The Ward
Disclaimer: "....................." *cough* The "disclaimer" part should be self- explanatory.
A/N: To answer the question asked, I'm not sure how many chapters are left in this story. I'd say maybe 3 or 4?
Chapter Nine: Wait, what?!
"Sakura Kinimoto... we've been waiting for you," the man whispered into the darkness.
At this, Syaoran felt a sudden chill and looked out into the open suspiciously. There was a chill in the air, as lonely winds blew. Something wasn't quite right... he could feel it. He held the sleeping Sakura closer to him, kissing her forehead softly. He felt so possessive, so very afraid... yet he couldn't pinpoint why. He brushed away a wisp of hair from her face and grimaced, ever so sadly, sighing softly.
"Sakura... no one can take you from me, Sakura..." he whispered to her. She stirred slightly at his words. She snuggled deeper into his chest, letting out a soft, content sigh and holding onto him tightly.
A cold wind blew, making them both wince. He held her tighter and continued to walk. Behind him, Eriol and Tomoyo walked slowly. In front of him, Touya was stomping away, with Yuki trying to calm him down.
"I don't understand why that gaki gets to carry my sister!" Touya yelled loudly.
"Shh, Touya, he was the one who got her out after all, and... he loves her," Yuki said softly.
But that was part of the problem – he loved her. And the gaki would take Sakura away from him. Touya fumed but said nothing. Yuki was right – as always.
Behind them, Eriol slowly edged closer to Tomoyo. He could now smell her flowery perfume, and see her delicate features clearly. He longed to touch her soft cheek (NO, not THAT cheek... O.o), stroke her lovely hair, and kiss her soft, supple lips.
Tomoyo blushed furiously when she realized how close Eriol was to her. Oh, how she'd love to kiss him! If only she could tell him just how much she truly cared for him... She sighed softly. She had been in love with him for nearly 8 years now... when would she find the courage to tell him??
She glanced at Syaoran, who held his Sakura lovingly. She remembered how all those years ago, she had been the one to encourage him to tell Sakura how he really felt about her. And their love had certainly flourished... She glanced up at Eriol, who seemed to be blushing slightly for some reason.
She reached out and grabbed his hand compulsively, her heart beating like never before. Could she do this...? Eriol looked up in surprise, to find her staring at him, breathing hard. She looked rather pale and scared, as if she was about to faint.
He put his hands on her shoulders and looked at her in concern. "What is it, Tomoyo? What's wrong?"
She stared at him in fear. He had so much power over her... he would be the one to decide whether her heart would remain intact today, or be shattered into a million crystal-clear pieces. She stared at the floor, trying to find the right words, but only a few lingered in her mind...
"E-Eriol... I – I..." she took a deep breath and avoided his eyes.
"I... love you..." she whispered, barely audible.
Eriol stared at her in disbelief. Had he heard right?? No, it couldn't have been that... she'd spoke so softly, he was mistaken, to be sure. "What?" he asked softly.
Tomoyo felt tears spill down her cheeks. Why was this so hard? "I love you, Eriol, with all my heart, and I always have!" she blurted out between sobs.
Eriol stared at her in surprise, feeling his heart take a leap. He gently wiped away her tears and looked deep into her eyes, hoping she could see the love he felt as well. "Tomoyo... I love you, too... just as I always have," he said, lifting her chin with his finger. He leaned forward and kissed her softly. "Sorry... just always wanted to do that," he said, chuckling softly.
Tomoyo stared at him, still stunned. Wait, he loved her? "Y-you love me?" she asked, trying not to look too curious or happy, lest it all turned out to be a dream.
He chuckled and nodded. "Of course... I'm sorry that I've never been able to say it. I just... I mean, you're so... it's like..." He took a deep breath and shook his head. "You're incredible," he said simply.
Tomoyo smiled happily and pulled him closer, leaning in for a passionate kiss. Breathlessly, she whispered into his ear, "I love you, Eriol-kun..."
***
Niyara climbed up the stairs of Syaoran's hotel room, feeling butterflies in her stomach. She still had feelings for him, yes, but this time, she wouldn't let them get in the way. She stood in front of the door and took a deep breath before knocking.
No one answered.
She felt a panic. Had they seen her coming, and decided not to open the door? She shook her head. Syaoran wouldn't do that... would he? 'He wouldn't, he wouldn't' she repeated over in her head. Maybe they had gone out... but where could they be?
