4 comments/ 6416 views/ 0 favorites The Path to Love Ch. 03 By: AshiraDatya I know everyone was disappointed with the way I ended chapter 2; stick with me, I promise you won't be disappointed. * CHAPTER THREE Jake sat up with a gasp, his whole body drenched with cold sweat. "Jake, what's wrong?" Jake turned to his wife, his eyes wide. "You need to schedule an appointment with your doctor for first thing in the morning," Jake said. "What? Why?" Ashira asked, sitting up, and turning on her bedside lamp. "I just had the worst dream of my life. I don't want to get into it, but you need to have your blood pressure checked," Jake answered. Ashira looked at him in concern but nodded. She reached over and turned off the light and lay back down. Jake couldn't fall back to sleep, no matter how hard he tried. -The next day- "I don't know what possessed you to make this appointment, but I'm glad you did," Doctor Bard said, looking over Ashira's chart. "I had a nightmare, and I don't want to go into specifics, but it wasn't a pretty one," Jake admitted. Doctor Bard nodded. "Ashira, your blood pressure is dangerously high. It happens sometimes, and it can be very serious. I'm putting you on bed rest and a specialized diet. You are not to leave your bed except to go to the bathroom and I don't want you alone." Ashira's eyes widened as the doctor went into details on what she could or couldn't do and what she could and couldn't eat. "So you're my babysitter for today?" Ashira asked as Melinda walked into the house with Sunshine. Melinda nodded. "We promised Jake that between the two of us, we wouldn't let you out of our sight," Melinda agreed. Ashira rolled her eyes. "This really isn't necessary," Ashira told them. "Yes it is," Sunshine said. Ashira sighed, but resigned herself to being stuck in bed for the next three months. "How ya doing?" Jake asked Mark as he watched Mark changing his son's diaper. Mark finished changing the diaper and looked up. "Not too bad, Mel's been pretty tired lately. Jake grinned. "That happens," he agreed. "How's Ashira?" Mark wanted to know. "Getting tired of being in bed," Jake said with a grin. Mark laughed and nodded. "She never did like to be in bed longer than she had to be," he agreed. Jake laughed too and glanced at the clock on the desk. "We'd better get back; Ashira has a doctor's appointment in an hour. I think the doctor is going to try to talk us into taking the baby early," Jake said. Mark looked at Jake in surprise. "Doesn't she still have another six weeks?" Mark asked. Jake nodded. "But her blood pressure isn't getting any lower," Jake answered. Mark shook his head and followed Jake from the beach to the house Jake lived in with Ashira and the kids. "How was your nap?" Mark asked Melinda. She smiled and took David from Mark. "Refreshing," she answered. Jake headed up the stairs and helped Ashira get ready to go. -Three hours later- "Hey Jake, what's going on?" Mark asked. He listened to what Jake told him and grinned. "No problem, we'll stay here with the kids until you can get back. I'll call Sunshine and Trevor and let them know what's going on. Give Ashira a hug for us. Take your time," Mark said, hanging up the phone. "Well?" Melinda asked expectantly. "They did a c-section. Another girl. Poor Jake, there's more estrogen in this house then testosterone," Mark joked. Melinda laughed. "Ashira's blood pressure isn't back to normal, but it has lowered," Mark added, dialing a number and waiting for an answer. -6 weeks later- Jake led Ashira and their new daughter into the house and they both gasped when they saw all of their friends in the living room. "Welcome back! Your house has been cleaned from top to bottom, and there is a ton of food in the refridgerator and freezer. We're gonna help you guys out for as long as you need us to," Melinda said when Ashira asked what they were all doing. Ashira and Jake smiled and gave their friends tight hugs. -11 years later- Melinda smiled at Mark as they watched their seven year old daughter Chrissy perfomring a near flawless floor excerices during the area gymnastic competition. Their son David sat next to them, bored out of his mind. He wanted to get back to his friends; he thought spending time with his parents was lame. He glanced over at Serentiy who was sitting there, acting just as bored as he was. David had such a crush on Serenity, but she refused to give him the time of day. Next to Serenity, was her youngest sister Sara. He knew that Sara liked him, and despite his crush on Serenity, David thought Sara was beautiful. Despite how young they all were, David knew that he wanted Sara as his soul mate. He just had to find a way to make it so. Serenity yawned loudly causing her mother to give her a scowl. "What are we even doing here? It's not like we're related," Serenity whispered to her mother. "We're here to support a good friend, now be respectful," Ashira hissed. She continued to watch Serenity throughout the competition and when they returned to Mark and Melinda's home that evening, Ashira had had enough. "Serenity Faith Barnes, that is enough with the attitude," Ashira growled. Mark shook his head and exchanged sympathetic looks with Jake. They had told Serenity that Mark was her biological father two weeks before, and ever since then, Serenity had become very disrespectful when it came to her mother. "I think with your history, I'm entitled to a little attitude. I mean, just because you used to be a whore ..." Mark crossed the gap between the grill and his ex in six strides, grabbed Serenity by the arm and pulled her into the house. "What the hell are you doing?" Serenity yelled as the door slammed shut behind them. "Your mother was not a whore. We were engaged once, and after she was raped I left her. I don't ever want to hear you talking about your mother like that, ever," Mark said, his voice even and calm, dispite his rage. When Serenity appeared to be more calm, Mark allowed her to go back out to the back yard. "Apologize to your mother," Jake instructed. Serenity sighed but did as she was told. Ashira accepted the apology, but she still appeared very down. "Shira, don't worry about what Serenity said. She's a teenager, and this is going to be hard for her to accept," Jake said softly. Ashira nodded but said nothing. "What do you mean you're kicking me out!" Serenity exclaimed. Ashira sighed and exchanged glances with Jake. "We aren't kicking you out Serenity. We just think it would be a good idea for you to live with Mark and Melinda for awhile. You need to get to know your other family," Jake answered. "But I'll have to switch schools! I won't be able to see Pyro," Serenity said. Jake smiled. "You'll survive. You're sixteen. There will be other boys, and you can do so much better than Pyro," Ashira interjected. "I wasn't talking to you, mother," Serenity sneered. "That is enough! We will be moving you in with Mark and Melinda this weekend, so start packing!" Jake shouted, fed up with Serenity's behavior. "You aren't my father, you can't order me to do anything!" Serenity shouted. "There's more to being a father than sharing DNA," Ashira reminded Serenity. "That's enough, all of you! Serenity, do as you're told," Mark said, stepping forward, tired of the