*Hey everyone, thanks for the MASSIVE reviews I have gotten for this fic!
Seriously, I was so shocked to see this one do better than "With You"
because I worked really hard on it, and this fic was just something that
kind of sprang to mind after I burned it out on "With You"! I'm so glad
everyone likes it!*
Reviewers: Kikakai, angel-wings-131, Sakuzha, yogurt, Crazy-cherry, sakura~star~13, amber-eyez, EcuaGirl, Cherry Jade, Midnight Passion, *~*NeCi*~*, & Simplicity
Rogue
Sakura knocked on the door at the last apartment on the first floor. She heard someone get up and shuffle to answer. Sakura heard something down the hall scrape against the wall, like a garment or coat. Before she could look to see who was in the hall, the door opened to a tall young man around her age with bluish hair and blue eyes framed in glasses.
"Sakura! What brings you here?" he asked, opening the door and allowing Sakura to enter the apartment.
"Just here for a visit. Is Tomoyo here?" Sakura replied. As if on cue, a slender girl with black hair and large amethyst eyes walked out of a hallway.
"Eriol, was someone . . . Sakura!" Tomoyo started, changing her tone when Sakura came into her view. Sakura grinned and hugged her friend, whom she hadn't seen in quite some time.
"How are you?" Sakura asked, looking from Tomoyo to Eriol. The two of them looked very happy, his arm wrapped around her waist gently. Tomoyo leaned her head against Eriol's shoulder, a sweet smile on her pretty face.
"We're well, enjoying life right now." Eriol grinned. Tomoyo punched him lightly and showed Sakura her left hand, which was adorned with a sparkling diamond ring. Sakura gasped in surprise as her eyes moved from the ring to Tomoyo's ecstatic eyes.
"WE'RE ENGAGED!" Tomoyo squealed. Sakura hugged Tomoyo, then stepped up to her tiptoes to hug Eriol, who smiled down sweetly at her. The trio parted, and Sakura looked around the apartment Eriol and Tomoyo called theirs.
It was a modest establishment, with a couple windows overlooking the neighborhood on either wall, and a fireplace in the middle of the farthest wall. A small kitchen was separated from the living room by a bar and stools, and the whole apartment was a rich cherry color. Holographic plants were strategically placed, their images flickering ever now and then as if there was a connection problem.
"So what on earth are you doing on the other side of town?!" Tomoyo asked, reaching for a mug for tea. Sakura settled on a stool beside Eriol and sighed.
"It's a long story. Takeshi and I broke up though." Sakura said, her emerald eyes hinting at a sadness that tugged at her consciousness; though they had been torn apart, she admitted she did still have some feelings for her lost love.
"Oh my goodness!" Tomoyo exclaimed, pouring some peppermint tea into a mug and handing it to Sakura, a look of condolence on her pretty face.
"What happened? Did he hurt you?" Eriol asked. Sakura shook her head, her mind reeling back to the previous night and the events that had transpired. To the dark haired man who had whisked her out of death's grasp and managed also to capture her heart in a way.
"He didn't hurt me. Let's keep it at this: I found out something unsavory about him, and had to get away from him." Sakura replied, her eyes showing her uneasiness about the topic. Tomoyo rounded the bar and took a seat beside her friend, a look of concern on her face.
"What was it? You can tell us, we're your best friends." Tomoyo asked, her face showing her seriousness. Sakura shook her head; she didn't want to get Tomoyo and Eriol into her problem.
"Tell us, Sakura." Eriol prompted gently, trying to get Sakura to tell her secret. Tomoyo shot a look at Eriol, her anxious amethyst eyes meeting his quiet blue eyes without a sound.
"Aesthum." Sakura whispered, and the couple gasped. Takeshi was addicted to aesthum?! Tomoyo put a hand on Sakura's shoulder and leaned her head against her friend's head.
"We can get someone to help him with his addiction." Tomoyo started, but Sakura shook her head and smiled wistfully.
"It's not that he's addicted. . . he's dealing it." Sakura interrupted, eliciting another gasp of shock from the couple.
"You caught him dealing?!" Eriol exclaimed, his blood beginning to boil. That was one potent drug, and anyone affiliated with a dealer could be put in prison for up to ten years. Sakura could have unwittingly been exposed to it and arrested!
"In a way, yes. He was taking me to a restaurant for dinner, but got an emergency call to some warehouse. He told me to stay in the car, but I couldn't wait forever, so I went in. That's when I found the smuggling ring he's second in command of." Sakura answered. Tomoyo's violet eyes widened as Sakura recounted the events of the previous night.
"They started moving out, and I got scared, so I tried to get out. I hit some cans and they caught me. I thought I was going to die, but this guy . . . this guy jumped out of nowhere and belted the leader, then grabbed me before running off. It was so sudden, and I was so scared, but he ended up being a decent person. I had nowhere to stay, so he took me to his apartment last night." Sakura continued. Eriol touched Sakura's arm and gazed at her with worry.
