BISHLOV'S CHEAT NOTES:

Hikaru, Fuu, Umi – all 20 years old, in college and living together in one apartment.

Lantis – reincarnate name is Tooya, 27 years old, just graduated from law school and is preparing for the bar exam.

Zagato – reincarnate name is Saito, 31 years old, a high-ranking officer of the Japanese army and is still the brother of Lantis/Tooya.

Emeraude – reincarnate name is Esmeralda (Spanish for Emerald), 25 years old, wife of Zagato/Saito and is still the sister of Ferio.

Ferio – still called Ferio (it sounds Spanish enough), 21 years old. He and Emeraude/Esmeralda are children of the ambassador of Japan to Spain.

Ascot – reincarnate name is Oyama Akihiko (but rarely thinks of himself as such since he knows everything about his Cephiran self), 25 years old, a veterinarian and works in a vet clinic (duh), lives somewhere by the sea.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own MKR or any of its characters. CLAMP does. This plot is a product of my overactive imagination.

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UMI'S STORY

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 4

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Ascot closed the door behind him with a soft click. Umi had been unconscious for hours now and dawn was nearing soon. It was a bit worrisome for he was having second thoughts whether that bump on her head was serious or not. He should have brought her to a hospital but couldn't. It would raise too many questions if Umi woke up and told what happened before he could speak with her.

They were miles away from Tokyo — from where she was attacked. The circumstance on how they got from that alley to his backdoor was close to impossible (here on earth, that is). Unfortunately, his medical expertise was on furry, four-legged animals (give or take some scaly and feathery ones) and not humans. All he could do was hold her limp hand and pray that her condition doesn't worsen.

"She's still sleeping," he informed his whining dog. "Don't worry. If she doesn't wake up come morning, I'll call a doctor to check on her."

He stared out the window and watched the waves crash against the shore. His inner turmoil was like that. Forceful. Unrelenting. He didn't want to imagine what would have happened to Umi had he not…

He pushed away from the sill and strode to his bedroom. Ceres followed him and watched as his master changed his clothes. "I'm going out for a jog. I won't be long. Watch her while I'm gone."

Ascot opened the guestroom door wide to allow the dog to come and go as he pleased. He looked in at the sleeping woman in the bed and brushed a loving finger across her cheek. "I'll be back, love."

A moment later, he was out the door, running across the shifting sand as though demons were after him. There was too much energy…too much tension…too much anger inside him to just sit around and wait for her to wake up. Just looking at her pale, stress-bruised face could make him sink deeper in this feeling of helplessness.

Oh, Umi…what happened to you?

Ascot allowed himself to recall everything that happened yesterday afternoon now that he could freely dispense the negative emotions without disturbing Umi's rest.

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He stood by a newspaper stand, pretending to read a magazine whereas he really was observing her. This was the closest distance he had ever dared and it worried him that his over-cautiousness had cost Umi dearly.

He never knew that Umi was seeing a psychiatrist!

This was at least the sixth time he followed her to this building and it never clicked that inside were a bunch of clinics and laboratories. It was only when he followed her inside for the very first time that he found out who and what she came here for. As soon as he read that plate on the door she disappeared into, he felt a hard squeeze on his lungs, making it quite difficult to breathe. He had to get out and just wait for her outside the building. There, his mind started to clear.

A shrink! Why would she go to a shrink?!

Because something's bothering her, the answer came immediately.

"I didn't know," Ascot whispered as he retrieved Ceres from where he tied him. God, what a mess! He had claimed that he loved her, but he didn't even notice the changes in her even after the years he followed her. Given the chance now, he saw how thin and frail she was. Something was definitely wrong.

Ascot no baka!

He would beat himself up later. What was important now was Umi. An hour later, she emerged from the Medico building. He hid behind the racks of newspapers and magazines. He lowered his baseball cap as low as his vision would allow.

She looked better now than when she went in. He started to follow her but stopped when he saw Ferio walking to her. He picked up the magazine that he had discarded and pretended to read again. They didn't talk long, but it was obvious that the green-haired guy noticed something wrong with Umi too.

