Chapter 178: Atonement

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, Cedric would have a chance at redemption.

Cedric felt the contents in his stomach rolling in turmoil, threatening to come back up with a vengeance. He was going to be sick, but he couldn't get himself to rise from his seat and seek solace in the nearest men's room. Laura Michelle's story gutted him, reminding him of a particular person he used to thoroughly enjoy torturing. He deserved every wretched feeling that he had right now.

The movement of Tina reaching for a tissue caught his eye as the angel dabbed at the corners of her glistening eyes. Bile rose from the pit of his stomach which he stamped down by sipping his water.

"Are you okay?" An emotional Eltra whispered to him, concerned. "You look pale?"

Leave it to his grandfather to see through his acting. A glance in Eltra's direction told him that the story of Laura Michelle had affected him too. His grandfather was a good man. He wouldn't have been here for Cedric tonight and countless times in the past if he was indifferent. It dawned on him that the reason Eltra held it together so well was that that's what Cedric needed.

When the pair of couples came up to share their sons' stories, Cedric could no longer sit there safely protecting his ass. He saw a ghost of a smile on Tina's face when the parents reported that their sons were the best of friends, sharing their stories wherever anyone would listen. Cedric was in awe at the bravery of these boys yet here he was a grown man trying to figure out how to make things right. The idea struck him like a bolt of lightning. His eyes darted to Tina, then swept around to the waiter that he dubbed had to be Charles.

It was during dinner that Cedric felt the intense gaze of someone watching him. Snapping in the direction from which it came brought his attention to a waiter with an athletic build, cropped blonde hair, and gray eyes. The man had turned his head quickly, arousing his suspicions. Cedric had tried to study the man's features every chance he got, which wasn't much. The guy tended to always keep his head turned away from him whenever he passed nearby. When the waiter returned to the ballroom after the dinner clean-up, Cedric finally convinced himself that he was staring at none other than Charles.

So many questions had swirled through Cedric's mind once he concluded that the man was indeed Charles, but one stood out. Why is he here, working? It never occurred to him to think that Charles had somehow infiltrated the wait staff and was planning on ruining the event. His old self wouldn't have put it past them, but this new Cedric was turning over a new leaf. He believed in people and second chances.

A moment of clarity settled over him as he glanced between the angel smiling through her tears, the waiter with the guilty expression, and finally at the man that reclaimed his spot at the podium. If he was a director filming a movie, he would have put this scene in slow motion to highlight its significance. It would be a pivotal moment in the movie when the antagonist realized what he had to do to redeem himself and save the day.

Without an ounce of hesitation, Cedric stood from his seat and interrupted Kuu's speech. The once slow-mo scene changed to real-time as soon as he blurted out the words, "excuse me!" The whole ballroom hushed and every head in the room swiveled in his direction. There was no turning back now unless he cowardly ran straight out the door forsaking the huge step he took by attending.

Ignoring his grandfather's whispered pleas for him to sit back down, Cedric found the confidence to take that difficult first step. That was all it took to get him practically jogging toward the stage, fueled by adrenaline and endorphins.

As he neared the stage, Cedric's eyes widened when a glowering Ren Tsuruga quickly but gracefully popped his girlfriend off his lap and blocked his path. Kyoko stood close, assessing but not interfering with the men.

"What do you think you're doing Bennett?" Ren growled, hostility rolling off him in waves, keenly aware that they had an audience. He pulled up short and gulped. Ren was a couple of inches taller than him with hands down more muscle mass. The actor could easily manhandle Cedric right out of the room. Why does this guy hate me so much? He glanced at Kyoko, hoping she could help? His Lotus co-star's usual poise was tense, her posture indicating that she was ready to intervene if necessary should things escalate. Damn! For someone so small, she's got some big balls!

"I think you should leave," Ren seethed as everyone nearby strained to hear what they were discussing.

"Please Tsuruga, I can't leave yet. I need to do this. I need to make this right," Cedric desperately pleaded. The surge of adrenaline he had a moment ago was waning. They stared at each other for what felt like hours, but he knew merely seconds had passed. From his periphery, he saw Kyoko move and place a hand into her boyfriend's where his fingers instantly curled around it. Her touch had seemed to do the trick.

Ren sighed and as the air exited his lungs so did the hostility. Cedric frowned as worry now replaced the man's glare.

