Chapter Ten

Card Captor Sakura

Teardrop of Twilight

*starjade*

Leaving

Sakura leaned on the balcony rail , trying to calm herself. It was two hours after midnight and she had woken up, restless and sweaty. All that ran through her mind was...Syaoran. The Kidnapper...god, how could this have happened? All she had wished for was an adventure...

What she had gotten in return was...this. This emotion that swept through her like some, disease, that made her tingle inside, filling her to the top with an exquisite sensation unlike any she had ever experienced.

What did this all mean?

Staring at the coloured sky, she wished to understand these feelings. And how they involved Syaoran.

Shaking her head, she turned to go back inside but a figure standing at the door, staring at her with an intense gaze that startled her and caused her to yelp in shock.

"Sy-Syaoran , hey, wh-what are you doing up?" Sakura asked, aware that a blush was spreading across her cheeks.

Syaoran stared at her.

" What are you doing up?" He asked back.

Sakura took a deep breath. He was really good looking, she mused. The messy chestnut hair, the hardened body and the cute smile and those sparkling amber eyes...

" O-Oh, I just came out for some fresh air..." Sakura trailed off.

Syaoran came over beside her and rested his forearms on the balcony rail.

" Then that's what I'm doing too," Syaoran replied.

Sakura stared at him, then turned quickly. Better not let on that she had feelings for him-no, no, no feelings, just an attraction, a simple attraction.

" Syaoran? Can I ask you a question?" Sakura hesitantly put forward.

Syaoran narrowed his eyes. " That depends on what the question is asking."

Sakura gulped. " W-Why did you kidnap me?"

The silence between them stretched like a tight rubber band. Sakura felt her hands shake with the dangerousness of asking such a question and she clasped her hands together behind her back.

Syaoran was looking down at the city, his hair ruffling in the wind, his eyes cold and steely. " I don't think that question is appropriate, Kinomoto-"

Sakura felt a bubble of anger rise inside of her. " Appropriate? Look , Syaoran , there were many times that I could've ran away, could've informed someone that I was Sakura Kinomoto, the kidnapped daughter of Fujitaka Kinomoto. Yet I trusted you. Now I want the answer and I want it now, Syaoran. Don't try to keep it from me."

Syaoran's jaw clenched tight. " Kinomoto-"

Sakura said seriously, " Tell me."

Syaoran glanced at her from the corner of his eyes and then sighed. " My boss. He wants you. For a reason, I don't know. Maybe for ransom, maybe for causing a little scare in the city so that people would fear the Underworld more...I have no idea."

Sakura's eyes widened a bit. Syaoran? He...He was part of the Underworld? " You work for the Underworld? But why would your boss choose you to do this mission without any help?"

Syaoran averted his gaze. " Because I am to be the next leader of the Underworld."

Sakura gasped. " So-So your going to have to hand me in?"

Syaoran nodded slowly.

" W-What will they do to me?"

Syaoran shrugged.

" Syaoran! You c-can't let them take me! I-I thought that you might be working on your own, just for a little money or something, but this-this is huge, this could cause a lot of damage to my family and-and they might-"

Syaoran watched her face carefully.

" Yah, Sakura. Your right. They might kill you."

**********

Touya shook the man's hands firmly, a smile appearing on his mouth for the first time in days.

" Thank you, Constable. I hope you'll be able to complete this task in the time allotted for you."

The Constable grinned back. He was a man in his early thirties and a fierce glint in his eyes told Touya he was as passionate about the task as Touya was.

" It will get done. You have my word," The constable said, and with one last tip of the hat, disappeared in his carriage.

Touya turned back to the house, a satisfied expression on his face, only to meet Fujitaka who stood with his arms crossed at the doorway.

" What are you doing, Touya?" Fujitaka snapped, as soon as Touya came up the stairs.

Touya shrugged innocently. " I was just telling the Constable to carry out a mission for me. That's all."

Fujitaka's eyes narrowed as he followed Touya back into the house. " Touya, listen to me. You can't do this! If what Wei tells us is right, then we have a good enough lead. This is only a boy we're dealing with, not some hardened criminal! Let's make a plan that won't get him locked behind bars for the rest of his life!"

