A/N: Holy cow, it's been… a really long time since I've last uploaded a chapter. I suppose I've had a serious case of writer's block, along with school and other events clotting up my schedule. My deepest apologies to my reviewers (who have probably forgotten about me by now P ) Anyway, if you're just now joining in on this fic then I hope you enjoy it to your heart's content. I've been trying to drift away from the same old "romance" and mix it up with a little more action, so hopefully I'll know what I'm doing… lol enjoy!
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To My Reviewers:
Kenshinlover2002: Muaha! Stay tuned, friend! You'll find out soon enough what's really going on, and I'm sure you'll be plenty surprised once the story unfolds. As for the innocent kiss Syaoran gave Sakura, perhaps he is going a little soft, but what would the story be without a little S+S, hm? Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Angelic Gothic: It all seems to go together doesn't it? Maybe it's the butler, or maybe it's Eriol, or maybe it's the least person you'd expect to be behind all of this. Who knows? I thank you for taking up an interest in my story, and there isn't a doubt that you'll find out who the culprit is in the next few chapters. But until then, I hope you enjoy the rest of the story and I really appreciate your review. )
trangie: lol you'll check up on me every day? I hardly believe that you've kept on looking up to this point, seeing as it's been a while since I last uploaded. But thanks! Here's your next chapter, maybe you'll like this one just as much as the last.
Kawaii Bell: Indeedy-do! More should be revealed in the next coming chapters, that is, if I keep trying to update in a timely manner from now on. Other then that though, I thank you for your review. Who knows, you might be right about what's going on, you'll just have to keep reading to find out, hm? Hehe.
Strawberrylover: Holy man, I must say that I appreciate your reviews most. I notice your reviews for all my fics for each chapter I happen to upload, that really makes me smile. Thank you. Anyway, they kissed! I just had to put something in there for that chapter, I mean, it's been 7 chapters and nothing has happened yet! Had to put something juicy in there, and I'm glad you liked it lol. I'll be looking forward to your next review! –hugs-
lOuisE69: Oh my, thank you. P Unfortunately I haven't been coming up with good ideas lately, and I'm surprised I even thought stuff up for this chapter. I hope you like it though, and thanks for reading and reviewing!
ErosKitty: Ended it? Oh, ha! Indeed, I did end it, but I promise there'll be plenty of better parts later on in the story to make up for it. Please be patient and I promise you, you won't regret it. Thank you for reviewing, here's your next chapter. ;
Trang: Aw thanks. I have a fan! Tehe, anyway I'm sorry for not uploading in such a long while, but here's the chapter you've been waiting for. Hopefully you won't be disappointed with this, I'll try to keep my chapters interesting. Thanks for reading and thank you so much for keeping up with me for so long. –smiles-
dancingwindforever: Surprise, surprise! Whether Sakura ends up with Syaoran or Eriol is entirely up to… chance. –snigger- You never know, but I'm not going to give anything away. What anticipation would there be if I gave the goodies out? P As for abandoning this fic, I was debating on it for some time, my writer's block was that bad. But I decided against it and fished something up to continue with. I'm actually glad I didn't end it though, and thank you for your review. If it wasn't for your personal review, I wouldn't have had much motivation to continue this at all. Thanks:
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Chapter 8:
A Secret to Tell
Sakura had disappeared through the double doors to get to the phone, without notice, while the guests greeted each other in the other room. Now that the entire guest room was filled with chattering strangers, it was the perfect opportunity to get a hold of Tomoyo without anyone bothering her. Besides, it had been weeks since their little "money" incident, there was bound to be news of help by now. If so, Sakura was going to find out soon. Shuffling down the hall while holding her dress up with one hand to keep the fine fabric from dragging on the floor, she reached the phone and retrieved it, disappearing into the nearest empty room so no one would get suspicious.
Syaoran was bored, irritated… bored… tired, and… bored still. He had arrived at Eriol's house with Sakura a full hour ago, and to no surprise they were the first ones to arrive. The other guests hadn't started driving up until now, and it only added onto his dread of being near… people. He wasn't necessarily in the mood to talk to anybody and pretty much wanted to seep into the tiles beneath his own two feet and disappear so he could, sleep? Yeah, sleep sounded really good.
Eriol was throwing a get-together party to celebrate the day his beloved home had finally finished being built. Yep, it was the very house Syaoran was moping in at the moment. He thought it odd that Eriol made the official finishing of his manor a sort of anniversary date… but then again, Eriol was a weird fellow to begin with.
