Chapter 4
The next blinking thought Sakura had found herself in Shaoran's arms once more. He pulled her down, shielding her with his body as he took out his gun and started to fire back together with Yukito. Her hands flew to her ears, trying to shut everything out.
"Get her out of here!" Came Yukito's firm, serious voice. The gun fight wasn't lightening up. Yukito saw Touya being dragged to a white van followed by some men and the woman that bumped into him. It seemed that they were waiting for this to happen as others started to break their cover and come after Yukito, Shaoran and especially Sakura.
Without another word, Shaoran grabbed Sakura's shoulders and got her up, getting her as safe and as fast as he could to the car. Sakura's eyes fell on Yukito.
He seemed to notice as he quickly said over his shoulder, "I'll be ok. Get going."
Shaoran got to the driver's seat and immediately stepped on the accelerator. It seemed that they were expecting that too as pretty soon Shaoran noticed two black SUVs tailing them.
"Shit." Shaoran said as he noticed men reaching out of their windows and aiming guns at them. "Get down!" He said as he reached over his side and pulled Sakura down.
As soon as he got Sakura down, the glass behind them shattered and the sound of bullets rang loud and clear. Shaoran ducked as much as he could while maneuvering the car to get them safe enough. Checking the rear view mirror, he could see that they weren't going to light up any time soon. He cursed again before taking out his gun. He needed to return fire. He needed to buy as much time as he could to be able to get them away safely.
"Sakura," He said. The frightened girl looked up at him. He couldn't believe he was going to do this but if he didn't, they were both not going to make it. "Listen to me carefully, ok?" He saw her nod and ducked as he swerved the car violently and a few bullets came their way.
"I need to shoot back but I need your help. Do you know how to drive?" He said as calmly as he could.
Sakura's eyes flew wide open. She could get the plan he was telling her at wave length. She nodded. What choice did she have?
"Alright. Carefully now, get up from where you are and we will trade places. I need you to drive while I shoot. Got it?" Shaoran explained watching her from the corner of his eye. He could tell that she wasn't liking the idea but as he saw her starting to follow his instructions, he knew that she was going to go through with it.
"Take the wheel first." He said as she obliged. It took most of her strength to keep from shaking. Shaoran needed her to be strong. He needed her to do her part so that they would have at least a fighting chance to get out of there.
Shaoran started to return fire. Sakura wanted to cover her ears but she knew it wasn't an option. With one big effort, they were able to exchange seats. She checked the rear view mirror. It seemed that they were only lightening up to replenish their guns with bullets.
Somehow she knew that they wouldn't be able to survive long if things continued along the path that they were. She glanced at Shaoran beside her who was also changing his magazine. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that they were going along a railroad path. From the distance, she could see a train coming. She knew that it wouldn't be long before they would be crossing paths with them.
After making a quick glance back, Sakura made a split second decision. She laid a hand on Shaoran's shoulder, immediately catching his attention. She then pointed to the train.
"What? It's a train, so?" Shaoran replied.
Before Sakura could even contemplate on how to answer, the men from behind them started shooting again. Sakura struggled with her seat belt. As soon as she heard the click, it was like music to her ears. She motioned Shaoran to follow him but he was too engrossed with the crossfire that he failed to notice. She knew that it was the only chance they had. There was no other option rather than to out run the train and hope that their pursuers won't be able to make it. She needed to train as a distraction. It might just give them enough time to get away.
If her brother or Touya knew that she was going to drive the way she was going to, both would have regretted the decision of teaching her how to drive. She could almost smirk at the thought but it wasn't the time to think about something as menial as that.
She stepped on the accelerator more as they sped to get as much lead as they could. "What the hell are you doing?" Came Shaoran's voice.
Her gaze met his for a second, hoping to capture his full attention. She then glanced at the train before keeping an eye on the road. She was hoping that the traffic was going to be another advantage while also praying like she had never prayed before that they would survive the ordeal.
Shaoran followed her gaze. He scrambled for his seatbelt. "Floor it." He told her. She nodded and did as she was told. Soon they were driving along the side of the train.
The train honked. Just a little more. Sakura told herself. Her courage was faltering a bit. She could feel the fear spread throughout her body. She was so focused on the road ahead that she failed to notice Shaoran looking at her. He wasn't sure what was going through her head. He looked back and there was a bigger lead now than earlier. They were still firing at them. He knew that Sakura was right. If they manage of outrun the train, they would be safer. They could get away and rethink what they would be doing next.
As she looked beside her, it seemed that the train was going too fast. Her mind was telling her that there was no way that they would be able to out drive that. But as much as her mind was telling her that it was a bad idea, her foot would not let up on the accelerator.
Her hand unconsciously held on the shift. She felt a hand hold it tight. "Keep going." His words ran clear. "You can get us out of here. You can do this. Just keep on going, Sakura."
She glanced at him. His face was stern as he met her gaze. It was full of confidence. She glanced back. She made a sharp turn as the train was about to hit.
XxXxXx
"Yet again, you have provided us with very useful information." Yu Fa Lei said as he over saw Touya being transferred.
"Of course. Isn't that why you asked me? For information?" Another man with blond hair and blue eyes answered.
Yu Fa Lei only smirked. Pretty soon, all cards will be in place and there will be no escape. He will have every single chess piece in place, trapped and secured. He was indeed going to have fun.
XxXxXx
When enough distance was set, Sakura pulled over at the side of the road. She closed her eyes and started to take deep breaths to calm herself. She couldn't believe that she just missed the train by mere centimeters.
"You ok?"
She wasn't entirely sure how to answer that. Define ok. She told herself. She looked at Shaoran and pointed at him. "You did good." He said. But it didn't seem to lessen her feeling of near death yet again.
