Geo: Hello!! It's me again! Wow wow wow...anyhow...disclaimer
PLEASE!
Brooklyn: *sigh* Card Captor Sakura does NOT belong to Geo so don't sue her
because that would be bad because she's saving up to buy all the Keanu Reeves
stuff made...
Geo: heh heh...*whispers to Brooklyn* shut up about that part...
Okay! Well, um, I just wanted to say one thing: I'd like to say that I'm
so sorry for everyone who had family who went through that horrible experience
in New York and Washington and Pennsylvania. It shocked me so much what
happened.
Now, um...onto a lighter note...okay, don't ask me what I was on about that
whole 'danish' ordeal last time. I mean...I look back and it's
just...crazy...totally crazy. Heh heh. Anyways, hope you like the
chapter!
chapter 3:
never lose hope
The three cars stopped after a few hours of driving. They were only a few hours away from Seattle, however everyone needed a break from the driving. Plus, Chiharu had to buy Yamazaki his danish.
"Really, I don't know where we're going to get a danish at this hour." She muttered, slamming the door behind her. Yamazaki followed her, calmly walking and whistling with his hands in his pockets.
"I don't know either, babe. Remember, though...you promised!" He said, chuckling. Turning for a split second to glare at him, she went on walking at a furiously fast speed.
"There's a coffee shop over there." Tomoyo said, trying to be helpful. It's got to have something that resembles an apple danish." Chiharu sighed and looked at her watch.
"All right, come on Yamazaki. Do you guys want anything?" She asked, turning to the guys.
"Get me a coffee, black. No sugar, no cream, nothing." Touya grumbled, leaning on his car. Chiharu blinked.
"Nothing? Just...just black?" She asked, wondering if she heard correctly.
"You heard me." Touya growled. Yukito punched him slightly in the arm, glaring at him to be polite. Smiling, he turned back to Chiharu.
"I'll have some coffee as well. Some cream and two teaspoons of sugar, please." He said, handing over some money to pay for his share.
"I'd like some tea as well, two sugars and some creams." Tomoyo said, looking up from her laptop.
"Same for me, please." Meilin said politely.
"Hm, and I'll get some coffee, if you don't mind. Nice, good, strong coffee...just bring the sugar and cream, I'll add my own." Eriol said, rubbing his eyes. He had been driving for quite some time, but there was absolutely NO way he was going to hand over his car over to some girls. Not that Tomoyo and Sakura couldn't drive. It would just hurt his pride if he had to hand over the driver's seat. Therefore, he needed caffeine.
"And just an apple juice for me, please." Sakura said politely. Chiharu nodded and smiled, repeating the orders over and over in her head so she would remember.
"So, here's the plan for the rest of the night," Touya said and everyone crowded around him to hear what he was saying. "We stay at a hotel that I believe Tomoyo had already gotten us some reservations?" He asked her. She nodded, turning her laptop to show the reservations had been made.
"Yup, I got us some rooms at the Hilton." She said cheerfully.
He nodded his approval and continued. "Then, we will be getting up promptly at 9:00 AM and checking in with a friend of Nakuru who will be telling us some details about some terrorist actions and what all the activist groups are up to. Then, we'll stop off at my friend's place and pick up some supplies. Then, we'll come back here, get our stuff, and leave back for good ol' Vancouver." He said, looking around the group for any concerns or suggestions.
"Um, one question." Said Meilin, frowning in thought. "How on earth are we going the 'supplies' back over the border? What if they check the cases? Security is going up at the U.S./Canadian border, and you know it." Touya grinned.
"If we are checked, which isn't much of a possibility, I have a few ways of getting them to see it my way."
Nakuru narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "I don't like the sound of your voice, Kinomoto." She muttered. Yukito shrugged, smiling.
"Don't worry, Nakuru, Touya won't do anything stupid, believe me. We'll all make sure he doesn't."
Touya glared at Yukito for a split second when Yamazaki and Chiharu walked back to the group, juggling coffee's, teas, apple juices and a small bag, probably a danish for Yamazaki.
"So, found a danish?" Sakura asked, sipping on her apple juice. Yamazaki frowned.
