AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks to ALL for their R&R. Sorry for the long wait but here's THE LAST CHAPTER for you to enjoy. An epilogue is coming up next!
Disclaimer: Nothing in POT belongs to me. All OoC-ness, OCs, events, situations, venues and tournaments are just figments of my imagination.
WARNING: All characters are totally OOC!
"xxxxx" Conversation
'xxxxx' Thoughts - Mind
/xxxxx/ Thoughts from the Heart
xxxxxxx Flashback
BEAUTY AND HER BEAST
Previously in Chapter 9
Wakana and Ryoko looked at each other and nodded. They turned to their audience to say, "Our ex-leader, Aoki has taken her to our former headquarter."
"Headquarter?"
Ryoko said "Hai, it was the headquarter of the former Kaidoh Kaoru Fan Club."
Sumire almost shouted, "Where is it?"
Wakana gulped and replied, "It's an abandoned factory building on the other side of Tokyo near Tokyo Shrine."
Atobe snapped his fingers, "Kabaji, find her."
"Usu."
"I'm coming with you." Kaoru shook off the restraining hands and followed Kabaji out of the door hurriedly. No one else moved as their attention stayed on the 2 girls.
"Now," Atobe leaned forward with a hardened glint in his eyes, "tell us more about the kidnapper."
CHAPTER 10
15 Days Before The Wedding
Somewhere near Tokyo Shrine
Kaidoh Kaoru had never tasted such fear in his life before. A few minutes ago, he had arrived with a band of Atobe's men in a few vans. The ghostly industrial lot had empty abandoned factories and warehouses sitting in darkness and silence. They had to search every corner of each building and it was taking them a long time.
'Wait for me, my love. I'm coming for you.'
/What will I do if she…./
'Stop that! She's going to be fine.'
/The thought of a world without her is …/
'Nothing is going to happen!'
/Demo…/
'I have faith that she'll be in my arms again. Now I need to focus on finding her!'
"SIR! We've found her!" One of the men shouted from the front of the last building in the lot.
Everyone ran towards him but Kaoru arrived first. The sight that greeted his eyes nearly shattered his heart and composure. A dishevelled Ryuzaki Sakuno was lying on the floor bounded up and unconscious. He was terrified to see a small pool of blood beneath her body. Kabaji who was examining her, looked up to shout out, "She's alive! Get her to the hospital NOW!"
Kaoru couldn't remember much about the trip to the hospital. Throughout the journey, his eyes never left his beloved and neither did his hands leave hers. Kabaji and his men exchanged sad looks as they observed the normally stern-looking tennis player almost breaking down next to the pale-looking Sakuno. With tears in his eyes, Kaoru leaned closer to whisper in Sakuno's ear, "Come back to me, Sakuno. Don't leave me, onegai!"
When they finally arrived at the hospital, Kaoru had to let her go. He watched silently as Sakuno was wheeled into the emergency room with the nurses and doctors working to save her. Silently, Kabaji led him to a waiting room. Half an hour later, the waiting room was crowded with the people who knew and loved Sakuno. A very pale Ryuzaki Sumire was being comforted by Kaidoh Hozumi and Fuji Yumiko while Kaoru was accompanied by his father, Shibuki. In another corner, Atobe, Tezuka, Inui, Kikumaru, Oishi, Momoshiro, Yuuta and Syusuke were discussing about what to do with the main culprit and her cohorts. Meanwhile Yuushi went to find out what's Sakuno's condition from his fellow doctors.
Another hour passed before Yuushi entered the waiting room again. Everyone looked up with great expectancy. He gave them a weak smile and said, "She made it."
The room erupted with cries of relief and delight. A wet-eyed Kaoru was hugged left and right by his parents and teammates.
"Ano, can I see her, Yuushi-san?" Kaidoh finally asked when everyone had calmed down.
"She's still sleeping but you can see her for a few minutes, if you like."