***
Kieren watched Meilin as she slept peacefully on the hospital bed. They had already put a cast on her ankle, but it was late and she had fallen asleep. There was something about her, he was sure of it... He went to touch her cheek when his cell phone began ringing. He quickly answered it before it could disturb anyone.
"Kieren here."
"They've taken the girl, Sakura, to the guy's apartment," the voice on the line spoke.
"Which one? The Li kid?"
"Yeah."
"Well I'm with his cousin right now, in the hospital. I'm sure she'll feed me tons of useful information, no prob," he said, feeling slightly guilty.
"Great. I'm not sure what those kids did, but not a single person inside that hospital can remember anything about Kinimoto. Not even those fools who called us, Senji and Kale," he said wryly.
"Sorcery's afoot, huh? Guess I got out of there in the nick of time," Kieren said, chuckling at his luck.
"Yeah. I'll talk to you soon, Kieren. Got buisness to finish."
"Later, boss," Kieren said, putting away his phone. He glanced over at Meilin wistfully and took her hand. "Sorry, Meilin... gotta do my job."
***
Touya twitched furiously in front of his apartment as he watched the gaki walk away with his sister. Everyone thought she would be safer off living away from her family for a few days, and Kero had tagged along, just in case. Sakura had finally woken up and was now huddled close to Syaoran, who had his arms around her waist protectively. Why did things feel so cold, so unfinished?
"Why couldn't she sleep over at Tomoyo's?" Touya asked glumly.
"Leave it be, To-ya. It's been a long day; we should get some rest," Yuki said, tugging on his sleeve gently.
"Rest? You expect me to get rest with you around?" Touya asked, playfully pinching Yuki's rear.
"Touya!" Yuki said in a mock scolding tone. "Let's get inside."
***
As they walked up to Syaoran's apartment, they stopped dead and stared at the figure who sat at the top of the stairs. She had drifted off into sleep and woke in a startle at the sound of their footsteps.
"Niyara...? What are you doing here?" Syaoran asked.
"S-Syaoran, Sakura... I – I just need to talk to you, the both of you," she said nervously, nodding slowly. "Please, just hear me out. Wait, how can you be here, Sakura?" she asked in confusion.
They both stared at her blankly. What were they supposed to say now? "Uh. Come in, Niyara," Syaoran said.
Over tea, they explained everything that had happened, from the plan to the escape. "I still can't believe I'm out..." Sakura said, smiling softly. Impulsively, she hugged Syaoran. Niyara felt a stab of pain but quickly ignored it.
"I came here... to leave once more... but this time, on good terms," she said. "I'm sorry for what I did in the past; it was childish and futile, I know."
"You don't have to apologize anymore, Niyara. Things worked out fine," Sakura said gently. "Love makes us do thing strange things..."
Niyara nodded quietly. "How true. I think I'll go make us some more tea," she said, standing up. "I'll be right back."
Sakura smiled and nodded. "Ok, Niyara." She turned to Syaoran and kissed him. "She seems like she's speaking from the heart, Syaoran. You should forgive her," she said, staring into his eyes.
Syaoran sighed and nodded. "Of course, as always, you're right." He kissed her again, putting his arms around her waist. "I love you, Sakura."
She held him close to her, feeling his warmth. "And I love you, Syaoran..."
Just then, there was a knock on the door. "Who is it?" Syaoran asked lazily from the couch.
"FBI, open the door."
Syaoran rolled his eyes and went to the door. "Very funny, Eriol." He swung the door open and stared at the stranger in surprise. "You're not... Eriol."
"Agent Lin. I have reason to believe that Kinimoto Sakura is residing within these rooms. Give her up on your own free will, or I will be forced to take action," the man said coldly. His aura was chilling and regal as he stepped inside the room, in his hands a warrant as well as his badge.
Sakura stared at him in fear. She couldn't let him take her away! She searched her pockets for her cards and remembered that she'd given it to Syaoran to stow them away safely for the time being. She squeezed his hand tightly and let go, giving up. "I love you, Syaoran-kun. Always," she whispered, kissing him.
"No. No, Sakura, he can't take you away," Syaoran said, staring at them in disbelief.
Niyara ran into the room and gasped. "Sakura! Who is that man?!"
The man took her by the hand and held it tightly. "She'll be at the Correctional Facility of the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Good evening," he said, walking off.
"Wait! You can't do this! What right do you have?! What has she done?!" Syaoran shouted as the man left.