"Yeah, but not apple. Stupid people didn't have any apple ones." Yamazaki muttered. "All they had was strawberry. Strawberry is stupid. It shouldn't be a flavor for a danish. The only ones they should have should be apple and that's it." He muttered, biting into the danish. Taking a few more bites, his face brightened from the small pout. "Hey, strawberry isn't half bad." He said, eating some more.
Sakura laughed while Chiharu groaned. "Why does he have to be so childish?" She muttered, shaking her head. Yamazaki, over hearing the whispered comment, beamed.
"That's why you love me so much, babe!" He said, offering the last of his danish. Chiharu smiled and took it, giving him a small peck on the cheek.
"Yeah, I guess so." She said, then turned to talk to Tomoyo about something. Yamazaki stared with wide eyes after her.
"Whoa," he muttered softly to Eriol. "I didn't actually think she would agree." He said, still in mild shock.
"Women are crazy and sometimes blinded by love. I mean, take Sakura here, for instance. Syaoran was going to kill her...actually, she was going to kill him...well, actually, they were both supposed to destroy the other..." He said, trying to figure out who was supposed to kill who.
Sakura winced at the memory. Her gun drawn, her respect for him only over-powered by the feeling of having to get this one mission over and done with. The thought of losing him before ever knowing him...that was scary. But, now...she might lose him right now, when she does know him. Knows his kindness and love and protectiveness. Seeing into his sunset eyes to find adoration and love hidden beneath the cold, aloof Syaoran Li. To think that she could lose him almost brought tears to her eyes.
'You've cried enough since then,' she thought, trying to steal herself and blink away the tears before anyone could notice them. 'You have to be strong. You have to find him. The sooner, the better.'
"Come on, guys. We'd better get back on the road. We need to get going." She said, resolved in her mission. Eriol nodded, revived slightly by his coffee.
"She's right, you know." Eriol said, taking the keys out of his pocket. Before he could say anything, Tomoyo snatched them from him.
"Very well, but it's time for me to drive. You can get us killed if you're too tired." Tomoyo stated matter-of-factly. "You should read over your driver's manual sometime soon..." She smiled then slid gracefully into the front seat. Eriol glared at the dark haired woman, muttering something incoherently.
"We'll see you guys at the hotel." Touya said, jumping into his car. Sakura nodded.
"Of course."
~*~*~*~*~
Sakura woke up that morning. She was in her own bed, her own sheets...wait, there was someone beside her...
She turned over and gasped. She saw a peacefully sleeping Syaoran, his brown hair tousled all over the place, quite messy and definitely cute. But why would he be here...wasn't he captured by the demon terrorists from hell? Wasn't she supposed to be in Washington, with Touya and Eriol and Tomoyo and everyone?
What are you thinking, Sakura. Why would you want it to be like that? You have Syaoran right here, where you want him to be, the sensible part of mind said. (a/n: Folks, this is not meant in a hentai way...*shakes head* not at all...) She turned around to him and quietly tried to push some strands of hair away from his face, not wanting to wake him up.
However, he still had some sharp instincts and reactions, and his eyes opened, his amber ones gazing into her green ones.
"Hm...good morning." He muttered and kissed her softly.
This is pure bliss...definitely pure bliss.
"I can't believe you're here, Syaoran." She muttered against his lips. He pulled apart, looking at her, confused.
"Why?" He asked, stunned. Sakura laughed and shook her head.
"Nothing...just a really bad dream...a really really bad dream that I don't want to ever think about again."
Suddenly, it happened.
Doors were slammed opened, people with machine guns and mocking smiles, started to open fire.
No, no...this can't be happening...this can't be HAPPENING! Sakura thought frantically.
"Get down Sakura!" She heard Syaoran yell. Distantly...far in the distance...
...this can't be happening...not now...everything was perfect...
He grabbed her wrist and pushed her down, protecting her against the flying debris and bullets.
...not like this...I have him now with me...
She couldn't scream...she was trained not to scream, even when bullets were flying everywhere...
And then suddenly, they weren't. The terrorists were gone...but everything was all full of holes and whatever from the bullets.
"Syaoran," she whispered softly. "Syaoran, are you all right?" When she didn't get an answer, she tried more frantically. "Syaoran?"
