Disclaimer: I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura. For a full disclaimer look in Chapter 1.

Stolen or Taken?

By: Meaningless Colors

Chapter 8: Lady Lachesis and Her Grace, Laurel Crysania Seer

Eriol sat across Laurel, legs crossed and dressed for business.

"So she's dead, correct?"

"Laurie, would I lie to you about something like that?" Laurel glared at him.

"Don't call me that." She paused a moment to send a flying spark his way. He caught it and froze it. "But we are talking about Eriol Hiiragizawa, if it suits you, you will lie."

"And the best way to lie is by using the truth."

"Why do I even bother to talk to you?"

"Because Lady Laurel, we have business to settle."

"Tell me something I don't know."

"What would you not know?" A sneer inched its way onto his face, though not before Laurel saw it.

"True. But I have to look at both lines of the thread."

"If course. You're not Lachesis for nothing."

"Yet, I have to marry that sickening man. Getting the tapestry moved is not going to be easy."

"I don't see why you have to move it."

"Don't play dumb with me Eriol. I know your tricks better then Kaho does."

"You know her secret?"

"And I know yours."

"Then tell me who will die next."

"A mortal. A mortal who you know very well."

"Duchess, you never give straight answers."

"And I don't intend to start."

Not too far away, Kaho fretted about the fact that Eriol had not yet arrived at the airport. He had insisted in taking a commercial flight, ignoring the jets that were at his disposal. Eriol was always impossible. She could not expect him to change that any more than she could not help thinking about poor Tomoyo. Only twelve and dead. Gone. Just like Mother. Of course, that was a long time ago and not worth thinking of. She would have to do her best to avoid her father, hoping he was not going to be at the funeral.

"Kaho!" He rushed towards her with his face flushed and several beads of sweat on his forehead. "Let's go." He dragged her to the terminal, showing his passport as well as her, and was given the tickets. He took the aisle seat giving her a view, something to take her mind off Tomoyo. Tomoyo, that little girl with the violet hair, a video camera, and that bright smile. Too many mutual relationships had formed in Japan. Only restraining his movements. If he didn't know better, he would say that he had become a pawn to that charming woman who was known to most as Laurel Seer. Magic seemed to be a luxury she could toss around. If only he did not part with half of his powers, he would know what she was plotting behind that pretty face of hers.

"Ifs" were something a person like him should not think about. He had facts and he was set on using them. You don't make your living as a lawyer in London basing your case and arguments on emotions. You needed hard-core facts. Of course, twisting emotions was something that came in handy too. Give them a few sleepless nights to debate on the case. He looked at Kaho's tear-stained face and felt a pang of guilt. His chest got tight all of a sudden and then one thought surfaced over the others. Lachesis, you really like playing games. As if to answer his, he felt her smile.

"Of course, Sister, you really want me to show some sympathy?"

"Lachesis, these threads are not meant to be woven like that."

"Clotho, I do not weave the threads, they weave themselves." As to prove her point, the shutters of the loom flew into motion and thread from Clotho's spindle flew to her loom.

"No need to fault your magic."

"No need to question how I work with the mortals."

"The way you pull some strings of that male mortal who was just here, is quite inhuman."

"You have a soft-spot for them. And it is not inhuman."

"You forget that you were once mortal, until the former Lachesis stopped weaving."

"My thread was toyed with and now it is something I do too. You forget Clotho, that no matter who is Lachesis, we will have the desire to reweave and pull some threads. As for the cutting —"

"No need to talk of things that have not come to past."

"I think that there is too much human still in you."

"And I think you allowed your heart to harden like your beauty."

"Don't worry. I'll deal with those humans. You stick to your spinning."

"Just don't forget that you were once like them and that you still have a mortal life to lead."

Laurel ran through her week bored. She talked to clients and talked them out of performing crazy deeds and talked them right back to the edge of sanity. At night, she looked over each patient and read The World for competition. Most of what she did was talk. She talked to her banker, she spoke at the University of London, and she spoke to the wedding planner. No doubt, Richard was thrilled. At that "Yes," he had suddenly become himself again. He finally got back into the politics that he was so good at and a normal life. Laurel endured the queen, the seamstress, the chief, the decorator, and even other person in Britain who knew that a 10.5-carat ring gleamed on her finger. She took it as her breeding had trained her to. Kaho had returned for several appointments and this time it was Tomoyo who haunted her dreams.

"Ark khanthitan taithe humnt." She had barely finished wiping the sand off her desk when Violet buzzed her. Eriol stood smiling at her doorway. He bowed and entered. He was mocking her. She could see it in his even gesture. "Eriol, you're back. Have a seat."

"How have you been, Your Grace?" Laurel could not help but smile at him.

"Are you trying to hurt my feelings?"

"Am I doing a good job?"

"You should know better." Her gaze impaled his soul and he felt her probing a little too late to block her. A brown wolf slinked into the room and settled himself on Laurel's lap. She shooed him onto the floor, where he attempted to look hurt at her and rested his head on her lap instead. You're heavy so don't you think about resting your entire body on my lap. He flashed his teeth at her and entertained himself with Eriol.

He's an awkward two-legger and possesses a guile foxes would envy. Laurel erupted into peals of laughter, allowing the blood to rise to her cheeks.

"Your familiar?" He raised his eyebrows as he noted the conversation going on between the two. That wolf did a fine job of making it impossible to translate.

"You look surprised Eriol."

"Never did I imagine that I would live to the day to a familiar of Lachesis."

"I suppose you want to talk."

"Just to report, Your Grace." He made her title long and slow as though she could not comprehend more complex words. "Everything went according to plan."

"You've seen your spiritual double, then. I assume you have the entire thing sorted out and the younger Kinomoto calmed."

"It couldn't have been smoother."

"The brother still suspicious?"

"No, simple friendship spell fixed that."

"All guardians out of the way?"

"All out of the way. What do you want me to do next?"

"Just wait and we'll watch what your dear Kaho does." She sneered.

"What do you do after we know what she's going to do?"

"Nothing Eriol. Oh by the way, don't hesitant to kill anyone who gets in your way."

A/N: Thanks everyone who even glanced at this. Could someone tell me if they think Laurel is too much of a 'Mary-Sue'? Though first someone has to explain to me what a 'Mary-Sue' is. Furuto commented on it.

Thank you once again Alucard's Familiar. Furuto thinks that that complement got to my head. She thinks too much and has an opinion for everything even if she doesn't tell them to many people. As for my username, it just sums up my philosophy of life. It just means that dazzling colors really don't mean anything and that black and white is enough to get you through life. Āni would just tell me that I am too grim and then get back to whatever he was doing. It's funny how people see things that way.