JUST BREATHE
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 13.
~*~*~*~
"What game are we playing today?" Ying-fa asked, plopping down on the cushions in the pavilion. Hilde looked up from helping Xiaolong with a history problem and smiled.
"As soon as we're done here, we will play Hide-and-seek. How's that?" She asked. The girl gave a delighted squeal and wiggled eagerly in her seat until Hilde was done helping her cousin. Then Hilde called the other children over (they had all been scattered around the gardens, doing their schoolwork), and they began the game.
First it was Chang's turn to hide, while the others tried to find him. But the rule to this game was, if you found the person, you hid with them until the very last person found you all. The person who discovered you last, was the next to hide.
Hilde sat and watched as first Deluce, then Ying-fa, then Xiaolong found Chang. Akito was the last, and he delightedly hid from the rest. The game went on, until Deluce suggested something else.
"Miss Hilde, it is your turn to hide!" She called, as Ying-fa giggled eagerly and pulled their teacher out of her seat. Hilde laughed and agreeably went to hide. She found a place near the edge of the gardens, behind a large snow-ball plant.
(a/n: Snowball plants have huge, ball-like clusters of tiny white flowers)
Hilde heard someone approaching and smiled to herself, wondering who it was. But her delight was short-lived.
A hand came out and clamped over her mouth tightly. Another hand twisted her right arm cruelly behind her back and held her tightly against her assailant. Hilde tried to struggle, but the hand covering her mouth suddenly let go, and before she could even scream, something hit her at the base of her neck, and everything went black.
~*~*~*~
"KOJII! KOJII, COME QUICK!!!" Chang shouted, his voice panicked. Kojii, who had been calmly waiting for Hilde to come back to the school-room, got up in alarm and raced for where the boy's voice had last been heard.
"PLEASE! SOMEONE, *HELP*!!! UNCLE KOJII!!!" Came Deluce's scream. Kojii turned down the garden pathway, and rushed into the clearing where the pavilion was. The five children stood there, their eyes wide with fear and horror.
"What's wrong?!" Kojii shouted, as Ying-fa threw herself, sobbing, into his arms.
"We...Miss Hilde was kidnapped!" Deluce wailed, throwing herself into her mother's arms, as Yelan and her daughter's appeared in the pathway.
"WHAT?!"
"We...we saw a man...a big man...carrying her away. She was limp...I don't think she was conscious." Chang whispered. Kojii's heart pounded in fear, and his hands that were holding Ying-fa, shook.
"Which way did the man go?" Yelan asked calmly, though there were tears in her eyes. Chang pointed towards the north end of the property and Yelan nodded.
"Siefa, go inside and call the police. Fanren, call Meilei and have her and her roommate come down here immediately. Fuutie, call Hilde's parents. Feimei, take the children to my sitting room." Yelan commanted. The four daughters did as they were told, and soon Kojii and Yelan were alone.
"I am going to alert the Elders. Kojii, I want you to stay here..."
"I am going to find her." He hissed in a dry voice, turning on her. Yelan frowned.
"You will stay here, Kojii. There is nothing you can do, and you wouldn't be able to help, anyway. It is obvious that you hardly know which way is up." Yelan said in a stony voice, taking his arm. Kojii blankly allowed her to pull him back inside.
He had no energy to fight. The shock was too great.
The only woman he had ever loved had been taken from him again.
And Kojii had never felt so alone.
~*~*~*~
"Oh, god! NO!" Tomoyo cried out, collapsing into a chair and allowing the phone to fall to the floor. She had just received Fuutie's call, and it had come as a horrible shock.
"Mom? MOM! What's wrong?" Yuki shouted, as he appeared on the stairwell, his eyes wide. He rushed down the steps and pulled his sobbing mother into his arms.
"What's wrong? What is it?" Mirah called, rushing into the hall. She and Yuki had been doing some homework together, when Tomoyo's cry had interrupted them.
"Hilde. Hilde!" Was all Tomoyo could say, before she dissolved into uncontrolled sobs. Yuki looked alarmed.
"Mirah, call that number back and find out what's wrong." He commanded. The red-haired young woman did as she was told and quickly got the information from an anxious Fuutie. Then the poor girl hung up, her hands limp, her face pale.
"Yuki...Hilde was kidnapped." She said weakly. Yuki nearly dropped his mother and turned horrified eyes to his girl-friend.
"WHAT? CALL DAD! HURRY!" He shouted wildly. Mirah nodded and quickly called Eriol, who took the news well, considering the circumstances. He promised to come directly home, and bring Touya and Tyson with him. Then Eriol told the girl to find her mother and to call Naoko to come over and comfort Tomoyo until he could be there.
