CHAPTER 21

"Hiro, Lily, Ume" Mei called as she ran through the police doors.

"MOMMY!" All children cried back to her, falling to her knees Mei held all three of her children tight as she let the tears fall.

"They have already been checked for injuries, they don't have anything major, but the young one there hasn't spoken a word since they got here" One officer reported to Lara as she pointed to little Ume.

Mei never wanted to let her children go as she continued to hold them tight.

"Ummmmm Mommy, I can't breathe" Hiro was the first to speak. Mei slowly let go of the children but still had them at arm's length as they continued to talk.

"I'm so glad you are all o.k" Mei finally spoke as she looked at the three children.

But the look on all their faces was telling everyone in the room another story. Mei was too scared to ask but she had to know.

"Yu-, I mean Mama, how was she?"

Lily burst into tears, while Ume had her eyes glued to the ground, but Hiro looked his mother straight in the eye the whole time.

"Mama is really badly hurt and she distracted them so we could get away…."

Hiro paused for a minute as he collected his thoughts and continued to speak.

"She told me to take my sisters as far away from there as possible, we just kept running until we found a police car and asked them for help. I don't know where Mama is now, she could be….."

Mei could see the hurt in all the children's eyes, keeping Hiro in her gaze Mei spoke in a strong, loving voice.

"Your Mama is the strongest woman I know, she wouldn't go down that easy" Mei tried to give a reassuring smile to the children as she spoke.

"Do you have any idea how to get back to where you all were being held?" Lara asked.

But Hiro explained how panicked and scared they were that they didn't look for any landmarks or ways that would take them back to the place that Yuzu was.

"What should we do now? We still have no leads and if it is as bad as the kids say Yuzu could be-"

Asuna relayed the situation they were all in but Mei quickly cut her off as she spoke.

"NO, Yuzu is far more stronger than any of you realise, she will make it through this. I know she will" Mei finished the rest of the sentence off in her head 'She has to make it'

All the adults were trying to talk of a new strategy as saving the blonde was definitely number one priority right now.

"Ummm excuse me" Little Ume tried to interrupt.

"Maybe if you track the police car that found the kids" Asuna suggested

"Ummmm hello?" Ume tried to get attention again, but it seems as though no one was paying them any attention.

"Have we spoken to the officers that picked the kids up?" Lara asked as she looked over the adults, then…

"EXCUSE ME, MY SISTER WANTS TO SAY SOMETHING!" Hiro yelled over all the adults as he waited for them to turned around and acknowledge that they had something to say.

"Ume, no is not the time sweetie, we need to save Mama" Mei spoke softly as she gave her daughter a kiss on the forehead.

"I know where Mama is" Ume spoke shyly as she looked her mommy in the eye.

"What! Why didn't you say sooner?" Both Lara and Asuna spoke in sync as they looked to the children.

"That's what Ume was trying to say, but none of you wanted to listen" Lily was the next to speak as she grilled the adults.

"How do you know Ume?" Mei questioned her daughter, she was trying to look calm and collected on the outside but on the inside she was a nervous wreck, all she wanted was her wife back safe and sound.

Still speaking in a shy, soft tone Ume said.

"You and Mama always said that we should pay attention to our surroundings and make markers so that we never get lost"

"Can you take us to her?" Mei asked, which Ume simply nodded in reply.

Not even 5 minutes later everyone was in the car and following Ume's directions.

"Yes that's correct meet us there" Lara ended the call as she turned to the group with a smile and spoke.

"O.k S.W.A.T are going to meet us there, Asuna how about you?" Lara asked.

Asuna confirmed that her family were also sending people as back up to the location that Ume was taking them too.

"Really? So close to the city, isn't that a bit cocky?" Asuna asked as they looked at the huge abandoned building.

Everyone got ready to get out of car, Lara looked to her cousins wife as she spoke.

"Mei what do you think you are doing?"

Mei could feel her rage burning inside, the thought of her wife being mistreated was making her more angry by the second.

"I'm coming with you, she's my wife" Mei looked Lara straight in the eye, Lara quickly shook her head as she looked to the children then back to Mei and spoke in a caring tone.

"Stay here with the kids, they need you. Leave Yuzu to me" Giving a warm smile Lara didn't wait for a response as she headed into the warehouse with the S.W.A.T team.

Each second that passed felt like a lifetime, Mei expected to hear gunshots or something, but everything was completely silent.

10 long painful minutes passed and Mei finally saw Asuna, Lara and the rest of the team come back.

Running to Lara Mei quickly questioned with one words. "Yuzu?"

Lowering their heads in defeat, Lara was the one that spoke up.

"The entire building was empty Mei, i'm sorry"

"They must have changed locations once they realised the kids had got away" Asuna looked to Mei with a sad expression.

"WHAT!?" Lara yelled as she seemed angry over a txt message she had just received.

Realising that everyone was looking at her Lara started to explain.

"Sorry, I just got a txt from Liam, apparently he has a lead on where Yuzu is"

Nothing else had to be explained as everyone made their way back to the safe house.

As soon as they arrived Mei thanked Harumin, Matsuri and Himeko as they took the children to have showers and change their clothes.

After making sure they were ok Mei quickly headed for the kitchen where she could hear Lara and Liam having a heated discussion.

"So let me get this straight, you got this lead but you wont tell me how you got it?" Lara questioned her brother as she looked him straight in the eye.

Liam went to speak but both siblings turned their attention to the door as they heard Mei walk in.

"Mei, are the kids o.k?" Liam asked as he gave a concerned expression to the raven haired chairwoman.

"They will be fine, thank you Liam. What is this lead that they say you have?" Mei looked him in the eye as she spoke.

"It's more like a wild goose chase Mei, he doesn't even have anything solid that we can really go off" Lara cut in as she gave her brother a questioning look.

"Is that so sis?" Liam spoke as he put his hand in his pocket, then looking back at Mei he gently grabbed her hand and placed something in the palm of her hand.

Mei's eyes widened and the tears were already falling as she thought the worse.

"Y…...Yu…" Mei couldn't finish her sentence as she looked down at the 3 rings. Yuzu's engagement, wedding and promise rings were now in her hands as they started trembling. The same rings that were never meant to leave her loves fingers, what did this mean for Yuzu, was she alright? Is she still alive?

So many unanswered questions were running through Mei's mind.

"I found those at the site that my source said they saw Yuzu, apparently she was pretty badly beaten" Liam spoke as he looked at the broken chairwoman.

TO BE CONTINUED….

HEY EVERYONE, I THOUGHT IT WAS ABOUT TIME THAT I UPDATED THIS ONE. I DEDICATE THIS ONE ESPECIALLY TO 'LOUISSE' I TRIED TO REPLY TO YOUR COMMENTS BUT IT WOULDN'T ALLOW ME. SO I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS CHAPTER :)

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE ELSE THAT STILL READS THIS FANFIC, I KNOW ITS BEEN DELAYED FOR A BIT BUT I WILL FINISH IT, I DONT PLAN ON DITCHING ANY OF MY STORIES.

ANYWAY THATS ENOUGH FROM ME, HAVE A GREAT DAY AND HAPPY READING :)