arguing. Serenity sighed but trudged up the stairs. "Not that I mind having Serenity move in, but what brought this on?" Mark wanted to know. Jake took a deep breath to calm himself before answering. "I caught her with Pyro about to have sex," Jake answered. "She's only sixteen!" Mark protested. "We know. She tried to tell us that Pryo wouldn't let her say no, but she had the condom in her hand. We tried telling her she was too young, and that it was something she needed to save for a later time, but she refused to listen. We've tried grounding her, we've taken her car away from her, and this is the last thing we can think of," Ashira added. Mark nodded. "The fact that we're over an hour away from here should help make things more difficult for Serenity and Pyro?" Mark asked. Ashira nodded. "He's into fire. Nothing wrong with it, but there is something about him that gives me the creeps," Ashira answered. Mark grinned. "If she continues to step out of line, I'll send her to military school," Mark promised. Jake laughed. "I don't think you'll need to go that far, just check with us if you decide that's what she needs," Jake told Mark. "Of course," Mark agreed. * Have you ever been in a relationship with someone, romantic or otherwise where you've been able to tell something was wrong, and even if consciously you didn't know what, but unconsciously you knew what was wrong? That's where I was going with the ending of chapter two and beginning of chapter three. Thanks for the feedback! Ashira The Path to Love Ch. 04 I have never been to any of the schools mentioned in this chapter, I just googled the towns and the schools. All characters and layouts are a product of my imagination. Thanks for reading. Ashira CHAPTER FOUR Serenity walked nervously down the hall of Ramona High, her new school, looking for the guidance councilor's office. When she finally found it, she pushed the door open. "May I help you?" the secretary asked. "My name is Serenity Barnes and I'm a transfer student from Clairemont High," Serenity answered. "Welcome Miss Barnes. Mr. Traver, your councilor will be with you in a moment," the secretary told Serenity. After a moment, Mr. Traver opened his office door and ushered Serenity into his office. "Welcome Miss Barnes, I know this will be an unwelcome transition for you, moving in the middle of the school year," Mr. Traver began, motioning for Serenity to have a seat. Serenity sat down and took the three ring binder handed to her. "In this binder, I have included the school rules, some information about the school and our community and right now, we need to work out your class schedule. "When you were at Clairemont, did you participate in any arts, music or sports?" Mr. Traver asked. "I'm pretty good at Soccer, and I played in the concert band last year, flute. I was first chair," Serenity answered. "Are you interested in continuing with your music?" Mr. Traver inquired. Serenity nodded. "Do you have your flute with you?" he asked. "It's at the house, but not with me on campus," she answered. Mr. Traver nodded. "I'll speak with the band instructor, I'm pretty sure they have a loaner you could use today," Mr. Traver said, entering some information into the computer. "I see you passed your algebra and biology last year. This year, we'll enroll you in algebra two and physics. I'll enroll you in the speech class, yes, I know, most students hate it, but it's required. Now, you have a choice of literature or creative writing." Mr. Traver looked at Serenity expectantly. "Literature. I'm not into writing," Serenity answered. Mr. Traver nodded and finished entering things into the computer and printed out Serenity's schedule and handed it to her. "Classes start in ten minutes. When you leave the main office, turn left. Go down three hallways and turn left. Your class will be on the right hand side," Mr. Traver said. Serenity nodded, stood up and left the office. It felt like forever, but Serenity finally found the class room. She opened the door and slipped inside as the final bell rang. "You're late," the teacher announced. Serenity blushed. "I apologize. This is my first day here," Serenity said softly. Some of the girls snickered. "My name is Mrs. Parsons, and you are?" the teacher asked, peering over her wire rimmed glasses. "Serenity Barnes." "Take a seat Miss Barnes," Mrs. Parsons said, pointing to an empty seat in the second row. Before Serenity knew it, it was lunch time; the part of the day she was dreading the most. Serenity walked through the line and grabbed a chicken patty and slathered ketchup over it before grabbing a thing of fries and a bottle of water. Serenity pulled the money out of her pocket, paid for her lunch and found an unoccupied table. After lunch, Serenity had concert band, and true to his word, Mr. Traver had spoken with Mr. Parma and he was waiting in his office with a loaner flute. When Serenity got home from school, she found Mark and Melinda waiting for her in the living room. "I thought you guys would be at work," Serenity said, surprised. Mark grinned. "We wanted to be here when you got back from your first day. How was it?" he asked. "I think I'm the only person in the world, aside from a fictional story who made enemies on their first day," Serenity said with a sigh. "What do you mean?" Melinda asked. "I signed back up for band; and the director wanted to hear what I could do. I made first chair," Serenity answered. "That's great! Do you want to call your mom and dad?" Melinda asked. "No, that's okay. I want to get started on my homework, there's a quiz at the end of the week," Serenity said, running up the stairs to her room. -Meanwhile- "Mom, when's Serenity coming back?" Allyson asked. Ashria sighed as she checked on the status of the chicken roasting in the oven. "Not for a little while. She needs to find herself first," Ashira answered. She turned around and looked at her daughter. At nearly thirteen, Allyson was blossoming into a beautiful young woman. "What's wrong?" Ashira asked. "Nothing, I just needed some sisterly advice," Allyson said, grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl and heading towards the front door. "I'm going to go find Tyler," she added. "Be back by six," Ashira told her daughter as she closed the door behind her. -Two weeks later- Serenity jumped as her locker was slammed shut. "May I help you?" Serenity asked, her eyes narrowing. "Yeah, you can go back to where ever it is you came from!" Serenity rolled her eyes and locked eyes with Tiffany, the girl that had tormented her since she moved to town. Tiffany was the previous first chair, and she resented Serenity for taking her place and her solo spot. "I don't have that option Tiff, so why don't you just practice a little more and take first chair back," Serenity retorted, reopening her locker, pulling her books out, slamming the door shut and walking away. Serenity walked the four blocks to Melinda's restaurant and walked inside. "Hey Serenity," Melinda called from the counter. "Is it just me or is it busier than usual?" Serenity wanted to know. "I found one of the wait staff stealing money from the till this morning and let him go," Melinda answered. "Do you want some help?" Serenity asked. "I wouldn't mind having