By the time he got home, not only were they there, but also Heidi, Hiro, Bailey, Seamus and Tara, who had been out with them. Milly had also arrived home soon after they had received the news, and she was found to be cradling a distraught Tomoyo in her arms, when Eriol came into the sitting room.
"Tomoyo." He said lowly, pulling his wife close. Tomoyo turned and cried into his shirt, as he carefully sat down on the couch, and cradled her close.
"Now, do they have any idea who might have kidnapped her?" Eriol asked weakly. Heidi, who held her cell-phone in her hand, shook her head.
"They don't have any leads...but I may." She murmured. Hiro tightened his grip around her waist as she began to tremble.
"Mom, you have told us about that man who...tried to take advantage of you. What was his name again?" She asked. Tomoyo whimpered.
"Robert. Robert Roderick." Eriol filled in. Heidi caught her breath and closed her eyes, as if in pain.
"According to Meilei Li, her brother, Kojii Li, was going to be forced into marriage to a *Shayla Roderick*." Heidi stated. Tomoyo caught her breath and turned wide, red-rimed eyes towards her daughter. Eriol too, looked up in confusion.
"And?" He prompted.
"Apparently, Kojii broke off the engagement for...personal reasons. But if his ex-fiancee was related in any way to your *Robert Roderick*, there could be a possibility that he would become...angered by this."
"Why is that?" Yuki asked slowly. Heidi rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"Oh for Kami-sama's sake! Kojii Li has been...close to Hilde lately! And with that knowledge, Shayla could have taken that as a reason why Kojii broke off the engagement! And according to Meilei, the girl was rather...fond of Kojii, so this would make her horribly jealous. Add a father or relative who has something against our family already, and you have the makings for trouble." Heidi said in a tired voice. Tomoyo choked in shock, and Eriol closed his eyes as he realized that this was a good possibility. Then his eyes flew back open.
"Wait a moment. How 'close' has this young man been to Hilde?" He asked with a sudden awareness. Tomoyo and Heidi shared a 'look'.
"It is a long story." Tomoyo whispered.
"So that is why Kojii was punching the school-building that time!" Hiro suddenly announced, forgetting what he might be letting out. Heidi groaned and buried her head in her hands as Eriol turned wide eyes on him.
"Well, they said it was a *long* story." Hiro said ashamedly.
"We have to call Yelan. She'll need to know this so she can tell the police." Eriol stated. Heidi nodded and dialed the well-known number on her phone.
"Milly, will you arrange for us *all* to get plane tickets on the next flight to Hong-Kong? I have a feeling we are going to be needed. Milly sighed.
"I already did. We have to wait five days." She sighed, shoulders slumped. The group groaned and Eriol frowned.
"Did you book seats?"
"For every one of us."
"Good. Everyone, be packed by then." Eriol commanded.
~*~*~*~
As she returned to consciousness, Hilde groaned as a sharp pain filled her neck. Hilde blinked slowly, then blinked again. She was in a dark room, and it was too dark to tell exactly what it looked like.
Hilde whimpered and tried to move, but she found that her hands were tied together and then tied to something above her head, while her ankles were tethered to something else below her. She could feel vaguely that she was on a bed, but she couldn't tell anything else.
Again she whimpered, as she began to remember what had happened. The garden, the game, the children laughing, Deluce's suggestion that she hide, the snow-ball plant...the person grabbing her...then, nothing.
"Ahh. You are awake." A sickly-smooth voice murmured from the dark. Hilde gasped. A light came on and the small room in which she was being held was revealed, along with the talker.
"Mr. Roderick!" Hilde choked out, her eyes welling with tears. He gave her a bitter smirk.
"Yes." He murmured silkily. Hilde winced.
"Why?" She asked softly. He smirked.
"Your father took the one thing that ever truly belonged to me, away. Tomoyo was mine. MINE! I could have had her if he hadn't stolen her away. But now I have you. You have no idea how much you are like her." He hissed. Hilde shuddered.
"My twin sister is more like her than me." She whispered. For a moment, he froze, then smirked again, his fists clenching slightly.
"No. You are more like her than you know. Or perhaps you are right. Perhaps you are more like your father." He said roughly. Hilde frowned slightly. He was treating this as if it were a real conversation, and not a kidnapping situation.
"How so?" She asked shakily. He smiled, and it made Hilde think of something rotting.
"He took your mother away from me. And now, you've taken my daughter's fiancee away from her." He murmured. Hilde gasped.
"What do you mean? I thought you loved my mother. If that is true, how could you have a daughter?" At her words, he gave her a deadly glare.
"I got married, silly girl. I may not *love* the woman, but she suits me fine. She gives me what I want, and I return the favor. She was also cheated by your father, you know." He murmured. Hilde shivered at the implications of his words.
"How is that possible?"
