{(Chapter 4- Sayuri)}
Slade came back from the small bathroom in his lair with a large cup of water in his hands. Sayuri spotted him, and motioned he come stand next to Starfire with her. He reluctantly obeyed.
Sayuri took the glass of water from Slade, and dipped her fingers in it. She then carefully flicked the beads of water from her fingers, and onto Starfire's face.
Slade frowned. "Kind of a nice way to go about waking her up, isn't it? What we should do is put her in one of my torture devices. That'll wake her up."
Sayuri shot a quick glare at him. "The point is NOT to have Robin arrive at your lair, only to find his little girlfriend dead or grossly decapitated. We aren't putting her through one of your disgusting torture devices."
"We?"
"Yes. We're partners in this. Have you forgotten? And the deal was that you respect me, and pay me for my services."
"I remember the deal. But you've yet to hold up your end of it. Robin is not here."
"Of course he isn't yet…" her voice trailed off, as something suddenly clicked in the back of her mind. She stood up and handed the water glass back to Slade. "You finish waking her. GENTLY. I gotta go…"
"And just where do you need to be going?"
"That doesn't concern you." She snatched her white cloak off the floor and quickly walked out the door.
"'That doesn't concern you'" Slade mimicked Sayuri, in a horrible impression of her voice. He knew mocking people wasn't normally something he did, but that girl was driving him crazy. He sat down beside Starfire's unconscious form, and started to dip his hand in the water. Then a thought occurred to him.
"That audaciously cruel girl isn't here; so why am I still listening to her demands?"
He smirked as he poured the entire glass of water of Starfire's head. The teen's eyes instantly flew open, and she sat up, coughing the water out of her lungs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Once she was out of Slade's lair, Sayuri sprinted down the road a few blocks, where her car was hidden in a Taco Bell parking lot.
(A/N- ^__^ Guess who loves Taco Bell.)
She climbed into her golden yellow convertible, started it up, and then steered out of the parking lot and down the -nearly empty- road.
You know… you could've just teleported… an annoying voice whispered from the back of her mind.
"I like to drive." Sayuri said out loud.
Besides… it gives me time to think…
As she cruised down the old, two-lane road, her mind drifted off a little, and she found herself reflecting a little on her past.
Sayuri's parents had given her a good childhood, as far as she was concerned. Her dad -blue eyed red haired business executive- had always provided for her. He had been the loving, playful, and caring dad that any child would've wanted.
Her mom had been a lively housewife with long, cotton candy pink hair, and glistening golden eyes. No… scratch that. Her mom had been much more then a housewife. She had been like… a Supermom. She'd always been there for her daughter… always loving, yet strict… and constantly watching like a hawk; looking out for her little girl. It had been her mother who had taught Sayuri the fighting technique of the Spirit Wave- taught to her by Sayuri's great aunt, Genkai.
Her life had been going so great… a loving family… terrific friends… She should have guessed that something so perfect wouldn't last long.
It had all happened on July 31st -only two weeks after her 14th birthday. A maniac man, with unbelievable strength and size, had invaded her town. Him and his small troop of men had destroyed the buildings they had all worked so hard to build, and brutally murdered the people in the community, one by one.
Her mother, worried for her daughter's safety, had hidden her in a secret compartment, carefully hidden in their house's basement. Sayuri had begged her mother to stay with her there, hidden and safe, but her mom had refused- insisting that she had to find her husband. That was the last time she had ever seen her mother.
A few days later, she had ventured out of her hiding place, and back into the town. There was hardly anything left. It was a soundless, lifeless ghost town. All of the buildings and houses were nearly leveled, and she was the only person left.
At first it had been hard to accept so much destruction and loss. But then her realization finally set in. She was alone. Truly alone.
That is… until she met him.
Sayuri snapped out of her sudden flashbacks, as she sharply steered her car to the left; almost missing the turn into the hospital. She parked her convertible, locked it up, and walked in through the tall building's sliding glass doors.
She stepped up to the front desk, and addressed the old lady behind the counter. She noticed that the woman was lazily combing her fingers through her stringy, gray hair.
"Getting bored on the job?" Sayuri asked her, adding an edge of good humor to her voice.
The woman looked up, surprised at first. But then she recovered, and smiled warmly at Sayuri. "Yes," she chuckled. "I suppose I am. Is there anything I can help you with, Miss?"
Sayuri gave the woman a nod. "Yes. I need a visitor's pass. I have someone I need to see on floor 6."
"Floor six? Alright, what's your name?"
"Sayuri Iotanke. I'm here to see Takeshi Kenohe."
The old woman typed both the names into the computer. She quickly turned back to face Sayuri.
"Hey… you've been here before, haven't you?"
Sayuri nodded. "Yes, often enough. My visitor's badge, please?"