"There are penalties for breaking out of a Psychiatric Ward; just be happy you aren't being penalized as well. There are other things that have convinced us she belongs in our facilities, of which she will be informed, as well as her legal guardians. Good – evening, sir," he said with finality.
Syaoran continued to stare blankly at the door. She was gone... for that short time, she'd been in his arms and now – she was gone.
***
Meilin woke from her sleep and rubbed her eyes. It was morning again, she noticed groggily, and Kieren was nowhere to be found. When she finally got her thoughts recollected, she quickly snatched her cell phone out of her bag and called Tomoyo. She had to find out what happened!
"TOMOYO-CHAN!!! What happened after I left?!?!" she asked excitedly into her phone.
"Things went fine! In fact, they couldn't have gone better!" Tomoyo answered cheerfully.
"Tomoyo dear, who's that?" Meilin heard a voice in the background ask.
Meilin gasped. "Hey Tomoyo... I called the number for your bedroom... right?" she asked quietly.
"Yes, Meilin."
"Then... why do I hear Eriol's voice in there?!" she asked excitedly.
Tomoyo giggled nervously. "He... stayed over yesterday..." she answered, blushing furiously.
"KAWAII!! You'll have to tell me everything later!! By the way, I'm going to be out of here today, so I think we should have a little surprise party for Syaoran and Sakura at the hotel! We'll discuss it later!"
"Will do! Talk to you later, Meilin! Feel better!"
Meilin smiled. Tomoyo had finally gotten together with Eriol! And Syaoran finally had her beloved... She tried to continue smiling, but a sigh escaped her lips. Who did she have?
Just then, Kieren walked in, holding a platter that contained fresh coffee (OH GOD COFFEE ME WANT............), muffins, pancakes, and syrup. He smiled upon seeing her awake. "Morning, Meilin. Got you some breakfast from outside... I know how much hospital food sucks," he said, placing it down beside her.
She beamed happily. "How sweet of you!" She ate it quietly, feeding him in between bites and smiling happily on the inside. Maybe... just maybe... she had found someone as well.
--- Been feeling really weird lately, and I think that's been affecting the story... ^.^;; Hopefully that won't show in the next chapter. Anyways, betrayal, hurt, hopelessness... it's all lovely. Review and keep updated all! Thank ya!
Disclaimer: "....................." *cough* The "disclaimer" part should be self- explanatory.
A/N: To answer the question asked, I'm not sure how many chapters are left in this story. I'd say maybe 3 or 4?
Chapter Nine: Wait, what?!
"Sakura Kinimoto... we've been waiting for you," the man whispered into the darkness.
At this, Syaoran felt a sudden chill and looked out into the open suspiciously. There was a chill in the air, as lonely winds blew. Something wasn't quite right... he could feel it. He held the sleeping Sakura closer to him, kissing her forehead softly. He felt so possessive, so very afraid... yet he couldn't pinpoint why. He brushed away a wisp of hair from her face and grimaced, ever so sadly, sighing softly.
"Sakura... no one can take you from me, Sakura..." he whispered to her. She stirred slightly at his words. She snuggled deeper into his chest, letting out a soft, content sigh and holding onto him tightly.
A cold wind blew, making them both wince. He held her tighter and continued to walk. Behind him, Eriol and Tomoyo walked slowly. In front of him, Touya was stomping away, with Yuki trying to calm him down.
"I don't understand why that gaki gets to carry my sister!" Touya yelled loudly.
"Shh, Touya, he was the one who got her out after all, and... he loves her," Yuki said softly.
But that was part of the problem – he loved her. And the gaki would take Sakura away from him. Touya fumed but said nothing. Yuki was right – as always.
Behind them, Eriol slowly edged closer to Tomoyo. He could now smell her flowery perfume, and see her delicate features clearly. He longed to touch her soft cheek (NO, not THAT cheek... O.o), stroke her lovely hair, and kiss her soft, supple lips.
Tomoyo blushed furiously when she realized how close Eriol was to her. Oh, how she'd love to kiss him! If only she could tell him just how much she truly cared for him... She sighed softly. She had been in love with him for nearly 8 years now... when would she find the courage to tell him??
She glanced at Syaoran, who held his Sakura lovingly. She remembered how all those years ago, she had been the one to encourage him to tell Sakura how he really felt about her. And their love had certainly flourished... She glanced up at Eriol, who seemed to be blushing slightly for some reason.
