DISCLAIMER:  I do not own CCS or any of its characters.  CLAMP does.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

AMETHYST EYES

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 8

"She's asleep," Eriol spoke into his cellular phone.  "Yes, I'm sure."

"What have you got for me?" asked the voice on the other line.  It was the Police Chief of the Tokyo Police Department.  Eriol's phone rang four o' clock on the dot for his daily report.

"As expected, the Takenori case was a dead end."

"Damn it, Hiiragizawa!  What have you been doing?  I was expecting more from you but it seems like you're losing your touch."

Normally Eriol would have defended himself by this time but he was too upset and confused to do so.  Maybe he was losing his touch.  Or maybe he's just too emotionally involved in this case.

"What is it, Hiiragizawa?  You're too quiet.  What are you hiding?"

He cursed under his breath.  Chief Murosaki did not reach where he was now if he hadn't been perceptive.  The older man could sense an anomaly from a mile away.  He knew that he should tell him what he had found out but was extremely reluctant to do so.  He knew what would happen if he did and he didn't want that to happen.

He'd rather die than let that happen.

"Hiiragizawa!  Hiiragizawa!"

"I'm still looking for a lead.  I'll call you when I have something."

With no further ado, he snapped his phone shut, terminating the call.  After a brief hesitation he proceeded to turn it off.  Aside from being perceptive, his superior was also persistent especially when angry.  Pocketing the phone, he turned to go back in the motel room only to halt again.

Tomoyo-chan!  How long had she been standing there?

"Good, you're awake," he regained his composure.  "You must be hungry.  What would you like to eat?  We could order some pizza or maybe..."

"You didn't tell him.  Why?"

How can he answer that?  Should he tell her the truth or fabricate a lie?

"He doesn't need to know.  Not yet anyway."  Of course...a half lie.

"Baka," she muttered as she followed him in.  "Of course he needs to know.  He's your boss."

"I don't care."

"Demo..."

"I SAID I DON'T CARE!"

"Eriol-kun," Tomoyo gasped in surprise at his outburst.  He saw her eyes flash with shock after he punched the nearest wall to stop feeling so helpless.  A second later the same beautiful eyes flashed with defiance.

"Don't fight with me Tomoyo-chan," his voice carried a warning note.  "I know what I'm doing."

"Then what are you doing?  What are you planning to do?"

"My plan does not include telling anyone what happened earlier."

"Are you out of your mind?  Why would you want to do that?"

"Because if I told Chief Murosaki about your involvement he would want to use you as bait."

"And that's a problem because...?"

"That's a problem because I cannot risk losing you to that madman!  I won't!  I will not allow it!"  However hard one tries to hide the truth it's always bound to be uncovered.  Eriol slammed his palms on the table, dislodging some of the paper scattered on it.  When he saw her picture, the one taken before she was abducted, he couldn't help but grip the edge of the table in desperation.

He knew that his answer wouldn't flatter her even for a bit.  She was too attached to the other abducted girls to even consider what he was feeling.  He was being an insensitive, selfish ass he knew that.  But he couldn't help it.  Now, he understands why the Daidouji matriarch tried to repress her daughter's memories...tried to shelter her from the truth.

It was simply because Tomoyo was too special.  And he was not going to lose grip on the one person who could give sense to his existence.  He had devoted his entire life to helping other people, even as a child.  Surely he deserves to be selfish just this once.

He was expecting an indignant reply from her.  After all, he is a cop and it is his duty to catch the perp and save the girl at all cost.  And when he didn't hear or feel any reaction from her he looked up and saw a determined look on her face.

"It's not for you to decide, Eriol-kun."

"Tomoyo-chan, I..."

"No," she moved closer to him and laid a hand on his.  "I know you fear for my safety.  I'm scared too.  But I have to do this.  You must understand that I need to."

"You don't have to," still he resisted.

"Weren't you listening?  I need to do something, Eriol-kun, even if it means putting my life on the line."

The desperation in her eyes almost made him change his mind.  Almost but not quite.  God knows what would happen to her if she falls into the hands of that serial killer.  Images of him desecrating her body in more ways than one flashed through his mind.

"No," he said with an equally grim determination.

Amethysts flashed from desperation to irritation.  "You can't stop me, Hiiragizawa."

He did not think that the day would come when he would wince at his own name.  But it was fine with him if she'd get angry with him.  At least she'd be alive and safe.  She sent him a look that had haunted him day and night.  It was the look she always gets whenever she recalls a vision.  Her brilliant eyes are now dull, almost turning black from the pain.