There was a slight groan. "Yeah, Sakura...I'm...I'm fine." He muttered. She got up and looked at him, hoping that his eyes would tell her the truth: that he was really fine, that nothing happened, that the flying bullets weren't aimed at them.
But he was grimacing in pain. He breathed in ragged breaths, short and jagged. His hands were clutching one side...and then she saw it...
The blood.
The blood was everywhere...on his hand, on his side...it was everywhere.
"Oh, Syaoran, oh no Syaoran." She whispered, tears coming to her eyes.
"I...I..." He stuttered looking down at shock in to his blood soaked hands. He looked back up. Sakura saw he was going into shock from the bullet. "I...I'm sorry, Sakura." He said quietly, searching her eyes.
"Syaoran...please, Syaoran, just...just hold on. We can get help, I know we can...please..." She said, holding him against her in a tight hug, not caring if the blood got all over her nightgown.
"I'm so sorry, Sakura...I really am...I love you..." He said, then he groaned and shuddered in absolute pain. "I love you, Sakura...I don't want to leave you, Sakura...I'm sorry..."
Sakura was sobbing, holding him tighter to her. "Syaoran," she gasped through sobs. "Syaoran, please don't leave me."
But there was silence. Dreadful, horrible silence.
Syaoran was limp in her arms, his eyes shut...never to be opened again. His beautiful sunset eyes...
He was dead.
"No!! Syaoran! SYAORAN!" She cried out loud, but held on to him with all her might.
~*~*~*~*~
"Sakura...Sakura, wake up...Sakura..." A voice came into Sakura's subconscious, bringing her into reality. Opening her eyes slowly, she noticed Tomoyo, Chiharu and Meilin's concerned faces hovering over her. Thoughts of the dream came back to her...the guns...the noise...the laugh...the blood...
"I...I had a nightmare..." She said meekly, drying her tears. Tomoyo nodded.
"We noticed. You were crying for Syaoran, Sakura. And you were screaming pretty loud." Tomoyo said, sympathetically. Sakura sat up, noticing that Yukito, Eriol, Yamazaki, Nakuru and Touya were looking at her, just as distressed and concerned.
"I...I dreamt that I was with Syaoran again..." She started. Touya frowned and muttered something but she ignored it.
"Go on, Sakura." Chiharu said softly, encouraging her.
"I was with Syaoran again and, at first I couldn't believe it. But then...it was so real. He was really there with me. I mean, I could smell his scent and could hear him breathing...he really was there so I thought I was really awake."
"Doesn't sound like that bad of a dream, Sakura." Tomoyo said, grinning. Sakura smiled weakly, shaking her head.
"No, it wasn't. That part, anyways. Anyways, as I said he was there again...but then...then someone crashed into our room..."
"Your ROOM?!! Sakura, what the hell were you two doing...wait, do I even WANT to know?!?" Touya cried, his eyes in pure shock. Sakura had to laugh, even though she really didn't want to, considering the horrible dream she just had.
"Nothing was happening, Touya...you're disgusting..." She said, hitting him on the arm. "Anyways...anyways...so someone crashed into our room and...it was the terrorists...machine guns in hand. The clicked off the safety and Syaoran yelled to me to duck. He protected me as the activists opened fire. I could hear them laugh, could hear glass and mirrors and everything explode. Then...then they disappeared. But everything was ruined, everything was just awful. I asked Syaoran whether he was okay, and he said he was..." She shuddered, tears coming back to her eyes. "I turned around but I could see he wasn't. He was shot. He was in pain. I could see the pain in his eyes, the excruciating pain he was going through...there...going to die...but slowly, ever so slowly...I told him everything was going to be all right but then...then he died...in my arms, he died right there..." She hid her face, not wanting the others to see her cry over a dream. She heard a gasp from what was probably Meilin. This was her cousin Sakura was talking about.
"Oh, Sakura..." Tomoyo said, sitting down on the bed and putting her arm around her friend's shoulder. The dream was horribly vivid, Tomoyo thought. No wonder Sakura could see it had actual reality. "Sakura, Syaoran's fine..."