"My wife loved your father, but he threw her away and then stole your mother from me." He hissed. Hilde winced.
"Who is she?"
"Her name was Kaho Mizuki...now Kaho Roderick." He murmured. Hilde choked back another gasp. Her father had mentioned that woman once...and he hadn't spoken kindly about her. Apparently she had worked for Hilde's father and tried to get him in bed with her, even after he was engaged to her mother. Hilde wrinkled her nose at this.
"Serves her right." She said in a low voice. But he heard her and chuckled.
"You *are* like your mother. The moment I saw you I knew it. You look so much like her." He whispered, trailing a finger down her cheek. Hilde recoiled from this touch, but he moved closer, his other hand running the length of her arm.
"You are so beautiful...like her. You are irresistible." He murmured, his leering face coming closer. Hilde let out a strangled scream and struggled against her bindings.
"Don't touch me!" She shrieked. He snickered.
"Are you sure it should be you giving the orders, dear girl? Last time I checked, it was you who was tied to the bed, not I." He chuckled, his lips coming dangerously close to her neck.
"You are married!" She cried.
"I don't love her, and she knows it."
"You don't love me."
"But I do. You are the epitome of your mother. And you will probably feel just like she did in my arms." He murmured, his arms sliding around her waist. Hilde's eyes were filled with terrified tears and she prayed for someone to interfere...anyone!
"Papa? Papa, are you done yet? Mother says the police are onto us. We'd better kill her, quick!" Came a voice from outside the door. Hilde whimpered and Robert growled.
"The police? How could they possibly have known?" He hissed, letting Hilde go and seemingly forgetting her as he walked out of the room.
"We're not going to kill her. We still need her." He hissed to his irate daughter. She growled.
"I want her DEAD! She took my Kojii away from me, and she needs to pay!" Shayla spat, as Robert slammed the door behind them.
Hilde lay, trembling, in the bed. Her amethyst eyes were wide and soft sobs were emitting from her plum lips as she struggled to think of a way to get out of this.
'Kojii, help me!' Was her last thought, as her senses swam and she blacked out.
~*~*~*~
"So Heidi is sure that it was this Robert Roderick who did it?" Yelan asked tensely.
It had been over a week since Hilde had disappeared, but there was still no trace of the girl. The police had questioned the Rodericks, but had found nothing amiss in what they had to say. Some of the Rodericks' friends had even claimed that they had been at a party the day that Hilde had disappeared, and had shown sufficient evidence of the fact.
"She's positive. And I, knowing Robert, would not put it past him. Even my mother was fooled about his character." Tomoyo sighed. She and the rest of the England group had arrived two days before, and were helping in the extensive search for Hilde Hiiragizawa.
"MOTHER! YOU'LL NEVER BELIEVE WHAT WE'VE FOUND!" Yuki shouted, rushing into the room with a sheaf of papers clutched in his hand. Yuki had been assisting some of the family members, in looking for more information about the Rodericks.
"What?" Tomoyo asked, jumping out of her seat in her anxiousness. Yuki brandished the papers under her nose.
"Robert Roderick is married to someone that you have talked about before. A Kaho Mizuki-Roderick. Are they the same woman?" He asked eagerly. Tomoyo turned pale and dropped into her chair again, tears falling from her eyes.
"Yet another reason for them to kidnap Hilde." Eriol sighed, as he entered the room, putting his arms around his distraught wife.
"We have plenty of evidence. Why don't they just go in there and arrest them?" Yuki shouted in anger. Yelan sighed.
"It is not that easy, Yuki. This is evidence based on reasons for them to kidnap her. But it does not prove anything. Until we find some actual proof, there can be no arrest."
"BUT THEY HAVE MY SISTER! SHE COULD BE DEAD...OR WORSE. I WANT TO SEE SOME ACTION!" He shouted in anguish. Mirah, who had come in a few moments before, put her arms around his waist and held him close, as his hot tears leaked into the shoulder of her shirt.
"He's right. We can't just sit here, waiting for something to happen. This is crazy. We've been looking for her for over a week, and there is still no news. And no real suspects." Meilei sighed, collapsing into a chair as she entered. Isaac came in behind her and put an arm around her shoulders.
"How is Kojii?" Yelan asked suddenly, as Sakura and Syaoran entered the room. Sakura's emerald eyes had lost their sparkle, and Syaoran looked angrier and graver than ever before.
"He locked himself into his room and he won't come out. He blames himself." Sakura sighed as her husband squeezed her shoulder.
"For what?" Mirah asked.
"For allowing this to happen. Kojii may be detached, but he still cares about anyone who works for him." Syaoran commented. At this, Meilei snorted, and then remembered that no one knew what had really been going on between Kojii and Hilde...not even their parents or Yelan.