"I had another dream.  He's expecting me to come to him.  I went to the woods and he was there, waiting for me.  He had been killing those girls to get my attention.  So that I would go to him."

"All the more reason why you shouldn't go.  That psycho's obsessed with you."

"But if I go he might release Keiko Mori."

"If and might.  There's no certainty.  He could lock you up in that basement and kill you both."

"Why are you saying these things?  Don't you care about that missing child?"

"I care about you more."  Eriol loosened his grip on the table and pulled her in a tight embrace.  "I can't bear the thought of losing you.  If something happens I don't know what I'll do."

"I need to do this.  My conscience will not let me rest if I don't go to him.  I promised myself that I would help those girls in every possible way.  This is my chance to keep that promise."

His only response was to tighten his arms about her some more.  He was torn between letting her go and keeping her safe.  He felt her arms move to his back to return the hug.  For a moment he wished time would stop.  He wished that he could whisk her away to another world where there were no other people but them.

But alas!  None of those were possible.  Time was not something that they have.  The clock was ticking and he needs to make a decision.  Save the child or save Tomoyo?  Ninety-nine percent of him wants to drag his love as far away from Tomoeda as possible even if she would kick and scream in protest.  But still there was that remaining one percent.

That one percent was his conscience.  Small, yes, but it was still a part of him that he couldn't ignore.  A few moments of tense silence passed.  His insides warred.  And his 'one percent' was gaining authority due to Tomoyo's muffled sobs against his chest.  He couldn't deny her anything even if what's at stake was his own sanity.

After a while she gently pushed against him and stared at his blue eyes, almost pleading for understanding.  "I have to go tonight.  In my dream the woods was dark but there was a full moon.  I'm sure there was a full moon."

Just like tonight, he thought with dread.  Midnight will mark the end of the seventh day since the Mori girl was kidnapped.  Eriol would bet all his worldly possessions that there was a full moon in every seventh day deadline of every abducted girl.  It was only now that he understands how that bastard operates.  He had to admit that his MO was brilliantly meticulous.

Perhaps now he understands why Tomoyo was so adamant in seeking the perp.  She blames herself for everything.  She used to say to him that she tolerated the pain and humiliation of seeing things and getting ridiculed because it was not about her.  It was about those frightened girls and how she should help them.

But now she found out that it really was about her.  The psycho abducted the girls in search for her...to draw his amethyst eyes out.  She feels that she's the one who pushed the girls to their deaths.  Her guilt must be overwhelming, threatening to eat her inside out.

And he couldn't stand seeing her sad just as much as he couldn't bear losing her.  He let out a long sigh of defeat.  He would have to go along with her and just make sure that no harm would come to her.

"You're not going to change your mind, are you?"  He cupped her face with his palms and wiped some of the tears with his thumbs.  He sighed yet again when her face lit up in triumph.  He should have known that he would lose in this fight right from the very start.  Or any fight for that matter so long as his opponent was the bewitching Tomoyo Daidouji.

He gave her one last squeeze before moving towards the door with his phone at hand.  "All right.  I'll help you.  I don't like it one bit but I will...for you.  I have to call for reinforcement first.  And we need a plan.  I'm not going to let you go if we don't have a plan."

He was about to leave the room when her hands clutched at his shirt from behind.  He felt her lean her forehead on his back and his heart skipped a bit at the small gesture.  "Arigatou, Eriol-kun."

"Don't thank me yet," he smirked though worriedly.  With that he reluctantly went out to make the call.

~Later, around 11pm~

Only a handful of men were sent from Tokyo to Tomoeda.  Chief Murosaki did not want to send too many cops.  It would raise some suspicions from the media.  If that happens, the rescue mission would surely be compromised.  Eriol was in charge of the mission.  He had already notified Chief Hanagata of the Tomoeda department of the attempt to draw out the perp.  The old man had promised to help in any way he could, including giving any number of cops to assist, if and when he needs it.

But right now he did not need his help nor does he want it.  Tomoyo's safety is at stake here and he would need to trust the people under his command.  And he did not trust anybody else but his colleagues from Tokyo, especially not Hanagata and his men.

Two cops had already hidden themselves in the woods, each equipped with an earpiece that serves as a two-way radio.  One of them was Nakajima, the closest guy he could consider as his partner.  Two other men were with him and Tomoyo.  They were huddled in a van that's parked a few blocks from Penguin Park.  They were having a last minute briefing before executing the plan.

"Remember, Tomoyo-chan, all you have to do is wait for him to come out.  Let him come to you.  And when he shows up, talk to him.  Make him talk about Keiko Mori or any of the other girls for that matter.  Make him say something incriminating.  When you do that, we're going to arrest him."