"You don't have to do this," Ren whispered. Did he hear him right? Cedric gaped, stunned by the concern he heard in his voice. How does he know? Is he a mind reader?

"There are reporters, cameras, and not to mention some big names in the film industry...you don't have to do this," Ren elaborated, erasing all doubt that Cedric might have misheard him a moment ago.

Cedric grinned at the Japanese actor that had always treated him like an enemy and wondered out loud, "are you drunk?" The guy had to be intoxicated or under the influence of some substance to explain why he was being so, dare he say it, friendly.

Ren scowled, "are you?"

"Never been so sober in my life," Cedric stated proudly, happy by this turn of events for some reason. "I've got this." He patted Ren's shoulder and walked around him to head for the stage. Thankfully the actor let him go. He took the steps two at a time until Kuu intercepted on the side.

"If you say no, I'll leave," he told Kuu. The male Hizuri sighed and looked out to the guests. Cedric noticed Ren's slight nod to Kuu but didn't think much of it since he knew the actors had grown close this past week. That was just the kind of man Kuu Hizuri was. He enveloped you in his warmth and made you feel welcome with his natural instinct to father. Cedric pushed aside the old stirrings of jealousy that were trying to settle in the pit of his stomach. He had no right with the way things had turned out with Kuon. I hope I can bring some peace back to this family.

"The stage is all yours Cedric. I hope you know what you're doing," Kuu told him despondently.

"I do," he replied, his voice surprisingly confident considering his insides were in turmoil.

Cedric stepped to the podium and cleared his throat. He took a deep breath and gazed at the crowd waiting with bated breath for him to say something. He smiled awkwardly yet many in the room could see the charm behind it.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sorry for interrupting your night and commandeering Mr. Hizuri's microphone. My name is Cedric Bennett for anyone that doesn't know me," Cedric offered the laughing crowd a small smile and commended himself internally for not stuttering so far. "This is my first time attending this event and I hope it won't be my last after tonight. I love what this charity has to offer our youth in America and I believe many can benefit from it. The Trago's and the Phillips' have inspired me with their story and have given me the courage to share mine."

Cedric took another deep breath before proceeding to spin a tale of two boys growing up with each other, one the victim, the other the tormentor. He had the audience's undivided attention as he gave examples of the hell the kid went through from grade school to high school at the hands of this bully. He never disclosed the reasons behind the bully's actions; it was irrelevant. He told them of the tragic night where the victim finally had enough and snapped, lashing out with the strength that could rival ten highly trained men. The anger within him was so strong, so terrifying that his tormentor and his goons were at his mercy.

"He was so far gone after being abused for so long that even begging from the few still conscious could not stop him from doling out his perceived version of justice. The tables had turned. The tormentor and his goons were now at the receiving end of the pain. If it wasn't for the victim's best friend's arrival, God only knows if things would have ended differently. His friend had come to stop him. The tormentor saw it as an opportunity to run away like a coward, pushing an innocent young woman down in the process to save his sorry ass, and leaving his unconscious 'friends' behind without a second thought. All he cared about was himself."

Cedric's jaw clenched and his eyes burned with unshed tears. He paused for a moment to collect himself and glanced over at Kuu who held his upset wife. His heart lurched from the guilt, but he couldn't stop, he had to finish the story. Cedric expected to see anger in the older Hizuri's face; instead, what he saw surprised him.

He tore his gaze from Kuu no longer able to see the guilty expression that mirrored his on the father's face. Cedric didn't want Kuu to blame himself for what happened to his son. It seemed his story had revealed a lot more than the father knew.

Cedric swept over the room, his eyes briefly bouncing off the area where Charles last stood, and landed where he knew the blue-eyed angel sat. He took another deep breath and forced himself not to look away as he continued.

"The victim refused to let his tormentor get away this time and gave chase. Unfortunately, tragedy struck while crossing the street. While running after him, his best friend was hit by a car and died that night while his tormentor got away scot-free…" He paused again while the crowd hung on his every word, not for dramatic effect, but his mouth had gone dry. This was the most important part of his whole speech and he didn't want anyone to misunderstand.

"It was me. I was his tormentor. I got away with murder," his voice had dropped to a whisper during his confession, but it was easy enough to hear when amplified by the microphone.

