Chapter 11
Madison giggles as Sakura squeaks, but Eli gently pokes her in the side causing her to squeak as well.
Sakura turns around when she hears Madison squeak and sees her playfully glaring at Eli, she smiles and nudges Li and he turns and looks at the two and smiles.
Madison gets up off the desk and walks over to the filing cabinets so Eli can't poke her. Sakura gets up and walks over to Madison, "It's good to have you around Madison." Says Sakura sweetly as she goes to hug Madison, but Madison winces and backs up and hits the wall gently with her back and slumps to the floor, pulling her knees to her chest. Sakura backs up and looks at Eli with a look of fear in her eyes.
Eli motions for everyone to leave his office and they do, Sakura is the last one to leave and she takes one look at Madison before she closes the door. Eli gets up, walks over to Madison and kneels in front of her, "Maddi?"
Madison looks up her eyes wide with fear, "I'm sorry, I just panicked." She says softly.
"It's ok. I should have warned you, Sakura is really friendly and she hugs a lot. I'm sorry." Says Eli as he strokes Madison's hair gently, his voice soothing.
Just then Eli's office door swings open and Madison and Eli look up to see Tori standing there looking worried, "Are you ok?" he asks gently looking at Madison.
"I'm fine Tori just a little panic attack. You know how I get them after wards." Says Madison as she stands up with a smile on her face.
"Tori knows?" asks Eli as he stands up and looks from Tori to Madison.
"Like I said before Tori worked for my mom. He knew what happened to me, each time. He was always there for me to talk to. He's been a big brother to me but after my mom died I saw less and less of him." Says Madison as she looks past Tori and sees Sakura pacing around the outer office looking worried and Li was trying to get her to stop pacing. Madison walks past Eli and Tori and into the outer office. Sakura looks up as she hears Madison move past Tori. Madison walks over to Sakura and smiles gently, "I'm sorry Sakura, I have panic attacks sometimes, it's just you were … well it's not your fault."
Sakura smiles softly, "I'm sorry I should have guessed you would have been a bit jumpy."
Meilin mumbles something and Madison spins around and glares at Meilin who is sitting at her desk, "Eli's office right now." She snaps and glares at Meilin.
Meilin looks up knowing Madison heard her and she nods, she gets up and walks into Eli's office.
Eli comes out after hearing Madison snap at Meilin and looks at Madison with a look of question written all over his face.
Madison follows Meilin, "We are going to use your office for a few minutes ok?"
Eli just nods and watches Madison walk into his office and close the door. One by one Madison closes the blinds. They all see Meilin sitting there with a look of fear and anger on her face.
"What did Meilin do?" asks Eli after the last blind was closed.
"I don't know Madison was talking to Sakura and she suddenly spins around and orders Meilin into your office." Says Li wondering what his cousin did this time.
"Meilin why did you say that?" asks Madison as she closes the last blind. Her voice mixed with anger and sadness, she doesn't look at Meilin. Madison just stares at the closed blinds.
"I speak my mind sometimes, a lot of the time really. I mostly mumble it or say it under my breath." Says Meilin as she sits on the couch looking at Madison's back. She can see Madison tense up.
"Why does everyone think I'm a new toy or Eli?" asks Madison turning around.
"I didn't say that." Says Meilin a bit shocked.
"I know you didn't, I'm pissed about what you said but I don't dwell on anger, it's not good for me. But why do people think I'm a new toy?"
"I don't know why are you asking me?" says Meilin raising her voice just a bit.
"Because you will tell me the truth and you think it as well." Says Madison as she walks over to Eli's desk and sits on it.
"You can't read minds can you?" asks Meilin looking a bit nervous.
"No I can't but I know you think it, I can tell by the way you look at me and plus what you said yesterday." Says Madison as she shakes her hand around in the air.
"I don't know Madison. It's just a joke between us, I mean Eli's never had a girlfriend." Says Meilin softly.
"He's never had a girlfriend?" asks Madison as she gets back up and walks over to the windows and open one of the blinds too see Tori and Eli talking by Meilin's desk and Li and Sakura talking with each other and laughing the odd time.
"Nope he hasn't. We all grew up together, well since fourth grade anyway. I've been in and out of relationships, Sakura and Li have been with each other forever. And then there was Eli, he never dated. We all knew he was betrothed to a woman who was much older but he broke it off saying that there was an angel with violet wings out there who is hurt and waiting for him." Meilin pauses for a moment, "Hey I think that angel was and is you."
