A/N: So This ends the mini journey and I'll officially say. This Mini story is over and the only time Subtle will be updated is when I have a side story to tell or what not. Subtle will officially close its doors once 'As Time Goes By' finishes.
Story III: Challenge Special- Ch 3
Summary: A challenge from a reviewer to have a quick continuation of the characters after Nationals.
Challenge Special- Ch 6: Cherish
Fuji
Fuji couldn't do anything as he watched Ryoma fall. The shot from the bullet was still ringing in his ears, the pain that glazed Ryoma's eyes as he watched Fuji while he fell almost stopped Fuji's heart…
"RYOMA!"
Fuji's eyes snapped open as he rose from their bed sweating and fearful. It had been two days since the incident in front of their house and now he was having nightmares of Ryoma dying.
Pushing the blankets back he walked across the room to grab the water bottle he had set there earlier that night. Taking a drink he felt himself start to pray before he even realized what he was doing. Already he was praying to have Ryoma delivered safely home. Opening the door, he headed to Ryo's room to make sure he was okay since he had taken Matsuma Asuka's death pretty hard as well.
Fuji's eyes widened in fear when he realized Ryo wasn't in bed and frantically his heart jumped until he spotted the boy staring out his window like an abandoned puppy.
"Ryo…" Fuji whispered.
"Do you think… do you think he's alive?" Ryo croaked out from where he stood. Not once did he turn around but Fuji could tell he had been crying.
"I want him to be alive," Fuji said coming forward to pull Ryom into a hug. "He has to because he has us waiting for him."
"So did Jun's mother…" Ryo said shakily.
"I don't feel in my heart that he's dead." Fuji confirmed. "So we have to believe he is alive."
Ryo nodded but still, both knew the fear of not knowing was painful all the same.
xXx
Ryoma
Ryoma frowned as he took a seat on the side bench as he continued to view the people he was coaching in France.
He had been kidnapped after refusing to enter back into professional tennis or offer coaching and so Nick and Evan had devised the plan to drug him and transport with no choice at all. Thus, here he was unable to communicate with his family till training finished up within the week.
"Damn Nick… I wonder what kind of lie he told Ryo and Fuji…. Why isn't that bastard worried and looking for me?" Ryoma grumbled under his breath.
"Ryoma!"
"What?" Ryoma said with a slight growl present in his voice. He really didn't want to see his kidnapper right now but it seemed this was going to be the case.
"Oh my god, you have to watch this!" Evan said with a horrified face as he turned the TV on.
Ryoma turned to view the news with a lazy, bored look until the news cast started talking about Nick's death in Japan where he was staying with a friend.
"Nick's dead…. I just confirmed it with others and-"
Ryoma was up and running to his room.
"Where are you going?" Evan asked chasing him down.
"Home!" Ryoma intoned in a deadly tone. If Nick was dead after staying with Ryo and Fuji, how the hell were they? He had to get home and make sure his family was okay, to hell with tennis and coaching!
xXx
Elsewhere
"I don'y understand Nii-san…" Asuka said with a worried look. "Why did you take me like this? Why don't we-"
"I love you Asu!" Touya said softly running a hand through her hair. "I'm saving you from all the evil. I love you so much Asuka…so very, very much."
"Nii-san…" Asuka uttered flinching away slightly. She was scared and tied in a place she didn't know. She would of loved to see her brother again but not like this, not taken away from her family like this. She didn't even know how many days it had been in this dark place.
"Asuka… you left me but I forgive you," Touya said pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I still love you very much."
"Let me go then," Asuka begged. "It hurts to be tied and think of my family."
"I am your family," Touya reminded her.
"What about mom and dad-"
"We never liked them remember? I protected you from that old man all the time and your mother." Touya reminded her almost in a frenzied state now. He was agitated that she didn't seem to remember that but she did.
She always felt she owed it to her step-brother to hurry up and grow up and make it in the world so she wouldn't have to cower behind him all the time.
"Think of my husband…my children," Asuka begged with tears rolling down her eyes. She was scared and all she wanted was to be held by her husband.
"It's okay, we'll have kids of our own so don't worry about your old life. He's so rich he'll find someone else."
"Touya!" Asuka pleaded but he had gotten up and left the room shutting her in with the food he brought her. She knew now that he wasn't going to be reasonable… there was something mentally wrong in his head now and he needed medical help.
Asuka curled up on the small bed he left her in and tried to loosen her ropes again. She had tried earlier rubbing her wrist raw but then she thought she could reach out to her kind brother and be okay.
She hated to think of her past but it sometimes haunted her constantly. She had lived with a single mother who dated often and when she finally got married when Asuka was just starting middle school, she had thought now life would be more normal. Sadly, it was far from that since her kind step-father turned out to be a big pervert always trying to spy on her. The only good thing about was that he brought his son, Touya to protect her from him. He had been a few years older and constantly protected her from her mother's stress days and his father's nasty habits. He had been the only happiness in her life and he promised to not move out till she could come too. So they had endured together and after graduating high school, Asuka jumped into modeling. She had gotten pretty good at it and was helping her brother pay for the small apartment they share. She had thought it would be okay like this forever but then she met Jer.
Asuka jerked on her roped again and gritted her teeth against the pain. She had to get out and get help.
xXx
Matsuma Residence
Jer wanted to throw the phones across the room. Ever since the "tragedy" as everyone dubbed it, he had been receiving nothing but sympathy calls and marriage proposals. He hadn't had proper time to grieve for his wife, to prepare her funeral or even to assure his children everything would be okay.
