Disclaimer: I don't own any ccs characters. :( They all belong to CLAMP.
sorry for the wait...enjoy
Eriol loved Tomoyo passionately. He regretted ever even thinking that his love was just a crush. Every time she kissed him, all his common sense disappeared and he was reduced to an animal controlled by hormones, making their nights interesting. When she told him she was pregnant, he was overjoyed, but that meant six months of chastity. Being a father though, was worth it. He absolutely adored everything about her, the way she talked, the way she moved, the way she carried herself, the way she arranged things, the way she kept her hair, the way she smelled. Even after two years of marriage, their passion and love had not subsided. "Every time is like the first," she once whispered to him, when they were...busy. He wasn't sure what exactly she was referring to, but he agreed with her.
As for Tomoyo, every moment of her life with Eriol was like an adventure. She was never sure when he would surprise her by coming home early, or making dinner for just the two of them, or "kidnapping" her and taking her on romantic midnight walks, or simply coming up to her and for no reason start kissing her fervently, which always made her weak in the knees and completely at his mercy. The memory of her first "kidnapping" always invoked a smile. He had snuck up behind her and blindfolded her. The only reason she hadn't hurt him was because she knew it was him. They had gone to the parks district and made love under the drooping branches of a willow tree. The poor animals must have been frightened to death, she had joked. Tomoyo always looked forward to nights spent with him. Eriol always had a way of making things interesting, and he had surprisingly naughty ideas.
Many months past and Tomoyo scrupulously tried to avoid the Underground. There were times when she just needed to get away and she would think of shape shifting and flying away, but out of love and respect for Eriol, she never did. Then after that, she got pregnant and she could not shift and leave to the Underground. Eriol also never went back. After his brief fling with Phoenix there, he realized exactly how dangerous it was and abandoned it forever.
Melly came over one day when their daughter was almost a year old. She was hysterical over something Tomoyo could not figure out, so she invited Melly to spend the night. Melly declined. "I just found out who my parents are marrying me off to."
"Who?" Tomoyo asked, the dread thick in her voice.
"Nathaniel Evans."
Tomoyo gasped. Nate Evans had had five wives already and was looking for a sixth. They were all dreadfully abused; two of them had killed themselves, one died in childbed, and another two were found beaten. All of this was scandal that was covered up from the media. Evans was good looking enough, but among the Elite, his reputation preceded him. "I...I suppose your parents are doing this because he offered a large dowry?"
Melly tearfully nodded her head. Tomoyo bit her lip. She wanted to show Melly her way of escaping - the Underground - but Eriol had forbidden it. At that very moment, her daughter, Josephine (Jo for short) crawled into the room. Tomoyo picked her up and whispered, "Well, rules were made to be broke weren't they Jo?" Her baby cooed in response.
"Did you just say something Tomoyo?" Melly asked reaching out for the baby.
Tomoyo bit her lip again. Eriol would be so angry at her, but some rules just screamed for breaking, like this one. She stood up and took Melly's hand. "Melly, I want to show you something. We're going to go somewhere, but first," she scrawled a note to her husband, Melly and I went out. Josie's at mother's house. luv, Tomoyo.
After they dropped of Jo, Tomoyo told Melly to wash her face and get rid of all the make up and hair ornaments. She lent Melly a pair of sweats and Tomoyo had her chauffer drop them off in the parks district. As they waited for a cab, Tomoyo instructed Melly, "We're going to the Underground."
"The underground?" Melly gasped. "It's dangerous there!"
"Not if you're the Phoenix," said Tomoyo. Melly raised her eyebrows. "I'm the Phoenix, Melly, I'm well known and respected here. Don't worry, you'll be safe."
"If you say so Tomoyo," Melly answered doubtfully.
"Phoenix. Don't call me Tomoyo. Phoenix."
Tomoyo took Melly to the Jester. She knew it wasn't particularly wise of her to choose the Jester, but at least there, she would be left alone. "Watch this Melly," she whispered conspiratorially. Tomoyo opened the door and stepped inside, turning up her nose slightly and looking around. Someone close by recognized her and whispered "Phoenix" to his neighbors. Heads turned. The feeling of being respected and feared in the Underground was good.
"Come Melly," Tomoyo gestured as she made her way to the bar. "'lo Spiral."
Spiral glared slightly. He wanted to interrogate her, but that was against the rules. "Phoenix. Anything for you?"
"No." Spiral had not changed much. He limped slightly and his skin was growing yellow, a sickly, pallid, yellow, perhaps his liver was dying on him. Tomoyo turned to her friend. "Do you see how much better off we are than these people, Melly?"