some pocket money," she added. Melinda smiled. "Under one condition; your grades don't drop. You have to maintain a C average or I'll make you quit," she answered. Serenity nodded. "Agreed. Here's the after school band rehearsals and concerts," Serenity said, handing Melinda a piece of paper. "And this is the soccer schedule, try outs are next week," she added, handing another paper to Melinda. Melinda nodded. "We'll give you a two week trial run," Melinda decided. Serenity nodded and accepted the apron Melinda handed her. "Your first table just walked in," she added. Serenity followed Melinda's eyes and groaned. "What's wrong?" Melinda asked. "That's Tiffany Carter and her bubble gum friends. Tiffany used to be first chair for the flute department," Serenity answered. Melinda grinned. "You'll do fine," Melinda assured Serenity. Serenity grabbed four menus and walked over to the table. "Welcome to Heaven, here are your menus, can I get you anything to drink?" Serenity asked politely as she passed out menus. "What are you doing here?" Tiffany sneered. "Working," Serenity answered. "Since when?" Tiffany asked. "Five minutes ago," Serenity said. She smiled at the lone boy sitting at the table. Bryce St. Paul was tall and handsome; he was also the only boy in Tiffany's posse that was nice to her. "I'll take an iced tea Serenity," Bryce said, hoping to set some calm. Serenity nodded and jotted it down on the note pad from the apron. Tiffany and her other two friends ordered lemonade in very snooty tones. When Serenity returned back to the house after her fifth closing shift, she found Mark and Melinda waiting up for her. "Have I done something wrong?" Serenity asked. "No, not at all. We just wanted to talk," Mark answered. "What'd I do?" Serenity asked with a sigh as she plopped on the couch. "Nothing! Your report card came in today. Not only have you been working your butt off at Heaven, but you've managed to maintain a 4.0 g.p.a. We're proud of you," Mark told Serenity. Serenity smiled. "We talked to your mom and to Jake, and the four of us agree that you deserve a reward," Mark continued. Serenity tapped her fingers on her leg impatiently and Mark laughed. "You are just like your mother," Mark said. "So what's my reward?" Serenity asked. Mark grinned and led Serenity to the garage where a powder blue mustang convertible with a tan rag top sat waiting. "We'll be watching how many miles you drive, but it's your car. You can use this to go to school, to work, to band concerts, games, whatever, BUT you will not go and see Pyro. That is your mother's stipulation, one I happen to agree with. We met him when he tried to come see you last month, and I got a bad vibe. He doesn't treat you well," Mark said gently. Serenity looked like she wanted to defy Mark for a moment but nodded. Flashback Serenity looked up at the sound of a loud engine in time to see a Harley pulling up to the side of the house. "Pyro, what are you doing here?" Serenity asked as he cut the engine on the massive bike. Eighteen year old Pyro was tall, over six and a half feet with short dark hair and dark brown eyes. "I missed you babe, your whore of a mother refused to tell me where you were living, so I found out my own way," Pyro answered, giving Serenity a kiss. "What did you do?" Serenity asked as Mark walked out of the house before Pyro could answer. "Pyro, this is Mark, Mark, this is Pyro," Serenity introduced. Mark nodded politely and turned back to Serenity who was standing in the middle of the garden, her hands full of weeds. "Is it okay if I go hang with Pyro for a while?" Serenity asked. Mark hesitated as he looked at Pyro in his leather motorcycle jacket, black jeans and chaps. "Sure, go ahead, just be back in time for dinner, and bring back a loaf of french bread. Melinda is making roast chicken and potatoes. I'll let her know we'll have a guest for dinner," Mark said finally. Serenity kissed Mark on the cheek. "I'll be right back," she promised, throwing the weeds into the compost bin and running into the house. She washed her hands, changed into a spaghetti strap top and jeans before pulling on her own leather jacket. She ran down the stairs and out the door. "I'll be back by 7, bye!" Serenity shouted as she jumped on the back of the harley and accpeted the helmet that Pyro handed her. Mark watched as the bike sped away. When they returned that night for dinner, Serenity handed Melinda a large loaf of french bread. "Thanks, you're just in time. You and Pyro need to go change, you know how I feel about leather and spaghetti straps at the table," Melinda said. Serenity nodded and headed back to the living room. David and Chrissy were staring at Pyro in awe. "C'mon, we have to change for dinner," Serenity said, grabbing Pyro's hand and pulling him up the stairs. Pyro followed Serenity into her bedroom and watched as she exchanged the spaghetti strap for a regular teeshirt and her jeans for a denim skirt. "You have to change or Melinda won't be happy about letting you eat here," Serenity warned him. "Have you forgotten your place?" Pyro asked. Serenity lowered her eyes to the floor. "That's better. I'll lose the jacket," Pyro said. Serenity reached for a second helping of chicken and salad when Pyro reached out and stopped her. "Don't you think you've gained enough weight? When we were on the bike earlier, it felt off balance," Pyro asked, giving Serenity a look, daring her to disobey. Serenity resisted the urge to stick out her tongue and just took some more salad. "Low fat dressing if you please," Pyro said softly. "I don't know where you think you are, or who you are, but in this house, if someone wants seconds, they are allowed seconds," Mark said cooly. He turned to Serenity. "If you want more chicken, go ahead and have more, you look fine," Mark said. Serenity smiled and took the second chicken breast. When dinner was over, Pyro grabbed Serenity by the arm and pulled her to the garage. "I think you need a lesson in who's the boss," he growled, unbuckling his belt. "Pyro, it's time for you to go," Mark said from the doorway, his arms folded over his chest, the phone in his hand. "And who's gonna make me?" Pyro asked, unafraid of Mark. "The police. I have a feeling your parole officer would not be happy to hear from you," Mark said, pressing the 9 on the phone. Pyro rolled his eyes, gave Serenity a light smack on her bottom and left. End flashback The Path to Love Ch. 05-06 CHAPTER FIVE -2 weeks later- Serenity couldn't believe what she heard when she walked into the restaurant after school for her shift. Melinda had passed out while helping with prep that morning and had been taken to the hospital. Serenity wanted to leave and go to the hospital, or at least call her father to find out if Melinda was okay, but two of the wait staff had already called in sick and she couldn't leave. Today of all days, they were swamped. Serenity was anxious and nervous, but despite this, she was spot on and had her biggest day in tips ever. Serenity smiled to herself as she helped close up the restaurant. After the money had been put away and while Serenity waited for the kitchen staff to finish cleaning the kitchen, she grabbed the phone and called her father's cell phone. "How's