"He didn't try anything, did he?" Eriol asked, his voice deadly. Sakura smiled slightly and shook her head.
"He was a gentleman of sorts; he brought me to you guys today. He's after the ringleader of this smuggling ring for murdering his entire family." Sakura replied. Tomoyo's expression turned from shock to pity as Eriol stiffened slightly.
"I didn't want to get you two into this, but I had nowhere else to go. Touya and my father are on an expedition in Cairo, and won't be home for another three months." Sakura said quietly, stirring her tea slowly with her spoon.
"I'm glad you came to us, Sakura. You can stay here as long as you like. In fact, you can have the run of the house while Eriol and I go to the grocery. Just keep the door locked." Tomoyo exclaimed, hugging Sakura tightly. Sakura nodded and looked gratefully up at the couple.
"Thank you so much. . . "Sakura whispered. Eriol nodded as Tomoyo got up and grabbed her jacket.
"There are clean towels in the hall closet, and you can fit into Tomoyo's clothes fine. Go take a hot shower and rest. We'll be back in an hour or so." Eriol offered. Sakura nodded and watched as the couple walked out the door, locking it behind them. Sighing, Sakura headed toward the shower.
Eriol and Tomoyo walked hand in hand down the sidewalk toward the store when two men approached them in black trench coats. At first, the couple didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, but when the men followed closer, and kept up with them as they walked faster, they began to worry. Tomoyo looked behind her to see the men keeping pace with them, and looked worriedly up at her fiancée.
"Eriol-"Tomoyo started, but Eriol stopped her.
"Run." Eriol commanded, grabbing her hand and taking off down the sidewalk. The two men began to sprint after them as they escaped down the sidewalk.
Sakura turned on the faucet, letting the hot water cascade down to the white tiled shower floor while she took off her clothes. She slipped off her shirt, her creamy even toned skin striking contrast against the white bathroom. Sakura stepped into the shower and let the hot water wash over her weary body, the heat soothing her tense muscles.
Eriol's body hit the wall of the alley with a sickening thud for the third time. Tomoyo screamed as best she could, but her mouth was covered by one of the men who were chasing them. They had been caught in a dead end, and now Eriol was being beaten by a large man with brass knuckles. He was bleeding from his mouth, cuts covering his battered body. Finally Eriol could take no more and collapsed in a heap on the filthy ground. Tomoyo's wide, tear filled eyes grew terrified as the man turned to her.
"Your turn."
Sakura stepped out of the shower and reached into Tomoyo's closet, pulling out a pair of denim jeans and a long sleeved green shirt with a star on the front. Sakura pulled them over her warm body, letting the comfortable fabric envelop her like a security blanket. She pulled her wet hair into a ponytail, leaving the sopping ends to dry in the air. Satisfied, Sakura walked into the kitchen and made some noodles for dinner.
Tomoyo fell to the ground beside her fiancée, unconscious. Her body was as battered as Eriol's, and she was barely breathing. Satisfied with their work, the two men hauled the unconscious victims into their arms and threw them into a car waiting at the end of the alley and sped off.
Sakura was about to curl up and turn on the television when someone knocked on the door. Thinking Tomoyo and Eriol didn't have a free hand to open the door, Sakura walked over and opened it. What she saw made her want to throw up.
In a pile on the floor outside their apartment were Tomoyo and Eriol, both badly beaten. She saw two men standing over them in black trench coats, and her mind began spinning. Etsuya's men had beaten her only friends. Sakura could barely think; her first instinct was to slam the door and lock it tightly, even though her friends were suffering, maybe dying outside. Sakura took her cell phone out of her back jeans pocket and frantically dialed Syaoran's number.
"Hello?" Syaoran asked, slightly weary. He had been taking a nap when his cell phone went off. He heard a banging sound, and the sound of a girl crying out in terror.
"Sakura?!" Syaoran yelled into the phone, sitting upright. He heard another bang, and another cry of fear.
"Syaoran! God, they beat my friends! They're trying to get in! HELP ME!" Sakura screamed as they banged on the door once again. Syaoran listened as the sound of splintering wood and labored breathing from Sakura filled his ears.
"SAKURA!" Syaoran shouted into the phone. He heard a scuffle, then the sound of the phone being dropped from Sakura's hand. She screamed, then the sound of the struggling diminished, meaning they had her and was taking her away. Syaoran slammed his phone closed and threw on his shoes and coat. Dialing the police and directing them to Sakura's friends' apartment, Syaoran jumped on his motor bike and took off toward the warehouse he had just been the night before.