"How do you know?" Sakura cried, glancing up to look at everyone. They didn't say anything. What could they say?
"You don't..." She finished, frowning. "None of us know. We could...we could be doing all of this in vain...we could be just trying to find him when he's really dead...died some horrible death and...no..." She said, hiding her face in her hands again, shaking her head.
"Sakura, listen to me." Meilin said so sternly that Sakura automatically looked up. Meilin's terra cotta eyes were glazed in tears, but her mouth was still set firmly. "Don't lose hope on my cousin, Sakura. Look at your hand, Sakura. Look at it. Look at your ring finger. My cousin gave that to you that fateful day, don't you remember? He promised to be there in your life forever and my cousin has a habit of never breaking his promises. So don't lose hope, Sakura. Never lose hope."
Sakura sighed and wiped away her tears. "You're right, Meilin. He has to be alive. It's just...it's just so scary to think of him...gone." She said, shaking her head.
"I can see what you mean, Sakura. I mean, it would be impossible to think of life without Eriol..." Tomoyo said, smiling sympathetically.
"...Or Yamazaki." Chiharu interrupted quietly.
"We're quite a tight-knit group, Sakura. We've been through a lot. And we're going to get through this, all of us alive and safe. All right?" Sakura nodded and smiled.
"Of course. Um...thanks guys..." She said, smiling sheepishly again. "It meant a lot to me." Meilin beamed and hugged her.
"We're almost like family, Sakura. We'd do anything for you." She said, then straightened and led the way out of Sakura's room. Tomoyo and Eriol went through the door that connected their two rooms as the other filed out.
After locking the door, Eriol turned to Tomoyo and smiled. "Did you really mean what you said back there?"
Tomoyo frowned. "About being close with the others?" She asked, confused. Eriol sighed and shook his head, somewhat disappointed but hoped he wasn't showing it.
"Yeah, that's it." Tomoyo laughed then and hugged him.
"Yes, of course I meant that I couldn't live without you!" She whispered, smiling up at him. He smiled back and kissed her softly on the lips.
"Hm...the feeling is mutual." He muttered to her, feeling quite happy if he could say so himself.
~*~*~*~*~
That morning, the group left the the Hilton and went to a nice little neighbourhood in the south side of town. It was actually quite peaceful and Sakura did not know how Touya was going to get his 'information' from this bunch. They all walked up the walk, up the steps and up to the door. Touya cooly and calmly rang the doorbell. A young man opened the door.
"Kinomoto?" He asked, confused. Then he flashed a comradely smile. "Hey, man, I haven't seen you for quite a long time! Since when were you back in Washington? You could've told me!"
Touya grinned. "Sorry, Terada. We're only in for a while...it shouldn't take longer than a day, to tell you the truth." He said, shrugging over to the others. Terada shrugged and nodded, opening the door wider to let everyone in.
"Anyone want anything? Tea, coke, hard liquor?" He asked, flashing another grin. Yukito shook his head.
"Nah..." Terada frowned.
"Yukito, pass down a chance to eat? Now THIS is definitely weird...definitely weird. Must be very serious." Touya nodded.
"You better believe it, Terada. We need some information on the Thompson Corporation."
Terada let out a low whistle as he pulled out a small laptop out from under his couch. Sakura frowned as she sat down on one of the chairs.
"Um..." she started, not knowing how to ask her question. He looked up.
"Yes...?" He asked, searching for her name.
"Sakura Kinomoto, not related, though, to Touya Kinomoto. Um...I'm just wondering...how would you know about the Thompson Corporation?" She asked. He shrugged.
"I'm part of the CIA. It's my job to know about terrorist groups around the world." He said, typing in a couple of passwords.
"And then sell them to spies of unknown agencies?" Eriol asked, skeptical. Terada shook his head.
"No, actually only to Kinomoto over there." He said, tilting his head over to Touya who was having a small discussion with Yukito. "He helped me out when I was trying to find something out so I owed him. I don't sell any information." He added, scowling at Eriol, who simply shrugged.
Terada kept on typing something in until he said, "Ah ha! Found it!" He said, looking over to Touya, who had quickly walked over to that side of the room.