Her good mood had suddenly vanished, Ascot could judge it well enough, but why would seeing Ferio sadden her?

She quickly walked away after she hugged him as if she was anxious to get away. Ascot placed the magazine away but was bumped by someone. He didn't think anything of it even though the guy barely looked up for an apology, but then the jerk kicked Ceres to get the dog out of his way. That was an entirely different matter indeed.

"Hey," Ascot yelled at the guy but was snubbed again. He reached for the guy's arm, but someone else blocked him.

Ferio stood right in front of him and Ascot momentarily forgot about the man who kicked his dog. There was a speculative look in Ferio's eyes as though he was trying to place him from somewhere, trying to remember why Ascot looked familiar. The green-haired guy never saw him before in this world even after he and Fuu fulfilled their contract. It was obvious that seeing Ascot in Tokyo was a bit of a surprise.

In an instant, recognition clicked in Ferio's mind. He grinned and nodded then started to walk to Ascot. He walked past quickly, but Ascot heard his mumblings nonetheless.

"About time you showed up."

Ascot smiled too for it seemed that everything was falling into place.

The smile was quickly replaced by a frown when he noticed Umi enter an alley. He frowned some more when the idiot who bumped into him followed her. Ceres was already tugging on his leash, bidding his master to start moving.

"Hush, Ceres. Don't make any sound," Ascot warned, not wanting to alert the stranger with their presence. It didn't take long for him to be sure that the guy was indeed following Umi. He looked exceedingly suspicious and it wasn't just because the man was still wearing his sunglasses despite the darkening sky and sudden downpour. He saw him hide behind the trash bin when Umi stopped and turned around.

What is he doing? What does he want? Is he a robber? But the leering look that Ascot saw in the stalker's face was definitely disturbing. This man wanted Umi, but hell would freeze over first before he gets her.

For a while Ascot thought that Umi would be able to get away since she was nearing the main street. No one would dare attack her in a crowded street. But the stranger moved fast. So fast that Ascot could only watch as Umi crumbled to the ground.

The man was already crouching down to Umi's unconscious form and Ascot felt an intense anger that he felt only once before — the time when Chizeta kidnapped his beloved. He released the growling Ceres from his leash and all but shouted an equally growling command, "Do it, boy, go get him!"

Ceres barked loudly as he raced toward the man who looked up and jumped up in a start. The dog aimed for the hem of his pants but the sudden movement caused the sharp teeth to sink on his ankles instead. He howled in pain then kicked the dog with all his might. The force caused the dog to yelp and release his hold. The man took this chance to escape.

Ascot lunged at Ceres' collar, preventing the dog to start a chase. "Let him go, boy. We need to see to Umi," he patted Ceres' head and told him to sit. He picked up Umi's wrist and felt her pulse.

"Umi…Umi…"

But there was no response. Maybe he should go back to the Medico building and get some help but thought better than leave her as is even with Ceres standing guard. The man might come back and the dog could only hold him off to a point. There was no use shouting to attract attention and help. No one would be foolish enough to enter a darkened alley in this downpour.

The cold rain forced Ascot into action. He lifted Umi in his arms with the intent of carrying her to the Medico building. He had yet to take a step when he felt a familiar sensation overcome him. Apparently he wasn't completely stripped of his powers yet. One second they were somewhere in Tokyo and a bright light later they were in his back porch.

He was disoriented for a while and had to blink back the after effects of the unexpected transport. Ceres barked twice then scratched his broken doggy door. Ascot had to place Umi in one of the wicker chairs to open the locked door. Once done, he immediately carried Umi to the guestroom.

He settled her in bed then left to collect his medical kit in his room. The instruments were made for animals, but they serve the same functions as those used for humans. He checked her pupils and heartbeat then turned her to her side to examine the back of her head. Aside from a rather large bump, everything seemed to be in order. Now that his anger and panic had subsided, he conceded that the impact of her head on the wall was not that forceful enough to cause serious damage.