"I'm going to go talk to him." Meilei sighed. Sakura shook her head.
"No, Mei. He needs some time alone."
"NO, mama! He needs comfort. You wouldn't understand." Meilei cried, tears coming to her eyes as she rushed from the room. Everyone looked after her in surprise.
"What was that all about?" Isaac asked.
"I'm sure she's just upset about Hilde's...disappearance." Sakura assured, shooting a sad look after her daughter.
~*~*~*~
"They've still found nothing." Meilei sighed, as she walked into Kojii's room. She had had to pick the lock on his door, but she had managed.
Kojii didn't respond. He was lying on his massive bed, eyes blankly staring at the ceiling. Meilei sighed.
"What would Hilde think if she saw you like this?" She asked. This caused him to flinch, and Meilei knew that she had hit a nerve.
"She would think that you were lazy and didn't care about her. You're not even helping us look for her! For Kami-sama's sake, Kojii, do something! You can't just let it eat away at you!" Meilei hissed. Kojii didn't respond again, and Meilei's eye twitched. Yes, she was like her mother, and like her mother, she could get in a violent mood, if the opportunity presented itself; and it had.
"GET UP, YOU NINNY! HILDE NEEDS YOU! SHE NEEDS YOU MOST! FOR KAMI-SAMA'S SAKE! GET OUT THERE AND DO SOMETHING. SHE *NEEDS* YOU!" Meilei shrieked, shaking her brother. Kojii was rocked violently back and forth and his eyes cleared, becoming angry.
"Go away, Meilei Li! If I hadn't show partiality to Hilde, this never would have happened! No one would have thought her a threat, and she wouldn't have been kidnapped. This *is* my fault, and don't you say otherwise!" He hissed, his amber eyes flaring. Meilei's eyes widened at the stupidity of her brother, and then her emerald eyes flashed with fire.
"YOU LOVE HER, YOU A** HOLE! GET A GRIP ON YOURSELF! YOU LOVE HER MORE THEN LIFE ITSELF, AND YOU KNOW IT! NOW GET YOUR STUPID BUTT OUT OF BED, AND PROVE TO HER HOW MUCH YOU LOVE HER, BY LOOKING FOR HER!" She screamed, her face turning red with the force. Kojii stared at his sister, wide eyed.
"How did you know that?"
"Oh, shut it! It took me a while, but I managed to get it out of Hilde what had happened the night she stayed over. *I* was the one who told Heidi."
"I thought it was strange, that Heidi knew." He groaned. Meilei smiled.
"I don't mind, Koj. I love Hilde like a sister...and if it had to be anyone, I am glad it is her. But it won't be her if we can't *find* her. That is why you need to help us. Kojii, don't let her go now. Not after all this. Not after everything you went through to get her back." Meilei murmured. Kojii sighed and nodded.
"What can I do?"
"The police-chief needs someone to head the search-and-rescue team. If they were to find Hilde, at least you would be the first to know. Heck, you might even be the first to see her." Meilei stated. Kojii's eyes brightened and he nodded.
"I'll do that. If Hilde is found...alive..." Kojii gulped at this, and tried to hide the sudden mist in his eyes.
"...if she is found, I want to be the one to be there." He announced, getting up. Meilei smiled and put her arm around his waist.
"That's my brother."
~*~*~*~
"She's been gone almost three weeks." Heidi moaned, collapsing in a chair with tears in her eyes. Hiro moved behind her and gently began to massage her shoulders.
"We will find her, Heidi. Now that Kojii is working with the search-and- rescue teams, I am sure that it is just a matter of time." He murmured into her ear. Heidi shivered in delight, but groaned.
"I still can't believe that my sister fell for that...that... cocky, arrogant, son-of-a-b**ch..."
"Heidi! That's my best friend that you're talking about...and your sister's lover." Hiro grinned as he said this, and Heidi groaned.
"I still don't know how you put up with him." She sighed. He laughed weakly.
"Hilde sees in Kojii, what I saw in Kojii. A boy, trying to live a normal life, despite the high rank of his family. He just wanted someone to understand him...and though I still don't sometimes, I can tell that Hilde does. They are sort of... kindred spirits, in a way." He murmured, burying his face in Heidi's fragrant hair. She laughed.
"How so?"
"Kojii needed someone to calm him down. Hilde needed someone to bring her out of her shell. Kojii needed to feel...understood, and so did Hilde. See?" He tried. Heidi smiled weakly.
"A little." She murmured, snuggling into his arms.
"Heidi! HEIDI!" Came Bailey's shout. The said girl came skidding into the room, her eyes excited.
"The police just called! They may have a lead!"
Heidi and Hiro looked at each other, wide eyed, and then all three of them bolted out of the room.