Shocked gasps chorused through the room at this revelation. The whole time Cedric spoke, he never once mentioned which role he had played. They had all assumed he was the victim since it was difficult to fathom that Hollywood's golden boy was a horrible human being. He didn't stop there and chose his next words carefully.

"I may not have been driving the car, but my actions that night ruined many lives, hurt many people, and I suffered no consequences. I'm here today, not to beg for forgiveness, but to atone for my past sins. I just want to say…" He faltered, swallowing thickly and turning to the Hizuris. "I want to say I'm sorry," he apologized with all the sincerity he felt in his heart.

Once he had it all out, a huge sense of relief settled over him. It was like the weight of the world had lifted off his shoulders. He was elated by the high his confession had brought and didn't care what tomorrow would bring. If he destroyed his career so be it. Hopefully, his message would get across to many in this digital world, especially to him.

Cedric had nothing more to say, so he awkwardly walked off stage right with his head low prepared to be confronted by the Hizuris. Solid arms wrapped around him, pulling him into a warm embrace. He instantly recognized his grandfather's cologne and hugged him back. Despite his smaller frame in comparison to Cedric now, the man had always been a life raft to him. Once again, he was that little boy clinging to his grandfather for support as he sobbed into his shoulder.

"I'm so proud of you my boy. You did good," Eltra exulted, his voice trembling with emotion over the roaring sounds of camera shutters and reporters rushing the stage yelling questions over each other.

Ric, what was your victim's name?

Why did you single him out?

When was the accident?

Who died?

Why now? What changed?

Are you still going to be acting?

Cedric pulled away from his grandfather swiping at his face. He breathed deeply until he got his emotions under control. Ignoring the surmounting number of questions being thrown his way, he sidled up to Kuu and his wife.

"I'm sorry for ruining the night," Cedric bowed in front of them.

"Oh Cedric," Julie addressed him warmly. "It will take more than a shocking revelation such as yours to stop this bunch from leaving early when free booze is involved."

Cedric straightened puzzled by her words and the way she delivered them. There wasn't an ounce of animosity emitted by the Hizuri matriarch. She even gave him a reassuring smile.

Kuu squeezed his shoulder gaining his attention. "I'm pretty sure next year's event is going to be even bigger thanks to you. Be prepared, you're helping," Kuu winked.

Cedric's eyes watered as he returned their smile, grateful for their kindness though he didn't deserve one iota of it. He weighed the repercussions that his next question would bring but decided it needed asking. "Do you think he heard me?"

"I have no doubt he got your message loud and clear," Kuu assured him. "What he does with it is entirely up to him."

"I understand. Thank you for inviting me, Mr. Hizuri. This is exactly what I needed."

"Thank you for coming, Cedric," Kuu replied, holding out his hand for a shake. "I take it you're leaving."

"There's a couple of people I need to see before I go," Cedric told him and scanned the ballroom. Aside from the reporters, the guests seem to have moved on to mingling and drinking as they discussed his story. His eyes landed on the young Japanese couple. Kyoko sat on Ren's lap, soothingly stroking his hair and whispering into his ear. Lucky bastard, he sighed. He probably hates me again. He didn't have time to dwell on the actions of the actor as his gaze shifted to a new commotion near the stage.

"Get out of my way! Move already!" A woman yelled as she pushed herself through the throng of reporters and security that arrived to keep them in check. Cedric's eyes landed on a very pissed-off Tina trying to make her way toward him with a harried Yashiro chasing after her.

"Let her through," Cedric yelled, demanding they make way for her. When she finally broke free, he guided her away from the view of the reporters which to his relief were kept occupied by the Hizuris and his grandfather.

"Tina, I." That was all he got out as she cocked her arm back and punched him square in the face, breaking his nose. Taken by surprise, the force of her hit had sent him sprawling to the floor. His eyes welled with tears from the onslaught of pain and he could feel blood trickling out of his nose.

"How dare you, you sick bastard! This is all your fault! He's dead because of you!" Large tears streamed down her beautiful face ruining her makeup. She angrily crumpled something in her hand and threw it at him, making him flinch when it landed on his chest. He relaxed after realizing it was just a napkin.

"Tina!" Ren called out worry evident in his voice. When he found her, Ren pulled her gently into his arms and held her close. Feeling the rage radiating off the guy, Cedric braced himself for a beat-down that never came. The actor ignored him and focused on the distraught young woman.

"This asshole," she sobbed into the Japanese actor's chest. "Rick," she wailed, gripping his jacket.