Touya turned towards his father, eyes blazing. " This boy your talking about abused my sister and kidnapped her and who knows what he's doing to her now? That boy IS a hardened criminal, did you not hear? He works for the Underworld, for god's sake, and Sakura is probably in their clutches already!"

Fujitaka retorted, " No , she isn't, because there hasn't been any ransom note or even just some small sign of gloating. I know the leader very well, Touya, and gloating is what he does best. The Li kid still has her and what we need is to find them, without causing this big war to explode! You don't know what your dealing with!"

Touya burst out, " Yes I do! The Constable will charge the boy and police raids will attack the Underworld at the suspected locations. I will be among all of the raids and I'll find our sister! At least I'm getting something DONE, Father!"

With that, he whirled away and stormed up the stairs. Fujitaka stared after his son, his eyes filled with worry. He knew what was going through his son's mind, for Touya had always been overprotective of his sister. Now he probably felt like he failed her and wanted some vengeance.

Fujitaka looked around himself and set up his mind. While his fool hardy son was raiding all the Underworld locations, he'd do a secret mission of his own.

He'd find his daughter and this boy......wherever they were.

*******

Sakura turned white. She tried to breath in and out, but it wasn't working. Her throat seemed to close up as she stared back into Syaoran's cold eyes.

" A-And your willing to let them do this?" Sakura finally wrenched the words out of her.

A corner of Syaoran's mouth lifted slightly.

" I am part of the Underworld, you know..." Syaoran remarked, letting his words hang in the silence between them.

" S-So that's all I am to you? Some ticket to be the next leader of a criminal organisation?" Sakura choked out. She wondered dimly why she was so hurt by this, why his expression tore up her heart into shreds.

She didn't feel anything for him!

But then why...why...

Syaoran let out a bitter laugh. " What makes you think otherwise? I kidnapped you, knocked you out a couple of times, brought you miles away from your home!"

Sakura stared at him, her blood boiling. She knew he was right. Why did she think otherwise?

She glared at Syaoran and spit out, " Fine then. Have it your way."

Syaoran's eyebrows lifted with surprise as Sakura raised her hands and pushed him with all her might. He stumbled back in shock as she bolted into their room. She ran with all her might out the door and down the corridor, down the stairs into the ballroom and out the door into the mangy check-in room and out into the fresh air.

She ran and ran down dark alley ways and wet streets lit by kerosene lamps on tall posts. Finally, she ran out of breath and collapsed on a bench, breathing hard.

" I hate you , Syaoran Li!" She screamed at the cold night air. " I hate you!"

Tears were running down her cheeks and she didn't even notice. Finally, she caught her bearings and looked around herself. It was a dark city and she could hear glass crashing somewhere and someone crying. She stood up, shakily, wrapping her arms around herself, protectively.

She remembered the last time she was in this type of situation and those two goons had nearly tied her up and kidnapped her for a second time! She quickly started walking away from the bench in the direction she thought was out of the city. She'd probably tell the guards that she was Fujitaka Kinomoto's daughter and they'd contact him and let him know that she was there.


Assured by her plan, she walked quicker, trying to push out the nagging thought of Syaoran. He was probably putting up this facade for a long time. He probably pretended to be kind to her so she wouldn't run away and he'd only saved her because he himself needed her and he probably only danced with her because that person had forced him too.

The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. He was a clever man, she thought bitterly. He had won her trust and her love-

Love?

God, no, Sakura thought. She did not love him! She'd forget about it once she got home with Fujitaka and her brother. God , she missed them. She wished they were there right then to whisk her off back to their mansion.

How stupid she was, wishing for a silly adventure. She really botched it up this time-

Suddenly, a cold hand gripped her arm. She screeched in fright and another hand clapped her mouth, pushing her upper lip over her teeth so she couldn't bite.

" Well, look what we got here..." Said a nasty voice. Sakura glanced back and forth frantically as she realised their were four men. One was holding her and three others were looking her up and down, like they were judging prize meat or something.

