and gently touched his fingers to the cut on Serena's forehead. "He beats you and your children, he deserves to be put in jail," he said softly. "I know, but what if he gets out? He'll track me down, and possibly hurt the children and me again. Maybe even kill us!" Serena said, her eyes filling with tears. Darien enveloped her in a hug, as Serena lost it and started to cry again. She looked up at him, and murmured, "I don't even know your name, and you're letting me cry on your shoulder. Thank you." He smiled into her hair. "The name's Darien. This is my father's motel, and I always get drafted to work the late shift. But tonight I'm glad I did." Serena managed a faint smile. "Yeah, me too." Darien's tone immeadiately turned to a much more serious one. "So, do you want to talk about it?" Serena sighed, rubbing her temples. "How about I tell you over a cup of coffee? This is going to be a long story." Darien nodded. "I think I can arrange that. Why don't you go get washed up while I make the coffee. There's a bathroom at the back of the hall." Serena nodded and walked to the back of the hall. She walked out of the bathroom ten minutes later. Serena had removed all the dry blood from her face, brushed her hair, and was feeling refreshed. Serena heard Darien banging a cupboard shut in what she assumed was the kitchen, and headed in the direction of the sound. She walked into the kitchen and sighed heavily, sinking into a chair. Darien brought two cups of steaming coffee over to the table and sat down. He sat watching her, waiting for the story to begin. It was then he noticed her beauty. Shoulder-length blonde hair framed a creamy face, the only imperfection being the ugly gash on her forehead. She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and sighed again. "I'm just not sure how to start." Darien smiled gently. "How about the beginning?" Serena smiled slighty before starting. "Well, Michael and I met in high school. He was the star quaterback and I was the head cheerleader. The typical high school “Match made in Heaven” kinda the thing. We went out a lot, but I never figured I'd end up marrying the guy. My mother had never liked him, I guess she saw something in him that I didn't see. I suppose I was blinded by the love I thought I felt for him. He had a bad temper, even back then. One night we were at a party, and he was drinking. He and a friend got into a huge fight over something ridiculously stupid, and he punched a hole in the wall. I was too drunk at the time to really register what that meant in our relationship. After the party,he was back to his regular nice-guy self. So, after graduation, we were married. I got a job at the Comfort Inn as a maid, and Michael started out as a repairman for a local computer company. Soonafter, I was pregnant with Rachel. That's when the abuse started. I knew we didn't have much money, and having another mouth to feed was not going to bean easy thing, so of course, Michael blamed every thing on me. Then, the verbal abuse transcended into phsyical abuse. He'd hit me when he couldn't get the bills to work out. I was startled at first, but I got used to it. After I got pregnant a second time, the abuse escalated. And last night was the absolute worst. It was the first time he'd actually struck me with an object, and also the first time he'd abused the children. I think the main reason I left was to get the children away. They didn't deserve that treatment." Serena wiped a few stray tears from her face, and looked at Darien to gage his reaction. "I don't know what to say. No person deserves to be put the pain and suffering you've been put through. You're a tough woman," Darien said softly. He looked up suddenly. "Let's go for a walk. The sun's going to be coming up soon." Darien stood up, and offered Serena his hand. Serena nodded and grasped his outstretched hand. They walked hand in hand out of the motel, neither one wanting to let go. Darien led her to a path that went behind the motel and into the woods. They followed the path until they came to a beautiful clearing. Serena gasped. "Oh! This is gorgeous!" "So is the woman standing next to me," Darien whispered, wrapping his arms around Serena. Serena giggled. It had been so long since she had been treated like this. "Thank you," Serena murmured into Darien's shoulder. "For what?" "For listening to me and, most of all, for letting me be me." Serena answered simply. "Well, I realize that these next few months are probably going to be extremely tough on you and your family, so you can stay here as long as you'd like, free of charge. I'll arrange that you get some sort of job here, and I'm sure my mother would be more than happy to watch after your children." Darien said, looking down at the woman in his arms. Serena glaced up at him in schock. "Thank you so very much! You have no idea how much--" She was cut off by Darien's lips claiming hers. Her head was spinning. Just last night she had left her husband, and now she'd met a man that she could possibly spend the rest of her life with. Serena sighed in contentment when the kiss broke off. "I'd like very much to meet your mother." "Ok, we can do that. Then we're calling the police, alright?" Darien looked at Serena with pleading eyes. Serena hesitated, then finally conceded. "Fine. We'll call the police, and hopefully they'll lock that bastard up for a long time!" Darien smiled, and they walked back to the hotel, Serena's cheek resting on Darien's shoulder and Darien's arm slipped comfortably around her waist. > Another ditch in the road > You keep moving > Another stop sign > You keep moving on > And the years to by so fast > Wonder how I ever made it through THE END Yeah, I know it really doesn't have a solid, concrete ending, but that leaves room for a sequel, if I so desire to write one! This also ended up a lot longer than I had originally intended, but I felt that it needed to be that way to get my point across. This story was acutally very difficult for me to write, especially the abuse portion. If anyone of you are abused, or know someone who is being abused, please don't hesitate to contact someone, whether it be a friend, family member, clergy, teacher, guidance counselor, whatever. Just make sure you get the help needed. On a lighter note, don't forget to e-mail me and let me know what you though of this rather deep story. Also, let me know if you'd like to see a sequel! Ja! Alexia (alexiachan@yahoo.com)