*Oh you KNOW something's about to go down here, and Syaoran's going to come to the rescue! But will he be there before something bad happens to Sakura? And what's going to happen to poor Tomoyo and Eriol?! WARNING: There's a couple twists coming. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to take a second and click the review button and send me some feedback! Thanks!*
Reviewers: Kikakai, angel-wings-131, Sakuzha, yogurt, Crazy-cherry, sakura~star~13, amber-eyez, EcuaGirl, Cherry Jade, Midnight Passion, *~*NeCi*~*, & Simplicity
Rogue
Sakura knocked on the door at the last apartment on the first floor. She heard someone get up and shuffle to answer. Sakura heard something down the hall scrape against the wall, like a garment or coat. Before she could look to see who was in the hall, the door opened to a tall young man around her age with bluish hair and blue eyes framed in glasses.
"Sakura! What brings you here?" he asked, opening the door and allowing Sakura to enter the apartment.
"Just here for a visit. Is Tomoyo here?" Sakura replied. As if on cue, a slender girl with black hair and large amethyst eyes walked out of a hallway.
"Eriol, was someone . . . Sakura!" Tomoyo started, changing her tone when Sakura came into her view. Sakura grinned and hugged her friend, whom she hadn't seen in quite some time.
"How are you?" Sakura asked, looking from Tomoyo to Eriol. The two of them looked very happy, his arm wrapped around her waist gently. Tomoyo leaned her head against Eriol's shoulder, a sweet smile on her pretty face.
"We're well, enjoying life right now." Eriol grinned. Tomoyo punched him lightly and showed Sakura her left hand, which was adorned with a sparkling diamond ring. Sakura gasped in surprise as her eyes moved from the ring to Tomoyo's ecstatic eyes.
"WE'RE ENGAGED!" Tomoyo squealed. Sakura hugged Tomoyo, then stepped up to her tiptoes to hug Eriol, who smiled down sweetly at her. The trio parted, and Sakura looked around the apartment Eriol and Tomoyo called theirs.
It was a modest establishment, with a couple windows overlooking the neighborhood on either wall, and a fireplace in the middle of the farthest wall. A small kitchen was separated from the living room by a bar and stools, and the whole apartment was a rich cherry color. Holographic plants were strategically placed, their images flickering ever now and then as if there was a connection problem.
"So what on earth are you doing on the other side of town?!" Tomoyo asked, reaching for a mug for tea. Sakura settled on a stool beside Eriol and sighed.
"It's a long story. Takeshi and I broke up though." Sakura said, her emerald eyes hinting at a sadness that tugged at her consciousness; though they had been torn apart, she admitted she did still have some feelings for her lost love.
"Oh my goodness!" Tomoyo exclaimed, pouring some peppermint tea into a mug and handing it to Sakura, a look of condolence on her pretty face.
"What happened? Did he hurt you?" Eriol asked. Sakura shook her head, her mind reeling back to the previous night and the events that had transpired. To the dark haired man who had whisked her out of death's grasp and managed also to capture her heart in a way.
"He didn't hurt me. Let's keep it at this: I found out something unsavory about him, and had to get away from him." Sakura replied, her eyes showing her uneasiness about the topic. Tomoyo rounded the bar and took a seat beside her friend, a look of concern on her face.
"What was it? You can tell us, we're your best friends." Tomoyo asked, her face showing her seriousness. Sakura shook her head; she didn't want to get Tomoyo and Eriol into her problem.
"Tell us, Sakura." Eriol prompted gently, trying to get Sakura to tell her secret. Tomoyo shot a look at Eriol, her anxious amethyst eyes meeting his quiet blue eyes without a sound.
"Aesthum." Sakura whispered, and the couple gasped. Takeshi was addicted to aesthum?! Tomoyo put a hand on Sakura's shoulder and leaned her head against her friend's head.
"We can get someone to help him with his addiction." Tomoyo started, but Sakura shook her head and smiled wistfully.
"It's not that he's addicted. . . he's dealing it." Sakura interrupted, eliciting another gasp of shock from the couple.
"You caught him dealing?!" Eriol exclaimed, his blood beginning to boil. That was one potent drug, and anyone affiliated with a dealer could be put in prison for up to ten years. Sakura could have unwittingly been exposed to it and arrested!
"In a way, yes. He was taking me to a restaurant for dinner, but got an emergency call to some warehouse. He told me to stay in the car, but I couldn't wait forever, so I went in. That's when I found the smuggling ring he's second in command of." Sakura answered. Tomoyo's violet eyes widened as Sakura recounted the events of the previous night.
"They started moving out, and I got scared, so I tried to get out. I hit some cans and they caught me. I thought I was going to die, but this guy . . . this guy jumped out of nowhere and belted the leader, then grabbed me before running off. It was so sudden, and I was so scared, but he ended up being a decent person. I had nowhere to stay, so he took me to his apartment last night." Sakura continued. Eriol touched Sakura's arm and gazed at her with worry.