"I know, shhh, I know," he whispered repeatedly while stroking her hair. They didn't spare Cedric another glance as he escorted her away. Yashiro and Kyoko stared at him for a moment with pity in their eyes. Without a word, they followed Ren and Tina out.

Cedric frowned at the closeness he witnessed between Ren and Tina, the action making him wince as pain shot up between his eyes. Using the napkin which he knew held the autograph he had given to Tina earlier, Cedric touched his nose gingerly and hissed. She let me off easily.

…

Holy Shit! He couldn't believe Cedric really went up there and outed himself like that. The fact that he had tried stopping him from doing so, to begin with, showed tremendous growth on his part. It was just like magic how calm he became once Kyoko placed her hand in his. She truly was amazing. At that moment, empathy filled him, replacing the anger and hatred he had clung to for so long. Staring at a desperate Cedric, he could see the drowning man that his father had described to him earlier. Without giving away his identity, he tried extending an olive branch, but it was obvious that his old nemesis was determined to follow through with whatever he had planned regardless of the consequences.

His heart ached for both boys in the story as Cedric revealed many details of their youth that no one else knew about, not even his parents nor Kyoko. He now knew why Cedric had acted that way when they were growing up even if he was withholding that information from the crowd. He was shocked to find how much the guy had remembered of their past. Each word spoken, brought on fresh memories of the hell he had lived through until he left for Japan. If it wasn't for the steadfast and loving embrace in which his petite girlfriend held him, Kuon wasn't sure if he could have kept it together so well.

The oasis of his serenity among the chaos of gossiping guests was interrupted by his manager.

"Ren, I think Tina is going to kill him," Yashiro exclaimed, rushing toward the couple.

Fuck! In his sorrow, he forgot all about his friend. Kyoko was already off him, anticipating his next move. Grabbing her hand, they followed after Yashiro, pass the reporters, his parents, and thankfully away from public scrutiny. At least someone had enough sense to seek privacy.

He heard Tina before he saw her, releasing Kyoko's hand he went to comfort his friend. He didn't bother looking at Cedric for fear that his anger would bubble to the surface after seeing her so heartbroken. He focused on getting Tina out of there, shielding her from the small mob of reporters. It was a good thing they were no longer interested in the young Japanese since they had a juicier story to write about. They didn't pay much attention to them as they left. The lobby was buzzing with talk about Cedric's confession as the group solemnly made their way to the elevator.

"To the penthouse?" Yashiro asked before pushing the button on the elevator.

"Ye-" Kuon began but was cut off by Tina.

"No, I want to go to my room," Tina told them pulling away from Kuon and wiping her wet cheeks with the back of her hands. Yashiro nodded and pressed the button, not needing the floor number since he and Tina were booked private rooms on the same one.

As soon as they entered Tina's room, Kyoko put him to work. She shoved the ice bucket into his hands and sent him to hunt down the ice machine. He returned to find Tina crying all over again while his girlfriend rubbed her back and Yashiro missing. He wished there was some way for him to fix this, but Rick was gone. He wasn't sure what he could do.

...

Tina barely registered when Kuon returned to the room. She felt numb after once again receiving another piece to the puzzle of Rick's death. It never once occurred to her to find out who Kuon was fighting the night her boyfriend was killed. The sole blame had lied with the driver of the car that left the man she loved for dead like an animal in the middle of the street.

She didn't even notice when Kyoko stood and went into the bathroom, returning with a wet cloth, and filling it with ice.

"Here," she said softly to Tina. She stared blankly at the make-shift ice pack until Kyoko reached for Tina's right hand and gently pressed it to her knuckles. She hissed as pain shot up her arm. It was only then that she noticed the damage done to her hand. Tina smiled internally, remembering the crunching sound she heard when her fist connected with that asshole's face.

"Thank you, Kyoko," Tina rasped, taking over the ice pack. Several seconds of silence passed before she spoke again, addressing Kuon.

"You knew all this time about Cedric and you never told me." Her voice was strained and accusatory.

"I was going to," Kuon tried to explain. "I didn't think he would show up, let alone do what he did."

"You left me to sit there with them," she spat. "I looked like a fool." She knew she shouldn't be angry with him, but he was the only one here to lash out at. For fucks sake the poor kid had been put through the wringer if everything Cedric had said was true. The actor had admitted that he only shared a few incidences to get his point across so God only knows how much the kid had suffered. Rick had kept a lot from her regarding Kuon's situation.