"Syaoran, do you have a minute? I'd like to introduce you to a few friends of mine. I've told them all about you, come on, shake a leg." Eriol had caught Syaoran off guard, snapping him out of his selfish thoughts of self preservation when he approached him from the other side of the room, with two female creatures by his side no less. Oop… It took just about all the strength in Syaoran to force a smile to his lips and to stand up to greet these so-called "friends" of Eriol's. The girls weren't exactly unpleasant looking, that definitely wasn't it. In fact, they were perfectly fine looking specimens… curved in all the right places. Again, the perverse side of his mind took control, but he wasn't in the mood for perverted thoughts tonight either. Shocking.
Taking a gentle hold of both girls' hands, he brought them up to his lips and kissed each as if they were not but the finest porcelain. It was his nature to treat girls with the utmost respect, and it wasn't his fault that every girl he happened to treat that way seemed to melt at his feet. But it wasn't as if he didn't mind it either.
"It's a pleasure to meet the both of you," he began, focusing his full attention on his act. "How do you put up with Eriol, hm? I'm sorry, but I need to know your secret. Anyone who can spend so much time with him must have a means of sanctuary to escape to." Syaoran joked after he released their hands. The women simply giggled behind their fingers in response, earning him a look of concern from Eriol.
"We're full of jests tonight, aren't we Syaoran?" Eriol grinned, obviously not taking the joke personally as he continued with the introductions. "Syaoran, this lovely brunette is Malina. The blonde at her side is Madison," he said, gesturing to both ladies. "Surely you'll keep them company throughout the remainder of this party, won't you?" Syaoran cussed under his breath. He hated it when Eriol put him into the spotlight like that, and he knew that he had no choice in the matter. Drat.
"Of course, I'd love to keep watch over these ladies." He said, smiling handsomely at the baffled women standing before him. With the way they were giggling, who would have guessed that they were full grown females? He sighed to himself… it was the same reaction no matter where he went. He was surprised when Sakura had reacted the way she had after their first encounter. She never failed to entice him, even when she was upset. Speaking of which, where was she?
"Anyway, I have a few more awaiting guests I need to greet at the door. If you will excuse me…" Eriol made an attempt to leave, bowing his head politely before turning around.
"Hey, before you go, have you seen Sakura?" Syaoran called out to him, reaching out for his arm. But no sooner then he was able to reach, a small voice spoke up behind him.
"Looking for me?" It was her. Who could mistake her soft, feather-like voice? Eriol continued to walk off, disappearing into the crowd and leaving his two female guests alone at Syaoran's side to snoot away to themselves while eyeing Sakura quietly. It wasn't as if there was any competition between the three ladies. No, sir. The two strangers won hands down when it came to beauty. But it wasn't Sakura's beauty that captivated Syaoran, it was the vibe that she gave off. It was rather intoxicating, but that didn't mean she was ugly either. She was simple and plain, and oddly enough she was the first girl he had seemed to like who didn't cake make-up on her face.
"I was, actually. Where have you been?" He asked, turning to face her. She simply smiled her usual, innocent smile and eyed the girls in front of her.
"You're nosey. I was using the restroom," she sighed to herself, "Perhaps next time you'd like to make sure I wash my hands too, Dad?" Syaoran clenched a fist at his side. She always did have a quick mouth on her. "Who are these ladies, if I may ask? Are they your fan club?" Sakura continued, grinning wryly at him. The two girls 'humphed' and stood silent, awaiting Syaoran's answer.
"I'm afraid not, they're a few friends of Eriol's, we were just getting acquainted."
"I'm sure you were. Well, in that case, I'll leave you three alone while I serve the guests. Have fun." She said, patting Syaoran none too gently on the back before making her way through the bustling crowd. The moment she reached the privacy of the kitchen, she leaned against the door and stared up at the ceiling above her. It had been about a week since the "kiss" incident that night in the living room between her any Syaoran. She still wasn't sure if he had known whether she was asleep or not, but it wasn't as if she was going to walk up to him and ask him.
"Sakura, are you enjoying the party?" A voice called out ahead of her, snapping her out of her trance. Looking up, she forced a smile when she realized it was Gerry, who was holding a tray of 'snacks' in his gloved hand.
"Enjoying it? I'm having the time of my life," she replied, sliding past him to pick up a similar tray from the counter. "I just decided to help out, that's all. Do you mind?" Gerry shook his head, wrinkles showing his age when he smiled.
"Not at all, but it really isn't necessary. Tonight you needn't worry about being hired help, I can take care of this entirely myself. Thank you though, you're a sweet girl." And he left the kitchen, approaching the guests outside with tray in hand.