Melly looked around and nodded.
"Listen, I have money, I can get you off this planet, away from Evans if you want."
"Won't Eriol object?"
"Eli, you mean. No, it's my money that I made from spying."
"Spying?"
"Yes, spying. I did a lot of spying and I was the best at my business."
"So you made a lot of money. That's why you were almost never home during the day."
Spiral listened to this interchange from afar. Phoenix definitely had not been from the Underground. She was either Common or Elite. She had probably married Eli too. Just the thought of Eli made his blood boil. He had lived almost two years wondering whether or not he'd ever see Phoenix again and he's just about given up when she had come back! A customer was yelling at him, he couldn't afford to listen to Phoenix right now, but he would keep his ears open.
Tomoyo and Melly sat talking softly until nightfall when Eriol burst into the bar. "Eriol!" Melly exclaimed. Tomoyo and Eriol glared at her.
"Eli, remember Melly?" Tomoyo hissed. "How did you know I was here Eli?"
"Well, I didn't get home until a while ago, I went and picked up Jo and waited with her and when you didn't come home, I dropped her off at my mother's and came here. I don't understand why you had to bring Melly along though, and didn't we agree that you wouldn't do this anymore?" Eriol had said all this in a hurried whisper and a hurt tone, even though he kissed her cheek afterwards.
"We'll talk when we get home, dearest."
Melly started crying. "So, the two of you really are in love. Everyone thinks you two are just really good at acting."
Eriol and Tomoyo shot each other alarmed looks. "Melly, let's take you home. We'll talk when we get home," Eriol said and the three of them left the bar.
Spiral heard bits and pieces of their conversation. He knew names now. Real names. Jo, Melly, and Eriol. If he could get onto a vidcom with net access, he could look up these names and find out who Phoenix really was, then the rest would be easy. Spiral thought, Where can I get access to free nets?
Commons District. That would mean he would have to get clothes that didn't look quite so raggedy...that could take a while, but he would have to work fast. His head aches were a twenty-four/seven issue now....
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Please, Melly, spend the night here. You'll feel better in the morning," Tomoyo pleaded.
"Melly, what's going on?" asked Eriol.
"She's marrying Evans," Tomoyo curtly supplied the answer.
Eriol stood up dazed. Evans. He should be banned from women. He had tried to get Eriol to "try out his girls" but Eriol had refused. "I'm completely satisfied with Tomoyo thank you very much," he remembered telling him. Evans had responded by shaking his head and saying he was missing out. He could guess what kind of future awaited their gentle friend. "Is there anything we can do?"
Tomoyo hesitated. "I offered her a new life. With the money I have stored away."
Eriol looked at Melly. "Melly, take the offer. Tomoyo, she has a lot of money that she's never going to use."
Tomoyo nodded. "I can transfer a good amount of money into your name, buy you a new identity and a home on a nice tropical planet and still have so much left over I would be able to live ten times more extravagantly than this. Please. I want you to live a good life, Melly."
She laughed bitterly. "What kind of life would I be living without my friends and family?"
"A good one, Melly, a good one." Eriol said. "One without Evans."
"Melly, I have connections. You won't ever be found. You and me, we can still talk. Please, please, take it."
Melly quietly contemplated. "How fast can you get this done?"
"I don't know. I've never done it before."
"You have a month."
Tomoyo glanced at Eriol. "A month. I will get you off-world in less than a month Melly." Tomoyo took her friend's hands. "I promise."
That night, in bed, Tomoyo and Eriol did not make love like the normally did. They worried about how they would manage to give Melly all they wanted to give her in less than a month.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tomoyo and Eriol worked day and night to get Melly away and in three weeks, they did it. Melly was gone. Away. To some tropical planet half way across the galaxy where her name would be Elizabeth Melanie Ford. A woman who had inherited billions from an aunt and was living in the lap of luxury. Tomoyo had made sure that the house she had purchased was installed with a secure line so the two friends could still talk. Melly's parents were distraught at the disappearance of their daughter.
Her mother blamed her father for being so greedy and wanting to marry their daughter off to some wife beater. The media was all over the disappearance of an Elite girl and the whole planet was searched for any sign of her. Eriol and Tomoyo were also worried, but for a different reason. Melly would be in space for a month before she would arrive. A month of worrying that Melly would get caught.
The month passed slowly and finally, one day, they received a call, on their private line. "Tomoyo? I'm here. Thank you. The house, the place is beautiful." Both were relived that Melly had gotten away safely.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile, Spiral had found out where his Phoenix was. She was Tomoyo Daidouji, no, Tomoyo Hiragizawa. Finding her and getting her would not be difficult now.