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Special Dedication: Kenny's grounded all the time :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura. It belongs to Clamp. I am simply using their characters for entertainment purposes only. À la folie... pas du tout was written by Laetitia Colombani and Caroline Thivel and directed by Laetitia Colombani. The plot belongs to them. Thank you.
28, August 2005 : Chapter 04, Nakuru Akizuki
Yue sat in a waiting room, waiting to be called. When it finally was he took a deep breath and entered the office where Syaoran was waiting.
"You can have a seat right there." he said kindly, motioning to the chair in front of his desk. Yue sat and Syaoran picked up a piece of paper. After looking it over briefly he gave Yue a small nod and looked up. "I don't believe I've seen you here before. What's the problem?" he asked.
"Nothing with me, sir," came Yue's ever so serious reply.
"Oh? Than who?" Syaoran was slightly confused as to why the young man was there.
"A girl... A girl that you used and dumped. Does that ring any bells, Doctor?" Syaoran's eyebrows furrowed together as Yue continued to speak, leaning towards him. "I love her and I will not sit around a let you treat her like that!" His silver eyes narrowed dangerously as he saw a shred realization dawn Syaoran's face.
"I didn't dump her. I was fair to her. I warned her that it couldn't go on the way it was." came Syaoran's matter of fact response. "Now, I'm afraid I must ask you to leave." he said motioning to the door. But Yue wasn't ready to go. He got up and slammed his hands down on the desk.
"Well she didn't understand and it's driving her crazy!" he shouted. "You're destroying her career! Why don't you get some balls and tell her to her face!" Syaoran stood and walked around his desk towards a fuming Yue.
"I'm sorry she didn't understand," he said crossing his arms over his chest, "but I have nothing to say to her. Now you need to leave. I have patients waiting for me." Syaoran headed towards the door and opened it waiting for Yue to leave his office. As Yue walked to the door he stopped right in front of him and looked him straight in the eyes.
"You're a real creep."
"Sure." Syaoran bit back. As he walked out of the office he shoved a stack of papers off the secretary's desk before looking back.
"You coward."
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Meiling stood at the base of the stairs elegant stairway. She was at the college for medical and science students where she knew Yue would be. He caught her eye as he walked down the stairs, speaking with someone about a class. However when she caught his eye he told the other boy he would see him in class and walked directly over to her.
"You okay?" she asked quietly, noticing he looked a bit flustered . He nodded in silence. "Yue, I need to talk to you. It's very important." She led him to a bench out in the courtyard where they could sit and talk. "You're right, Yue. I really need to forget about him." She said, looking him in the eyes. She moved closer and whispered in his ear. "But I need your help."
"Really?" came his equally quiet, albeit surprised, reply. She nodded.
"I want to give him a sort of farewell present. What I need is..." Meiling continued to whisper in Yue's ear so only he could hear the words that made his eyes widen to about twice their normal size.
"What do you need that for?" came his shocked reply.
"Don't worry about that-"
"I can't do this." He said cutting her off and getting up but she grabbed the sleeve of his shirt holding him there
"Trust me." she said softly.
"That's impossible, Meiling. I can't." he said as he walked away, but he stopped turning back to see her still sitting on the bench. Heaving a sigh he walked back to her. "I'll... find a way..." He ran his fingers through his white hair and sat down beside her again, suddenly finding his hands very interesting.
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Meiling and Yue looked together into the small white box Yue had brought her.
"I'm not sure this is such a good idea." he warned but Meiling didn't care. She just smiled.
"Don't worry." she said as she closed the box back up and walked back inside through the living room into the kitchen. Yue followed but stopped dead in his tracks when he looked around at the mess and all the dead plants.
"What happened?" he breathed.
"Oh, I still have to clean up." Meiling stated from the kitchen, as if nothing were wrong. She walked over to the freezer and opened it up to place the box inside. Yue looked around confused. He saw a pile of dishes and tea cups on the floor with candle sticks and salt & pepper shakers.
"Was there a table there?" he asked wondering what his friend had been doing.
"Oh, I sold it. I bought the Hong Kong tickets for Syaoran and I with the money." she smiled. Yue turned around to face her.
"Meling you can't do that!" he shouted, appalled by his friends behavior.
"Well, I'll buy it back. I just pawned it." she said rubbing the back of her neck and looking at the spot where there had once been a table.
"You're nuts. He's driving you nuts. Give that back to me!" He said running into the kitchen, towards the freezer but Meiling forcefully grabbed him and put herself between him and it.
"I can't let him destroy me, Yue! Didn't you tell me that?" Yue's breath was forced as he looked Meiling in the eyes. "It's that last thing I'll do, then I swear I'll never mention him again. That's a promise." She whispered in his ear. He stood for a moment before pushing her back against the fridge and leaving the house, slamming the door behind him.