Shaoran smirked and tried to lighten up the mood. "Who taught you to drive like that? Yukito? Or your brother?" Sakura turned to him and glared at him a little bit. He smirked again and replied, "I'm never letting you drive again. Come on. I'll drive. Let's get out of here." He removed his seat belt and opened the door. Sakura was all too happy to be doing the same. She wasn't in the mood to continue driving. She was too shaken up to do so.
As Shaoran took over the wheel, they weren't exactly going to any specific destination. It was getting late and they were both pretty tired. He could tell that it was taking much of her strength to even keep awake. He eventually spotted a motel. They could rent a room for the night before they headed back.
With everything in check and Shaoran was pretty sure that they weren't followed, they settled in. "You take the bed. I can just take the floor." He told her. Sakura was too tired to argue.
XxXxXx
"Wei?" A young boy said sleepily as he rubbed his eyes off sleep. With his teddy bear in hand, he walked through the dark halls looking for his caretaker. He had woken up in the middle of the night. His parents were out for the evening leaving him with the butler.
A kind old man approached him and knelt to his level. "What's the matter, Master Xiao Lang?" His gentle voice said.
"Where's Mama and Papa?" He said.
The old man smiled at him and replied, "They still hadn't come home, young one. I'll tell you what," He then took the young boy up in his arms and headed to the kitchen. "Why don't I make you some hot chocolate with marshmallows while we try and wait for them?" He knew that telling the child to sleep once more was going to be hard based on experience.
The child looked up out of the sleepy haze with excitement in his eyes. "Really? I can have hot chocolate with marshmallows?"
The butler let out a light laugh and set the child down in one of the stools and said as he started preparing the drink, "Of course, young one. Since you've been extra good lately, I'll even throw in a few more marshmallows than usual."
"Thank you, Wei!" He replied rather excitedly.
Hours passed. Eventually the young Shaoran fell back asleep, waiting for his parents to arrive. Wei had brought him back to bed, knowing that he would be more comfortable there. The next morning, Shaoran woke up as Wei helped him get ready for school.
"I don't want to go to school. What if Mama and Papa arrive and I'm not here?" He stubbornly said, pleadingly to his caretaker who only smiled gently at him.
"Your Mama and Papa wouldn't be happy if you missed a day of school. Now let's finish getting ready before I bring you, ok?"
With eyebrows knitted slightly, he eventually resigned to accepting what was being told. He knew that Wei was right. If he didn't go to school, he would have a very long scolding from his father, not to mention his mother. He figured that he could just wait for the day to be over so that he could ask them if could be able to start with his martial arts training again. His grades were up and as with what his father had told him before, he could only start training again if he pulled up his grades.
The day went about really slow but he told himself that he would try to have a perfect score in his math test that day so that his parents wouldn't say anything against his training any more.
He had always loved math. He'd been good at it. But when he started training, he had been so engrossed with it that he had let his grades slip. As a consequence, his father banned him from training until he got his grades back up. His mother had explained to him that he had to learn how to manage his time well. She had told him that his father wasn't doing that to punish him but to teach him the value of time management. He still didn't understand it fully but he had done everything he could so that he could start training once more.
When Wei picked him up that afternoon, he was all too happy to show his caretaker that he had perfected his math exam and couldn't wait until he got home and showed his parents. What greeted him though was something that he never expected…something he would never forget…
XxXxXx
Shaoran woke up with a start, gripping hard on an arm. When his senses returned to him, he realized that it was Sakura's arm that he was gripping. He immediately let go and brought a hand to run through his unruly hair. It was that dream again…it was his past coming back at him.
Are you alright? Came Sakura's question. He looked at her. She seemed self-conscious and looked down in her hands. You were tossing a lot in your sleep. It seemed that you were having a nightmare. She told him.
Pushing her inquiries aside, Shaoran proceeded to asking her, "Did I wake you up? Sorry. You can go back to sleep."
She looked at him for awhile, squinting at the sudden hardness in his tone. It helps to talk. She told him.
He smirked a little and replied, "You're the one to tell me that. I heard you scream to warn your brother only a couple of hours ago but still you refuse to talk…refuse to use your voice."
The reality hit Sakura hard as she squinted again, trying to hide the pain from the man in front of her. She hid her head lower and whispered, "I'm sorry."
The softness of her voice was almost inaudible but it was enough for Shaoran's head to snap at her direction, body rigid. "What did you say?"
She quickly shook her head to pass it off as nothing. "Sakura." He said holding her arms making her look at him.
She met his piercing gaze, the gaze that was trying to figure her out. She simply shook her head and fought his grasp. I'm sorry. I guess I better get back to sleep. Good night. She quickly scrambled to her feet and got to bed again, turning her back towards him. She knew that she had stepped a boundary there and was mentally cursing herself for doing so. Now, she believed that she had made the only man she could trust now with her life angry at her. She shut her eyes and tried to sleep.
Shaoran cursed under his breath. He didn't mean to snap at her. Judging from her reaction, he knew that he had hurt her. His pride hindered him from apologizing or stopping her from turning back against him. He got up from bed and decided to wash his face. After splashing some cold water at his face, he looked at himself at the mirror. Sakura hadn't really done anything bad against him. it only made him want to hit himself more. He was being a jerk and he knew it.
He headed back into the room where she lay rigid on bed. He let out a sigh and said nothing. He wasn't going to disturb her now. If he was going to talk to her, he would do it at day break. He had glanced on the clock and it registered 1:15 am. Somehow he knew that it was going to be a long night.
