Wow...I can't believe it's been so long. Well -- At least I managed to finish this fic. Thank you for coming on this ride.
Love and peace,
Deadly Diva
From her supine position, Misao looked toward her wrists. Her arms were sore from being in the same position for what seemed like days. One thing was certain; her fantasy of being ravished while handcuffed to a bed was no longer at the top of her to-do list.
Silently, she cursed the fates for weaving such an ordeal into the fabric of her life. The warm dry air in Enishi's apartment dried out her lips and throat. Licking her lips proved to be an exercise in futility as the chloroform she had been subjected to exacerbated her reaction to the arid climate. Misao sighed, rolling her head to the left. She figured since she wasn't going anywhere, she might as well try to work out the kinks in her neck. As she rolled her head to the right, she noticed a crystal decanter with two matching glasses on Enishi's nightstand – and the decanter was filled with water. For the first time since her ordeal began, Misao was somewhat happy. It amazed her how the sight of the life sustaining liquid could brighten her mood. Now, she just needed to figure out how to get it. Perhaps Enishi would release one of her hands so that she could drink the water.
'Like that's going to happen', she thought. 'He'd sooner kiss Kamatari.'
Misao let out a muted snort, not willing to try out her parched vocal chords. As she lay, Misao tried to figure out how long she had been in Enishi's apartment. She looked as far as her restraints would allow for anything that would give her a clue as to how much time passed. A frustration induced huff erupted into a coughing fit.
"Are you all right Misao?"
Misao's body froze at the sound of his voice. Even her coughs died in her throat. She morbidly wondered if Enishi's voice could quell a fit of laughter seeing as he was able to scare her coughs into non-existence.
"I thought you left. How long have you been in here?" Misao asked defiantly.
"Long enough to know that you are rather thirsty." Enishi walked into Misao's field of view. "I saw you eyeing this decanter." He removed the stopper and poured water into one of the glasses. Enishi lifted the glass to his lips, consuming its contents in one swift gulp.
A low growl rumbled in Misao's chest. Enishi cut his eyes back to her bound form, smirking.
"Oh, how selfish of me." Enishi ran a finger across Misao's chapped lower lip. The same finger found its way to Misao's bindings. "You'll never be able to drink tied up like this."
Misao's eyes lit up. She had hoped that Enishi would release her hands. All she needed was one free hand.
"I'll be right back." Enishi kissed Misao on her cheek and walked out of the bedroom.
Misao knew she had only but a few moments to figure out what she was going to do when Enishi returned. Whatever it was has to be swift and relatively long lasting. She would need every second to remove the rest of the bindings and escape. Misao's body jerked as she heard the doorknob turn. With her time rapidly dwindling, Misao worked with the assumption that Enishi would only free one hand. She would have to go for a pressure point if she wanted any real chance at getting away.
Feigning disinterest, Misao turned her face from Enishi. She could hear him pick up the decanter. The sound of flowing water brought a bit of hope to her bleak situation. Misao heard Enishi place the decanter back on the nightstand. All that remained was the binding.
"Misao, look at me." Enishi's voice was soft, almost concerned. "You need to drink some water."
Misao wondered why Enishi had not released her hands yet. She sighed, chiding herself for not realizing that he was turning a simple drink of water into a display of dominance. Her heart dropped when she finally faced Enishi. He was holding a water bottle, complete with sport cap. Misao quickly masked her disappointment.
"You didn't think I was going to release you, did you? You're still too jumpy. Once you've gotten used to our arrangement, I'll free you."
Enishi placed the bottle to her lips, allowing Misao to drink as much as she wanted. Misao turned her face from the bottle, indicating that she had her fill. She whispered her thanks. Summoning all the courage she had, Misao tried once again to appeal to what was left of Enishi's decency.
"Enishi, it's not too late to end this. You can let me go. I'll never mention what happened here. You –"
Misao's pleas were interrupted by Enishi's laughter. "Dear Misao, I'm doing this for you. Only I can keep you safe. I can spare you from Tomoe's fate."
"Enishi, look at me. I am not Tomoe. I am Misao You don't have to worry about me –" Misao found that she was once again cut off by one of Enishi's monologues. This time he was rambling about how wonderful Tomoe was and how tragic the end of her life had become. Enishi seemed to forget that Misao was even in the room with him.
"You can't be serious." Yumi screeched upon hearing Aoshi's retelling of his conversation with Saito Hajime.
