YES! Thank you to all of the reviewers! We have reached the 400 mark! I LOVE YOU ALL!
Oh, and this is SO not the end of the story! There is more drama yet to come!
How could you think I'd leave you there? lol!

With Or Without You
Chapter Fifteen: Assault

I sighed, walking into my dark, empty house. Home sweet home.

I wondered what had happened while I was gone…I probably had so much homework.

I grabbed my cell phone from my bag, I had refused to answer it or anything while away, for fear of giving my plan away, and looked at it.

Over fifty messages and missed-calls.

Holy shit.

"I wasn't gone that long." I said to myself, flopping down on the couch, pressing the phone to my ear.

I was surprised, very, at what I heard.

About twenty of the calls were from Tomoyo and Meilin, all of them demanding to know where I was, some of which were hard to even understand because they were crying so much.

Ten of them were from Eriol, also demanding to know where I was.

And the other twenty?

Yeah, all Syaoran.

"Sakura." his voice said in my ear. "Wherever you are…I'm sorry. I know that you're gone because of me, or at least it has to do with me…and I'm sorry…but please…come back to us. Come back…to me."

I shut off my phone, tears stinging at my eyes, and sat up.

I had such good friends.

I guess I should have at least told one of them where I was going…but I had no idea that they'd freak out so much.

After all, I had only been gone for a little more than a day…

"I have to see them." I sighed, getting up from the couch and rushing to the door.

It was past midnight, but from the sounds of the messages, I doubt that any of my friends would be asleep.

I had to talk to them.

Especially Syaoran.

I slipped on my shoes and pulled open the door, only to come face-to-face with someone that I really would rather not have seen at that moment.

Especially at that time of night.

"Kent?" I gaped at the blonde standing in front of me, swaying from side-to-side slightly. "What are you doing here?"

"I came…to talk to you." he said, pointing a wobbly finger at me, his eyes dazed.

Someone was drunk.

"I am so sick and tired of taking care of drunk people!" I hissed under my breath, turning back to Kent. "Listen, I've got to go. Go next door, they'll help you sober up, okay?"

So I tried to walk past him.

But he wouldn't let me.

His arm shot out, blocking my path.

"Kent? What are you doing?" I asked acidly. "Let me pass."

"People were looking for you today." he said, somewhat clearer this time. Thank God he wasn't as drunk as Yukito and Touya had been, that way he had at least some control.

"Oh really? I didn't know that." I said sarcastically. "Now move."

"In a second." Kent said, holding up his hand to silence me. "That guy, Li, was with the other three…looking for you all afternoon."

I figured that, thanks.

"What's between you two, anyway?" Kent asked, his voice sounding less drunk and more angry with each word. "Are you a couple or something?"

"Uh…no…not really." I shrugged. It was hard to say at that time. "But listen, I've got to go, so go to the neighbors-"

Just as I tried to push past him, Kent's hand shot out and grabbed my upper arm in a vice-like grip.

"Kent?" I said, wincing at his strength. "Kent let go. You're hurting me."

"You owe me Sakura."

"Owe you?" I shrieked at him. "I don't owe you anything, now let me go!"

So I pushed him with my free hand, hard, backwards.

Didn't work.

That only made him more mad, I think.

He glared at me, and the next thing I knew I felt a sharp pain shoot across my cheek, and I had fallen onto the floor, back inside my house.

"You…hit me." I breathed, pressing my fingers against the sting left from his slap on my cheek. "Kent…what's gotten into you?"

Kent walked inside the house then, closing the door behind him. "I liked you Sakura, but did you give me the time of day? No. All you cared about was Syaoran."

"That's because I love him, Kent." I said, sitting up, glaring at him. "So I suggest you get over it."

"Thing is," Kent said, crouching beside me. "I don't want to."

I gasped as he shoved me back against the floor with surprising speed, pressing his lips roughly against mine.

What is he doing? I couldn't help but think. He couldn't possibly…

My worst fears were confirmed when I felt his hand slide up my bare leg, up towards the hem of my skirt.