Kaoru turned immediately to Sumire, "Why don't you go ahead, Obaasan. I'll see her after you." Sumire nodded through her tears of relief and was immediately escorted to Sakuno's room.
As soon as Sumire had exited Sakuno's room, Kaoru entered and made his way to her bedside. He gazed at her ashy face and swallowed the tears threatened to burst out. Looking down at her slim hands resting on her stomach, he quickly gripped them with tenderness.
"I thank God everyday for you in my life, Sakuno. Since we met again in LA, you've filled me with unimaginable love and life. I could never ever live without you, my heart." Kaoru whispered near her ears and sighed with joy.
"My love, I would spend the rest of my life loving you and protecting you. I love you, Sakuno."
"Love…you…Kaoru.." Kaoru almost jumped to hear Sakuno's soft voice. Her eyes were still closed but there was a gentle smile on her lips. He placed a kiss on her forehead and whispered, "Rest, my love. I'll be here when you wake up."
"Mmm." He could see her face relaxed into a calm healing sleep.
05 Days Before The Wedding
Ryuzaki Sakuno grinned as she quickly unwrapped the last present. Her grandmother, Sumire, Yumiko, Hozumi and the teachers from her workplace watched gleefully from their seats around her hospital room.
Sakuno laughed with a red face as her hands withdrew another pair of scanty lingerie but this one was in red and black.
"Hozumi-san? I can't believe you got me this piece of…" She became speechless as her future mother-in-law gave her a wicked wink.
"It's a good investment, my dear." The other ladies giggled.
Someone knocked on her door and a nurse poked her head inside the room. She gave everyone an apologetic smile and said, "Sorry ladies but visiting hours are over."
Once every one of her guest had left, she put her gifts aside and rested on her bed.
When her grandmother said she's throwing her a bridal shower in the hospital room, Sakuno was happy. Being cooped up in her hospital room for the past 10 days has bored her a lot. However tonight was her last night at the hospital. Yuushi and her doctor had deemed her well enough to be discharged and Kaoru and her Obaasan were ecstatic about it. However only her Obaasan and her future mother-in-law were coming to take her home tomorrow.
Her eyes fell upon the glittering ring on her finger. She could still remember Kaoru putting it back on her finger as soon as she woke from her healing sleep. Her heart fluttered when she thought of the past 10 days because her devoted fiancée, whenever he was not training with his team, had stuck to her bedside.
Her mobile phone next to her rang and Sakuno looked at the screen. Joy swept through her face immediately for it was the object of her thoughts.
"Konbanwa, my love." Sakuno greeted softly.
"Konbanwa, Sakuno. How are you feeling tonight?"
"Good but tired. Obasaan and Hozumi just left."
"How was the bridal shower?"
Sakuno blushed hard as she looked at the huge pile of gifts from the ladies. There were many pieces of scanty lingerie, soaps and scents and even a book called The Joy of S*x.
"It…it wa…was ..nice." Sakuno stuttered out.
"I see."
"What about your Bachelor Party?"
"Cough! Cough! Ummm….okay..I guess."
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CALL: KAORU
"Cough! Cough! Ummm….okay..I guess." Kaoru trailed off in embarrassment. He would rather not talk about it with his love. Perhaps he'd do after 10 to 20 years.
"Are you alright, Kaoru? You sounded like you're sick." He could hear the worry in her voice.
"Iie, I'm fine. Actually I'm more than fine."
"Five more days, Kaoru." She sighed with longing.
"Five more day, my love until you become mine in every way." His voice turned sensual when he thought of their upcoming wedding night.
"Ka..Kaoru, I want to see you." The longing in her voice nearly made him jump up to do her bidding.
"Don't tempt me, Sakuno. You know we can't see each other until the wedding day."
"I wonder who made those rules." He could hear her pouting.
"Be patient my love. Our wedding night is worth the wait."
"Okay."