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"-- they get over 10,00 visitors a year." came the TV reporters voice as Meiling sliced through Syaoran's scarf with a box cutter. Suddenly, however, the television caught her attention. "Tonight's second feature is on the Tsubasa Art Gallery in Tokyo. In September they will be holding an exhibition of rising young artists' work-"
Meiling switched the channel but found she wasn't happy with the one she came to when she saw a man take a woman in his arms and kiss her passionately. She switched again only to find a couple kissing on the beach. She growled at the television set and switched again, coming to the weather report of another news station. She continued cutting up the green fabric but more words caught her attention.
"Today a cardiologist was accused of assault and battery in his office. Dr. Syaoran Li's patient," Meiling turned up the volume, "A Miss Nakuru Akizuki, filed a complaint against Li for an alleged assault. Today Li will be questioned by the police and our reporter is on the spot." The image on the screen went for the news anchor to the reporter on the street, asking Syaoran questions.
"Dr. Li, how do answer these accusations?" Syaoran looked terribly worried and upset as he tried to walk away from the reporter that kept pressing him for answers. "Dr Li, did you assault the patient?" Meiling watched the TV intently. "Is your career over, Dr. Li? Please, Doctor!" Syaoran would not answer any questions and looked almost like a lost little boy. The a woman, Nakuru Akizuki, appeared on the screen. "I'll won't stop until I get that brute struck off the medical register!" she shouted. Meiling's eyes narrowed as the woman continued. "I'm very influential. I can do it." she said nodding her head. "I'll see that the man never practices again!" Meiling's expression became dangerous as she listened to the woman speak.
"You bitch." she sneered as she got up off the floor and walked over to the computer and began to type away. Suddenly, Nakuru Akizuki's address came up on to the screen. Meiling smirked and shut off the computer.
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Tomoyo sat with Naoko at the kitchen table as the early rays of sun filtered in through the window blinds. Once again Naoko was engrossed in a book of ghost stories, swinging her feet back and forth happily as she read. Tomoyo was feeling rather engrossed in her muffin until the radio started to play the news.
"This is Radio Tokyo, broadcasting live from the Tokyo Tower. It is 8 am and it looks like a day of sunny skies so you better get outside!" came the announcers voice.
"Naoko would you stop reading and eat your breakfast?" Tomoyo chided seeing that Naoko hadn't touched her cereal. "It'll get warm on you. Warm milk in cereal is disgusting."
"I'm getting to the good part..." she mumbled eating a spoonful of cereal and then returning to the story.
"And here is some more on the news regarding the cardiologist, Dr. Syaoran Li." came the announcers voice. Tomoyo turned to the radio and adjusted the volume to be louder. "Nakuru Akizuki, who filed suit against him was found dead in her home early this morning." Tomoyo let a small gasp escape her lips. "She had a serious heart condition that may have been agitated by a scuffle, causing her a fatal heart attack." Tomoyo felt sick to her stomach. She wanted to go see if Meiling knew anything. "Police say it took place only hours after her fight with Dr. Li and they will continue to investigate-"
"Naoko, wait here, ok? Be good." she told the small girl in an urgent tone. Tomoyo grabbed her jacket and hurried out the door. Finally after running for what seemed like ages, and wishing her moped wasn't busted, she reached the Terada house and knocked on the door. Meiling answered after a moment and Tomoyo was taken back by the large bruise that adorned her cheek.
"Meiling! What happened to you?" she asked.
"Oh, it's nothing. I fell." came her quick reply as she smiled it off. Moving aside she allowed Tomoyo to come in but her eyes narrowed when a police car drove by before she closed the door behind them.
"What happened in here?" came a stunned Tomoyo's voice as she looked at the disarray around her. "Look at the plants. Did you do this? Meiling-" her words were cut off when the door bell rang. Meiling didn't budge and the door bell rang again. "You should get that, Meiling. Open up." she said quietly looking her friend in the eyes. Taking a deep breath, Meiling went to the door and opened it to find two police officers.
"Hello ma'am. I'm Detective Wei Wang." said the elderly man as he flashed his badge to her. "Would it be alright if I asked you a few questions?"
"Of course." she replied as if nothing were out of the ordinary, moving aside to allow him entrance. Wei looked around at the messy room he entered, raising an eyebrow at the mess.
"Would you like something to drink?" Meiling offered kindly. Wei shook his head and eyed her suspiciously.
"May I ask what happened to your cheek?" he asked in a serious tone.
"Oh, I fell down the stairs. I was carrying down some laundry and I slipped." her voice didn't waver one bit. It sounded so matter of fact.
"Do you know Dr. Syaoran Li?"