"I'm sorry. I should have told you about him sooner, but I didn't want to ruin your night."

"You didn't want to ruin my night?!" She seethed exasperatedly. Is he fucking kidding me?!

"Tina please," he begged.

"Please leave before I say something I'm going to regret again," she said unable to look at him. God, I'm such a bitch!

"Okay," he replied in a little voice. She didn't look up until she heard the door click shut.

A new flood of tears poured down her face as she thought of how harshly she had treated Rick's little brother. She knew he was hurting just as much as she was at the moment, maybe even more.

"I'm sorry, Kyoko. I don't mean to be upset with him," she said through her tears.

"You have every right to be upset with him. He has a bad habit of not communicating the important stuff when he thinks it would only upset the other party!"

Tina smiled through her tears, "speaking from experience, huh."

"Too much," Kyoko smiled, but Tina noticed the brief look of concern that crossed her friend's face.

"Can I get you anything?" Kyoko panicked as Tina began to sob in earnest again.

"I'm fine. I know you're worried about Kuon. Go after him." Tina said, controlling her tears enough to speak.

"Are you sure?" The young actress asked, looking so torn. "I can't leave you distraught like this. What if…" Kyoko's eyes strayed to the minifridge that was probably stocked with liquor.

Tina's watery eyes widened, realizing where Kyoko's thoughts were going. She would be lying if she said the thought of drinking never crossed her mind. Kyoko probably also thought that this was bad enough for Tina to fall off the bandwagon.

"I promise, I'll be fine."

Kyoko could only nod in response. It wasn't in her nature to be too pushy on anyone but Kuon.

"Besides, Mr. Yashiro will be back any minute. So quit wasting time on me and go find Kuon, make sure he doesn't do something stupid."

"Okay. Mr. Yashiro should be back soon with the painkillers."

A knock at the door confirmed Yashiro's return.

"Have you seen Kuon?" Kyoko exclaimed once she opened the door.

"No, I thought he was here," Yashiro answered, stepping in the room with his purchases.

"I'm going to look for him, can you please stay with Tina?"

"Is that okay with you, Ms. Tina?" Yashiro asked, waiting for her permission.

"Fine, I'm just going to lie down," Tina rolled her eyes and took the bag from Yashiro with thanks. She shut her bedroom door, but could still hear the pair now speaking in Japanese until she assumed Kyoko left.

Tina threw herself on the bed and buried her face in the soft white pillows. She knew she should change out of her dress or at least wash what was left of the makeup on her face, but she didn't have the energy to care. It was a good thing Kyoko had the foresight to help her remove the wings; otherwise, she would be lying here with feathers all over the place.

"Yes," she croaked at the soft knock on her bedroom door.

"Ms. Tina, please let me know if there's anything you need. I'll be right outside."

"I will, thanks," she replied, barely loud enough for him to hear. She laid back down on the bed, emotionally exhausted; however, instead of sleep, she began to cry again.

"That was quite a performance," Charles stated as he stepped up to where Cedric sat on the floor, away from all the mayhem. His old ringleader opened his eyes and regarded him cautiously. To Charles' dismay, someone had beat him to it and got him good. The normally impeccable man looked worse for wear with blood staining his crisp white shirt, and paper stuck up his swelling nostrils. The area under his eyes was already showing signs of bruising, meaning the actor would have two black eyes come morning. He was a hot mess.

"You always did like to be the center of attention," Charles gibed. Resignation flickered in Cedric's eyes, but for the most part, the actor remained impassive. He wasn't even surprised by his appearance.

"Are you here to exact revenge on me Charles?"

Charles threw back his head and laughed unabashedly. He stopped abruptly and sneered at Cedric, "sure, why not?"

"Well, take a number," Cedric chuckled sarcastically, then groaned with pain.

Charles smirked. He was thoroughly enjoying Cedric's current predicament. Oh, how the prince has fallen.

AN: Ahhh thanks for sticking with me. This took me forever to write! I don't know how many times I re-wrote Cedric's part until I was satisfied, I hope it worked. Tina sure showed him! The night will be continued in the next chapter.

Thanks for always reading and for the reviews of the last chapter. I appreciate all of you wonderful readers.

Until next time, ja ne! ^_^