He knew that he wasn't imagining things when he heard her voice. It was soft and very delicate. He knew that she had said it even if she greatly denied it. He glanced on the girl again. Yeah. It was definitely going to be a long night. He wasn't sure how he would be handling things now.
XxXxXx
"Oka-san, can I go play at the tree house? 'Tou-san said that I can replant some of the roses at the plant box he and 'nii-chan made." Sakura said after she had practiced the piano.
Her mother smiled and nodded. "Be careful, Sakura." She warned as she watched her daughter run outside.
As a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist, Nadeshiko leaned back and said, "I wish you hadn't told her she could replant those roses at her tree house."
Her husband's gentle laugh resounded at her ear before kissing her cheek, "Don't worry, love. Sakura will be fine. She's carefree, yes, but very careful."
Nadeshiko let out a sigh and turned to face her husband in his arms. "Perhaps you are right. She did inherit that side of you." She then let out a laugh. "She isn't as clumsy as me." Fujitaka soon joined her laughter and kissed her forehead.
"Now, what would you like for dinner? It's my turn to cook, it seems." Fujitaka said.
Nadeshiko smiled and replied, "Hmm, anything sounds good. I think there is still some red snapper in the freezer."
"Red snapper it is." Fujitaka said as he put on the apron and started preparing their dinner while Nadeshiko sat in front of the piano and started playing.
From the tree house, Sakura looked out the small window and smiled. She could hear her mother's beautiful music. It was enough to make her smile. She could also see her father busy making dinner. She loved her father's home cooked meals. It was enough to warm her heart.
As she played and replanted, Sakura didn't notice time fly. It didn't seem long. But suddenly she heard a sudden bang. It seemed like a gun shot but she wasn't sure. She quickly made her way towards the window and looked down. Her eyes flew wide open when she saw her father bloodied over the kitchen floor. Nadeshiko then came running from the living room and was shot too.
Sakura wanted to scream but held a hand over her mouth when she saw her mother look at her direction and motioned her to be quiet. All she could do was nod as she saw her mother die slowly. Sakura ducked before she was spotted but from where she crouched, she saw the faces of the men who entered their home and killed her parents.
As quickly as they arrived, they left. Sakura was too scared to leave the safety of her tree house. Tears started falling down her eyes.
"Otou-san! Oka-san!" She screamed her last scream.
XxXxXx
"Otou-san! Oka-san!" Came her scream as she shot up from bed, cold sweat all over her body. As she shot up from bed, she felt herself smack right into someone hard. Her ears were ringing but soon calmed down and realized that Shaoran was there.
After a while, Sakura sat there taking deep calming breaths as Shaoran watched her. "You were having a nightmare, it seems."
Sakura bit her lower lip and closed her eyes really hard. Shaoran kept looking at her but it seemed she was back to not speaking. He had already proven that she could talk if she wanted to. It was getting frustrating that she till chose to not talk. But a part of him somehow understood why she kept on choosing to hide her voice. It seemed that she had gone through so much trauma that it was better to not talk. He probably would act the same. He inwardly smirked. He was doing the same. He never voiced out any of his past to anyone. Sakura was exactly doing the same.
He decided that it was better if he left her alone. He wasn't the sort of man who could reassure somebody especially if she was his charge. They had a strict professional relationship. If he started reassuring her more, it would be deemed unethical.
He was about to get up but suddenly felt her hand grab his. He looked at her. She didn't look up at him. He was about to ask why when he felt a tear fall on his hand. It was all the confirmation he needed to know that she was crying.
"I'm s-sorry…" Came her soft voice.
Did he hear wrong again? He wasn't sure of anything. Sakura then looked up at him and said, "I'm sorry. I-you were right…I shouldn't…I'm sorry…"
Sakura looked away. "Sakura, look at me." Came his commanding voice. She would not look at him. She couldn't. She didn't want to be so vulnerable. She felt that if she did look at him, she might not be able to hold her walls up.
"Sakura," He said in a much gentle voice. "Look at me." When she still wouldn't look at him, he let out a sigh. With the use of his free hand, he lifted her chin and made her face him.
"Open your eyes."
Shaoran thought that she wouldn't. But after awhile, she eventually did. He smirked and said, "What are you apologizing for? For earlier?" She simply nodded. "Don't. It was my fault. I shouldn't have snapped out at you. For that, I am sorry."
She only nodded and looked down again. She let his hand go and intertwined her hands. She then heard him comment, "You have a very beautiful voice." She could feel her face grow warm. "It's nice to finally hear it."
Shaoran wasn't sure why he said that. He was shocked himself that those words actually came from him. "So, you want to talk about something? It seemed that your dream really bothered you."
Sakura looked up at him. He didn't seem irritated or anything. He truly looked like he was interested. "I'm…I haven't talked…in such a long time…I…am having trouble…actually talking…" She said.
"Take your time. I guess that happens after years of not talking. And if you are having trouble, might as well practice again until you get the hang of it."
She looked at him. He was there. He was willing to listen. He encouraged her to talk. She could remember countless times when Touya, Yukito and Tomoyo tried to encourage her to talk again like he was doing. She wasn't sure why she would choose now and with someone she had just met. But deep down she felt that she could trust him and he would be frank. It wasn't like she didn't trust her brother, Yukito or Tomoyo but they had always told her that it was going to be alright. What she wanted to hear from them was the truth. Shaoran seemed more inclined to tell her the truth than flat out reassure her fears.
"How…how do you…do it?" She asked.
"Do what?"
She looked up at him before she responded, "Erase the things…the bad…things…you see at work…from your mind…so that you could…sleep?"