She reached out and grabbed his hand compulsively, her heart beating like never before. Could she do this...? Eriol looked up in surprise, to find her staring at him, breathing hard. She looked rather pale and scared, as if she was about to faint.
He put his hands on her shoulders and looked at her in concern. "What is it, Tomoyo? What's wrong?"
She stared at him in fear. He had so much power over her... he would be the one to decide whether her heart would remain intact today, or be shattered into a million crystal-clear pieces. She stared at the floor, trying to find the right words, but only a few lingered in her mind...
"E-Eriol... I – I..." she took a deep breath and avoided his eyes.
"I... love you..." she whispered, barely audible.
Eriol stared at her in disbelief. Had he heard right?? No, it couldn't have been that... she'd spoke so softly, he was mistaken, to be sure. "What?" he asked softly.
Tomoyo felt tears spill down her cheeks. Why was this so hard? "I love you, Eriol, with all my heart, and I always have!" she blurted out between sobs.
Eriol stared at her in surprise, feeling his heart take a leap. He gently wiped away her tears and looked deep into her eyes, hoping she could see the love he felt as well. "Tomoyo... I love you, too... just as I always have," he said, lifting her chin with his finger. He leaned forward and kissed her softly. "Sorry... just always wanted to do that," he said, chuckling softly.
Tomoyo stared at him, still stunned. Wait, he loved her? "Y-you love me?" she asked, trying not to look too curious or happy, lest it all turned out to be a dream.
He chuckled and nodded. "Of course... I'm sorry that I've never been able to say it. I just... I mean, you're so... it's like..." He took a deep breath and shook his head. "You're incredible," he said simply.
Tomoyo smiled happily and pulled him closer, leaning in for a passionate kiss. Breathlessly, she whispered into his ear, "I love you, Eriol-kun..."
***
Niyara climbed up the stairs of Syaoran's hotel room, feeling butterflies in her stomach. She still had feelings for him, yes, but this time, she wouldn't let them get in the way. She stood in front of the door and took a deep breath before knocking.
No one answered.
She felt a panic. Had they seen her coming, and decided not to open the door? She shook her head. Syaoran wouldn't do that... would he? 'He wouldn't, he wouldn't' she repeated over in her head. Maybe they had gone out... but where could they be?
***
Kieren watched Meilin as she slept peacefully on the hospital bed. They had already put a cast on her ankle, but it was late and she had fallen asleep. There was something about her, he was sure of it... He went to touch her cheek when his cell phone began ringing. He quickly answered it before it could disturb anyone.
"Kieren here."
"They've taken the girl, Sakura, to the guy's apartment," the voice on the line spoke.
"Which one? The Li kid?"
"Yeah."
"Well I'm with his cousin right now, in the hospital. I'm sure she'll feed me tons of useful information, no prob," he said, feeling slightly guilty.
"Great. I'm not sure what those kids did, but not a single person inside that hospital can remember anything about Kinimoto. Not even those fools who called us, Senji and Kale," he said wryly.
"Sorcery's afoot, huh? Guess I got out of there in the nick of time," Kieren said, chuckling at his luck.
"Yeah. I'll talk to you soon, Kieren. Got buisness to finish."
"Later, boss," Kieren said, putting away his phone. He glanced over at Meilin wistfully and took her hand. "Sorry, Meilin... gotta do my job."
***
Touya twitched furiously in front of his apartment as he watched the gaki walk away with his sister. Everyone thought she would be safer off living away from her family for a few days, and Kero had tagged along, just in case. Sakura had finally woken up and was now huddled close to Syaoran, who had his arms around her waist protectively. Why did things feel so cold, so unfinished?
"Why couldn't she sleep over at Tomoyo's?" Touya asked glumly.
"Leave it be, To-ya. It's been a long day; we should get some rest," Yuki said, tugging on his sleeve gently.
"Rest? You expect me to get rest with you around?" Touya asked, playfully pinching Yuki's rear.
"Touya!" Yuki said in a mock scolding tone. "Let's get inside."
***
As they walked up to Syaoran's apartment, they stopped dead and stared at the figure who sat at the top of the stairs. She had drifted off into sleep and woke in a startle at the sound of their footsteps.
"Niyara...? What are you doing here?" Syaoran asked.
"S-Syaoran, Sakura... I – I just need to talk to you, the both of you," she said nervously, nodding slowly. "Please, just hear me out. Wait, how can you be here, Sakura?" she asked in confusion.
They both stared at her blankly. What were they supposed to say now? "Uh. Come in, Niyara," Syaoran said.
