How to Have Fun Chapter 4 Author: natia_99 E-mail: natia_99@yahoo.com Rated: PG Author's Notes: I have to wait two weeks for my internet connection! Two weeks minna! I don't think I can survive! I may go insane! All I can do is keep writing chapters......morrrrre chapters.....yes....that will get me by..... Disclaimer: Ohhhhh *harmonica blare*, I am not Naoko (show tune music) Just some fic-obsessed psycho Wish I did I don't so please don't sue---uuuuu (sung way too fast) And in this failure of a tune I must proclaim *chorus of people* she must proclaim! I do not owwwwwwwwwn, Sailormoon! (heh heh, see what I did there minna? Naoko and psycho.....failure of a tune and sailor moon? Pretty smart ne? Minna? silence. hello? more silence. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (p.s. Dedicated to Silver Bunny who requested I work on this one!) Serena picked Rini up the first day and they headed home to make dinner. "Do you have homework?" Serena asked. "Yeeesss." Groaned Rini. "We--ll, wanna do it while I make dinner and then we can make cookies and play all night? If you get it all done....I'll let you stay up a little later...." Rini grinned, "ALRIGHT! You're my FAVORITE Nanny already!!!!" Serena laughed as they headed up to Darien's apartment. Rini rushed to her room to do her homework and Serena cooked up a delicious chicken dinner (in MYYYYYYYY fic Serena can cook--hey everyone can cook when given the proper ingredients and environment ie. someone is not present pointing out all the mistakes you MIGHT make and confusing you into making them! Not that I am saying this happens to ME! heh heh *sweatdrop* no no no, not me......heh..er..yeah. On with the fic....) "I'm a very picky eater." Rini warned as she came to the table, homework all done. "Well, I just made chicken legs and fried up some potatoes." Serena said confidentally as she put the plates down. And being that chicken legs are universally good (sorry to all the vegetarians and non-chicken leg eating peoples....??) Rini liked them and dinner was a success. Then the real fun began. Serena popped a dance-y CD into Darien's stereo and turned it up loud. Then she danced Rini back into the kitchen to make cookies. And make cookies they did! Serena let Rini help and get her hands into as much as she wanted--much to Rini's delight. Soon they were both a mess, covered in ingredients but laughing. The cookies baked golden in the oven while Serena cleaned up. "Rini, you go wash up and watch TV if you want, I'll clean up the mess!" Serena laughed. But Rini surprised her, "No way! I made mess too! I'll help!" And so she helped Serena mop up and clean the counters and wash the dishes too! Serena was very impressed with this and intended to tell Darien how well-behaved she was. She had no idea she was risking Darien's immediate heart-failure at the words. The shock would be more than he could bear. They finished and then Serena gestured to the living room, "Do you want to watch a movie or something?" Rini shook her head, "Nope, I want to learn to dance, will you teach me?" Serena laughed, "Alright, let's do it!" She changed the CD and taught Rini some basic moves and then they danced around the living room for hours. Serena's own plentiful energy actually out-did Rini's and pretty soon she was exhausted. "Gasp, pant, I can't.....dance anymore!" Rini cried, falling onto the couch. It was actually early but she was dozing off--so much for staying up later. Serena swung her up into her arms and carried her to bed, tucking her in where she fell promptly to sleep. Serena tidied up the living room, turned off the music and sat down on the couch just as Darien's key turned in the door. She stood up to meet him. "Hey!" He greeted, "Where's Rini?" "In bed!" Whispered Serena and Darien's eyes widened. "This early? How did you manage that?--Wait, was she bad, is that why?" "No no!" Laughed Serena, "She was exhausted and fell asleep early. Actually she was wonderful. She helped me clean up after dinner and baking cookies, and she did all her homework as soon as she got home." Darien stared incredulously at her and then looked over to Rini's bedroom, "Are you sure you picked up the right girl from school?" Serena laughed again and Darien smiled, shaking his head, "I've never seen anyone so good with her!" "Mina tried to warn me that she was hard to get close to, but we hit it off right away!" Serena said innocently. He smiled, "Well, I'm glad, both because it's easier on you and because I'm desperate for a nanny!" She chuckled and got her bag heading for the door, "Well, g'night. See you tommorow!" "See ya!" He waved quietly as she walked away down the hall. Then he dropped his bag and coat and headed for the kitchen, he hadn't even had time for dinner. And there, in the fridge, wrapped and waiting, was a chicken dinner. He read the little note on top: ~Thought you might need this, cookies are in the jar!~ He smiled and shook his head. Who WAS this amazing girl--and why on earth had he blown his one chance with her?! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Two weeks later....... Darien watched Rini execute her new dance moves for the fiftieth time that weekend. "Look Darien, look!" "I see Rini. I take it you're enjoying your dance lessons?" He asked with a grin. She grinned right back at him, "Yup! But..." She added slyly, "Not as much as *you're* enjoying all the dinners Serena keeps making you!" He arched his eyebrows in surprise as she laughed at him. Then he chased her around the apartment as she laughed. But she was right. The dinner's were wonderful. Almost as wonderful as the girl making them. He sighed. She was perfect with Rini. They just worshipped one another. They were matched in energy and Serena just seemed to have a magical way with her. They kept up a friendly relationship and often ran into one another in the hallways, stopping to talk about Rini--her grades, her dancing...... And everytime he found himself remembering that one date....that one moment where he'd almost kissed her......and it was torture. He pushed these thoughts from his mind. ~It's over.~ He repeated to his foolish heart. He picked Rini up and carried her to the couch to watch TV while he studied. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* * ^^ It was another two weeks later when Darien arrived home early from work and caught Rini and Serena having a flour fight while they made cookies. They were laughing in a white cloud while the smell of cookies filled the room and reached him at the door. "What on earth?!" He exclaimed, walking through the white mess to face them. They stopped abruptly and both their faces turned serious. They watched him wide-eyed with fear at his reaction. He almost laughed but thought the better of it. Instead he turned his face even more serious, "And just what are you two doing?" He asked sternly. But Rini knew him too well. She grinned and grabbed a handful of flour, "We're having a flour fight!!!" She laughed, throwing flour at him and running away. Serena watched on with horror at his reaction. Surely he would think her a terrible disciplinarian and fire her now! But instead, to her complete surprise, he began to laugh and grabbed some flour to chase Rini with. Soon the three of them were engaged in a hearty cat and mouse game of throwing flour every which way. Who knew he had it in him? It took hours to clean up. Rini was fast asleep when she and Darien finally finished. He leaned back against the fridge and munched cookies with a sigh. Then he looked up at Serena's smiling blue eyes. "You're really great with her." He smiled, "I've never seen anything like it. Thank you." "No problem!" She cheered. He walked her to the door and she surprised him with a hug, "I love helping out your family." She said sincerely. And the impact of her saying it left him breathless. ~Family.~ His family. He watched after her a long moment and only Rini, spying from the bedroom, caught the expression on his face. But it was another week before things really began to happen. Darien arrived home early from a shortened class and found he could hear the music coming from his apartment in the elevator ride up. He opened the door and knew he would never forget the sight. Rini was dressed up in her frilliest dress with beads and gloves that must have belonged to Serena. And Serena.....Serena wore one of his ties and was dancing wildly with Rini. They laughed and bounced to the jive music as she tried to show Rini the steps. Then they simply danced one in front of the other around the couch. He shook his head. Then he walked over and stood until they noticed him. Serena did first, screeching to a halt before his serious looking face, Rini crashing into her from behind. She stumbled forward and caught herself. Darien took a step closer and picked up the end of his tie, "I believe this is mine." He said sternly and Serena gulped down a huge breath of air expecting him to lose his temper. "So I think I'd better wear it." He added with the faintest hint of a smile. he pulled it off her and tied it around his own neck before grabbing Rini and dancing her around the couch. She stared at him in shock as Rini laughed, "Come on Serena!" Then she grinned and joined in and the three of them danced their feet off late into the night. Darien danced with Rini until she began to drop from exhaustion and then he tucked her into bed. He came back out and found Serena leaning over to turn the music off. "Don't!" He grinned and pulled back around into his arms. She laughed in surprise as he began to dance, "You can dance!" He smiled, "Of course." She laughed again, "I never would have believed it." He raised his eyebrows, "And why not?" He said in mock offense. She smiled, "Because, *you* Darien Chiba, are WAY too serious to dance!" He spun her out and pulled her back in as a response. Rini had crept to the door and watched them dance around the living room. Her wide eyes darted from the expression on her brother's face to the one on her beloved Serena's. She smiled. She knew what she had to do. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I promise I'll write more soon, okay Bunny-chan? *backs away from Bunny-chan threatening her with a giant fiery moon-wand* heh heh *sweat* I PROMISE Bunny-chan! Bunny-chan *turns and runs for her life*