Shaoran could understand what she was having trouble asking him. With the things she had just went through, the things she'd seen, he could understand that they were now hunting her dreams. He took a deep breath and looked at the girl who was now hugging her knees. "We don't, Sakura. I mean, I could never erase what I've seen. It is something that I just have to live with for the rest of my life. It is part of the job I chose. It is a little bit different if it is simply because of your job or if you have lived through something really traumatic."
All she could do was nod. He somehow felt that she wasn't really satisfied with his answer, neither was he actually. "I have gone through something similar to you. I know what you are going through. I've been told that you have gone through some things in the past that had made you stop talking. You lived through that and with the recent things that had been happening to you, you will be able to live through that too."
Her gaze met his. "You are stronger than you think, Sakura."
"I'm not strong, Shaoran."
"Yes, you are. Earlier this evening, you told Yukito that you are going to continue with your concert even if you know that by doing so, it will give them time to actually get you. After that, even if you haven't talked in a long time, upon seeing your brother about to get hurt, you screamed your loudest to warn him. Then, while being rained upon by bullets, you were able to get up and switch places with me and drive. Plus, you raced with a train and drove us to safety. I'm telling you. You are stronger than what you think."
Sakura closed her eyes. "I witnessed my parents' murder." Her voice grew softer and filled with emotion. That was something that Shaoran didn't expect.
Shit. Why is she telling me this? What is happening? His mind screamed. He tried to keep his reaction hidden. She told him everything about that day…her dream…her memory…
"My brother was the one who found the bodies…when he got home. He called the police and looked for me every where. I could hear him call but I couldn't…I wouldn't talk…eventually he found me at the tree house. 'nii-chan pulled me in a hug and was angry because I scared him…I wouldn't answer. I never spoke after that day. 'nii-chan…Yukito-san…Tomoyo-chan…they all know what happened that day…but I couldn't speak again."
After awhile, Shaoran asked, "Why now?"
Sakura looked up at him. "I told you and Eriol that I would tell you everything, right? My statement…they were all true but I left some things out."
Shaoran's eyes widened. He held her arms and said, "What are you talking about?"
"I-I couldn't…I didn't…say some things…because it might get some people killed…aside from me."
"Again, what are you talking about? What happened, Sakura?" He said, his grip was getting to be a little stronger. He noticed and immediately retreated. "I'm sorry."
Sakura rubbed her arms. "Shaoran," He looked back at her. "Don't trust anyone. Right now…you are the only one I will trust…please…don't trust anybody else…"
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying…the enemy is closer than you think. I do not know who he is but I do know how he looks like. He seems important."
He contemplated on what she was saying. When he looked at her again, that was when he saw and felt her fear. "Listen, I'm going to protect you. I'm not going to let anything happen, alright?" She nodded.
"Since I still couldn't get a hold on Yukito or Eriol, I'm not sure if I can bring you back. I'm taking you somewhere safe, where no one can find you aside for myself. You can stay there until your concert. You still want to go through with it, right?"
She nodded. "Please use me…use me to get to them. Please put them away. I don't think Tomoyo and I are the only ones who have been put through something like this because of them."
"We will end this, Sakura."
XxXxXx
"Where are we?" Sakura asked as they pulled up a large house.
"This is my house. Come on." Shaoran said as he got out of the car and headed to the front door. Sakura was taken aback that he would bring her there. She followed him. It was such a big house. It was a little hard to imagine that he would be living there much less have him as the owner. Exactly how much did a detective earn?
The door was opened and an elderly man greeted them. "Good morning, Master Shaoran. It seems that you have a guest with you."
"Good morning, Wei. This is Kinomoto Sakura. She's going to stay here for awhile." He said.
"Good morning, Sir." Sakura said, she felt a little bit awkward with the sudden turn of events.
He smiled at her. It was the first time his young master had brought home a woman. To bring home on of the country's top musicians at that, it was something else. Yet he saw nothing romantic going on between them…yet. "Please, call me Wei. Breakfast will be in a while. Perhaps you would like to freshen up?"
Sakura was about to refuse politely when Shaoran spoke for her, "Please show her to the guest bedroom and give her some clothes to wear." She turned to him only to have him nod at her and urged her to follow Wei as he disappeared to his bedroom. Sakura didn't have a choice to but follow.
Wei led her to the guest bedroom and said, "This will be your room for your stay here. Make yourself at home, my dear."
"Thank you, Wei-san." Sakura replied with a small smile while rubbing her arms. This was a little too much.
The old man looked at her quite fondly. "The bathroom is over there. You can freshen up. I will leave a set of clean clothes for you to wear on the bed." She only smiled again.
After awhile, she emerged from the room and walked over to the kitchen where Wei was preparing them breakfast. "Thank you, Wei-san…especially for the clothes."
He smiled over at her as she sat at the stool by the counter. "You know, you are the first woman he has ever brought home with him." This brought a blush on Sakura's cheeks.
She brushed it aside and said, "Can I help you with...anything?"
"Goodness child." He replied with a series of soft laughs. "You are a guest of Master Shaoran. It's ok."
"Please…it's simply Sakura." She smiled back.
"Alright, Sakura-chan it is." The old man smiled as he was preparing some batter, which Sakura could tell were for pancakes. "So, Sakura-chan, are you ready for your concert tomorrow?"
That was right…her concert was tomorrow! "I've practiced as much as I could…I have to be honest though…I'm a little scared…"
Wei took it as pre-concert jitters but from where Shaoran stood as he heard what she said, he knew better. It was indeed a very daunting task knowing that she could lose her life in the next twenty four hours.