It continued to ring and from the corner of Jer's eyes, he saw his son reach for it when coming into the room. He signaled that he would get it to his son and answered.
"Yes?" Jer said in the most patient tone he could muster.
"Matsuma-san?"
"I am," Jer acknowledged.
"This is the police."
"Is her body ready to be picked up? I'll get the arrangement and-"
"I'm afraid you won't be planning a funeral Matsuma-san. The body we thought was your wife turns out to be Atobe Ayaka who looks quite likes your wife."
"But that was our wedding ring and-" Jer started
"Turns out to be a set up… do you have any idea if your wife had any enemies?"
"Not that I know of," Jer admitted stonily.
He was relieved yet scared now. If that wasn't his wife, where was she?
xXx
Ryoma
"Oi!" Ryoma said to the cab driver as he climbed in and gave his address. "Do you have a cell phone I could use? I'll pay you double."
Ryoma thanked him as it was handed to him and he hoped his family was okay. He hadn't stopped to call at the airport when he landed since he had to bully Evan to arrange for a way back and enough money for transport since the idiots kidnapped him with nothing on him.
Ryoma tapped his finger against the door in impatience as he waited for someone to pick up.
"Echizen residence…"
"Syuusuke!" Ryoma immediately said with relief in his voice. "You're okay… how's Ryo?"
"Ryoma?"
"Of course it's me!" Ryoma snapped. "I heard all about that crazy stuff and flew my ass so fast back because I was worried about you two."
"Flew? Where have you been?"
"I'll explain when I get home, don't worry." Ryoma said relaxing more now. He had no idea how tense he had been until now.
"When you get home mister I am chaining you down, do you hear me?"
"I get it," Ryoma said with a slight smile. For some reason he felt a lot better knowing Syuusuke did care. He had sounded very serious and relieved after identifying him over the phone.
xXx
Asuka
"I have people looking for me Touya," Asuka explained as he undid her hands so she could eat.
"Don't worry," Touya said brushing a hand down her cheek. "I found someone about your height and look and she took your place."
"What do you mean by that?" Asuka asked.
Touya pointed at the front page of the newspaper and it was a report about her death, all burned to a crisp in her car.
Asuka feels sick and covered her mouth in horror. She couldn't believe Touya could do all this just for his sick fantasy of having her.
"Don't so this Touya… please just stop." Asuka pleaded.
"I won't do it ever again," Touya promised. "Now that we've gotten you out of your marriage we can live peacefully."
"I don't want this," Asuka said shaking her head. She noted how dirty the room was with miscellaneous items on the floor. She spotted a stick and crouched as if to huddle to grab it. She had to risk everything in order to get free, this was her chance. She held her savior tightly as she waited for a chance since Touya was across from her.
"I did it for you Asuka…" Touya said coming around the table to her side.
"No you didn't, you did it for yourself." Asuka said with a frown.
"You were unhappy!" Touya insisted.
"NO!"Asuka yelled as she swung with all her strength across her brother's face. As soon as he fell against the bed, Asuka jumped up, pushed the table against him and ran out the door. She didn't bother stopping to see if there was anything, she just continued to the front door in fear because all the windows were boarded up. She could hear Touya calling for her and her fingers shook more as she unlocked the padlock and pushed the door open. Looking both ways for anyone she couldn't find anyone until she saw a taxi driving by.
"Wait!" Asuka called waving to the cab as she chased after it trying to get his attention.
She took another breath to yell again but she felt a hand land over her mouth and she knew she was being dragged backwards. Asuka fought and tried to elbow her brother but he was telling her to be calm. Asuka attempted to bite at his fingers while struggling but suddenly her brother was pulled off of her and she fell to the ground. Breathing hard she saw another man swinging at her brother and she started to get up.
"Matsuma-san…" Asuka looked up and gasped. "Echizen-san…"
"Let's go," Ryoma said swinging her up bridal style to carry her off. "Who was that guy? I heard you died-"
"We need to get to the police." Asuka said frantically as she looked over her shoulder to see if her brother would chase them.
"I don't have a phone or anything." Royma admitted. "I had to get off here to walk home when I didn't have enough to pay the taxi anymore."
"Luckily that happened and you helped me or else I would've been his prisoner." Asuka said wiping her tears that somehow started away.
"Hey!" Ryoma called out to a couple across the street. "Could you please call someone for me?"
Their best bet was to get the police and their loved ones here.
XxX
Sadly, Touya was long gone by the time the police showed up to look at the area. Asuka was cuddled in her children and husband's arms while Ryoma and Fuji had their own talk a few feet away.
There was so many questions that needed to be answered, so many things that needed to be said and yet all they could all do was hold each other and be thankful that they could still be with their family.
Ryoma rubbed Ryo head softly as Fuji explained how afraid they were when he suddenly disappeared.
"I'm barely a week in school and you're all worrying me already." Ryo uttered against Ryoma's side. "Can we not have any more trouble?"
Ryoma nodded and wrapped an arm Fuji. Life was never going to get peaceful again after meeting Fuji but he wouldn't have it any other way then to be by his side. They had to cherish their moments and this was probably one event to make sure they did.
A/N: Thank you to all those who stuck through this arc with me. Leave your last thoughts in one last review and see you all here again when a side story comes to light.