~*~*~*~
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 13.
~*~*~*~
"What game are we playing today?" Ying-fa asked, plopping down on the cushions in the pavilion. Hilde looked up from helping Xiaolong with a history problem and smiled.
"As soon as we're done here, we will play Hide-and-seek. How's that?" She asked. The girl gave a delighted squeal and wiggled eagerly in her seat until Hilde was done helping her cousin. Then Hilde called the other children over (they had all been scattered around the gardens, doing their schoolwork), and they began the game.
First it was Chang's turn to hide, while the others tried to find him. But the rule to this game was, if you found the person, you hid with them until the very last person found you all. The person who discovered you last, was the next to hide.
Hilde sat and watched as first Deluce, then Ying-fa, then Xiaolong found Chang. Akito was the last, and he delightedly hid from the rest. The game went on, until Deluce suggested something else.
"Miss Hilde, it is your turn to hide!" She called, as Ying-fa giggled eagerly and pulled their teacher out of her seat. Hilde laughed and agreeably went to hide. She found a place near the edge of the gardens, behind a large snow-ball plant.
(a/n: Snowball plants have huge, ball-like clusters of tiny white flowers)
Hilde heard someone approaching and smiled to herself, wondering who it was. But her delight was short-lived.
A hand came out and clamped over her mouth tightly. Another hand twisted her right arm cruelly behind her back and held her tightly against her assailant. Hilde tried to struggle, but the hand covering her mouth suddenly let go, and before she could even scream, something hit her at the base of her neck, and everything went black.
~*~*~*~
"KOJII! KOJII, COME QUICK!!!" Chang shouted, his voice panicked. Kojii, who had been calmly waiting for Hilde to come back to the school-room, got up in alarm and raced for where the boy's voice had last been heard.
"PLEASE! SOMEONE, *HELP*!!! UNCLE KOJII!!!" Came Deluce's scream. Kojii turned down the garden pathway, and rushed into the clearing where the pavilion was. The five children stood there, their eyes wide with fear and horror.
"What's wrong?!" Kojii shouted, as Ying-fa threw herself, sobbing, into his arms.
"We...Miss Hilde was kidnapped!" Deluce wailed, throwing herself into her mother's arms, as Yelan and her daughter's appeared in the pathway.
"WHAT?!"
"We...we saw a man...a big man...carrying her away. She was limp...I don't think she was conscious." Chang whispered. Kojii's heart pounded in fear, and his hands that were holding Ying-fa, shook.
"Which way did the man go?" Yelan asked calmly, though there were tears in her eyes. Chang pointed towards the north end of the property and Yelan nodded.
"Siefa, go inside and call the police. Fanren, call Meilei and have her and her roommate come down here immediately. Fuutie, call Hilde's parents. Feimei, take the children to my sitting room." Yelan commanted. The four daughters did as they were told, and soon Kojii and Yelan were alone.
"I am going to alert the Elders. Kojii, I want you to stay here..."
"I am going to find her." He hissed in a dry voice, turning on her. Yelan frowned.
"You will stay here, Kojii. There is nothing you can do, and you wouldn't be able to help, anyway. It is obvious that you hardly know which way is up." Yelan said in a stony voice, taking his arm. Kojii blankly allowed her to pull him back inside.
He had no energy to fight. The shock was too great.
The only woman he had ever loved had been taken from him again.
And Kojii had never felt so alone.
~*~*~*~
"Oh, god! NO!" Tomoyo cried out, collapsing into a chair and allowing the phone to fall to the floor. She had just received Fuutie's call, and it had come as a horrible shock.
"Mom? MOM! What's wrong?" Yuki shouted, as he appeared on the stairwell, his eyes wide. He rushed down the steps and pulled his sobbing mother into his arms.
"What's wrong? What is it?" Mirah called, rushing into the hall. She and Yuki had been doing some homework together, when Tomoyo's cry had interrupted them.
"Hilde. Hilde!" Was all Tomoyo could say, before she dissolved into uncontrolled sobs. Yuki looked alarmed.
"Mirah, call that number back and find out what's wrong." He commanded. The red-haired young woman did as she was told and quickly got the information from an anxious Fuutie. Then the poor girl hung up, her hands limp, her face pale.
"Yuki...Hilde was kidnapped." She said weakly. Yuki nearly dropped his mother and turned horrified eyes to his girl-friend.
"WHAT? CALL DAD! HURRY!" He shouted wildly. Mirah nodded and quickly called Eriol, who took the news well, considering the circumstances. He promised to come directly home, and bring Touya and Tyson with him. Then Eriol told the girl to find her mother and to call Naoko to come over and comfort Tomoyo until he could be there.