Kaoru looked at the clock and said, "It's getting late my love."
"But Kaoru…"
"I want you to rest well for the next 5 days, my love," Kaoru said and then lowered his voice to rasp out, "because after we've exchanged our vows, we won't have time to rest."
"Ka..Kaoru!" He smirked when he heard her mortification.
"Good-night, my love and sleep well."
"Good-night, my heart. See you in 5 days."
"See you on our wedding day, Sakuno."
THE WEDDING DAY
Kaidoh Kaoru wanted a traditional Japanese wedding ceremony but Ryuzaki Sakuno wanted a western church wedding. So they compromised and with lots of help from their family and friends, came up with a blend of the two traditions.
In the morning, Kaoru and Sakuno exchanged their own personalised wedding vows before a priest, their family and friends in a quaint little church at the edge of Tokyo. Kaoru couldn't help staring at his bride throughout the ceremony. She was dressed with an elegant yet simple figure-hugging Victorian gown made from white satin trimmed with white laces and a lace veil held in place by a wreath of red roses. Sakuno also had trouble looking away from her groom. His tone body was encased in a black morning coat with pinstriped trousers, waistcoat, and ascot which was totally Victorian. Their family and friends were pleased to see the well-matched bride and groom exchanging vows and rings. Tears were shed when they kissed as husband and wife for the first time and were presented as Mr. and Mrs. Kaidoh Kaoru to their family and friends.
Later, everyone gathered at a high-class restaurant for the Japanese ceremony. There, the couple changed into their Japanese wedding clothes, Kaidoh in his formal montsuki kimono tied with an obi sash and Sakuno in her traditional white kimono with her face painted white and her auburn hair held by beautiful combs.
The groom was escorted into the ceremony room by his parents and later the bride was led in by her Obaasan. The couple sat at a tea table with the groom's family sitting to one side of the couple while the bride's family sat to the other side. Since Sumire was the only blood relative of the bride, the Japan team elected to sit with their former coach. Everyone watched with interest as the presiding monk led the drinking of 9 cups of sake, the exchanging of vows and the blessings of the wedded couple.
At noon, their family and friends clapped and cheered to welcome the wedded couple to the wedding reception at the same hotel. A beaming Kaoru now dressed again in his Victorian attire gently escorted his wife who had washed off the white paint from her face and changed into an elaborately-adorned silk brocade red kimono worn over the white kimono. This more intricate kimono was embroidered with sakura flowers and cranes. Speeches and toasting were made amidst laughter and chatters. Food and drinks were consumed heartily as the family and friends of the couple enjoyed the reception and hospitality of the hotel.
Throughout the reception, no one paid attention to the hands entwined nor the heated desires in the glances exchanged between Kaoru and Sakuno.
Kaoru leaned over to whisper, "I love you, my wife."
Sakuno replied huskily, "I love you, my husband. Demo…"
"Yes?"
"Can we leave now?" She gave him a sensual come-hither look that heated his body.
A desperate Kaoru looked around and caught his best man's eyes. Inui Sadaharu arched his eyebrows and tilted his head toward a side door with a knowing grin. The couple exchanged happy grins and made their escape as soon as possible. Their guests only noticed their disappearance from the reception 15 minutes later.
Their limousine was waiting for them outside the hotel and they entered it eagerly. Once the door closed behind him, Kaoru pulled his wife into his arms to taste her luscious lips and Sakuno reciprocated with equal passion. They were pre-occupied during the trip to the airport. A private jet, courtesy of the Atobes, waited for them to take them to their honeymoon destination. By the time the limousine pulled up next to the jet, Kaoru and Sakuno were breathless with their hair and attires tousled and their lips swollen.
"Where are we going for our honeymoon, Kaoru?" Sakuno asked once the jet took off.
"How does Hawaii sound to you?"
Sakuno's squeals of joy answered his question.
EEEEEEEEEE THE END EEEEEEEEEE