"My dear, fear is one of man's most primitive instinct and in the end, it is what makes you survive. You will do good, Sakura-chan. I've heard your music before…though not live…I can tell that a person who puts so much heart into her music will do just fine." He said as he placed a plate of pancakes with fresh raspberries and blueberries in front of her.
Shaoran grinned beyond the corner. He could always count on Wei to help make someone fell better. He then decided to go and join them.
"Ah Master Shaoran," Wei said looking up. Sakura turned from where she was seated and greeted him with a smile. She held a breath for a while. It was the first time she actually saw Shaoran wear something quite less formal. He wore a simple blue jean and a white shirt, rolled up to his sleeve with the top two buttons undone. So that was what Yukito had told her about after he and Eriol had left that first night she had met them.
"Wei's right you know." Shaoran said as he took a seat next to Sakura. She looked at him questioningly. "You're going to do fine. Besides, you won't be alone."
Sakura smiled in understanding. "Thanks."
"Sorry if the clothes don't fit that well…those are the smallest things I own." Shaoran said.
She blushed a little bit as she was about to take a bit of raspberry. "No, it's ok. Thank you. You've done so much…thank you."
"You'll be safe here." She said nothing, not really knowing how to respond to that. Wei watched the exchange between the two with much amusement. He was definite that there was something different with Shaoran.
Silence fell between them for awhile as they were eating the pancakes Wei prepared for them. It took awhile before Shaoran noticed what Sakura was doing.
"What are you doing?" He asked.
"What?" She looked up at him, quite surprised. As far as she knew she wasn't doing anything aside from eating breakfast like he was.
He motioned to the chocolate syrup she mixed in with her pancakes and fresh fruits. She laughed. "Don't tell me you've never had pancakes and fruits with chocolate before aside from honey or butter or whatever?" She said.
He looked at her somewhat incredulously. She got her knife and cut a piece of pancake with a bit of blueberry and raspberry and put a generous amount of chocolate in her fork and offered it to him. "Go on. Taste it." She said.
Shaoran said nothing and continued to look at what she was offering him. She kept offering it until he relented and got the fork and took the bite. "Well?" She asked.
"It's good." He said, without much emotion. He was surprised that it did taste good. He never ate pancakes and fruit like that before. The sound of her gentle, carefree laugh filled the air. He couldn't help but look at her.
Sakura looked up at Wei and smiled. "Thanks for the chocolate, Wei-san." She said.
The elderly man looked at her fondly with a smile. He then said, "Honestly, even I haven't had chocolate with pancakes or fruits before."
"My father would prepare something like this every once in a while when my brother and I were growing up. After he died…'nii-chan or Yukito-san would make it…it brings back fun memories." Sakura replied.
Shaoran glanced at her slightly. He noted her sad expression even if she hid it quite quickly. It was only a split second but he definitely saw it. In a way, she was just like a child in terms of innocence but she was hardly a child.
After breakfast, Shaoran led her to his study. He opened the sliding door to the garden outside to let the morning breeze come in. Sakura stood next to him. That was when he noticed that she had her hair down as it was blown by the wind. "This place helps me forget about stress for awhile. You are free to come here. Make yourself at home. Wei will help you if you need anything. Don't hesitate to ask."
"This is already…too much…Shaoran…I appreciate everything…thank you." She said.
"If you want to practice, my violin is there. It hasn't been used in years though." Her gaze followed to where he pointed. She saw that he took the liberty to place it on the table, ready for her. She walked over to it and held it in her hands. It was still in good shape even after years of not being used.
"This violin…is so much like you…" Came Sakura's voice, which made Shaoran look at her. As she scrutinized the violin, she felt his gaze on her. She smiled and turned to him. She struck the strings and adjusted them to be in tune. She took the bow and played a short song.
"Very much like you…" She said before placing the bow down and presenting the violin to Shaoran. "Its sound is strong and vibrant, with much confidence and tremor. Similar and yet…very different from mine."
"How can you tell?" He couldn't resist asking.
She smiled at him and replied, "Every violin is different. It has a unique personality, much like its owners. To create music, there is a bond that is created…because…as you play…it becomes a part of you…not just an instrument…it becomes something like your arm…your soul…your heart…that is why I know."
"And who are you flirting with my Shaoran?" Came a female voice from the doorway. Her tone was enough to tell Sakura that she may be in rough waters. It was enough to tell her that she wasn't welcome. She and Shaoran turned to look at who had spoken as Shaoran inwardly groaned.
A beautiful woman with long black hair walked into the room. Her gaze did not break Sakura's. Sakura felt a chill run down her spine. She wondered what she did wrong.
"Meiling?" Shaoran questioned beside Sakura.
That was when she broke her gaze from Sakura and jumped to wrap her arms around Shaoran, who took a step back, with what seemed like surprise and disgust in his face. "Shaoran! I've missed you!" she said.
Shaoran grabbed her arms and tried to untangle himself from her grasp. "What are you doing here?" His tone was calm and sort of cold. It shocked Sakura that she spoke in that tone at all.
The girl pouted and crossed her arms in front of her. "Is that how you treat your fiancée?"
Sakura suppressed a gasp. Fiancee? Well with his good looks and mysterious demeanor, she shouldn't be surprised that he was engaged at all. Shaoran let out a hard sigh and turned to Sakura. "This is Li Meiling, my cousin." He said. Cousin? Now, Sakura was all confused. His fiancée was his cousin?
"And who's this, Shaoran? Why is she here?" Meiling asked.
He turned to her. His gaze turned somewhat cold. "That is none of your business, Meiling. Who I let inside my house is not your business."
"I am your fiancée." She said.
"Bull shit."