"He didn't try anything, did he?" Eriol asked, his voice deadly. Sakura smiled slightly and shook her head.
"He was a gentleman of sorts; he brought me to you guys today. He's after the ringleader of this smuggling ring for murdering his entire family." Sakura replied. Tomoyo's expression turned from shock to pity as Eriol stiffened slightly.
"I didn't want to get you two into this, but I had nowhere else to go. Touya and my father are on an expedition in Cairo, and won't be home for another three months." Sakura said quietly, stirring her tea slowly with her spoon.
"I'm glad you came to us, Sakura. You can stay here as long as you like. In fact, you can have the run of the house while Eriol and I go to the grocery. Just keep the door locked." Tomoyo exclaimed, hugging Sakura tightly. Sakura nodded and looked gratefully up at the couple.
"Thank you so much. . . "Sakura whispered. Eriol nodded as Tomoyo got up and grabbed her jacket.
"There are clean towels in the hall closet, and you can fit into Tomoyo's clothes fine. Go take a hot shower and rest. We'll be back in an hour or so." Eriol offered. Sakura nodded and watched as the couple walked out the door, locking it behind them. Sighing, Sakura headed toward the shower.
Eriol and Tomoyo walked hand in hand down the sidewalk toward the store when two men approached them in black trench coats. At first, the couple didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, but when the men followed closer, and kept up with them as they walked faster, they began to worry. Tomoyo looked behind her to see the men keeping pace with them, and looked worriedly up at her fiancée.
"Eriol-"Tomoyo started, but Eriol stopped her.
"Run." Eriol commanded, grabbing her hand and taking off down the sidewalk. The two men began to sprint after them as they escaped down the sidewalk.
Sakura turned on the faucet, letting the hot water cascade down to the white tiled shower floor while she took off her clothes. She slipped off her shirt, her creamy even toned skin striking contrast against the white bathroom. Sakura stepped into the shower and let the hot water wash over her weary body, the heat soothing her tense muscles.
Eriol's body hit the wall of the alley with a sickening thud for the third time. Tomoyo screamed as best she could, but her mouth was covered by one of the men who were chasing them. They had been caught in a dead end, and now Eriol was being beaten by a large man with brass knuckles. He was bleeding from his mouth, cuts covering his battered body. Finally Eriol could take no more and collapsed in a heap on the filthy ground. Tomoyo's wide, tear filled eyes grew terrified as the man turned to her.
"Your turn."
Sakura stepped out of the shower and reached into Tomoyo's closet, pulling out a pair of denim jeans and a long sleeved green shirt with a star on the front. Sakura pulled them over her warm body, letting the comfortable fabric envelop her like a security blanket. She pulled her wet hair into a ponytail, leaving the sopping ends to dry in the air. Satisfied, Sakura walked into the kitchen and made some noodles for dinner.
Tomoyo fell to the ground beside her fiancée, unconscious. Her body was as battered as Eriol's, and she was barely breathing. Satisfied with their work, the two men hauled the unconscious victims into their arms and threw them into a car waiting at the end of the alley and sped off.
Sakura was about to curl up and turn on the television when someone knocked on the door. Thinking Tomoyo and Eriol didn't have a free hand to open the door, Sakura walked over and opened it. What she saw made her want to throw up.
In a pile on the floor outside their apartment were Tomoyo and Eriol, both badly beaten. She saw two men standing over them in black trench coats, and her mind began spinning. Etsuya's men had beaten her only friends. Sakura could barely think; her first instinct was to slam the door and lock it tightly, even though her friends were suffering, maybe dying outside. Sakura took her cell phone out of her back jeans pocket and frantically dialed Syaoran's number.
"Hello?" Syaoran asked, slightly weary. He had been taking a nap when his cell phone went off. He heard a banging sound, and the sound of a girl crying out in terror.
"Sakura?!" Syaoran yelled into the phone, sitting upright. He heard another bang, and another cry of fear.
"Syaoran! God, they beat my friends! They're trying to get in! HELP ME!" Sakura screamed as they banged on the door once again. Syaoran listened as the sound of splintering wood and labored breathing from Sakura filled his ears.
"SAKURA!" Syaoran shouted into the phone. He heard a scuffle, then the sound of the phone being dropped from Sakura's hand. She screamed, then the sound of the struggling diminished, meaning they had her and was taking her away. Syaoran slammed his phone closed and threw on his shoes and coat. Dialing the police and directing them to Sakura's friends' apartment, Syaoran jumped on his motor bike and took off toward the warehouse he had just been the night before.
*Oh you KNOW something's about to go down here, and Syaoran's going to come to the rescue! But will he be there before something bad happens to Sakura? And what's going to happen to poor Tomoyo and Eriol?! WARNING: There's a couple twists coming. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to take a second and click the review button and send me some feedback! Thanks!*