AN: Just gonna apologise… I nearly had this chapter done and dusted then my laptop decided to play hookey with me, so it's dead now. This is now written from my computer and shorter than I'd like because the keyboard is absolutely awful to write on.
Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing
Chapter Three: Ceasefire
NB: Even if you don't read AN, we're more from Sakura's POV than proper 3P here, just because it seemed more fitting for this chapter, or most of this chapter anyway.
Sakura moved her palm back into her lap, relieving Tomoyo's damp palm from her own. The night was hurtling around them, buildings turning into soft blurs in the night as the dark car hurtled down yet another road, seeming to take forever to reach whatever destination it would finally stop at.
She faltered in her movement as she caught the eyes of the driver momentarily. His cold eyes did not warm at her frightened expression, moving back to the road as soon as amber married emerald across the rear view mirror. For a fleeting moment she had hoped he would speak and tell them the destination they were due to reach, or even soften that hardened gaze to make her feel less frightened of the situation they found themselves in.
In all truth, Sakura was terrified. Mind racing across every stratosphere and back as she listed what these strange men could possibly do to them, or what they would do to them when they reached wherever they were headed. Were they to kill them? To marr the streets with their blood as these so called 'gang types' did to each other? As Rosa had forewarned, as the news on the radio had knelled in every time the noon news arrived in the car?
She looked upwards again as she felt the car swing around a corner, slowly this time, with less urgency to the previous pace they had taken. Were they stopping somewhere?
The black car pulled up next to a building, no streetlights were visible yet she could make out from the headlights in the car what appeared to be an industrial area, grey foreboding buildings set against the night sky, corrugated iron shutters adorning their walls and blotting away the chance of any light entering, or perhaps anyone looking inside.
They were going to die.
Sakura felt Tomoyo stiffen beside her, the knowledgeable beauty obviously feeling what Sakura felt inside, that sheer terror and sudden realisation. Cold water seemed to trickle down her spine as she shivered uncontrollably, unable to escape the look of fear etching itself across her features. Instinctively reaching for her friends hand beside her, the car came to a halt outside rather inconspicuous looking structure, grey walls the same as the others that they had passed, no shutters but a large metal door with a padlock and chain across the front.
"Li?" A voice broke through the silence, Sakura hearing the young man sat next to the driver break the silence that had blanketed the vehicle since the beginning of the journey, since the beginning of the nightmare.
"Hmm?"
His voice came as a hum, a slight question in his tone. He did not bark like he had outside the club, he almost sounded amused, undecided- distinctly like he was contemplating something. Their death maybe?
"What now?"
"Take them inside, take the one behind you, I'll get her friend."
Sakura shivered, once again the feeling of terror swallowing her being and seeming to spit her back out into a shaking mess. Tomoyo, she could feel, was frantic next to her, massaging her clammy palms in an effort to calm her trembling frame. The door opened and she could feel Tomoyo being pulled out by the driver as the passenger door opened, a hand resting itself on her shoulder and deftly undoing her belt with practiced fingers before she was slid off the seat and guided by the arm of the dark haired man who had sat in the passenger seat.
Sakura looked to the man guiding her, as if in a daze, to see his navy hair shimmer slightly in the last light emitting from the other car as the engine hum died into the night. He would be almost beautiful if he didn't happen to be an aid to kidnapping and possibly murder. But in a more, refined sense than his rugged chestnut haired companion who had behaved so differently previously to the eruption in the club.
"You don't need to be scared, he won't hurt you." His voice broke through her barrier, shaking her out of the moment as she looked to see his mercury eyes sparkling behind spectacle frames with a slight amusement. Somehow, his words comforted her, yet she knew that if all was fine, they would be back at home, safe and sound.
Finding her voice, she spoke softly, as not to alert the others that were now following them as the sordid door opened and they were ushered into a dark building.
"Then why am I here? Why am I not at home?"
The light flickered on suddenly, before the man could answer and bathed the room into light. Sakura turned to see her other three friends were now in proximity to them, flanked by further gang members to their sides.
The room was dank, a concrete floor and various chairs placed around the side of the room, each metal- almost like garden chairs. The light above was typical of that of a warehouse- the long, strip of it emitting an almost clinical glow rather than the soft light one would find in a home. The walls were unpainted, concrete breezeblock showing on the inside, marrying to the same coloured floor beneath her feet.
"Sit."