Sakura cleared her throat, catching the attention of both people in front of her. Her breath hitched at the sudden attention. Her voice started to falter a little bit, "I-I'm sorry. I-I'm Kinomoto Sakura…pleasure meeting you. Um…I think I should…leave you two alone. Please excuse me." She gave a small bow and headed outside. She didn't want to meddle into personal, family affairs.
"What is the matter with you?" Shaoran asked bluntly.
"What? I'm only doing my part as your fiancée." Meiling replied. She tried acting sweetly but it seemed to make Shaoran's expression darker.
He took a step forward and said in a low, calm voice, "You are not going to mistreat her in any way. It's my job to protect her. I'll be damned if I fail just because of your fucking meddling. I might just forget you are my cousin."
Meiling crossed her arms in front of her. "How come your 'job'," her eyes turned to a mocking gaze, "How come you're all worked up? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're becoming personal with your charge."
Shaoran clenched his teeth together to stop himself from losing control. His features hardened, "I'm warning you, Meiling," his voice cold, "Don't get yourself involved in some thing you don't fucking know. Don't expect me to save you from the shit you might get yourself in to."
"I can take care of myself, Xiao Lang. You forget…I'm a Li too. As long as she keeps her hands to herself, I won't have a reason to go after her."
"You're simply impossible." Shaoran said under his breath. "Go home, Meiling, and get a life, not mine." He told her as he walked out of the room, leaving Meiling.
XxXxXx
Sakura tried to walk out of there with as much dignity as she could. She tried not to make noise as to draw any more attention to herself than what was happening. Once she had closed the door behind her, she let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding.
As she walked away from the room, she felt her phone vibrate. Not many people knew she had a phone. She quickly got it, thinking that it could be Yukito or even by some twist of fate, her brother, telling her that everyone was safe at the moment. But when she opened the message, her eyes widened and her features paled.
"Isn't it a lovely sight? He's pleased to see you too. If you grant us a private concert tomorrow, we would love it very much. Tell your boy friend he should play nice or he might receive some proper conduct lectures privately. See you soon, sweet blossom. I am, for one, dying to see you." A picture of Touya was attached. He seemed unconscious. He was bound, slumping over a chair. His face showed bruises. There was slight blood staining his clothes.
For a moment, Sakura just stared. Her brain was having a hard time processing the information as real.
"Sakura-chan? Are you alright?" Wei's concerned voice came, snapping her out if her thoughts.
Sakura shut her phone and forced a smile. "Yes, Wei-san. Thank you for your concern. I was just surprised at…how…beautiful the area has been prepared." She suddenly said as an excuse. He was a terrible liar. Watching the older man's expression, she was nervous that he wasn't buying it.
"Are you sure? You look pale, my dear."
"Y-yes." Her voice cracked. "It seems I must have done something wrong though." She added as her voice turned sullen. "I might have offended Meiling and how…I think she and Shaoran are fighting. That's why I left the room…I don't like it when people hate me…"
She then returned her gaze to his, "Is there something I can help you with? Something you need to do?" She turned away shyly and blushed. "I-I want to help…it seems I'm a burden…I don't want to be a burden."
Wei smiled at the young woman in front of him. "Why don't you come with me to the gardens, my dear? I'm about to tend to the flowers."
Sakura looked up and nodded, following him to the gardens while quickly hiding her phone. She stopped before stepping out. The view from Shaoran's study was beautiful but the view from where she stood was simply breath taking. She hadn't noticed how much flowers have actually bloomed there. She felt herself smile. She looked over at Wei and walked towards him.
"It's a very, very beautiful garden." She commented. From the corner of her eye, she saw a pot of different herbs. She walked over and smelled the freshness of the herbs. "You grow your own herbs too? It's really quite lovely." When she smelled the rosemary, it brought back memories from her childhood of family dinners. Her father loved to use rosemary in his cooking. He said, aside from the taste, the smell was simply heartwarming.
XxXxXx
Once Shaoran left the room, he was compelled to look for Sakura. He wanted to apologize of how his cousin had treated her. He wondered where she could be. He saw the terrace doors that led to the gardens open. He couldn't help but venture there. As the soft, white curtains were blown by the wind, it carried with it the delicate voice of the one he was looking for.
He stood by the entrance. He saw her admiring the flowers and herbs closely. The sincerity of her smile and the glint in her eyes were something he had never seen of her. It held much innocence and warmth that led him to wonder more how much pain she really held back.
"Master Shaoran has a very difficult work. This garden, I maintain it to help him calm his mind when he is at home." Wei explained. Sakura straightened out and looked back.
"You really take good care of him. Shaoran is lucky."
Wei smiled. "I think of him as my own son. I've watched him grow up. As to why I know that you didn't do anything wrong, my child." From where he stood, Shaoran tensed a little bit, What are they talking about? "I doubt you did some thing to offend the Young Master. As for Meiling, well she is always like that with women who come close to Master Shaoran who isn't related by blood. But she is a very sweet child. As for you, young one, please do not think of yourself as a burden. I cannot speak for Master Shaoran, but I believe he will tell you the same thing."
Somehow, his words made her feel relieved. She smiled. If only he knew the real story behind everything. If only she could tell him all the things that made up her nightmares. If only she had the courage to open everything up to Shaoran…she knew that she had to soon. It was getting to be heavy but she told herself that she could bear the weight for a bit longer.
From hearing what Wei had said, Shaoran saw it fit to come out from where he was standing. "Hey Sakura," He said. He noticed her freeze a little bit when he called her. She still smiled at him though.
Wei excused himself, leaving the two to talk. Shaoran never took his eyes off her. Once they were completely alone, he said, "Listen, I'm sorry for what happened earlier."