"It seems that they were hired by a wealthy individual. I don't know what they're up to at this moment but I have had some tips that for the past half a year or so they've been over at that old resort up in the BC. Other than that, I've had no other reports." He said, shrugging.
"How about this? They held a few people hostage until a friend of ours up in Vancouver!" Yamazaki said sarcastically. Terada frowned.
"Really? Hm...you know, the CIA could use some people like you guys." He said, thoughtfully. Tomoyo shook her head.
"We were actually trying to escape this life style except when we were rudely aware that we could not run away." She said, seriously. Touya rolled his eyes.
"Look, sorry to interrupt, but we still have stuff to do today, so Terada, if you can just print us up a map to that abandoned resort?" He asked. Terada shrugged over to the small printer beside the table where a colour map was coming up.
"Done and done!" He said, setting down the laptop. "Are you sure you guys don't want anything to eat or drink?" Touya snatched the map.
"No thanks, Terada. Look, thanks man, I owe you one!" He said, indicating for the rest to follow him.
Terada showed them out and waved goodbye, shutting the door afterwards.
"All right, we know where we're going and where they've most likely taken Syaoran. Now all we have to do is do some shopping." Touya muttered to them, and jumped into his black rental car.
~*~*~*~*~
"Where are you people going?" Asked the officer at the border. Eriol smiled charmingly. They had just finished purchasing what they needed for the attack on the terrorists and were finally getting home. The rest were already across the border. His car was the last to follow.
"Vancouver, British Columbia."
"Where are you from?" The officer asked, checking at how many people were in their car.
"We're all from Canada." Eriol replied. The officer looked at them all again, then indicated for them to proceed. Nodding a thanks, Eriol rolled back up his window and drove off, following the others.
"Phew..." Sakura said with relief in the back. Eriol glanced at her in the rearview mirror.
"What? Scared that they might ask to check our belongings?" Eriol asked, smiling. "He didn't even ask for a passport!"
"I know," Sakura said, exasperated. "It's just that security is getting tighter now a days. I'm just thankful we got across with such...well...cargo in the back."
"Hey, don't worry about it, Sakura. Why don't you take a nap? We'll wake you up when you get there." Sakura nodded, trying to get as comfortable as she could, especially since she was in the back of a car.
She drifted into a comfortable sleep, dreaming of, of course, Syaoran.
~*~*~*~*~
Syaoran shook his head, unaware of where he was. Looking down, he noticed his apparel. It was the same as that night...the night when he had learned the password to Sakura's agency. That meant...that meant Sakura was up ahead, with the cyanide pill.
No! He had to get to her first! He ran after her, knowing where she was off to: his beautiful place where they had first talked to each other, in sincerity.
He saw her...or, her back. She could see her, hunched over something. He sighed, thankful that he wasn't too late. He knew this part.
"Sakura..." he whispered, kneeling down beside her. When she didn't stir, he turned her around...only to see the red clash with the black.
"No..." he whispered, as he looked into her empty green eyes. Looking down further, he saw it. The knife protruding her stomach...
"No, no, no, no..." He kept whispering, shaking her a bit, not knowing what good that would do.
"Well, Xiao-Lang...doesn't seem like you can run any longer...from your fate...just like Ms. Kinomoto, huh?"
Syaoran turned around, glaring...the woman...why was the woman was always there!? Why did she always HAUNT HIM?!
"You killed her...you killed her!" Syaoran said, his rage clouding his judgment. He jumped to his feet, ready to take her on with his own bare hands.
The gun...the bullet...he felt it pierce him but...but he couldn't really believe it. He looked down and saw the hole, the crimson liquid bordering it. There was another shot, then another. The force of the bullets sent him tumbling back until he collapsed. He looked over at Sakura one last time until his eyes shut...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Geo: Mwahahahaha! Done! Hey y'all! Sorry this
story hasn't been updated a lot! It's just been really weird for quite a
while! However...I'm back! Tee hee! Well...yeah!
Perfect! Anyways, yes...hope you all liked it and stuff! Mwahahahaa!
I'll be back soon!
Brooklyn: YOU KILLED THEM!! HOW COULD YOU!?!?!
Geo: Eeps! *runs away*