Mel?" Serenity asked when Mark answered the phone. "She's fine Serenity. We'll talk more when you get home," Mark assured his daughter. Satisfied with his answer, at least for that moment, Serenity hung up the phone and looked up as Gavin the chef walked into the dining room. "Have a good night," Gavin said after he locked up and escorted Serenity to her car. Serenity drove home as fast as she could, barely putting the car in stop before she climbed out and raced into the house. Fourteen year old David was the first person Serenity saw, which surprised her, it was nearly eleven thirty and he was hardly ever up past eleven. "What are you doing up?" Serenity asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "Finishing up a paper my history teacher assigned," David grumbled. "I probably will fail it, but at least it's done," he added. Serenity looked at David in surprise; he was a good student, and hardly ever failed at anything, except for sports. "What is your paper on?" she asked. "The Cuban Missile Crisis. We can only have three sources, and they have to be approved by the teacher, and he'll only allow certain sources and the ones he allows, doesn't give very much information," David answered. They looked up as Mark walked into the kitchen. "I'll be up in a minute David, why don't you show me your paper and I'll see if I can help you with it," Serenity offered. David nodded, grabbed a glass of milk and ran up to his room. "How's Melinda?" Serenity asked. Mark smiled. "She's fine Serenity, really," Mark assured his daughter. "Then what happened? Gavin told me she passed out while helping with prep this morning," Serenity said. Mark nodded. "She did. Mel hasn't been sleeping well lately and she's had that nagging stomach flu," Mark began. Serenity nodded. "Apparently, Mel never had the stomach flu; but between being sick and not sleeping well, Mel became very exhausted," Mark said. "So if Mel doesn't have the flu, what's wrong with her?" Serenity demanded. Mark grinned. "She's pregnant," Mark answered. Serenity's eyes widened and Mark grinned again. "I know, I was as shocked as you are. Mel's been instructed to get some rest; she needs to spend a week in bed, unless she's eating or going to the bathroom, but she can't go to work. I know winter break is coming up, and I know you were going to go back to your mom and Jake for your vacation, but could you stick around and cover at the restaurant?" Mark asked. "No problem," Serenity agreed. She grabbed a bottle of orange juice and ran up the stairs to help David before going to bed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "How's Melinda feeling?" Gavin asked two weeks later as he and Serenity closed up the restaurant again. "Better. Her morning sickness has eased and her doctor is going to let her come back to work a few hours a day, as long as someone is here to keep an eye on her," Serenity answered. A knock at the front door had them both looking up. "Who is that?" Gavin wanted to know. Serenity sighed. "That's Pyro, he's, well, I guess you could call him my boyfriend," Serenity answered. "He looks dangerous," Gavin commented. Serenity nodded. "He can be," she agreed. Pyro banged on the door again. "We'll go out the back," Gavin said, helping Serenity with the last of the closing procedures. Serenity was weeding Melinda's garden when she heard the familiar sounds of Pyro's motorcycle coming to a stop. "Why didn't you let me into the restaurant last night?" Pyro demanded to know, standing in front of Serenity. "We were closed," Serenity answered. "You should have let me in," Pyro told her. Serenity stood up from the weeds and stepped out of the garden. "Heaven was closed and even if we were open, I'm not allowed to have visitors while I'm working," Serenity answered. "I'm not a visitor," Pyro reminded her, his voice low and full of anger. "Shove off Pyro, I'm not yours anymore," Serenity retorted. "What do you mean you're not mine anymore? I own you Serenity. You were supposed to be home a week ago. What are you still doing here?" Pyro wanted to know. "I'm sticking around to help out," Serenity answered. Pyro grabbed Serenity by the arm. "I'm giving you ten minutes to pack and then I'm taking you home," Pyro told her. "I don't want to go anywhere with you. We're done Pyro," Serenity retorted, trying to pull away. "We're done when I say we're done and not until, do you got it?" Pyro snapped "I'm not a slave Pyro and you aren't the person I thought you were! I'm done being dominated by you, now get the fuck out of here and leave me alone!" Serenity shouted. Mark stepped out of the house, phone in his hand. For the moment, he chose to stay out of sight; Serenity was handling herself fine. "How dare you talk to me like you're an equal. You women are all the same. Wanting equal rights and shit. All you're good for is spreading your legs and having children," Pryo growled. Serenity pulled her arm free and backed up as the police pulled up in front of the house. "Well well well, if it isn't Carl "Pryo" Jones. The state police have been looking for you for months," one of the police officers said, pulling his gun. "Back away from the girl," he added. Pyro looked at Serenity and was surprised by her lack of fear. "You lose Pyro. Have fun in jail," Serenity smirked. Defeated, Pryo stepped back away from Serenity and held his hands out to be cuffed. Serenity walked to where Mark stood who put his arm around her shoulder. "Are you okay?" Mark asked. Serenity nodded as Gavin walked over to them. "What are you doing here?" Serenity asked in surprise. "There's a food critic in the restaurant. He wants to speak with the owner!" Gavin said, the look on his face half way between excited and terrified. "I'll go get Mel," Serenity volunteered before running into the house. Gavin looked at Mark nervously. "Is there anything else?" Mark asked, recognizing the look of infatuation on Gavin's face. He used to look at Ashira the way Gavin was looking at Serenity. "I was wondering if I could take Serenity out some time. Maybe to dinner and or a movie," Gavin rambled. Mark resisted the urge to laugh at the look of terror on Gavin's face. "I know I'm older than Serenity, but ..." Mark couldn't keep from laughing any longer and Gavin stopped talking. "If Serenity agrees to go out with you, then it's fine. Just don't do anything she does not want to do, clear?" Mark said. Gavin nodded as Serenity and Melinda walked out of the house. "Which critic?" Melinda asked. Gavin answered and Melinda's eyes widened. "Let's get the hell out of here and talk with her," Melinda said, practically leaping to the car. Gavin and Serenity exchanged looks of confusion as Mark headed to the car. Before climbing in, he turned back to Serenity. "Stay home and watch the kids for me, will you?" Mark asked. Serenity nodded and watched as her father and step mother drove away. CHAPTER SIX Mark opened the door and smiled when he saw Jake, Ashira and the kids on the front porch. "Serenity, your mom's here," Mark called. Serenity walked to the front door and gave her mother a reluctant hug. It was the first time she had seen her mother or step father since they had sent her to live with Mark and Melinda. "Ren!" Allyson exclaimed, pushing past her