"Oh, sorry." The wrinkled old lady smiled and pulled out a laminated blue badge. She wrote Sayuri's name on the bottom with a black, Sharpie pen, and handed it to her.
"There you go. I hope you have a pleasant visit."
Sayuri took the badge, and she found herself having to force a smile at the woman's word choice. She gave the receptionist one last nod before heading over to the elevator.
"'Have a pleasant visit.'…" She echoed. "It's a hospital for crying out loud! The entire place reeks of unpleasantness!"
Sayuri calmed herself down, and pressed the down button on the elevator. In a few seconds, the doors slide open, and she stepped inside.
She noted that no one was in the elevator with her, but there was a small security camera in the corner of the ceiling. She realized that if he wanted to, Slade could easily hijack that camera, and could be spying on his little "partner" at this very moment. She involuntarily shuddered at the thought.
Her drifting mind snapped back to reality as the elevator doors dinged back open. She stepped out, and walked down the long, cold hallway.
She stopped just outside room 613. She opened the door -noting how cold the doorknob seemed- and stepped inside the room.
Sayuri let out a small gasp when she saw the unconscious form lying on the hospital bed. She hurried over to the cushioned chair next to him, and sat herself down in it.
She just sat there for a long while. The seconds ticked by, as she just sat and gazed at the man sleeping on the bed. The sudden rush of emotions swirling through her became too much for words.
Still looking at the man on the bed, she finally started talking to him… her words were spoken softly and edged with grief.
"Hey, hon… I guess you can't hear me, huh? …. That's all right with me… I haven't seen you in a long time, you know… Oh, I'm so sorry I haven't been here to visit you more often Takeshi… But… you know I'm still earning the money for your operation…"
She looked at him pleadingly, even though she knew there was no way he could see or hear her. The drugs the doctors gave him were very strong, and would have him out cold for hours, maybe days. The drugs, that is, that they gave him so he wouldn't have to suffer… in agony from his pain.
"Oh, Neko-koishii, it isn't just my new… job. I hate to see you like this. Your always either knocked out or…." She suddenly found that her throat was tight with emotion. She had to choke out the rest. "or… or else you're suffering."
Sayuri reached up, and grabbed his hand in hers. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes as she started to reminisce about their past together.
They had first met in a fast food place. She was 17, and at the time, she had totally withdrawn herself from the world. She'd built up a nice, sturdy wall between herself and everyone else in the world, and no one was going to get in. At the time, she wasn't even sure why she was struggling so much to stay alive. She only knew that deep down; she wasn't ready to give up on life yet.
The fast food place they had met at, was her new job. She was working behind the cash register for grocery money.
So, Sayuri had first noticed him as she typing his order into the cash register. Even now, she still remembered what it was. A chicken sandwich with mayonnaise, lettuce, and a small cup of water.
"Water?" she remembered asking him. "You're a little strange, aren't you? The only people who come in here for water are sick or extremely old."
Only then had Sayuri looked up at him. The young man had deep-set eyes that were the color of smoke. His hair was fairly long, peach-colored. His body was notably sleek, and Sayuri noticed that she found it all too easy to compare him to a curious cat
The cat-like teen had just shrugged, and asked, "Would it help if I asked for lemon water?"
Sayuri had laughed at that subtle joke. It was the first time she'd laughed in years.
After their first meeting, the man kept coming back to the fast food stop, everyday at noon. Their relationship gradually grew from cashier and customer to good friends. Until one day, when Sayuri had worked up the courage to ask the attractive boy out on a date.
They'd both had a wonderful time, and the dates had continued. Sayuri found that her carefully built emotional wall easily crumbled when she was near him. He was lighting up her life again, and giving her a new reason to live. A new person to love.
Time flew by, and before she knew it, it was their 1-year anniversary. Takeshi had pre-arranged a romantic evening for the two of them, and had asked her to meet him by a small pond in the middle of their city's park. He'd given her specific directions to the place. She remembered it like it was yesterday.
**Flashback**
Sayuri stood alone at the edge of the pond. It was already getting dark, but the stars were out, and lit up everything around her with a glistening light. A warm breeze blew past her, making her long hair dance in the light wind.
"You're here." She heard the voice from behind her.
She smiled as she turned around. She spoke to the man facing her with a teasing voice.
"Neko-koishii, you're the one who's late. Why are you surprised that I'm here on time?"
"'Cat-darling'" he translated in an amused voice. "Is that going to be your nickname for me?"
Sayuri smiled. "When I first met you, I couldn't help but think of how much you looked like a cat. Sweet, affectionate, and terribly clever. I could tell all this just by looking into your lovely gray eyes, Takeshi."
Takeshi couldn't help but grin at the affectionate words. He walked up to the lake edge, and gently edged a small wooden boat out of the shore's long grasses. Sayuri let out a contented sigh when she saw what he was doing. Her little neko was such a romantic.