By the time he got home, not only were they there, but also Heidi, Hiro, Bailey, Seamus and Tara, who had been out with them. Milly had also arrived home soon after they had received the news, and she was found to be cradling a distraught Tomoyo in her arms, when Eriol came into the sitting room.
"Tomoyo." He said lowly, pulling his wife close. Tomoyo turned and cried into his shirt, as he carefully sat down on the couch, and cradled her close.
"Now, do they have any idea who might have kidnapped her?" Eriol asked weakly. Heidi, who held her cell-phone in her hand, shook her head.
"They don't have any leads...but I may." She murmured. Hiro tightened his grip around her waist as she began to tremble.
"Mom, you have told us about that man who...tried to take advantage of you. What was his name again?" She asked. Tomoyo whimpered.
"Robert. Robert Roderick." Eriol filled in. Heidi caught her breath and closed her eyes, as if in pain.
"According to Meilei Li, her brother, Kojii Li, was going to be forced into marriage to a *Shayla Roderick*." Heidi stated. Tomoyo caught her breath and turned wide, red-rimed eyes towards her daughter. Eriol too, looked up in confusion.
"And?" He prompted.
"Apparently, Kojii broke off the engagement for...personal reasons. But if his ex-fiancee was related in any way to your *Robert Roderick*, there could be a possibility that he would become...angered by this."
"Why is that?" Yuki asked slowly. Heidi rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"Oh for Kami-sama's sake! Kojii Li has been...close to Hilde lately! And with that knowledge, Shayla could have taken that as a reason why Kojii broke off the engagement! And according to Meilei, the girl was rather...fond of Kojii, so this would make her horribly jealous. Add a father or relative who has something against our family already, and you have the makings for trouble." Heidi said in a tired voice. Tomoyo choked in shock, and Eriol closed his eyes as he realized that this was a good possibility. Then his eyes flew back open.
"Wait a moment. How 'close' has this young man been to Hilde?" He asked with a sudden awareness. Tomoyo and Heidi shared a 'look'.
"It is a long story." Tomoyo whispered.
"So that is why Kojii was punching the school-building that time!" Hiro suddenly announced, forgetting what he might be letting out. Heidi groaned and buried her head in her hands as Eriol turned wide eyes on him.
"Well, they said it was a *long* story." Hiro said ashamedly.
"We have to call Yelan. She'll need to know this so she can tell the police." Eriol stated. Heidi nodded and dialed the well-known number on her phone.
"Milly, will you arrange for us *all* to get plane tickets on the next flight to Hong-Kong? I have a feeling we are going to be needed. Milly sighed.
"I already did. We have to wait five days." She sighed, shoulders slumped. The group groaned and Eriol frowned.
"Did you book seats?"
"For every one of us."
"Good. Everyone, be packed by then." Eriol commanded.
~*~*~*~
As she returned to consciousness, Hilde groaned as a sharp pain filled her neck. Hilde blinked slowly, then blinked again. She was in a dark room, and it was too dark to tell exactly what it looked like.
Hilde whimpered and tried to move, but she found that her hands were tied together and then tied to something above her head, while her ankles were tethered to something else below her. She could feel vaguely that she was on a bed, but she couldn't tell anything else.
Again she whimpered, as she began to remember what had happened. The garden, the game, the children laughing, Deluce's suggestion that she hide, the snow-ball plant...the person grabbing her...then, nothing.
"Ahh. You are awake." A sickly-smooth voice murmured from the dark. Hilde gasped. A light came on and the small room in which she was being held was revealed, along with the talker.
"Mr. Roderick!" Hilde choked out, her eyes welling with tears. He gave her a bitter smirk.
"Yes." He murmured silkily. Hilde winced.
"Why?" She asked softly. He smirked.
"Your father took the one thing that ever truly belonged to me, away. Tomoyo was mine. MINE! I could have had her if he hadn't stolen her away. But now I have you. You have no idea how much you are like her." He hissed. Hilde shuddered.
"My twin sister is more like her than me." She whispered. For a moment, he froze, then smirked again, his fists clenching slightly.
"No. You are more like her than you know. Or perhaps you are right. Perhaps you are more like your father." He said roughly. Hilde frowned slightly. He was treating this as if it were a real conversation, and not a kidnapping situation.
"How so?" She asked shakily. He smiled, and it made Hilde think of something rotting.
"He took your mother away from me. And now, you've taken my daughter's fiancee away from her." He murmured. Hilde gasped.
"What do you mean? I thought you loved my mother. If that is true, how could you have a daughter?" At her words, he gave her a deadly glare.
"I got married, silly girl. I may not *love* the woman, but she suits me fine. She gives me what I want, and I return the favor. She was also cheated by your father, you know." He murmured. Hilde shivered at the implications of his words.
"How is that possible?"