" We could sell her for a hefty price.." growled one of them, a man with a hairy jaw. He slid a finger down her cheek and she whimpered.

" Yah, a lot of money. Look at her clothes, must come from one of those rich families," guffawed one of them.

" Really soft skin. Could be quite different from those bear drinkin' lunatics back at the pub.." said the one with the hairy jaw.

" Better not spoil the goods," snapped the one who was holding her. " Just throw her in the back with the rest of them, and none of you better not try nothin' with her, she could get us a lot of money!"

The man grinned at her, smiling with yellow teeth. " Too bad..."

Sakura felt the man who was holding her shift his hold. " Now, I'm gonna let you go for one second. Don't you dare scream or run away, got it?"

Sakura nodded slowly, and the man's hand slowly lifted from her mouth. With that one move, Sakura wrenched out of his hold and threw a punch that left him howling.

" Get her!" He howled and the other three men leaped at her. Sakura ducked under the man's arms and ran for her life.

" Help me!" She screamed as hard as she could. " HELP ME!"


But the men were too fast and soon they over took her. One of them grabbed her around the waist and the other punched her in the stomach. She groaned with pain but suddenly there was a yell. The man let her go quickly and she fell to the ground.

There was some scuffling and a flash of a silver knife and the sound of feet running. She felt someone pick her up gently and Sakura tried to wrench out of his hold as well. The person let her go immediately and Sakura glanced at the person for a quick second before freezing.

" Syaoran?" Sakura gasped out.

Syaoran was breathing hard, a bit of blood on his shoulder. He shook his head wryly. " God, woman, you get yourself in the most troublesome situations, don't you?"

Sakura remembered the man as his finger slid down her cheek and she shuddered. She stared at Syaoran , as he breathed in and out trying to catch his breath. " Why did you come?" Sakura asked, her voice carrying a tint of coldness in it.

Syaoran blinked at her. " To save you. That's obvious."

Sakura let out a laugh. " You didn't know I was in trouble 'till you got here. Tell me, why did you come after me?"

Syaoran looked uncomfortable and the silence between then stretched. " Look, Sakura, I'm sorry for scaring you. I just...I just wanted to let you know, tell you what might happen. If I let it happen."

Sakura stared at him. " So your not going to hand me in?"

He shrugged uncomfortably.

Sakura couldn't stand it anymore. She was almost captured once more and it was all because of her silly wish to go on an adventure. She couldn't stand it anymore. She wanted that safeness again, the warmth of her house, the knowledge that wherever she went, she was safe. Not about to be kidnapped for ransom, or to be sold.

She burst out, " Syaoran, I want to go home. I want to go home right now. I can't stand it anymore , ok? So let me go!"

The shocked silence after her shout was deafening. " Please, Syaoran. Let me go...please..." Tears fell down her cheeks and she whispered, " I miss my father. My brother...I want to go back home. Let me go back home."

A muscle jumped in his jaw and Sakura could see him wrestling with his mind. " F-Fine. Go home. Go to those guards over there. They'll help you home."

Sakura blinked. " Your letting me go?"

Syaoran nodded coldly. " Leave. Your free to go."

Sakura gulped. For some reason, she had never expected this to come out of him. Slowly, she backed away. "O-Okay. B-bye, Syaoran. I'll remember you. Always."

Syaoran nodded mutely and all of a sudden, his arm went out and clasped her wrist. He pulled her into his arms and all of a sudden, he bent down and caught her lips in his own. His lips were warm and alive against hers and it was all Sakura could do not to faint right there and then.

It just had to get more complicated, was her last conscious thought as he pressed against her, his chest against hers, her arms wound tightly around his neck. Then he pulled away and Sakura's arms fell back to her sides.

" Bye, Sakura..." he gazed at her and Sakura could feel her eyes burning as he turned away and walked off in the opposite direction.

" Bye, Syaoran..."

a/n: Heelo! Sorry for the lateness of this chapter, but at least we got to the good stuff! lol! PLEASE REVIEW! I NEEEED YOU! Luvyalotz,

*starjade*