parents, Dylan not far behind. Serenity gave her brother and sister a tight hug before looking for her youngest sister Sara. The ten year age difference between Serenity and Sara had been a strain in their relationship until this point. "I don't bite silly," Serenity told Sara, sticking out her tongue. "I have your birthday present inside," she added. Sara finally smiled and took a step forward and allowed Serenity to give her a hug. "She looks happier," Ashira observed before she saw Meliinda walk down the stairs. "Hey!" Ashira said, giving her friend a hug. "You okay?" Ashira asked, seeing her friend wince. Mark heard the question and was by Melinda's side in an instant. "I'm fine, but I think it's time," she murmured. Mark's eyes lit up and he glanced back at Ashira who was smiling. "Go, go, have that beautiful baby you're carrying, we'll keep things under control here," Ashira said. Melinda nodded and was almost to the door when Serenity came back into the hall. "What's going on out here?" she wanted to know before she zeroed in on Melinda, holding on to Mark with one hand and the door frame with the other. "The baby?" Serenity asked. Ashira nodded. "Sorry for ruining your birthday," Melinda managed. Serenity shook her head and before she could answer, Mark had the door open and was pulling Melinda out the door. Jake started to close the door when Gavin walked up to the door. "Mom, dad, this is Gavin. He works with me at Heaven ... we've been seeing each other the last few months," Serenity introduced. Ashira smiled politely as she watched her daughter greet her boyfriend. Jake coughed and Allyson giggled. "Let's go have some fun," Allyson said, giving her sister an out. At fifteen, Allyson was beginning to show an interest in boys and Dylan rolled his eyes as they followed Serenity and Gavin to the back yard. "You just want to check out his butt," Dylan announced tactlessly. Allyson blushed and Serenity cracked up. "Dylan, stop picking on your sister," Jake said from behind them, exchanging an amused look with Ashira. "So what's up with your parents? I thought Mark is your dad," Gavin asked quietly. "Biologically, he is. It's a long story, but lets just leave it at the fact that when mom got pregnant, he wasn't ready to be a father," Serenity said. "Mom and Jake worked together at a tanning salon in Chicago; when their boss opened a second salon out in San Diego, and they got really close, and fell in love and Jake legally adopted me; in fact, Mark was never even listed as my father on my birth certificate," Serenity added. They looked up as Ashira walked up to them. "What's up mom?" Serenity asked. "Just checking in; you and Gavin are looking pretty cozy," Ashira answered. "I'm seventeen now mom, you don't have to keep checking on me," Serenity couldn't help but snap at her mother. While they had had a really good relationship when she was younger, the minute Serenity showed an interest in Pyro, Ashira had cracked down; trying to keep her daughter from making a horrible mistake. Ashira sighed. "I didn't say you needed checking up on, but I'm still your mother, and you've been whispering away here for hours," Ashira said, trying to keep her temper in check. She had hoped that the year she had spent with Mark and Melinda would have improved Serenity's attitude, but her fears were being realised when ever she spoke a word to her daughter. Ashira was finishing up the last of the dishes when Mark walked back into the house. "So, what'd she have?" Ashira asked, setting a plate of leftovers on the breakfast nook. "Another boy," Mark answered with a grin. "Joshua Michael," he added. Ashira smiled and gave her former fiancee a hug. "I'm happy for you," Ashira said. "What'd Serenity do?" Mark asked, as Ashira's smile faded. Ashira shook her head. "What makes you think that she did anything?" Ashira wanted to know. "I haven't seen your eyes look that sad since Chicago," Mark answered, taking the mug of coffee from Ashira. Ashira sighed. "I just want to know what I did that made her hate me so much. You and Mel have told me everything she has done here; that she has been such a big help, and I'm glad she hasn't given you too many problems," Ashira sighed and took a sip of her water. "She doesn't hate you, she loves you. You got tough on her when she needed it, and since she's a teenager, she got defensive. When you moved her here to live with us, you took Pyro out of the equation. It wasn't as easy as we made it out ..." flashback: "Where will you be going and who will you be going with?" Mark asked as he looked through the financials for the restaurant. "I'll be going to the pier with some kids from school. There's going to be a big party at Maddie's house," Serenity answered. Mark looked up. "Maddy Lopez?" Mark asked. Serenity nodded. "You can't go," Mark told her. "Why not? Don't you want me to have any friends?" Serenity whined. "Of course I want you to have friends, but Maddy Lopez is eighteen and a senior in high school; she's already been arrested three times for prostitution and she's at least seven months pregnant. She's a bad influence. You are not to hang around Maddy Lopez or any of her friends," Mark answered. Serenity pouted for a minute. "You're just as bad as mom!" she shouted before running up the stairs and into her room. "What ended up happening?" Ashira wanted to know, her eyes narrowing. "She tried to sneak out. But, going on what you and Jake had told me about her behavior, I was waiting in the driveway on a lounge chair and Melinda was waiting in the back yard which is the direction her bedroom window faces. "We told her if she tried to sneak out again, for any reason, we'd ship her butt off to military school and leave her there until she turned eighteen," Mark answered with a grin. Ashira shook her head. "Well, I guess I feel better knowing she didn't just disobey me and Jake then," Ashira joked. Mark laughed. "She tried a few more minor things, but she got involved with the school band again, and she's been a huge help to Mel at Heaven," Mark told Ashira. Ashira smiled. "We have a beautiful daughter Ashira, and she is so smart. Ashira smiled again. "I know," she murmured. Jake walked into the kitchen, a grim look on his face. "Jake, what's wrong?" Ashira asked. "Joe Johnson escaped from prison," Jake answered as Serenity walked into the kitchen. "Who's Joe Johnson?" Serenity asked. Before anyone could answer, Ashira's eyes rolled back and she went down; her head hitting the edge of the counter. Mark managed to get one arm around Ashira's waist and the other around her shoulders and eased her to the ground. The Path to Love Ch. 07 "Mom are you okay?" Serenity asked after Ashira's eyes fluttered open. Serenity helped her mother sit up and Mark offered her a glass of water. "Sip slowly," Mark advised. Jake sat on the floor next to Ashira, his hand in hers, concern and anger written all over his face. "Mom?" Serenity asked again. She couldn't remember ever seeing her mother looking as pale and afraid as she did at that moment. "I'm okay. What happened?" Ashira asked after a moment. "You fainted. Who's Joe Johnson?" Serenity wanted to know. Ashira, Mark and Jake exchanged glances. "He's the one responsible for all the pain and