Umi shivered and Ascot realized that he had another problem. If he didn't remove her clothes, chances are she could get a cold, or worse, pneumonia. It wasn't as if he hadn't seen a woman's naked body in all of his six centuries in Cephiro and 25 years in Earth combined.

But this was Umi — the love of his life…the woman of his dreams. The fact that not all of his dreams about her were wholesome added to his reluctance to strip her. Then there was that other fact that Umi would go berserk when she woke up without a stitch of clothing on. That could get ugly.

"To hell with it," he muttered when he saw another involuntary shiver. He peeled away the soaking wet dress as unobtrusively as he could. By the time he was down to the sorry excuses of underwear, there was a fine sheen of perspiration on his nose. Giving in to the temptation, he took a good look at her.

His gasp was so audible that it startled the snoozing Ceres. A mixture of shock and sorrow crossed his face as he stared at Umi's body. It wasn't as what he had expected. Her body was not slender — it was bone thin. Her clavicle and ribs were prominent, and her stomach was as concave as a bowl.

"Umi…what have you done to yourself?" Ascot pressed her hand against his lips. He shut his eyes tight, denying the sight of Umi's pain and sadness. When he opened his eyes, the evidence was still there.

Why would she starve herself like this?

He would know soon. He would find out once she awakened.

He covered her with a blanket and proceeded to relieve her of her last remaining garments then slowly dragged her body across the other side of the bed where it was warm and dry. He brushed the damp hair from her face and tucked the blanket tighter.

She looked so troubled even in her sleep and Ascot could feel his heart breaking along with hers. He dragged a nearby chair and sat beside the bed, anticipating a long night.

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Ascot reached the end of the sandy strip and leaned over to catch his breath. With his normal breathing more or less restored, he climbed up a rocky ridge and sat on a boulder. It was his favorite thinking spot, but now, he forced his mind to go blank. On and off the night, he slept a fitful sleep, and in between, he speculated on what was going on. The ideas bouncing in his head plus the lack of sleep were almost enough to drive him mad.

It was stupid of him to think that his reunion with Umi would have lesser hassle as compared to Lantis' with Hikaru and Ferio's with Fuu. He had always thought the problem lay with him. It never occurred to him that Umi…

God, he was such a selfish bastard.

There was a tinge of red bordering the ocean. Soon the sun would rise from the horizon, and hopefully, Umi would regain consciousness too. He walked back, targeting the dot that was his house. His steps grew quicker as he neared his home. After years of looking from afar, he found that he'd never get tired of staring at her face.

He stopped in his tracks when he saw movement in his porch. Nobody would visit him this early in the morning. It could only be one person. He watched her as she stepped outside, burying her bare feet in the soft sand. She stared as the rising sun shone over the shimmering water with a soft smile playing on her lips.

Ascot knew that he had never seen any woman as beautiful as she.

"Umi," he whispered in awe. The gentle breeze must have carried his voice for she turned so suddenly. He held his breath and waited for her eyes to finally lie upon him.

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"The doctor will be with you shortly," the nurse smiled in obvious flirtation.

He automatically smiled back, although inside he was disgusted by the woman's behavior. She thought she was pretty, but she definitely couldn't hold a candle to his Umi's beauty.

My Umi, he thought as he laid back down on the gurney. He was close, so close to having her, and he would have succeeded had it not been for that meddling man and his ugly mutt. How dare they interrupt his precious time with Umi!

No matter. It wasn't the right time, it seemed. He no longer saw the incident as a missed opportunity but a preparation of what was yet to come.

He had acted irrationally and this wound was the price he paid. He should have stuck to his original plan but seeing Umi that way was too tempting. It whetted his appetite for her.

He must have her soon.

Shortly after the doctor finished treating him, he paid his bill and hobbled out the hospital. The pain of his injury was only mildly irritating. Now that he started, nothing could distract him from his thoughts of Umi. He decided against going home. No time for rest. He needed to double check his plan.

If it works out the way he wanted, he wouldn't have to follow her to get her.

If all works out, Umi would be the one to come to him.

And he'd be waiting with open arms.

TBC…

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BISHLOV I hope this clears the air. If you're still confused then tell me. Peace, people!