[A/N:]
Disclaimer: Neither Cardcaptor Sakura nor its characters belong to me. It is owned by CLAMP. I do own Tai Lee and Javier though.
Italic- Thoughts/ Dreams
Bold- Something really important
CAPS LOCK- Someone really mad/worried
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Chapter 14: Ultimatums and Truths
She had been left alone again. The little boy had simply told her that she was going to meet his mother and then that he would be back.
After a while the doorknob turned and she thought it was her new friend.
But it wasn't.
Actually it was someone better.
Thank God Tai Lee is alright.
She appeared to be tattered. In a similar condition to Sakura, but not nearly as intense.
Her black hair scattered and her clothes were ripped and worn.
But there was a big difference that Sakura noticed between herself and the young woman standing at the door.
Tai Lee was nourished.
And, although she couldn't see her own skin, Sakura was sure that Tai Lee's wasn't as pasty as her own, if even pasty at all.
Sure she could barely keep her eyes open, but this was something she could distinguish immediately. Although at the moment she wasn't thinking completely clearly so Sakura didn't absorb the significance of these facts.
"Oh Sakura I'm so happy you're okay," she expressed behind watery eyes. Tai Lee ran towards the brown haired girl who was tied to a wall and hugged her tightly around her abdomen.
Sakura winced.
It hurt for so much pressure being forced onto the area where her practically empty stomach lay.
Tai Lee's head was just over the blood stain on Sakura's sweater, which seemed rather uncanny because…well…it was blood.
"I barely escaped. I don't know how much time we have before he comes back," Tai Lee trailed off, pulling at the ropes tied to Sakura's left wrist.
"He?...but the little boy told me that his mother was behind this…" Sakura thought out loud.
Tai Lee paused and then continued.
"Oh yeah…yeah…she…that's what I meant. Lack of food can do that to a person you know," she asked with a slight chuckle.
Well that sounded really suspicious…but she's releasing me so I won't worry about it too much…for now…
As Tai Lee's blue eyes were fixated on her task, Sakura noticed a circular dotted wound on her right forearm. It was old, but still dark enough to be quite noticeable.
Tai Lee had loosened the rope enough for Sakura to move her wrist freely, when the doorknob turned again.
This time the person she saw made her stomach very uneasy.
Good ol' Javier.
He came in wearing a black wifebeater and black basketball shorts which was ironic because the weather wasn't all that warm.
His face lit up at the sight of Sakura but then darkened at the sight of her condition and the person beside her.
"What the hell is this? I swear I told you not to do anything to…ugh!"
He was upset.
Very upset.
He pulled her by her raven coloured hair and dragger her out of the room.
To Sakura this looked as if Javier was definitely behind everything.
But then that would mean that the little boy lied to her.
At the same time he seemed too young to be able to betray her in such a manner.
Whatever's going on isn't adding up.
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Javier pulled the black haired girl out of the room that Sakura was being held captive and threw her against the wall.
"You haven't answered me yet. I said, what the hell was that?"
Tai Lee crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.
"I thought it'd be fun to do a bit of role play and-"
He punched the wall beside her head.
"That's not what I meant. Why the hell does she look like that? You haven't been feeding her? Or allowing her to have showers? Or-"
"Oh gee, sorry that I haven't been tending to your slave. If she's so fucking important to you then why don't you take care of her?"
Javier was going to retaliate but then stopped.
"You know what? You're right. I should be taking care of her. Your services won't be needed anymore then."
Tai Lee was playing with her hair but then scoffed and glared at him.
"Services? My services? Javier, I'm your fucking girlfriend. And it seems as if I'm the only one that remembers that. Look, I let you have your little fun and you've had two whole weeks to do whatever you wanted but I'm tired of being your back up girl, when it's me that you should be drooling over."
"We've been over this a thousand times. You've agreed with it a thousand times. Why are you making a fuss about it now? You know that I love Saku-"
"When was the last time that you've even told me that you love me," Tai Lee asked softly.
Sadly.
He could hear it in her voice, but he ignored it.
"I shouldn't have to tell you because you should already know. If you don't that's not my problem."
Tai Lee's jaw dropped slightly.
"Why…why are you being so mean to me? You never used to treat me like this before…before she came back into your mind. If it wasn't for me you probably wouldn't even remember her name."
He shrugged and his brown eyes looked very bored and tired of the situation.
"You're probably right. But you did so you should be thankful that you had such a strong influence on my life."
Tai Lee put her hands on her hips.
"Well Javier you need to make a final decision right now: Me, the person who actually cares about you and has gone though hell and high waters for you. Or Sakura, the person who hates your existence and who you're only going to have sex with once before you get tired of her.
"Sakura," he responded without hesitation or even a second thought.
A tear streamed down her face.
"Really? After everything that I've done for you you're going to choose her over me?"