"Komagata-san, Saito-san has an extensive volume of information regarding Yukishiro Enishi. I have no reason to doubt the veracity of his statements." Aoshi rubbed his forehead in frustration. Apparently he was the only one who did not see the need to waste time being shocked by Saito's revelations.
"Yukio-san, is this true?"
Aoshi turned to see Kamatari addressing one of the club's newer waitresses. One eyebrow arched, silently inquiring about the young woman's connection to the current situation.
Kamatari sneered as he once again thought about what Yukio had done. He poured himself another glass of vodka as he told Aoshi, Kaoru and Kenshin of Yukio's relationship with Enishi.
Aoshi's eyes narrowed as he set his gaze on the offending party. He took several deep breaths before attempting to say anything. Unfortunately, such patience was not hereditary. A shrill screech emerged from Kaoru's vocal chords. As she lunged for Yukio, Kenshin pulled Kaoru into his lap and encircled his arms about her.
"Miss Kaoru, hurting Yukio-san will not help us get Misao back -- that it won't." Kenshin kept his grip on her arms, knowing that Kaoru would seriously injure Yukio if given the opportunity.
Yukio, still seated, felt the weight of Aoshi's gaze, the heat of Kaoru's anger and the cool calmness that emanated from Kenshin's forced smiles. She knew that this was not going to end the way that Enishi planned. She knew that Enishi had underestimated Misao's effect on those around her.
"Yukio-san, I believe that Kamatari asked you a question." Kenshin's voice cut through the silence.
Yukio looked around the room, a room filled with people loyal to Misao. She sighed, wondering what about this Misao inspired such behavior. Lowering her head, she responded.
"It's true. Enishi is rather ill, even with the medication."
Yumi gasped as fresh tears fell from Kaoru's eyes. Soujiro found his way to his sister's side and placed his hands on her shoulders. The simple touch reassured Yumi that Misao soon would be back among those that cared most for her.
"Now that we know who has her, where is she and how do we get her away from him?" Soujiro posed his question to the group.
Yukio's small voice informed them that Enishi had taken Misao to his apartment. Enishi, feeling justified in his actions, felt no need to hide her away. At this new piece of information, Kaoru groaned, admitting that she had not a clue to the location of Enishi's apartment.
Kamatari walked from behind his desk. Yukio could see that he meant to do her serious bodily harm. With the office's current occupants, he would have very little interference. Yukio flinched as Kamatari's hand came up to her face, grasping her chin.
"I don't think we'll have much trouble finding Enishi's place. Do you Yukio?" Kamatari emphasized his question with a rough squeeze of Yukio's chin.
"Start writing." Yumi bit out as she threw a pen and pad in Yukio's direction.
Kamatari released Yukio, giving her just enough room to reach down and pick up the notepad. As her righted herself, Yukio knew that every pair of eyes was set on her. A quick discreet glance about the room exposed her to a myriad of emotion – concern, anger, fear, rage. She sighed as she wrote the address. Enishi truly did not know what he had gotten himself into this time.
Out of the corner of his eyes, Kenshin watched as Yukio provided her last piece of vital information. Quietly, he made his way to an unoccupied corner of the office. Pulling his mobile from his pocket, Kenshin dialed the one person who would be of the most help.
"What is it Himura? I'm busy."
Kenshin shook his head, sighing softly. He could hear Saito pulling a cigarette from its pack and putting it to his lips. "I thought you'd want to know where Yukishiro is holding Misao."
"Keep talking."
Kenshin motioned to Kamatari. He responded by tossing the notepad to Kenshin. Catching it effortlessly in his free hand, Kenshin recited the address written on the paper.
"Hmmph. Seems that Mitomo Yukio finally turned on Yukishiro."
"How did you know about Yukio-san?" Kenshin asked bewildered.
"It's my job to know all sorts of things – like where you were when Grandmother visited last." Saito paused to expel a rather large cloud of smoke in the face of an overeager subordinate. "You and your friends stay there. Let us retrieve Misao. I don't want to have to fix another one of your mistakes."
"What do you mean you know were I was when Grandmother visited? I was sick in bed."
"Hmmph. Whatever Himura – I don't have time to discuss that. Oh, tell Honjou-san that an officer will be there shortly to pick up Mitomo-san."
Kenshin stared at his phone incredulously as the line went dead. A sound akin to a growl escaped his throat and caught the attention of Kaoru.
"Kenshin, who was that?"
"Saito – he's going to Enishi's apartment now to get Misao. He insists that we stay here to keep everyone, especially Misao, safe." Kenshin shot a quick look in Yukio's direction. "He's sending an officer to pick up Yukio-san."