"I know you're hear alone Sakura," Kent breathed, finally breaking his kiss. "So no one can hear you scream."

I let out a small whimper then, and kicked him, has hard as I dared, between the legs.

That got him off me quick.

He was lying, groaning and swearing rather badly, in front of the door, so I couldn't escape through there.

We had a back door…

I got to my feet as quickly as I could and ran through the hallway, towards the kitchen.

If only Touya were here. Then he could open hell on Kent.

Relief flooded through me as I reached the back door and quickly un-latched it…

Only to feel strong arms wrap around my waist, tearing me from safety.

"No!" I shrieked as Kent threw me, literally, away from the door.

I hit the wall, hard, and slid to the floor, my side screaming in pain.

"Kent…stop." I managed to breath as he strode towards me, a wicked glint in his crystal eyes. "Please!"

"No begging Sakura, please." he smirked, crouching beside me, stroking some hair from my face. "It's weak, and I know you're not weak."

I closed my eyes, pain shooting through my side. "No-"

Where was my trusty bodyguard Syaoran when I needed him?

But I knew, as Kent gently lifted me off the floor, that Syaoran wasn't coming for me. No one was coming for me.

Because really, no one knew I was here.

Not really, anyway.

Everything began to spin around me as the pain in my side swallowed my rationalization. I could see the stairs and I could see the hallway and I could see the doorway to my room, but I just couldn't understand what was happening.

What was happening?

I closed my eyes when I felt my body rest on something soft and warm, something familiar.

But when I felt something heavy lie on top of me, my eyes shot wide open.

And reality came flooding in.

"Get off me!" I shrieked as Kent straddled my waist. "Get off me you sick-"

"Shut up Sakura." Kent hissed, pressing his hand forcefully over my mouth. "Just shut up. You deserve this."

What? How the hell did I deserve this?

I felt tears sting at my eyes as Kent slowly unbuttoned my skirt, never looked into my eyes, just doing what he was doing.

Why was this happening? Why was he doing this? Was this all because of what had happened at Riley's? Because I loved Syaoran, not him? But…I didn't even know Kent…so why should I love him?

And as he attacked me over and over, whatever feelings I had for him were shredded, and replaced by a pure hatred, and my tears.

XxXxX Syaoran's POV XxXxX

I sighed, staring blankly out the dashboard, the eerie night streets of Tomoeda flooding around me, a soft tune playing over the radio.

But I could barely make out the words to the song, for too much was on my mind.

I didn't have to marry Ciria…I could be with Sakura, finally…but…I had to find Sakura, first.

My cell phone rang, then, and I picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hey Syaoran, it's Tomoyo." Tomoyo's voice said, tired and distraught, from the other line. "Found her yet?"

"No, not yet." I sighed. "I've looked everywhere."

"Eriol and I are going to check the house one last time, just in case she came back." Tomoyo said.

"Nah, I'll do it." I said. "I'm only a few blocks away, and you sound like you need some sleep."

Tomoyo laughed bitterly into the phone. "I won't be able to sleep Syaoran, you know that."

"But you should try." I said. "I'll check Sakura's house, you go home."

"But-"

"Do it Tomoyo." I said sternly. "I'll call you if I find her."

"Promise?"

"Promise." I said. "Now, go and get some sleep."

Then I hung up, and turned onto Sakura's street.

It was empty, just like all the other times I'd checked it that night. The streetlamps lit it eerily, casting unwanted shadows onto the houses and sidewalks.

I parked just across the street from her house and hopped out of the car, striding across the street, my breath visible in front of me as I went.

Where could Sakura be? Why did she disappear in the first place?

When I had returned home not too long ago, Ciria had been there, demanding to know where I had been.

When I'd said that I'd been looking for Sakura, she'd only smirked and said "So, she finally is gone, huh?".

I swear, if I had been forced to marry Ciria, I would have killed her while she slept.

I walked up to the Kinomoto house and knocked on the door…and waited.

After a few minuets of no answer, I pulled the spare key that Tomoyo had given me from my pocket and put it in the lock.