Over tea, they explained everything that had happened, from the plan to the escape. "I still can't believe I'm out..." Sakura said, smiling softly. Impulsively, she hugged Syaoran. Niyara felt a stab of pain but quickly ignored it.
"I came here... to leave once more... but this time, on good terms," she said. "I'm sorry for what I did in the past; it was childish and futile, I know."
"You don't have to apologize anymore, Niyara. Things worked out fine," Sakura said gently. "Love makes us do thing strange things..."
Niyara nodded quietly. "How true. I think I'll go make us some more tea," she said, standing up. "I'll be right back."
Sakura smiled and nodded. "Ok, Niyara." She turned to Syaoran and kissed him. "She seems like she's speaking from the heart, Syaoran. You should forgive her," she said, staring into his eyes.
Syaoran sighed and nodded. "Of course, as always, you're right." He kissed her again, putting his arms around her waist. "I love you, Sakura."
She held him close to her, feeling his warmth. "And I love you, Syaoran..."
Just then, there was a knock on the door. "Who is it?" Syaoran asked lazily from the couch.
"FBI, open the door."
Syaoran rolled his eyes and went to the door. "Very funny, Eriol." He swung the door open and stared at the stranger in surprise. "You're not... Eriol."
"Agent Lin. I have reason to believe that Kinimoto Sakura is residing within these rooms. Give her up on your own free will, or I will be forced to take action," the man said coldly. His aura was chilling and regal as he stepped inside the room, in his hands a warrant as well as his badge.
Sakura stared at him in fear. She couldn't let him take her away! She searched her pockets for her cards and remembered that she'd given it to Syaoran to stow them away safely for the time being. She squeezed his hand tightly and let go, giving up. "I love you, Syaoran-kun. Always," she whispered, kissing him.
"No. No, Sakura, he can't take you away," Syaoran said, staring at them in disbelief.
Niyara ran into the room and gasped. "Sakura! Who is that man?!"
The man took her by the hand and held it tightly. "She'll be at the Correctional Facility of the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Good evening," he said, walking off.
"Wait! You can't do this! What right do you have?! What has she done?!" Syaoran shouted as the man left.
"There are penalties for breaking out of a Psychiatric Ward; just be happy you aren't being penalized as well. There are other things that have convinced us she belongs in our facilities, of which she will be informed, as well as her legal guardians. Good – evening, sir," he said with finality.
Syaoran continued to stare blankly at the door. She was gone... for that short time, she'd been in his arms and now – she was gone.
***
Meilin woke from her sleep and rubbed her eyes. It was morning again, she noticed groggily, and Kieren was nowhere to be found. When she finally got her thoughts recollected, she quickly snatched her cell phone out of her bag and called Tomoyo. She had to find out what happened!
"TOMOYO-CHAN!!! What happened after I left?!?!" she asked excitedly into her phone.
"Things went fine! In fact, they couldn't have gone better!" Tomoyo answered cheerfully.
"Tomoyo dear, who's that?" Meilin heard a voice in the background ask.
Meilin gasped. "Hey Tomoyo... I called the number for your bedroom... right?" she asked quietly.
"Yes, Meilin."
"Then... why do I hear Eriol's voice in there?!" she asked excitedly.
Tomoyo giggled nervously. "He... stayed over yesterday..." she answered, blushing furiously.
"KAWAII!! You'll have to tell me everything later!! By the way, I'm going to be out of here today, so I think we should have a little surprise party for Syaoran and Sakura at the hotel! We'll discuss it later!"
"Will do! Talk to you later, Meilin! Feel better!"
Meilin smiled. Tomoyo had finally gotten together with Eriol! And Syaoran finally had her beloved... She tried to continue smiling, but a sigh escaped her lips. Who did she have?
Just then, Kieren walked in, holding a platter that contained fresh coffee (OH GOD COFFEE ME WANT............), muffins, pancakes, and syrup. He smiled upon seeing her awake. "Morning, Meilin. Got you some breakfast from outside... I know how much hospital food sucks," he said, placing it down beside her.
She beamed happily. "How sweet of you!" She ate it quietly, feeding him in between bites and smiling happily on the inside. Maybe... just maybe... she had found someone as well.
--- Been feeling really weird lately, and I think that's been affecting the story... ^.^;; Hopefully that won't show in the next chapter. Anyways, betrayal, hurt, hopelessness... it's all lovely. Review and keep updated all! Thank ya!