Takeshi knelt down and held the boat at the water's edge. He looked back at Sayuri and nodded towards the boat.
"Ladies first, my beautiful Sayuri."
Sayuri treated him to her sweetest smile before climbing into the boat. Her footing was uneasy, and she almost tipped the boat over. Her face flushed a bright red as she seated herself down on one of the two small benches.
"Sorry…" she muttered.
Takeshi chuckled and crawled in after her. He picked up the two oars and pushed them off from the shore. He slowly rowed them out to the middle of the pond.
Sayuri looked around at the natural beauty surrounding the two of them. The stars -bright, beautiful, and unblemished by air pollution- shimmered above them; watching over the couple, and casting a beautiful glow on everything around them.
When Sayuri heard Takeshi finally stop rowing, she turned back to face him. She noticed that he was already gazing at her, and probably had been since they'd first pushed off from the shore.
"What is it you're staring at, Takeshi? Do I have something on my face?" She was half teasing, half fishing for compliments. Takeshi wasn't going to let her down.
He finally stopped staring, and took her hand in his. "No…" he said softly. "It's the same perfect face I've been dreaming about for the past year of my life."
Sayuri took his other hand in hers, and smiled lovingly at him. "Where do you come up with all these sweet, romantic things? If I weren't so afraid to move in the boat, you would have swept me off my feet."
He chuckled and tightened his grip on both her hands. He looked her strait in the eye; smoky gray met golden yellow.
"Sayuri, you are the only one in this world that can take me when I'm weeping, and make me laugh. You're the only one that can turn my days of despair into years of love. You are the only source of joy and love in my life, and you're more then I could've ever hoped for. You mean the world to me, and I would gladly give up anything I could, just to be with you."
Sayuri sat, speechless. She could tell Takeshi meant every word that he'd said. It had come from his heart, and she could tell just by looking into his eyes. He took her further by surprise realized his grip on one of her hands, and pulled a small, velvet lined box from his pocket. He leaned close to her as he popped it open, revealing a stunningly beautiful diamond ring.
"Sayuri Iotanke, would you marry me?"
Sayuri's eyes widened, and suddenly filled themselves with tears of joy. They ran down her cheeks as she hugged Takeshi close to her, making an effort not to squeeze him to death.
"Oh, Takeshi! Yes! Yes! I love you, Takeshi Kenohe! I'd love nothing more then to be your wife!"
Takeshi closed his eyes; unable to believe how much joy he was feeling at this moment. He managed to pull himself out of his fiancé's grip, and pulled the diamond ring from the box. He gently slid it onto her finger, and looked back up at her.
Tears still poured down Sayuri's cheeks as she grinned back at Takeshi. I'm so happy… I've never been happier… never…
She leaned over, closer to him, and their lips met in a kiss.
**End Flashback**
Sayuri sat in the hospital room, tears pouring out of her just as they had that night.
"But… we never had the wedding, did we? Only a few days later, we were both at the doctor's office, waiting for my friend to come out, so we could tell her the good news… and then one of the nurses spotted you, and asked if she could give you a check up. At first I was worried she was getting fresh with you, Neko-koishii… but then she called the doctor over, and they both looked at you… a few scans and x-rays later, we were informed that you had stomach cancer…" she stopped, and gripped his hand tighter in hers. She leaned over, and buried her face in his hand, softly sobbing.
We could've been so happy… why do these things always have to happen at the best times of your life?
She managed to stop her sobbing, and stood up from her chair. She sat down on the edge of his hospital bed, and gazed at his peaceful, sleeping face. She fondly brushed some stray strands of peach colored hair from his eyes.
"But… enough of my crying. It isn't helping you…." She paused. "The doctors say that your cancer is still new enough, that it can still be treated. When can still get married and live happily ever after." Sayuri glanced down at the golden ring on her finger. A few more stray tears escaped from the corners of her eyes, landing on her lover's chest. "And, as soon as I get my pay check from Slade, that is the first thing we're going to do."
She stood up from the hospital bed, and slipped Takeshi one last kiss before leaving.
(A/N- *eating Snaps * If you didn't get something in that last chapter, reread it. There's A LOT of filler info in there, and you gotta read it thoroughly to get it all.
So, anyway… ^^ I hope you enjoyed it. A few people were asking me to tell you more about Sayuri, and… there you have it. I was planning on putting this filler in a little later in the story, but I guess it's better that you know everything near the beginning. Plus, I do hate leaving y'all in the dark.
Also, if anyone knows more about stomach cancer, that they'd like to share with me, I would very much appreciate knowing. All I know is that it leaves the victim in excruciating pain, and that they are usually prescribed strong drugs to ease it… but sometimes those don't even work. So… yeah. Review, alright?! Please!!!!!!!)