"It's ok. I mean, it's a personal thing and it's not my business. You don't need to apologize."
"Yes. But still how she dealt with the situation wasn't called for. I'm sorry for that."
"I understand." She smiled up at him and turned to look at the flowers beside her. She let her hand touch the delicate petals. "Like I said, no need to apologize. I mean…I definitely understand why she is possessive of you. I would be too if I had a fiancé like you." She turned back at him and gave him a gentle smile.
After a brief moment of silence, Shaoran replied, "She's not my fiancé." He saw the sudden confusion in her eyes. He wasn't even sure what prompted him to correct her comprehension. "She's my cousin…just my cousin. It's a Chinese tradition to be arranged to be married but it's not real…especially to me."
She looked at him. It was obvious that he wasn't comfortable explaining such things so she decided to say, "Ok. I still don't understand but please don't find the need to explain. To make you feel better, I'm just going to say it again. It's ok. It's none of my business."
After a moment of silence passed them, Shaoran said, "I'm going to head out." Sakura was about to say something and prepare to come with him when he said, "You're staying here." He could tell the protest in her eyes. "You are safer here. No one knows that you are here. Wei will watch over you. I will be back right away."
Sakura contemplated his words. She knew that it was better not to argue this time. She knew that he was right. If she came with him to where he was going, it might jeopardize everything and it might get more people killed. "Alright," She said, taking a step forward towards him. "I'll stay. Here. Let me give you my cell phone number. Not many people know it or even are aware that I have one. I'm not so comfortable you going out on your own without Yukito-san or Eriol. I presume you haven't had luck contacting them judging from your expression."
Shaoran looked at her and smirked. "Since when did you have a phone?"
"Does it matter? Aside from you, the only people who know about it are Tomoyo, Yukito-san, my great-grandfather, my aunt and my brother."
"Then why tell me now?"
"I told you already."
"I'm taking you couldn't get a hold of Yukito too." She simply smiled, a sad smile. "Anyway, stay inside the house. Like I said, you'll be safe here. Just don't mind Meiling."
"Meiling is far from my problems. I think you understand that by now." He said nothing. "Can I borrow your violin?" He nodded and left her.
XxXxXx
His fingers were busy typing fast on the keyboard. Loud music was blaring in the background. He was working on his 'latest' hit…his latest 'game'. He was one of the country's talented computer programmers, responsible for more than half of the latest security, fail-safe software, aside from being Shaoran's close friend.
"Hey," He somehow heard Shaoran say as he was tapped on his shoulder.
"Hey," He answered back. "What brings you here?"
Shaoran sat next to him. His face didn't betray anything. "Kinomoto Sakura." That was all that he said at the moment. He looked at his friend to check for any signs of recognition. He didn't want to divulge any information that would jeopardize her safety unless he knew for a fact that it was safe.
"The famous musician? What about her?" His friend asked, not looking up from the computer monitor. When Shaoran didn't answer right away, he looked up and smirked. "Don't tell me you finally took my advice and got yourself a girl friend?"
Shaoran's expression hardly changed. "She's in danger. I need your help." He said.
No words were spoken for a moment then came a female voice calling, "Takashi, are you home? I got those-oh hi Shaoran. I didn't know you were here."
"Hey Chiharu," Shaoran replied.
"What's up? It's been awhile since you came around." Chiharu commented as she placed a stack of magazines next to her boy friend.
Yamazaki smirked as he leaned back on his chair and turned to face the stoic man. He then said, "What's up is I think Shaoran here has finally listened to my advice and got himself a girl friend."
Shaoran said nothing as Chiharu's eyes widen fractionally. "What? No way! It's about time!" She said.
"She's not my girl friend. But listen, I do need your help." Shaoran answered as coolly as possible as he met Chiharu's gaze. "Could you do me a favor and buy some clothes? Her built is much like you. Here, use my credit card."
Chiharu eyed Shaoran for awhile as she took the credit card. "My built huh? Can I at least ask who the girl is so that probably I can thank her for bringing the generous side of you."
"She's not my girl friend. She's my charge. Her name is Kinomoto Sakura."
With that, he received a shocked Chiharu looking back at him. He inwardly groaned. "No, shit? The Kinomoto Sakura?" She said. Shaoran only gave her a curt nod. Chiharu grinned and looked back at Shaoran with a glint of teasing in her eyes. The look only reminded Shaoran how her and Yamazaki's relationship seemed to last.
"If she's only your charge, how come you are giving me your credit card to go shopping for clothes that are obviously for her?"
Shaoran let out a sigh as he leaned back. "Obviously she has nothing to wear coz that is what clothes are for. Besides, I don't need to justify anything when it comes to my work. Will you do me the favor or would you rather try and tease me? I can always get someone else to do it."
"Sheesh...ok ok. I'm going. No need to bite my head off. But you know if I didn't know any better I'd say this is more than a job." Chiharu said as she turned to leave.
Yamazaki, who had kept quiet for a while, smirked. He then said, "She's right, you know. You're actually buying clothes for her. That's big especially for someone like you."
Shaoran chose not to glorify him with an answer. Honestly, he didn't know what the big deal was. They were just clothes. He couldn't let Sakura go through the next few days without any clean clothes. He doubted that she was comfortable in his clothes. His clothes...seeing her in his clothes seeme like the most natural thing in the world. He wondered if he would allow other people to wear his clothes. Whenever Meiling came over for a visit, not once did he lend her his clothes. His silent reverie was broken when Yamazaki started addressing him.
"So what do you need me to do? Hire a priest?" Yamazaki said.