Sweet? Hardly. He wouldn't think that if he knew what was going through her mind at the moment… she was still curious about him, both him and his actions, and he seemed to be acting more and more peculiar whenever she would bump into him. Also, what was in the trunk that night he took her home? She knew she shouldn't fret too much about it, but it was normal for one to have suspicions… right?
She held her head up high, pushed all her troublesome thoughts aside, and followed after Gerry shortly after he had left. Everyone was chatting happily, each conversation different from the one before. When was the last time she had a party? It made her wonder. Oh well, she couldn't wait to get home anyway, the news she had received from Tomoyo during her phone call earlier had her all pumped up in anticipation. When she had called, Tomoyo had told her that Sakura's brother, Touya, would make a few phone calls and come down to take care of the situation. Sakura grinned. She could always depend on her brother to help her out, even though he was an ass.
Passing through the room, she was about to offer a couple some of the treats on her tray when Syaoran pulled her back into… the comfort of his arms? Nah, it was just too crowded to stand any further apart.
"What is it?" She asked, looking him in the eyes. He took the tray from her hands and set it down on the arm of a nearby sofa, then pulled her to a quieter part of the room.
"I just wanted to let you know that I'm leaving. I just got a call from Damian," Syaoran grunted, running a frustrated hand through his hair. Gah… he really needed to stop messing up his hair when he was troubled. "He said it was urgent and he wants me back down at the warehouse to meet up with another one of the agents. Do you want to stay or would you like me to take you home?"
"Woah, slow down. Why does your boss want you down at the warehouse again? Did they find something?" She asked in just above a whisper, suddenly curious. A part of her wanted to stay, a part of her wanted to go home and talk to Tomoyo, but a bigger part wanted to go with him instead. A sudden rush of excitement coursed through her limbs like electrical signals, telling her brain to follow him and find out what was going on. She secretly decided on doing so if he were to refuse. "Better yet, can I come wit– "
"No." He rubbed his forehead with his fingers and regained his composure, calming his nerves. "Sorry, but you can't. I don't want to have to worry about you when I can be focusing on the task at hand. It'll be safer for you if you stay here with Eriol or at home… wait, stay here." He decided, rushing out to the entrance hall where a maid stood, handing him his coat. Sakura followed close behind, questions flooding her mind.
"I won't get in the way…" She knew it was useless to argue with this man, so she decided against it. "Fine then, I'll stay here. When do you think you'll be back at the hotel?" She watched as he shrugged on his jacket over his broad shoulders.
"I don't know, I'll be back whenever I get finished. I suggest you don't go anywhere, I'll be here to pick you up." She nodded and watched from the front door as he hurried his way down the front steps to his car.
So he wanted her to stay, huh? Heh… funny.
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Sakura had asked to borrow Gerry's car. Naturally he had accepted, but had an array of questions to go with it. She had told him that she had to run a few quick errands for her stay that night, since she was told to remain at the manor by orders from Syaoran, which seemed believable enough, didn't it? He had understood and had given her the car keys without hesitation… but that was merely the easy part. Now she had to try and find her way through the city to the warehouse on her own. She was sure she could make it there from the hotel itself, so maybe she would start there instead.
Sakura tapped her fingers on the steering wheel to the radio as she waited at an intersection. She was just a turn away from the hotel and was growing even more anxious just waiting. Who knew what she would find once she got to the warehouse. She looked around at the street ahead where cars zoomed by and where others sat, waiting for their light to turn green. And out of pure luck, she caught a glimpse of a car sitting at the light opposite her, as well as the person sitting at the wheel. It was Syaoran. Her heart thumped impatiently as she watched him turn at the intersection, 'To the warehouse,' she guessed. Muttering an oath under her breath, she made an illegal turn through the red light to tail him. So, he had decided to make a pit stop at the hotel, too? How coincidental.
She knew better than to keep a watch on him too closely, so she let a few cars turn into her lane ahead of her so it would be less obvious that she was following him. But she dreaded that he already knew she was there… and what if he did? Would he yell at her? Tie her up in the hotel room and hold her hostage? Or would he go crazy enough to shoot her and get her out of the way permanently? It was a fat chance for any of that happening… except for the yelling, he did enough of that already.
They were in a deeper and older part of town now. All the streets were empty, barely anyone was in sight, and the buildings were rusty looking with poor, ground level houses scattering the neighborhood. Luckily though, that was the area near the warehouse, since the warehouse itself was located a ways away. Not that its location had been any better. If possible, it was even more deserted and creepy looking than the neighborhood itself was, now that it was dark… Why had she wanted to follow again?