"My wife loved your father, but he threw her away and then stole your mother from me." He hissed. Hilde winced.
"Who is she?"
"Her name was Kaho Mizuki...now Kaho Roderick." He murmured. Hilde choked back another gasp. Her father had mentioned that woman once...and he hadn't spoken kindly about her. Apparently she had worked for Hilde's father and tried to get him in bed with her, even after he was engaged to her mother. Hilde wrinkled her nose at this.
"Serves her right." She said in a low voice. But he heard her and chuckled.
"You *are* like your mother. The moment I saw you I knew it. You look so much like her." He whispered, trailing a finger down her cheek. Hilde recoiled from this touch, but he moved closer, his other hand running the length of her arm.
"You are so beautiful...like her. You are irresistible." He murmured, his leering face coming closer. Hilde let out a strangled scream and struggled against her bindings.
"Don't touch me!" She shrieked. He snickered.
"Are you sure it should be you giving the orders, dear girl? Last time I checked, it was you who was tied to the bed, not I." He chuckled, his lips coming dangerously close to her neck.
"You are married!" She cried.
"I don't love her, and she knows it."
"You don't love me."
"But I do. You are the epitome of your mother. And you will probably feel just like she did in my arms." He murmured, his arms sliding around her waist. Hilde's eyes were filled with terrified tears and she prayed for someone to interfere...anyone!
"Papa? Papa, are you done yet? Mother says the police are onto us. We'd better kill her, quick!" Came a voice from outside the door. Hilde whimpered and Robert growled.
"The police? How could they possibly have known?" He hissed, letting Hilde go and seemingly forgetting her as he walked out of the room.
"We're not going to kill her. We still need her." He hissed to his irate daughter. She growled.
"I want her DEAD! She took my Kojii away from me, and she needs to pay!" Shayla spat, as Robert slammed the door behind them.
Hilde lay, trembling, in the bed. Her amethyst eyes were wide and soft sobs were emitting from her plum lips as she struggled to think of a way to get out of this.
'Kojii, help me!' Was her last thought, as her senses swam and she blacked out.
~*~*~*~
"So Heidi is sure that it was this Robert Roderick who did it?" Yelan asked tensely.
It had been over a week since Hilde had disappeared, but there was still no trace of the girl. The police had questioned the Rodericks, but had found nothing amiss in what they had to say. Some of the Rodericks' friends had even claimed that they had been at a party the day that Hilde had disappeared, and had shown sufficient evidence of the fact.
"She's positive. And I, knowing Robert, would not put it past him. Even my mother was fooled about his character." Tomoyo sighed. She and the rest of the England group had arrived two days before, and were helping in the extensive search for Hilde Hiiragizawa.
"MOTHER! YOU'LL NEVER BELIEVE WHAT WE'VE FOUND!" Yuki shouted, rushing into the room with a sheaf of papers clutched in his hand. Yuki had been assisting some of the family members, in looking for more information about the Rodericks.
"What?" Tomoyo asked, jumping out of her seat in her anxiousness. Yuki brandished the papers under her nose.
"Robert Roderick is married to someone that you have talked about before. A Kaho Mizuki-Roderick. Are they the same woman?" He asked eagerly. Tomoyo turned pale and dropped into her chair again, tears falling from her eyes.
"Yet another reason for them to kidnap Hilde." Eriol sighed, as he entered the room, putting his arms around his distraught wife.
"We have plenty of evidence. Why don't they just go in there and arrest them?" Yuki shouted in anger. Yelan sighed.
"It is not that easy, Yuki. This is evidence based on reasons for them to kidnap her. But it does not prove anything. Until we find some actual proof, there can be no arrest."
"BUT THEY HAVE MY SISTER! SHE COULD BE DEAD...OR WORSE. I WANT TO SEE SOME ACTION!" He shouted in anguish. Mirah, who had come in a few moments before, put her arms around his waist and held him close, as his hot tears leaked into the shoulder of her shirt.
"He's right. We can't just sit here, waiting for something to happen. This is crazy. We've been looking for her for over a week, and there is still no news. And no real suspects." Meilei sighed, collapsing into a chair as she entered. Isaac came in behind her and put an arm around her shoulders.
"How is Kojii?" Yelan asked suddenly, as Sakura and Syaoran entered the room. Sakura's emerald eyes had lost their sparkle, and Syaoran looked angrier and graver than ever before.
"He locked himself into his room and he won't come out. He blames himself." Sakura sighed as her husband squeezed her shoulder.
"For what?" Mirah asked.
"For allowing this to happen. Kojii may be detached, but he still cares about anyone who works for him." Syaoran commented. At this, Meilei snorted, and then remembered that no one knew what had really been going on between Kojii and Hilde...not even their parents or Yelan.