terror your mother has lived with over the last decade," Mark answered, evading the question as best he could for now. Ashira's eyes widened. "Sunny! Someone has to call Sunny!" she gasped. Mark nodded and pressed a kiss to the top of Ashira's head. "I'll call Sunny, but I'm sure she'll be fine," Mark murmured, glancing at Jake. He saw his feelings and anger mirrored on Jake's face. "Dad, who's Joe Johnson?" Serenity asked as Jake took the now empty glass into the kitchen. Jake sighed. He had been hoping he would never need to have this conversation. "Let me get your mother to the guest room and then I'll come back and Mark and I will tell you everything," Jake said, letting out a ragged breath. When Jake returned from taking Ashira to the guest room, Mark was pouring two glasses of scotch. "I figured we could use some liquid courage," Mark said, handing a glass to Jake who took it with a grateful smile. Mark and Jake sat down on couch across from Serenity who was looking at them, a look of worry on her face. Mark and Jake took turns telling Serenity about what had happened all those years ago. "So he raped mom in the tanning salon back in Chicago and followed you guys out here and kidnapped her?" Serenity asked. The look on her face was one of shock. "Yes," Mark answered. "Then how do you know he isn't my father?" Serenity asked, feeling sick to her stomach. Jake smiled. "Your mom had an amniocentisis done and it confirmed that Mark is your biological father, not Johnson," Jake said. "You're sure?" Serenity asked. Mark nodded. "We're very sure. Haven't you noticed how much you look like Chrissy?" Mark murmured. Serenity nodded and gave a sigh of relief. "So what do we do now?" Serenity wanted to know. "I haven't figured that out yet," Mark admitted. "We call the police here and in San Diego and let them know about Joe's break out and what he's done in the past. They will probably send someone out to patrol past the houses," Jake said. Mark nodded, walked into the kitchen and picked up the phone. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I can't believe this," Serenity grumbled under her breath. Gavin had called in sick so she had to close up alone and they'd been so busy that she hadn't been able to call her family to let them know so Jake or Mark could meet her at the restaurant. Serenity looked out over the bar at her one remaining customer. He had come in half an hour before closing and was still eating, taking his dear sweet time; savoring the food. The cook who had covered for Gavin had to leave as soon as the restaurant was scheduled to close so that his wife could get to work. "Sir, I don't mean to rush you, but we closed ten minutes ago and I have a curfew," Serenity said, walking over to him with his bill. He took the bill from her and looked it over as Serenity finished putting up the chairs onto the tables. Serenity turned around to take the bill from him when something hit her on the head, hard. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Where is she?" Ashira growled, pacing the living room. "I'm sure she just got caught up with a last minute customer. It happens from time to time," Melinda said, also pacing, only she was pacing to quiet the new baby. "He's awfully fussy tonight," Jake observed. "I know," Melinda grumbled. She gazed down at her new son as David came down the stairs. "David, can you take Wyatt for me please? Your father isn't back yet and I just can't get him to settle down," Melinda murmured. David nodded and took his brother and walked carefully upstairs. Everyone looked up when Mark ran into the house. "Did you talk to Gavin?" Melinda asked. "Yeah, he's in the hospital with a severe bout of bronchitis. Serenity closed alone," Mark answered. "Shira, Mel, you stay here while Mark and I check out Heaven," Jake said, grabbing his jacket and following Mark out of the house without waiting for protests. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Where, where am I?" Serenity asked, wincing as she pulled herself into a sitting position. "You're with me, at my new home," Joe replied calmly. "I want to go home," Serenity demanded. Joe chuckled. "You are home," Joe said with a cheeky grin. "I want to go back to my mother!" Serenity screamed. Joe just laughed. "Nobody will hear you scream so go right ahead," he taunted. The Path to Love Ch. 08 "Where is she?" Ashira asked when Jake and Mark returned to the house nearly two hours later. She was severely angry and frightened; Neither Jake nor Mark had called her to let her know what was going on. Jake sighed and pushed Ashira onto the couch. "We think Joe has her," Jake began gently. "What!?" Ashira exclaimed. "According to Rico, there was still one customer when he left and he couldn't stay because his wife works midnights at the hospital. We found the bill and there was a message on it," Mark said. "What did the message say?" Melinda wanted to know. "Like it or not, she's my daughter now," Mark answered. He watched Ashira's face go from milk white to ashen to red, her eyes flashing. "The police are on it," Jake said, unsure of what else to say. "Why wouldn't she call and let us know she would be alone?" Melinda asked, giving her friend a worried look. "According to Rico, they were non stop busy from five to eleven when Serenity was to close," Mark answered. "We have to find her," Ashira said, her voice sounded funny, even to her own ears. "We will," Jake soothed. "Don't let him hurt her," Ashira pleaded. Jake and Mark looked at each other, both unsure of what to do. -2 weeks later- Serenity looked around the dark room, tears staining her face. "Somebody help me!" she screamed. "Please!" "Will you shut up in there? I'm getting tired of listening to you scream!" Joe shouted from the other room. "Just let me go home! I'll tell them you didn't hurt me! I won't tell them where you are. Please, I just want to go back to my brothers and sisters," Serenity sobbed. "Shut up!" Joe snapped again, turning back to his newspaper. He grinned when he saw the missing person's notice on the front page. He knew Mark and Ashira had both done well for themselves, but he never expected this. They were offering a hundred thousand dollar reward for the capture of Joe and the rescue of their daughter. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Any word?" Gavin asked, walking into the house. "No, nothing," Ashira answered, her eyes red and tired. "Maybe you should try to get some rest," Mark suggested. Ashira shook her head. "I'm fine Mark, thank you," Ashira said softly. Mark shook his head, but he knew that Ashira was going to be stubborn and knew better than to fight with her over it. Jake had returned with the kids to San Diego so that they could go to back to school. They didn't have to worry about their paychecks thanks to Lindsey selling them the tanning salon two years prior. Jake and Ashira had expanded the salon and opened a sister salon in La Jolla and they had done well enough to buy a mini mansion. "Mrs. Barnes, please don't be offended when I say this, but you look like shit and you won't do Serenity any good if you don't get some rest," Gavin said, his voice gentle but firm. Mark surpressed a grin as Ashira sighed. "He's right Shira. Mark and I are here. If the police find anything, we'll let you know," Melinda said from the doorway. Her sudden appearance in the room made Ashira jump and she dropped the coffee mug she was holding. Ashira started to apologize but stopped when she saw the gentle smile on Mark's face. "I'll help you upstairs," Mark said, gently taking Ashira's hand and pulling her towards the stairs. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Serenity's eyes snapped open as she heard a door open and close. She held her breath as she heard an engine turn over and nearly wept with joy when the car drove away. Serenity knew that it meant Joe had left the house to pick up supplies and that she would be free to wander the small house. Serenity used the small bathroom before she began a futile attempt at opening the front door. The house was boarded up so she couldn't break out a window, but it didn't stop her from trying. By the time Joe returned, Serenity's hands were raw, her fists full of slivers from banging on the walls and windows. "You shouldn't have done that," Joe said, shaking his head. He removed the slivers and bandaged Serenity's hands. "I want to go HOME!" Serenity yelled. Joe growled; he had had enough. "Shut up you little bitch!" he shouted, back handing Serenity across the face. Serenity fell to the ground, crying as she gingerly touched the already forming bruise on her jaw line. Serenity glared at him and almost didn't catch the fast food sandwich he tossed her way. Joe set a bottle of water down on the floor. "Eat and drink then go back to your room," Joe said, his voice low, his anger back under control. When Serenity returned to her cramped room, she dug out the pencil she had squirled away and made a mark on the floor under the worn rug. By her count, she had been there for one hundred and eighty three days. "Six months!" she gasped. Serenity looked up as she heard a strange noise outside and Joe burst into her room. "Come with me," he growled. Serenity followed him reluctantly as he pulled her towards the back of the house. "If you scream, I'll kill you," Joe said, pointing a gun in the small of Serenity's back. Serenity strugged against his grip, trying to make as much noise as possible. Serenity recognized the area they were in, now that she wasn't blind folded; it was a popular camping spot and judging by the amount of time she had been missing, Serenity knew it was time for the back to school camp out. She could hear her class mates having a good time. As they passed covertly behind the senior class, Serenity noticed Tiffany turn around and notice Serenity. Serenity held a finger up to her lips then mouthed, "Call 911." Tiffany nodded, and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. Someone screamed as a gunshot rang out. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Shira!" Mark shouted from the living room. Ashira thundered down the stairs. "They found her," Mark said. "She's on her way to the hospital now," he added. Melinda smiled from the rocking chair where she was feeding Wyatt as she watched her husband and friend race to the car. Ashira sat anxiously in a chair while she waited for the doctor to come and talk about Serenity's condition and Mark called Jake to let him know that Serenity had been found. Mark returned to the waiting room in time to see the doctor turn away from Ashira. "How is she?" Mark asked. Serenity looked up with a small smile. "She's dehydrated and malnourished, but she'll be okay," Ashira said. She filled him in on what the doctor had told her. "So he didn't rape her." Mark gave a sigh of relief. "I know, I was worried. They want to keep here for a few days, but we can take her home Friday," Ashira added. Mark grinned. Things were finally looking up. The Path to Love Ch. 09 I am having a hard time figuring what else I can do with Mark and Melinda but I have a few ideas of what to do for Serenity, but don't worry, Mark, Ashira, Jake ... all of them will appear in Serenity's story. CHAPTER NINE Serenity looked up at the knock and smiled when she saw Gavin standing in the doorway. "Did he hurt you?"Gavin asked as he came and sat on the edge of the bed. "A little, but not too badly," Serenity answered. Gavin reached for her hand and Serenity squeezed his hand gently. "He hit me a few times, but that's it," Serenity assured him, seeing the uncertain look on Gavin's face. Gavin couldn't help it; he smiled. He'd prefer if Joe hadn't touched or even looked at Serenity at all, but he'd take hitting her over raping her any day of the week. "Does my mom know you're up here?" David asked from the doorway making Gavin jump. Serenity giggled. "She told me to come on up," Gavin said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. Serenity almost laughed at the protective look on David's face. "David, the last person in the world I have to worry about trying anything is Gavin," Serenity told her younger brother. David grinned. "Yeah, well, everyone knows girls can't take care of themselves against us men," David said, such a serious look on his face that Serenity had a hard time telling if he was joking or not. She grabbed a rubber band off of her night stand and flicked it at David, hitting him on the bridge of his nose. "How's that for protecting myself?" Serenity asked with a grin as David scowled and rubbed the red spot on his nose before leaving the room. "Will you be okay with everyone alone?" Melinda asked Serenity as she helped her step-mother pack. Serenity smiled. "Mel, I'll be fine. Mom and dad are only about an hour away and Gavin's only a few blocks away. Besides, Mark's taking you on a tour of Europe; how often does that happen?" Serenity said. It had been seven months since Serenity got away from Joe and she had quickly resumed her life. "I don't want Gavin here while we're gone," Mark said from the doorway. "C'mon Mark! I'm eighteen now! Why can't I have Gavin here?" Serenity whined. "Because you're eighteen, and very beautiful," Mark answered. Melinda chuckled. "Gavin would never take advantage of me," Serenity defended her boyfriend. "I'm not saying he would. He's a very nice young man. However, if you are anything like your mother ... she can be pretty irresistible," Mark said with a glance of apology to Melinda. Melinda grinned. "I'm fine with the fact that you and Ashira were sexually involved and even engaged before we were together," Melinda said laughing. "Don't you trust me?" Serenity asked, pouting a little. Mark sighed and couldn't believe his own ears when he told Serenity it was okay with him if Gavin came over while they were gone. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Oh Mark, this is beautiful!" Melinda said, her eyes wide with awe as they stood at the top of the Eiffel tower looking over Paris. Mark smiled and gazed at his wife. "You're beautiful," Mark murmured, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Melinda smiled and allowed Mark to pull her to him. They watched the sun set before taking the elevator down to the ground level. "This is so amazing," Melinda said, looking around, still unable to believe that she was actually touring Europe. They'd been gone for two weeks and had spent the first week in Spain and Portugal. "I wanted to do something special for you," Mark told Melinda. Melinda smiled. "This is really special," she agreed, a mischievous smile on her face. Mark smiled back. "Let's go back to the hotel," Melinda murmured, wrapping her arms around Mark and nibbling on his neck. Mark and Melinda kissed furiously in the elevator as they waited impatiently for it to reach their floor. When it finally stopped at their floor, they startled an elderly couple who chastised them for their improper behavior. Melinda resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at the old woman as Mark opened the door and pushed her gently inside. As the door clicked closed, Melinda pulled her clothing off quickly, tearing the hem of her skirt. "A little eager?" Mark asked with a grin. "Shut up and kiss me!" Melinda demanded. Mark grinned and happily obliged. Mark quickly shed his clothing and thrust inside Melinda hard and fast making her moan happily. "I love you," Mark moaned. "I love you too," Melinda gasped. -Meanwhile- "What do you mean you're going out?" David asked, his eyes wide. Serenity rolled her eyes. "I'm just going out to get some Chinese food. You can handle Chrissy and Wyatt for a half hour," Serenity said. "No, I can't. Chrissy has been such a brat lately and all Wyatt does is cry," David protested. Serenity sighed. "Gavin is going to be here in ten minutes, you'll be fine until then. You want Beef with snow peas right?" Serenity asked. David nodded as Chrissy walked into the living room. "Sere, can I have fried chicken?" she asked. Serenity resisted the urge to shake her younger sister; ever since Wyatt had been born, Chrissy had been acting like a child much younger than her nine years. "Sure Chris, fried chicken it is," Serenity agreed, grabbing her purse and keys and hurrying from the house, dialing Gavin's number as she backed out of the driveway. "Gav, I'm heading out for Chinese food, what do you want me to bring back for you?" Serenity asked. She listened and smiled. "Okay, I'll see you in thirty back at the house. I love you too," she said before hanging up. When Serenity returned to the house, Gavin was directing David and Chrissy to set the table while he changed Wyatt's diaper. Serenity watched Gavin with a smile; she loved how good her boyfriend was with her youngest brother; she thought it was sweet. Gavin smiled when he looked up and saw Serenity standing there, watching. "I'm going to wash my hands, and I'll be right there," Gavin said softly, dropping Wyatt into Serenity's arms. Mark and Melinda cuddled in the gondola and Melinda sighed contently. "Having a good time?" Mark asked. Melinda nodded. "It's so beautiful here," Melinda murmured. Mark nodded. "I almost hate to leave," he agreed. "Where to next?" Melinda wanted to know as the gondola ride came to an end. "We leave for Italy tomorrow," Mark answered. "Then we'll be going to Ireland for a few days before returning state side," he added. Melinda smiled. "I don't really want to go home,"she admitted. Mark laughed. "The kids," he reminded her as they walked into a restaurant. Melinda sighed. "Oh yeah, the kids," she joked. Mark laughed again as they were showed to a table. They didn't speak of the children again for the entire evening. Mark opened the door a crack to see the hotel manager staring at him. "Is everything all right in here sir? We've had people call the desk and talk about hearing screams," the manager asked. Mark flushed a little. "Everything is fine sir, I apologize, we'll try to keep it down. We're on our second honeymoon," Mark answered. The manager gave a knowing smile and bowed as he walked away. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Gavin, stop, we can't!" Serenity gasped, pushing at his chest. "What's wrong?" Gavin asked, his breathing heavy. Serenity looked around. "We're in the living room, David or Chrissy could walk in," Serenity said, her breathing returning to normal. Gavin kissed Serenity gently. "Serenity, if you aren't ready, it's okay," Gavin murmured. "It isn't that I don't want to, I, I'm just scared," Serenity said softly. "I've never had sex with anyone before Gavin," she admitted. Gavin smiled. "Neither have I," Gavin told her. Serenity looked at him in surprise. "I know, you would think that someone who's twenty years old wouldn't be a virgin, but I am," Gavin said with a small smile. "I have an idea. Let's pop some popcorn and go up and watch a movie in your room," Gavin suggested. "Anything else that happens, happens, but if you aren't ready, then that's fine too," he added. Serenity smiled and kissed him before going into the kitchen to make the popcorn while Gavin picked out a movie to watch. "What movie?" Serenity asked as she settled down on her bed. Gavin held up a case and Serenity grinned. "I love this movie," she murmured as he popped the disc in. "I know," Gavin said as Armageddon started. Melinda and Mark lay in each others arms, Mark's hand stroking Melinda's back. "I wonder what the kids are doing," she murmured after a moment. Mark looked at the clock on the dresser. "Hopefully sleeping ... alone," Mark muttered, remembering he had given Serenity permission to let Gavin come over. He reached for the phone. "If you pick up that phone Mark, I swear to God that you'll be sleeping on the floor for the rest of this trip," Melinda threatened. Mark returned his hand to stroking her back and smiled when she sighed contently. Gavin unbuttoned Serenity's shirt and slid it down her arms before kissing her gently, his fingers playing with a nipple causing her to gasp and moan. Gavin reached behind her and fumbled with Serenity's bra before he managed to unhook it. Serenity ripped it off and tossed it behind her before ripping Gavin's shirt open, sending buttons flying. "Hey," he protested lightly as he quickly shed his pants, watching with lust filled eyes as Serenity eased her shorts down her legs and kicked them off. "Oh hell," Gavin muttered when he realized Serenity wasn't wearing panties. He looked at Serenity. "Are you sure?" he asked gently, sliding his hand between her legs. Gavin closed his eyes as he discovered just how wet Serenity was. Serenity didn't answer; she pulled Gavin up over her and positioned him at her entrance and pushed her hips up into his. Gavin swore under his breath and pushed quickly inside her. Serenity gasped, her eyes wide as pain took her. Gavin kissed her to try to keep her from alerting David to what they were doing and he held himself still. "Are you okay?" Gavin asked, his voice hoarse. "Make love to me," Serenity pleaded. Gavin began thrusting hesitantly, picking up pace and speed as Serenity met him thrust for thrust. Before either of them knew what was happening, Gavin's orgasm hit him like a ton of bricks and he shot his seed deep inside her; they came together, lips covering up the cries of pleasure. At the same time Mark told Melinda were beginning another session of love making, Gavin was pulling gently out of Serenity. "Are you okay?" Gavin asked gently. Serenity nodded. "I'm a little sore. But I'm better than okay," Serenity said with a small smile. Gavin smiled back and pressed a tender kiss to her lips. Gavin laid down and pulled Serenity down with him. "I love you," he whispered as they drifted off to sleep.