Yumi gathered her coat and purse and headed for the door in a whirl of barely heard profanities and Chanel perfume.
"Yumi, where do you think you're going?" Kamatari asked.
Yumi rolled her eyes. "Me? I'm going to Enishi's place."
"Yumi-san, Saito wants us to stay here. I think we should do that."
The sound of Kaoru's voice grated on Yumi's frazzled nerves. Yumi resisted the urge to roll her eyes again. She slowly formed her words, so as to not sound rude. "You can stay here if you like Kaoru. But after all this, I think that Misao will want to see a friendly face when she walks out of that building."
"Well that settles it; we'll all go," Kamatari declared.
"But, what about Yukio?" Kaoru asked. She wanted to be there for Misao as much as any of them, but she was not willing to let Yukio get away.
"Don't worry about that," Kamatari replied as he pressed the intercom button. "Shikijo, I need you to guard Yukio until the police come for her. If she tries anything, knock her out."
Misao was tired of hearing Enishi ramble on about his sister. There was only so much that a woman held against her wishes could take. He seemed to be recalling every blessed moment of Tomoe's life. Misao was about to tempt the gods by asking Enishi to take his trip down memory lane in another room when a knock interrupted Enishi's recollections.
Enishi stilled his pacing and looked quizzically toward the front door. Taking a step toward the door, he wondered who it could be. Few people knew where he lived, and even fewer would be audacious enough to come to his home unannounced.
"Who is it?" Enishi called out.
"Maintenance. There has been a leak reported and we need to check your pipes."
Enishi looked back at the bed. He winked at Misao while gagging her with a handkerchief just before he left the room, closing and locking the bedroom door behind him. Misao rolled her eyes at the action. Had he forgotten that she was bound to the bed? Did Enishi expect her to just get up and walk away? Misao sighed, resigned to wait until he decided to return. She decided to try one more time to convince him to release her. At this point, Misao had nothing left to lose. It was either convince Enishi to let her go or spend the rest of her days as a living tribute to the fallen Tomoe.
Misao could barely hear the footsteps as Enishi approached his apartment door. She heard the door slam against the wall. There was a crash and then she heard it – Enishi's cold laugh.
"You think that you can save her. I'm the only one who can protect her."
"Yukishiro, where is she?"
Again, Misao heard that chilling laugh.
"I'm the only one who can keep her safe!"
"I won't ask you again."
The sound of a body hitting the floor startled Enishi's captive. Misao's eyes darted across the ceiling as the apartment became silent. Her breath hitched in her throat as she heard the doorknob turn. The knob jiggled for a scant few seconds before it flew open, nearly coming off the hinges.
"Makimachi-san." Saito slowly approached Misao's bound form. Quickly, he scanned her body for signs of injury. Seeing none, he was inwardly relieved. Outwardly, his amber gaze hardened at the mere thought of the incompetence of his subordinates. Had the investigation been thorough the first time, the young lady before him would not have been subjected to such an ordeal. He slowly removed the wad of cloth from her mouth. While removing her wrist bindings, Saito explained how he came to find her and who sent him.
Misao sat up for the first time in hours. She rubbed her wrists, trying to relieve them of the ghosts of the handcuffs.
Misao opened her mouth to speak, but a series of coughs emerged instead of her voice. In the hours that she had been held prisoner, her lungs seemed to have momentarily forgotten how to function while Misao was sitting up. Saito absent-mindedly handed her the water bottle that was still on the nightstand prior to moving on to her ankle restraints.
"What will happen to Enishi?" Misao voice was soft, as if ashamed to still care about Enishi's well-being.
Without pausing or looking up, Saito declared that Enishi would be confined to an asylum. Upon hearing Misao gasp, Saito explained it all – from the illegal activities to the non-existent older sister.
The newly freed Misao drew her knees into her chest. She had not the words to express all that was running through her mind. Everything that she endured, everything that she allowed to be done to her was for naught. All she could manage to do was giggle. Her giggling gave way to the first bout of uninhibited laughter since she had gotten involved with Enishi. It was not the superficial laughter to which she had become accustomed. This was full-bellied, body shaking, tear inducing laughter.
Saito eyed Misao warily. He knew that people often reacted oddly to crisis situations. He just hoped that he'd be far from the young woman before she succumbed to the stress. Saito stood over Misao and handed her his jacket.
"Here, it's cold outside."