"I'm going to go talk to him." Meilei sighed. Sakura shook her head.
"No, Mei. He needs some time alone."
"NO, mama! He needs comfort. You wouldn't understand." Meilei cried, tears coming to her eyes as she rushed from the room. Everyone looked after her in surprise.
"What was that all about?" Isaac asked.
"I'm sure she's just upset about Hilde's...disappearance." Sakura assured, shooting a sad look after her daughter.
~*~*~*~
"They've still found nothing." Meilei sighed, as she walked into Kojii's room. She had had to pick the lock on his door, but she had managed.
Kojii didn't respond. He was lying on his massive bed, eyes blankly staring at the ceiling. Meilei sighed.
"What would Hilde think if she saw you like this?" She asked. This caused him to flinch, and Meilei knew that she had hit a nerve.
"She would think that you were lazy and didn't care about her. You're not even helping us look for her! For Kami-sama's sake, Kojii, do something! You can't just let it eat away at you!" Meilei hissed. Kojii didn't respond again, and Meilei's eye twitched. Yes, she was like her mother, and like her mother, she could get in a violent mood, if the opportunity presented itself; and it had.
"GET UP, YOU NINNY! HILDE NEEDS YOU! SHE NEEDS YOU MOST! FOR KAMI-SAMA'S SAKE! GET OUT THERE AND DO SOMETHING. SHE *NEEDS* YOU!" Meilei shrieked, shaking her brother. Kojii was rocked violently back and forth and his eyes cleared, becoming angry.
"Go away, Meilei Li! If I hadn't show partiality to Hilde, this never would have happened! No one would have thought her a threat, and she wouldn't have been kidnapped. This *is* my fault, and don't you say otherwise!" He hissed, his amber eyes flaring. Meilei's eyes widened at the stupidity of her brother, and then her emerald eyes flashed with fire.
"YOU LOVE HER, YOU A** HOLE! GET A GRIP ON YOURSELF! YOU LOVE HER MORE THEN LIFE ITSELF, AND YOU KNOW IT! NOW GET YOUR STUPID BUTT OUT OF BED, AND PROVE TO HER HOW MUCH YOU LOVE HER, BY LOOKING FOR HER!" She screamed, her face turning red with the force. Kojii stared at his sister, wide eyed.
"How did you know that?"
"Oh, shut it! It took me a while, but I managed to get it out of Hilde what had happened the night she stayed over. *I* was the one who told Heidi."
"I thought it was strange, that Heidi knew." He groaned. Meilei smiled.
"I don't mind, Koj. I love Hilde like a sister...and if it had to be anyone, I am glad it is her. But it won't be her if we can't *find* her. That is why you need to help us. Kojii, don't let her go now. Not after all this. Not after everything you went through to get her back." Meilei murmured. Kojii sighed and nodded.
"What can I do?"
"The police-chief needs someone to head the search-and-rescue team. If they were to find Hilde, at least you would be the first to know. Heck, you might even be the first to see her." Meilei stated. Kojii's eyes brightened and he nodded.
"I'll do that. If Hilde is found...alive..." Kojii gulped at this, and tried to hide the sudden mist in his eyes.
"...if she is found, I want to be the one to be there." He announced, getting up. Meilei smiled and put her arm around his waist.
"That's my brother."
~*~*~*~
"She's been gone almost three weeks." Heidi moaned, collapsing in a chair with tears in her eyes. Hiro moved behind her and gently began to massage her shoulders.
"We will find her, Heidi. Now that Kojii is working with the search-and- rescue teams, I am sure that it is just a matter of time." He murmured into her ear. Heidi shivered in delight, but groaned.
"I still can't believe that my sister fell for that...that... cocky, arrogant, son-of-a-b**ch..."
"Heidi! That's my best friend that you're talking about...and your sister's lover." Hiro grinned as he said this, and Heidi groaned.
"I still don't know how you put up with him." She sighed. He laughed weakly.
"Hilde sees in Kojii, what I saw in Kojii. A boy, trying to live a normal life, despite the high rank of his family. He just wanted someone to understand him...and though I still don't sometimes, I can tell that Hilde does. They are sort of... kindred spirits, in a way." He murmured, burying his face in Heidi's fragrant hair. She laughed.
"How so?"
"Kojii needed someone to calm him down. Hilde needed someone to bring her out of her shell. Kojii needed to feel...understood, and so did Hilde. See?" He tried. Heidi smiled weakly.
"A little." She murmured, snuggling into his arms.
"Heidi! HEIDI!" Came Bailey's shout. The said girl came skidding into the room, her eyes excited.
"The police just called! They may have a lead!"
Heidi and Hiro looked at each other, wide eyed, and then all three of them bolted out of the room.
~*~*~*~