She nodded at him stiffly.  He could see that she was nervous, almost scared.  Who wouldn't?  He reached out to squeeze her hand in encouragement and did not let go, much to the interest of his men.

"Here, pin this on you," one of the men handed her an angel brooch holding a small, fake amethyst gem.  It was actually a tracing device as well as a transmitter.  Any conversation that would go between her and the perp would be transmitted to this van and recorded by the machine tucked at one side of the cramped vehicle.

Eriol took the brooch and deftly pinned it near her heart.  It was then he frowned upon her outfit.  She was wearing a ribbed turtleneck sweater and jeans.  It was not because they were hugging her form quite snuggly although a part of him was finding it disconcerting.  No, it was because of the color of her top.  It was a light shade of purple that emphasized the tone of her amethyst eyes.

It was as if she chose to wear it in order to goad either him or the psycho.  If he knew better, which he does, the outfit was meant for both of them.  And he finds it quite dangerous.  He was about to order her to change her clothes but was interrupted by a radio transmission.

"Hiiragizawa, it's time.  Send her out," Nakajima's voice was heard through the speakers.

Eriol hesitated a bit but was calmed down by the trust in her eyes.  He led her out of the van and accompanied her to the corner leading to the park.  From there on she would walk alone.  "Ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

"Good," he hesitated yet again, a nagging feeling queasing through his stomach.  "Tomoyo, be careful."

He felt a tug at his hand and he looked down in time to see her reaching out to kiss him.  She pressed a chaste kiss on his lips once, twice before pulling away.

"I love you."  The whisper was so soft that he thought he had imagined it.  By the time he came to his senses, she was already walking away from him.

He wanted to call to her...to run after her...to hug her and kiss her senseless.  He wanted to tell her that he loves her too.  But he couldn't.  They're on a stakeout and he needed to be on his toes.  He could do those things once this was over.  But right now he needed to make sure that she would stay safe.

Once her small figure disappeared from his vision he went back in the van and settled in front of the machine.  "Was the brooch working?"

"Perfectly," the other cop pushed the rewind button with a grin and the tape played their conversation including Tomoyo's 'I love you'.

So I didn't imagine it, he couldn't help but grin in delight.  She loves me too.

"Amethyst has entered the park," the radio crackled again.  'Amethyst' was their code for Tomoyo.  "She's now in position."

"Are there anybody else about?"  Eriol spoke when he attached his earpiece.

"There was a couple of kids making out a while ago but I drove them away."  Eriol smirked at Nakajima's tone.  He knew that the other cop was disappointed that he couldn't pull the peeping tom bit.

"Any others?  Particularly the suspicious kind?"

"Nope.  No sign of the asshole yet."  Yes, 'asshole' was their code for the perpetrator.

Thirty-seven minutes had passed and still there was no sign of him.  The last few minutes were quiet except for Tomoyo's mesmerizing hums.  They were starting to think that the psycho would not show up.  But of course they should have known that things always start to happen once they let their guards down.

"Amethyst is on the move," Nakajima informed them.

"Nani!"  What the hell is she doing?  I told her to stay put.

"She's entering the woods."

"I see a strange light from a distance," the other cop who's also hidden in the woods added.

"Then follow it, damn it!  Don't let her out of your sight."

They could hear movements in the background, though they were inconspicuous enough for the perp to notice.  "Let's move," Eriol ordered the driver to speed to the park.

"What's your status?" he almost shouted.

"I lost her."

"So did I.  There's no sign of the light either."

"Kuso!  Activate the tracing device," he jumped from the van even as it was just slowing down to a stop.  He stumbled on the pavement then broke into a run.

"North.  She's heading north."

"Eriol ran in that direction for ten minutes.  Halfway through the chase he was accompanied by the two cops.  A couple of minutes later the guy tracing their movements from the van ordered them to stop.

"You're getting warm.  She's not moving anymore.  She must have located the perp.  Approach with caution."

They pulled out their guns and moved forward slowly, using the trees for camouflage.  They reached a clearing but still there was no sign of her.

"Stop, she's just a few meters away from you."

"I don't see her.  Are you sure you're reading it clearly?"

The full moon chose to illuminate the area at that moment.  The light reflected on something to their far right.  Eriol walked towards it, his face turning white when his worst fear was confirmed.

On the ground was the angel brooch.

The asshole has finally taken his amethyst eyes.

To be continued...

Bishlov's Notes:  Thanks for all of your wonderful reviews, minna-san!!!  Pick one below if you're interested...Oh and please excuse my potty mouth in this chapter.

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