"Why, yes i do." Meiling smiled at the elderly man standing before her.
"One of his patients was found dead."
"Yes, I heard. That's awful." Meiling shook her head with a sigh.
"Where were you between 8 and 10 pm yesterday evening?" Wei asked Meiling, once again eyeing her bruise once again.
"I was here in the house with Tomoyo." Meiling said pointing to Tomoyo who's eyes widened slightly in shock, but Detective Wang didn't notice. "We were tidying up." She noticed Wei's suspicious glance around the room and continued with a small laugh. "We're not quite done yet."
"Was the doctor home last night?" He continued to question her.
"Yea, as far as I know." she nodded. "He called me around 10. Right Tomoyo?" she said directing her attention to the pale girl standing across the room. Tomoyo merely nodded and averted her lavender eyes to the floor, still feeling utterly shocked and confused.
"Did he act strangely at all?" Meiling briskly shook her head in response. "Well... Thank you." Wei said as he began to move past her. Before exiting the house he turned back to Meiling, handing her a business card. "If you remember anything, let me know."
"Of course." she smiled as she saw them out the door.
"Oh, and be careful on those stairs." He walked out to the car leaving Meiling alone in the doorway. Tomoyo covered her mouth with her hand, breathing heavily. How could Meiling have pulled her into the mess? Meiling shut the door and walked back in picking up a small box off the ground.
"Did you do it?" Tomoyo whispered.
"What?"
"You went to her home and you killed her?" Tomoyo's eyes looked frightened and her words came out barely audibly. "No, it was Li. Did he ask you to do that!"
"No, it was me." Meiling said defensively as she walked to Tomoyo, still holding the cardboard box. "I wanted her to drop the charges. We fought and she fell but it'll all be ok. Look," she said pulling a candelabra from the box, "I took some things to make it look like a robbery. Everything will be fine."
"Meiling, are you crazy?" Tomoyo asked walking past Meiling. "We have to go to the police." she said picking up the business car that Meiling had dropped onto the floor.
"I can't let you do that." Meiling replied in a low voice.
"Meiling, we'll go together. You have to." Meiling took the card from Tomoyo's hands and ripped it in half.
"If you tell anyone about this I'll tell how much you steal from Twin Bells." she walked close to Tomoyo and her tone was deathly serious. "It would be to bad if you lost your job and Naoko had to go live in a foster home. She's so sweet. I'm sure any family would gladly take her. Though I doubt you'd ever see her again."
"You wouldn't do that to Naoko." Tomoyo felt as if she couldn't breathe but Meiling nodded and continued.
"I would do it. I'd do anything for Syaoran. No one is going to take him away from me." her voice had become jagged and frightening. "Not you, or Naoko, or anybody." Tomoyo pushed past Meiling needing to leave that house immediately. But before she opened the door she turned around sadly to face Meiling.
"He doesn't even love you..."
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Meiling came up to Syaoran's house where there were flashes of light everywhere coming from the police cars and photographers. Syaoran was being dragged out of his home by two officers. He still looked to be a lost young boy. The officers directed him down to a car but before the could shove him in, a woman ran up shouting. Meiling's breathe caught in her throat.
"Wait! Officer, I'm his lawyer!" Sakura shouted as she ran to her husband. "Let me speak with him." The officers let Syaoran go and the couple walked a few feet away from the crowd. All eyes were on them.
"Syaoran don't say anything until I get there." Sakura told him and he nodded assuring her that he wouldn't. Sakura held his hands in her own as they gazed into each other's eyes for a moment. Meiling could hear her own heart beat in her ears.
"Okay." Syaoran's small response finally came and Sakura placed her hands on his cheeks, tip toeing to kiss him. Suddenly Syaoran was pulled away by the officers and his words to Sakura were barely audible but Meiling heard them clear as day, ringing in her ears.
"I love you."
Syaoran was loaded into the police car and the door was shut behind him. He looked out the window longingly at his wife and Meiling's jaw tightened. She began to shake as the car pulled off onto the road and out of sight.
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All of the gas burners on the stove were turned on as high as they would go. Meiling shut the kitchen door and placed a towel across the space between the floor and the door before she lay down on the cool tile. Her heart beat continued to sound in her ears. Slowly, she closed her eyes and the heartbeat began to slow down...
Thanks sooo much to Kenny's grounded all the time, platinumwish, and fallenmad for adding He Loves Me... He Loves Me Not to their favorites! I got warm fuzzies when I saw :)
Thanks to asn water, Kenny's grounded all the time, platinumwish, fallenmad, JovianShe-Wolf, and princess-fiora for reviewing HLM...HLMN! I really appreciate it :)
Thanks to fallenmad for adding HLM...HLMN to her alerts!