Misao looked up at Saito, really taking in his face for the first time. Her eyes quickly cut to the blue field jacket that was being offered to her. It was over. After all that she went through, it was finally over. Misao smiled fully, taking the jacket from Saito.
"Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you so much."
Saito took a few steps toward the door, then stopped as he heard no footsteps following him. "Problem?"
"No, no," Misao quickly replied. "I just need to find my shoes – can't go outside barefooted."
Saito nodded his agreement. As Misao searched for her belongings, Saito stood at the apartment door. He watched as Misao skittered from room to room. A faint melody could be heard through the domicile. Slightly cocking his head to ascertain the sound's origin, Saito realized that Misao was humming. He watched with veiled curiosity as Misao laced her sneakers. Her humming had given way to a softly sung tune. As Saito pondered the name of the song, Misao found her way to his side. He cut his eyes in her direction, silently ordering her to follow him.
Misao flung her duffel bag over her shoulder. Taking her last looks at the apartment as she walked through, Misao said a silent prayer for Enishi. She hoped that one day he would get the help that he so desperately needed.
Aoshi stood next to an empty patrol car, eyes never leaving the door of the apartment building. In his mind, Saito was taking too long. As he contemplated going into the building himself, the door ever so slowly opened.
As she took in her first truly free breaths in years, Misao looked around, inwardly hoping that Aoshi would be there. Audibly exhaling, Misao chided herself for such lofty thoughts. She knew that Aoshi regarded her as a little sister; his interests in her were based on keeping her safe from Enishi. Even though she knew these things, Misao still could not help hoping that he would be there. Kaoru noticed the slight head motions that indicated Misao was scanning the area, looking for a familiar, non-police presence.
From behind a police cruiser, Aoshi watched silently as Misao emerged from the building. He took in every feature, from her unruly hair to her dainty feet. Externally, all seemed to be well. However, Aoshi knew that Misao would be forever changed by this incident. He knew that she would never trust him again. It was his fault that Enishi was able to kidnap her. Even if Misao were able to forgive, Aoshi was not able to forgive himself for failing her. Taking one more glance in Misao's direction, Aoshi turned to walked away before Misao saw him.
"Aoshi." A soft voice halted Aoshi's retreat. He glanced down slightly, encouraging his sister to continue. "Go to her. She needs you." Kaoru roughly shoved Aoshi, nearly knocking him down.
Aoshi took a hesitant step toward Misao. As Aoshi came into Misao's field of view, she gasped. She took slow small steps toward him, almost afraid that she dreaming from the confines of Enishi's bed, afraid that she was not free, afraid that Aoshi was nothing more than a figment of her imagination.
Seconds seemed like hours to Aoshi as he watched Misao's approach. When Misao finally reached her destination, she closed her eyes and counted to five. Upon opening them, she smiled seeing that Aoshi was indeed in front of her. Wordlessly, Aoshi pulled Misao to his chest. Misao inhaled deeply, savoring the scent of incense and green tea that clung to Aoshi.
"Thank you."
Those two simple words from Misao's lips caused Aoshi body to tense. Looking down at the top of her head, he exhaled, letting his body relax as his grip about her intensified.
"Kaoru, where's Misao? Is she okay?" Soujiro's voice cut through the collective silence.
"Soujiro-kun, when did you get here?"
"Just now. We nearly got arrested because Kamatari wanted to play Flash-A-Cop. That doesn't matter though. Where is Misao?"
Kaoru started at the urgency in Soujiro's voice. There was a rawness that she had never heard previously. Tilting her head, she took a long look at Soujiro. His normally cheerful, though contrived, expression was gone. In its place was a clear unobstructed view of his emotions. Kaoru shook her head, chiding herself for not seeing it sooner.
"She's over there." Kaoru pointed to where Misao was still standing, supported by Aoshi's embrace.
The sight before him caused his heart to skip not one, but two beats. Muttering something under his breath, Soujiro began making his way to Misao and Aoshi.
Kamatari prevented Soujiro from advancing. "Look in that man's eyes. Really look. If you were to interfere now you would lose."
Soujiro scoffed at such an idea. Despite the height difference, he knew that he could beat Aoshi if necessary.
Kamatari shook his head. "That's not what I'm talking about. Look at Misao. If you do anything rash and foolish, you'll lose Misao – as a friend."
Misao looked up at Aoshi, almost certain that she could see the sheen of unshed tears in his eyes. She smiled brightly as she placed her head on his chest.
"Aoshi, take me home."