"I don't recall stuttering on the subject. I love her. If you want to leave then leave. As I said, your services are not needed anymore," he replied cruelly.
He started to walk away and she clutched onto his left tricep.
"Don't leave me please. I'll still help you…even if you don't love me anymore…"
He turned around and touched her face lightly.
"I do love you…but if I had to choose between the two of you then yes, she is my choice. I'm sorry. But thank you for staying by my side."
He pulled himself from her grasp and then continued down the hallway into the darkness while she stood there, clenching her fists so hard that her nails dug into her palms.
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The little boy reappeared with a Sippy cup that wasn't closed properly when Javier and Tai Lee exited.
Oh great, he's here to rub it in that he can get something to drink at his own whim and I have to suffer here without anything.
He put the cup by where her feet were dangling and went to grab the chair that was in front of the desk.
Sakura watched the boy confusedly as he dragged the chair directly before her.
He picked up the cup and crawled onto the chair, knocking the cover off of it in the process, but still continuing to get on.
"What are you doing kid," she asked curiously.
He ignored her and stood up on the chair, placed his right hand on her shoulder and put the cup to her lips.
"Drink," he instructed assertively.
Normally she would have commented about being bossed around by a four year old boy, but she hadn't had water in forever and so she was beyond grateful.
As the cold liquid hit her lips she became greedy for more. When there was nothing left in the cup she was still trying to drain some more into her mouth.
He reached into the pocket of his overalls and took out a small cookie.
Sakura smiled at her official new friend.
"You're a really good little boy do you know that," she asked kindly.
The boy appreciated the compliment but he needed her to stop talking and chew on the treat he was providing from her so he shoved it towards her mouth.
She caught the hint and selfishly munched on the little bit of food.
She hadn't been so thankful in her life. And who would have guessed that it would have been to the son of the person who was holding her captive?
When she finished eating, he dusted the crumbs from his hand.
Just as he was about to come down from the chair the handle of the doorknob turned, once again and then slammed loudly.
The boy's head snapped towards the sound.
"Uh oh," he said softly enough that only he heard himself.
Tai Lee's eyes were blood shot red.
She was crying… Sakura thought.
The black haired girl walked calmly over to where the little boy was standing and hovered over him.
Then all of a sudden he received a harsh slap across his face that crashed him into the ground.
His cheek had cut open a bit from the strong impact and blood trickled down his face.
"Didn't I tell you not to give her food or anything to drink," she asked sternly.
Angrily.
He started to cry but picked up the empty cup and the lid and left the room.
"I'm sorry mommy," he said softly behind sniffles, and then he was completely gone.
Those three words hit Sakura so hard that she could hardly prepare herself for what was going to happen next.
Tai Lee pivoted and faced Sakura with a crazed look on her face.
Sakura was punched so hard in the stomach that blood flew out of her mouth and splattered all over Tai Lee's face.
"You've taken everything from me, and I'm going to make you pay for it," Tai Lee stated eerily. What made it look more disturbing was the blood.
Sakura finally put it together. Being perfect did have its perks sometimes.
"Listen Tai Lee or Jai Yu or whoever you are, I don't even know you, how could I have possibly taken anything from y-"
Another punch was received in her stomach.
"You know me. You just choose not to remember me. Because if you did then you'd be reminded about how not-so-perfect your life is anyways. You know what you've taken from me, and you will pay it back with your happiness. I don't even care how he feels about it because revenge is the only thing on my mind."
Tai Lee cracked her knuckles and rotated her wrists.
"Now, go to sleep so I can deal with you tomorrow," she said and then punched Sakura's forehead so hard that it banged against the brick wall, knocking her unconscious.
I will avenge you. I promised I will, and I will, Tai Lee thought and existed the room.
She had one more thing to take care of before she could fully execute her plan.
Whether or not Javier approved of it.
TBC…
[A/N: Fun Fact: If you don't eat for a long interval of time, it is not safe for you to eat a lot of food when the opportunity comes because your stomach shrinks when you don't eat so forcing yourself a lot of food is not a smart idea. Small increments will do ya good.
uvr-B1u5H'd: Don't worry, I wasn't going to stray from Sakura for longer than what I did. I'm not THAT awful, hahaa. The same way referral to the previous chapter with the triangle situation won't come up for a little while, but it will come back. And then at some point every scene within the chapters will tie together into one giant scene. But it'll take a while, so in the meantime you're stuck with my detours and occasional returning to Sakura and her dreadful predicament :D. Thanks for the review!
Aria-chan: I know. Cheating is never good :P. Anyways thanks for the review!
animeotakupooh: I'm glad that you liked it and that you were able to relate with him in his dilemma. Thanks for the review!
cupid17: That's good to hear. I hope that you'll continue to enjoy it. Thanks for the reviews!]