"What?" asks Madison as she smiles at Eli who has noticed her watching them and not Meilin.
"The angel Eli talked about for so long. It's you, your aura is a bluish purple." Says Meilin as she stands up and smiles.
Madison turns around and looks at Meilin, "You can see aura's?"
"Yeah I can. I learned when I was younger; we all have a little magic in us. Yours is your hearing, mine is my ability to see aura's." says Meilin getting a little excited.
"So Eli knew about me but he didn't know it was me exactly?" asks Madison as she closes the blind again.
"Yeah that's right. He always said that the angel was in great pain and had a terrible life, the flower was always waiting for the right guy to love her for who she is and not what she is." Says Meilin as she watches Madison and sees her tense up again.
"Are you serious?" asks Madison slowly as she slowly turns around and looks at Meilin her eyes starting to water.
Meilin sees Madison is going to cry so she gets up and walks over to Madison and smiles at her, "Madison the description Eli has been giving us for these many years, is that you?"
Madison just smiles and starts to cry.
Meilin gently pulls Madison into a hug and rubs her back; "Madison is it?"
Madison sniffles, "Yeah, he's called me an angel before, and I have been waiting for someone to love me for who I am not what I am."
A soft knock comes on the office door; "It's Sakura are you ok?"
"Sakura come in here right now." Says Meilin as she lets go of Madison and smiles.
Sakura opens the door and walks into the office; Madison looks past Sakura and sees Eli standing in the middle of the outer office trying to look at her. Eli sees Madison look at him, her eyes are a little red and she wipes the tears away from her face. Eli goes to walk into his office but Meilin closes the door in his face and he hears her lock it.
"Eli it's ok." Says Tori, "I have to go I wanted to stop by and say those guys who attacked her said they were hired by someone but they won't say who."
"She was right." Says Eli.
"About what?" asks Li.
"Nothing, Tori take me to them I want to talk to these guys." Says Eli as he looks at Tori his face showing a hint of anger.
Tori nods and walks tot he door.
Eli follows but before he leaves he turns to Li, "Tell her I'll be back."
Li nods and motions for Eli to go.
"SHE'S THE ANGEL!" gasps Sakura a bit to loudly, looking at Madison.
"Sakura please not so loud." Wines Madison.
"Oops sorry. But you're the angel?"
"Sakura you know how Eli has been describing the angel for so long?" asks Meilin as she opens Eli's bottom desk drawer.
"Yeah but never facial features or anything." Says Sakura as she looks at Meilin.
"I know he never told us but I found this one night while I was getting something one night." Says Meilin as she digs through the drawer.
"Meilin you really shouldn't be going through….." starts Madison but she stops when Meilin pulls out a picture of her with violet wings.
"Eli drew this back when we were in high school." She turns the pages in the sketchbook and they see more pictures of the angel growing into a woman over time. Finally the last picture was dated the night Madison was attacked. But this picture was different form the others, she wasn't happy and glowing, she was sad and crying, she had cuts and her wings were broken at odd angles.
"Oh my god." Says Sakura as she cups her hand over her mouth.
"Meilin I want you to see if a picture was drawn on May 13th, about four years ago." Asks Madison as she wonders.
Meilin flips back and looks for that date, she looks up at Sakura and Madison and turns the book around to reveal the same drawing only with a bit younger angel.
"Go back one year and look for August 25th." Asks Madison getting a little freaked.
Meilin again flips back through the pages and comes across the same picture. She shows Madison.
"Two years before on November 1st."
Meilin again flips back and sees a young teen angel all beat up and crying. She shows Madison.
Madison closes her eyes and moans, her voice quivering, she slumps to the floor.
Sakura catches her just before Madison hits the floor. Sakura lays her down gently and motions for Meilin to put the book away. Sakura then gets up and opens the door to see Li standing there looking worried. He looks at Madison on the floor and he walks past Sakura and over to Madison, he picks her up and moves her to Eli's couch. Sakura looks into the outer office and sees Eli isn't there.
"He left Sakura. With Tori, something about Madison. What did you guys do to her?" Asks Li as he gets up and looks at Sakura and Meilin.
"Li she's the angel." Says Sakura.
"How do you know?" asks Li as he looks down at Madison.
"Well this helps a lot." Says Meilin as she tosses Li the sketchbook.
Li flips through it and sighs, "This isn't good." Says Li as he looks from the book to Madison.