He spoke finally, the chestnut man suddenly giving a command to all in his company as the girls felt themselves being moved to the chairs that surrounded the area. The tension was thick, suffocating Sakura in her throat as she felt herself moved into a seat by the man who had assured her of her safety. Now, she knew she was correct not to trust in it. Daring not move her head to check beside her, she felt her chest relax as she felt the warmth of Tomoyo and Chiharu flanking her, and the deft plop of the others sitting next to them.
"I imagine you are wondering why you are here, of all places. I imagine you may even think that I owe you an explanation. The first thing I'm sure that I can get straight, is that I owe you nothing. However, I'm going to explain to you anyway."
Syaoran spoke, assessing the gaggle of females in front of him, each one staring straight forward, yet not into his eyes or face directly. The auburn haired girl from before seemed to tremble slightly as he spoke, he noted, her gaze directed not near him but now at the ground as she heard him speak.
"You are obviously not part of a gang, are you?"
"N…n..N-o-o…" Rika spoke, finally, her voice cracking under the tension in the room and hiccupping out of her as the result of the alcohol and terror concocting a storm inside her. Sakura inwardly winced at her friend's predicament, wishing to reach out and soothe her, yet feeling almost inadequate as at least she had been brave enough to speak up.
"We brought you here to keep you out of harm's way. We are certain at this point that we were not followed to this location, and it would have been unwise to take you to your respective homes in the event that we may have been followed by the gang who attempted to harm us, and by extension yourselves, back at the club. You are to remain here for an hour until we can be sure that it is safe to return you to your homes, and then you will be delivered there safely."
His voice held authority, and still none of the people in the room spoke after he did. He turned to Eriol, who sat lounging across two chairs, one arm slung lazily over the back of the other as he surveyed the room with quiet interest.
"You, take where they live, then decide who to take first. Take one of the city cars, it'll be less noticeable. I'll take the one who lives furthest last."
Eriol nodded at his friend, moving toward the girls to speak softly to them with a calmer voice than his companion. Syaoran moved, walking toward a door in the left corner and exiting the room quietly, leaving not a sound in his wake.
Sakura breathed out, unaware that she had held her breath for so long. She turned to see the other men talking to her friends, attempting to soothe the situation that had befallen them. She raised an eyebrow seeing Chiharu giggle slightly at something the man in front of her said, how was it possible she could feel any sense of enjoyment at this moment in time? No matter how much alcohol had been consumed, she was sure that she couldn't be further from even breaking into a smile.
"You know, it's free to smile."
Sakura looked up to see one of the men who had been in the car with the others before her, black hair softly falling in his eyes, half gelled up into some kind of style. His eyes were brown, darker and holding more warmth than those of his companion. His soft features were twisted into a friendly smile as he surveyed her, crouching down to her level to create a sense of comfort with the girl.
"I'm not sure what there is to smile about at this moment in time really." Her voice was quiet, full of emotion and hidden nerves threatening to tumble out and spill onto the floor in front of her.
"I'm Samaya. Samaya Laing." He held his hand out in front of her, which she took with some sense of abandon and a half smile at his attempt to make her feel more at ease. Her stomach, however, was knotted inside tighter than a hangman's rope.
"Sakura" Her voice held fast once more, tiredness starting to seep in her veins as she relaxed an inch more at his offer of companionship and apparent compassion toward her situation.
"So, where do you live?"
Time seemed to move slowly as small chat was made before the girls were to return home, Chiharu first and Naoko second as they lived closer. Sakura idly chat with the young man who had attempted to make her feel better, but she was in no mood for talking. Inside, she was still a wrecking ball of nerves and feelings teetering on the precipice, waiting to fall and tumble. She just wanted to return to the day before, to have never gone out to that part of town that night, and not to be sat in a dank room full of gang members.
As the numbers depleted, Sakura noted that the young men were also going home after they had returned her friends to their homes, each calling the next to assure them that the females were safe and it was their turn to take a car from the lot and go home for the night. How many cars were there?
Just as her and Tomoyo were left waiting, after the conversation with Samaya had truly expired due to her reluctance, the click of a door alerted Sakura to the fact that another was also in their presence.
Syaoran entered the room, the feeling of the ice biting at Sakura's veins as he returned to the picture. She had, in her disarray, vaguely forgotten that he had been on the premises and was the reason for their captivity. He looked at her, eyes bearing into her for a fleeting moment before walking over to the group, standing with his taught frame every inch the authority that he had been before.