Shaoran smirked. He then took out a flash drive and handed it to Yamazaki. "There are surveillance videos here. There are a lot of footage. I need your help in narrowing them down. Also, I need your help in analyzing them."
"Don't tell me that the government is under paying your department as you can't have it analyzed in your lab?" Yamazaki said as he took the flash drive and hooked it to his computer.
Shaoran smirked again and replied, "What can I say? The bastards that run the lab right now are only going to whine instead of getting the word done right away. They are more incompetent than they seem to project the public." He couldn't tell Yamazaki that he couldn't trust the people at work. For one, they didn't know that the copy existed from what he knew, not to mention that he had a feeling that he couldn't trust them. Sakura's words had rang clear in his head, don't trust anyone. It got him thinking that she was referring to work. The question now was why.
"Gee, that statement of yours is really making me trust the justice system of the country." Sarcasm covered every word Yamazaki uttered in reply. "It's going to take awhile. I hope you told you're girl friend that you'll be late coz you'll be here awhile."
Shaoran said nothing. He took out his laptop and opened Sakura's case file. He wanted to go through everything again. She had told him that in her statement, she had left a few things hanging. Something felt off and now his gut was telling him that it was more factual than he would care to admit. It seemed that the one responsible is a very powerful, influential person if he made her afraid to talk.
He then opened Mizuhara Akito's file. Some answers must be there. Sakura and Tomoyo's case wouldn't have started if it weren't for that man. If anything, Shaoran knew that it was wise to review Mizuhara's case now. Maybe just maybe there were things there that would start pulling things together.
Mizuhara Akito. 45 years, served as a Tomoeda Metropolitan Police for 24 years, he sent in his resignation the year before because of unknown reasons…until recently. He had contacted Shaoran secretly. He had watched the young man ever since he had entered the force. He knew that Shaoran had honor and was trustworthy. He knew that Shaoran and his new partner Eriol were working on cases that were related to the Blood Triad.
He left the force because he saw something one day that he shouldn't have. He was on night patrol. He was driving along the streets checking to see if all was right, ready for anything. It was supposed to be like any other night, any other shift…boring. But something caught his eye.
He slowed down. At first, nothing. It was all dark. The only light that illuminated the area was the light coming from the streetlamps. There was this eerie feeling in the air that made the skin crawl. He turned off his car and waited to see if he would be able to catch any movements again.
After what seemed like forever, Mizuhara thought that he was hallucinating and that his lack of caffeine was affecting his system. He was ready to reprimand himself when he saw movement at the corner of his eye and this time when he turned to look, he saw men moving! He could feel his eyes widen, more awake than ever as he strained to see what was going on.
Finally giving up, he took out his flashlight and started to make his way towards the other men. He didn't have a partner that night. His partner was at the hospital, recovering from a sickness. He knew that if he called it in and waited for back up, he would miss what was happening so decided to go by himself and check it, apprehend when he needed to.
Mizuhara made his way towards the docks and hid himself, careful in not making a sound. As he watched the things in front of him unfold, he finally figured that the men he saw were transferring crates of guns, drugs and humans. He was too stunned to think about what he could do. In all his years in the force, never had he witnessed something like that. He watched as what seemed to be advanced weaponry were smuggled into Japanese soil. He saw drugs that were worth millions, even billions of yen being shipped to shore, prepared in different trucks that seemed to be delivered in different areas.
But what made his stomach churn was the fact that in those big delivering holders were live people, mostly women and children, scared out of their minds being forced out and placed in different vans. He was witnessing human trafficking. Those who fought were mercilessly gunned down in front of everybody. Those men didn't even flinch.
The image of the men burned in his mind. The man with reddish brown hair who had a scar to his left eye. The man who had a distinctive snake tattoo on his neck. The man who had spiky hair. All of them seemed young but they were very deadly and ruthless, they had the faces of experienced killers.
Pretty soon, a black car rolled in and out stepped a man who was fairly built. Mizuhara guessed that his age could be around late forties to early thirties. From what he could hear, he could tell that they weren't Japanese, they were Chinese to be in fact, although some of the armed men were given orders in Japanese, quickly telling Mizuhara that even Japanese nationals were involved.
Mizuhara continued to watch and listen, finally gathering the name Yu Fa Lei, Blade, Serpent and Anubis as the ones heading the operation. His blood then ran cold when he saw, then still alive, assistant to the chief of police, Yamaguchi Reizo. He was there conversing easily with the men.
Mizuhara submitted his resignation the next day, not telling anybody what he saw or heard. A year elapsed but when his family was caught in a random gang fight, killing his son instantly, and placed his wife and daughter in critical conditions only to die later, because of weapons that were similar to those he saw that night, he decided to come clean. He met up with Shaoran and told him everything. He was brought into the witness protection program, given a new identity and his location remained confidential to everyone except his protection officer, who was later found dead. Soon after that news, reports of what happened at Asturias began surfacing.
Shaoran and Eriol, as well as other officers, had raced there in an attempt to save Mizuhara, only to find him dead and ended up saving Kinomoto Sakura and Daidouji Tomoyo.
XxXxXx
"What do you want to do now? They are certainly going to expect us during the concert. I hear she still plans on going through with it." Aro asked.
Yu Fa Lei smirked and replied, "Excellent. I look forward to hearing the little cherry blossom's music. It is surely going to be a very, very memorable evening." He looked over his shoulder at Touya. He smirked at the man who was currently bound to the chair, in the same position as in the picture that was sent to Sakura.
(to be continued…)
Again, I apologize for re-writing the story but it will give way to a better and more cohesive ending and story. Thanks for reading. Please do send in a review. I really, really would like to know what you think. Thanks.
Michiko