Syaoran parked a block away from the warehouse to prevent attracting any attention to himself. Not that he needed to anyway, seeing as no one else was around. Loser. Sakura had slowed to a stop several yards away as she watched him, and it wasn't until he had disappeared through the large, metal doors before she decided to park where she had stopped. She waited a few minutes to make sure he wasn't going to come out and then followed him inside.
Opening the large door, she peered inside to look around. And just as she had thought, it was nearly pitch black except for the faint glints of moonlight that glared through the dusted windows, but even that wasn't enough to see. She cursed herself for coming. At the moment, it had seemed exciting, and she was all for it. But now that she thought about it, she was in no state to be 'investigating'. Honestly, who went snooping around an old smelly warehouse in a black cocktail dress and high heels?
No sooner was she going to turn around and head back to her car when she heard a sudden scuffling of feet and the whispering of male voices coming from the other side of the doors, probably away near some boxes, from the sounds of it. Sakura recognized one of the voices immediately as Syaoran's, but the other voice was new to her, deeper and huskier than Syaoran's. Was it the agent he had said he was going to meet up with? She held her breath as she pressed her ear against the door to listen, all intentions of leaving now entirely gone as her curiosity took over. What were they planning to do?
"So far, only you and I have been partaking in this investigation. No one else from HQ other than Damian knows that we've been here. And with this warehouse being located on the outskirts of the city, I doubt that anyone else will know we're here either, Syaoran."
"Well then, let's get the job done quickly so no one has to worry about us, sound good?" Syaoran said, almost lazily. "What have you found out before I arrived?" Both men's voices were dangerously low, almost as if they were expecting someone to be eavesdropping… oops.
"I found out a few clues that may be of some use. For one, there's a shed out back that didn't seem to hold anything but old tools and materials. I didn't make anything of it, so I went back into the warehouse and did some more looking around, then found a fake stone in the ground and figured it was a key. I didn't notice it right off, but when I stepped on it, it made a loud 'pang' and caught me off guard…"
Sakura's eyes widened in recognition. Was this guy talking about the same stone she had stepped on when she first arrived there with Syaoran? It was more than likely, and she never figured out what its purpose was, or what it caused. She listened more closely.
"I nearly gave up on figuring out what that stone had done, but it wasn't until I went back into the shed for the last time when I noticed the change," the guy explained. "The first time I searched the shed there was nothing but tools and materials, right? But the second time, the wall that was used to hang various chains and ropes had flipped over, revealing a set of controls. Kinda like a double door, make sense?"
How utterly fascinating. The stone Sakura had stepped on was actually a key for flipping a wall? Now she really didn't want to get back to the hotel. More importantly, what were the shed controls used for?
"Interesting… Here, show me the shed so I can see for myself. We need to find out where those controls are connected…" Syaoran answered, his voice trailing off as both he and his agent friend walked towards the opposite end of the warehouse. And, taking that as her opportunity to sneak in, Sakura pulled open the giant door and slid inside, holding her dress with one hand as she tried to control the sounds of ruffling clothing against her legs.
She followed behind as quiet as a mouse and stayed hidden in the shadows. Luckily the stacked boxes shielded her from the moonlight that leaked through the windows, hiding her from view as Syaoran and the agent snooped around back at the shed. She watched through a window at the two men from afar as they talked and took into account their hand movements, the way they talked, the way Syaoran's lips moved with his words, and the shadow that passed behind the shed, cloaked in the darkness of the trees… wait, what?
Syaoran remained at the shed, looking inside as the agent walked back towards the warehouse where Sakura was hidden. Was their conversation over? Where was he going? She ducked behind a few boxes and watched as the man exited the warehouse. Now it was just her and Syaoran, what other business did he have that he wanted to stay for? Gathering up her courage, she regained her posture and made her way to the doorway leading to the 'backyard'. Maybe she would play stupid and pretend she had no idea what was going on?
"Hey Syaoran, I knew I'd find you here." She said, standing in the doorframe, the tips of her toes almost touching the blades of grass in front of her. She expected Syaoran to throw one of his famous death glares her way, which he did, but oddly enough that 'glare' turned into one of sheer horror.
"Don't move, or she dies!"
A strong arm grasped Sakura about her waist from behind while the other aimed a loaded gun to her temple. Her body froze over in terror as realization struck, and her breathing grew desperate as she felt the man's grasp around her tighten. Someone had found out that they were there, and something told her that he was hiding a secret...
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A/N: So sorry for the short chapter, but it's just now getting to the climax and I wanted to draw things out a little bit. Usually my chapters would be longer… blah, anywho thanks for reading you guys. Again, I'm sorry for not updating in a while, but I'll be posting up a new chapter to either this fic or one of my others soon, so please, be patient. So until next time, bye!