To my surprise, the door was already unlocked.

"That's odd." I said softly. "Tomoyo locked it last time..."

I gasped. "Sakura!"

Pulling open the door, I rushed inside, joy flooding through me.

She had to be there. She had to be home.

"Sakura!" I shouted, running into the living room, the kitchen, everywhere. "Sakura where are you?"

No answer.

I'll try upstairs. I thought, taking the steps in twos until I made it to the top. "Sakura!"

Again, no one answered to my calls.

I sighed and walked down the hallway, poking my head in every room that I came to, until I came to hers.

"Sakura?" I breathed, walking into the dark room, the only light inside was from the streetlamps and the moon outside.

That's when I noticed something lying there, on the bed.

"Sakura!" I gasped, rushing over to her side, relieved to see her.

Her eyes were closed and she was huddled against the blankets, shivering, tears sliding from her eyes.

"Sakura? Sakura what's wrong? Sakura where have you been?" I asked, reaching out to touch her.

Her eyes shot open and she let out a small cry, stumbling backwards on the bed, her eyes wide, tears still flowing from them.

She looked…terrified.

"S-Sakura?" I said softly, holding out my palms. "It's me…Syaoran. Don't be scared."

Sakura stared blankly at me, her breathing uneven, as if breathing was hard for her.

"Syaoran…" she whispered, her voice cracked. "Oh Syaoran!"

She moved forward and wrapped her arms around my neck, burying her face in my shoulder, bursting into tears.

I wrapped my arms around her tightly, just happy that she was okay.

"Sakura…" I whispered. "Where have you been?"

Sakura just continued to cry, her tears soaking through me shirt, her body shaking with each sob.

I hugged her more tightly, but instantly stopped when she let out a cry of pain.

"Sakura?" I gasped, pulling away from her just enough so I could look at her. "Sakura what's wrong?"

"It…hurts." she breathed, beginning to shake again. "My side…it hurts..."

"What?" I gasped. "What happened?"

Sakura didn't answer, she just shook her head and sunk onto the bed, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Sakura…let me see your side." I said softly, leaning towards her.

She shook her head and shrunk away, clutching at her side.

That's when I noticed…how tattered her clothes looked.

One of the straps on her tank-sop was broken, the other barely hanging on. At the hem of the shirt was a small hole in the fabric, and she wasn't wearing anything but underwear on her lower half.

"Sakura…what happened?" I asked sternly, staring blankly at her. "Tell me what happened."

"I…he…" Sakura breathed. "He said…I…deserved..."

She broke down into tears again and lay back on the bed, burying her face in her pillow.

It was then, with the moonlight just so, that I saw the dark bruise on her side.

One, or maybe more, or her ribs was broken.

"Sakura…" I breathed. "Shit!"

I pulled my cell phone from my pocket and instantly dialed 911.

"Yeah, I have an emergency." I said. "My girlfriend, someone hurt her and…I think…she's been raped…yeah…okay."

I quickly gave the person the address and phone number, then I hung up and dialed Tomoyo's number.

"Tomoyo?" I said.

"Syaoran? Did you find her?" Tomoyo's voice was frantic. "Eriol I think he found her!"

"Yeah…I found her." I said softly.

"How is she? Where is she? What happened?" Tomoyo wanted to know.

"I don't…know." I said, feeling a lump rise in my throat. "But…meet me at the hospital."

"W-What?" Tomoyo gasped. "Syaoran what happened, what happened to Sakura?"

"I think…someone attacked her." I said softly. "I'll meet you at the hospital."

Then I hung up and turned back to Sakura, still lying there, looking venerable.

"Come on Sakura." I whispered, leaning towards her. "Let's get you out of here."

She nodded faintly and wrapped her arms around my neck, allowing me to pick her up off the bed.

"Does that hurt?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Thank you Syaoran…I didn't think…anyone would come."

I nodded and kissed her lightly on the head. "It's okay Sakura. I'm here…I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere."

oOoOo! Kent's gonna DIE! Once Syaoran finds him, that is. Next chapter is a bit...emotional!
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