"Time to go back, all of you, the coast is clear enough. Sam, Eriol, take the girl and go back. I'll take her." He flicked his head toward Sakura, shaggy brown locks of hair moving with his head as he did so, her veins icing over once more as she thought about being alone in his presence, now more sober, and now more terrified.
They stood to leave, Tomoyo hugging Sakura and whispering to call when she was home and that she'd be over in the morning for the rest of the day, her melodically smooth voice thawing Sakura's insides more than she thought it would be able to.
She followed obediently to a car outside, a black simple 4x4 that did indeed appear less suspicious than those that they had been thrown into earlier, she was sure.
Did she sit in the back? The front? Wait to be told?
"I assume you know how to open a door, don't you?" He was behind her, ushering her toward the front passenger side of the car with a slight hint of mirth in his voice. Silently nodding, she opened the car, waiting for him to clamber inside and sit next to her, the engine signalling that finally the strangest night of her life so far would hopefully soon be over.
The car pulled out, after the flash of headlamps had signalled the removal of Tomoyo and the others from the vicinity, entering yet another dark street before she could make out the blurr of lights before her in the distance of streetlights.
Finally, almost calmer, Sakura sank into the seat, daring not to look at the man next to her, only able to witness the occasional sight of his toned arm moving the gear stick from the corner of her vision.
Her head throbbed, now that the terror had almost abated, she could feel the pound of the alcohol and the memories from the club flooding back and taking over her body. The seat brought comfort, a warm sense of security that made her wish that it was where she had been all night, snuggled in somewhere warm and inviting.
"You know, you were reckless tonight."
His voice cut through her moment like a knife, a sense of authority returning to it as he had spoken earlier rather than the slight of mirth that had entered when he asked her if she knew how to open a car door.
"Excuse me?" Her voice trembled as it left her, eyes opening in a startled response at his sudden judgement.
"You heard me. Going to a club, full of gang members, as schoolgirls, you were reckless."
"Upon what authority do you make that judgement? What is it that gives you the right to say that we were reckless? Moreover, what does it matter that we are just schoolgirls?"
Her voice held bite this time, the simple statement winding the cogs of anger inside her head, mingling with her pounding head and tired stupor; she now felt the welling sensation fighting from inside her to be angry at this man. This man who had removed her from the club, who had took her and nearly caused her a heart attack of fright and kept her against her wishes; was now judging her for being reckless when it was obvious he was in a gang?
She heard him intake a sharp breath next to her, ready for a tirade directed at her.
"You were reckless, and you know you were, otherwise you wouldn't have been almost falling over with fear when you were caught and nearly sent like a lamb to slaughter."
"And what is it to you? Why did you bring us here? You could have left us, to be a lamb to slaughter as you so aptly seem to deem it. You took us from the club, into your care, you could have just ignored it- why make it your business!"
Her voice was raising, anger bursting out of her now like it had never before. Sakura felt the drip of sarcasm in her voice laced with the ice of disgust at the man, that he dared judge her so suddenly. That he thought he had perhaps done her a favour by taking her and her friends?
"They would have killed you!"
He was angry now, and she felt the car swerve to aside the kerb as they stopped, the engine still softly purring as he halted the car to glare at her, icy tawny eyes boring into furious bright green.
"And, pray tell, what is that to do with you?"
She was tired; she could feel it, the fight in her quelling slightly at the notion that this man had felt the need to save her life. However, after the night she had had mixed with the alcohol still somewhere rearing its ugly head in her system, she felt the burn of passion in her chest and the need to fight her corner against the arrogant man in front of her.
"You aren't one of them, you aren't one of us, and they would have broken you. It's what they do to people like you."
His voice was deadly quiet, and deadly soft in the night, a nearby streetlight illuminating the side of his rugged features as he looked at her with serious eyes, burning her down like a fire lit building.
"People like me?"
Her voice was soft now, quiet and small in her mouth so much that it dared almost not speak.
"You're innocent. They can tell. I can tell."
She stopped, looking at him with wide- eyes as she saw his expression not move, no amusement yet now almost no anger left. Just the quiet seriousness that was etched across his face as he surveyed her and her reaction to his words.
Sakura hung her head quietly, feeling the well of tears begin to erupt, unsure at how to respond at such an observation. She was emotional- an endless torrent of what had been ecstatic happiness to fear, to anger and now to quiet sadness that seemed to bury itself in her head and not want to transfer. The night had taken a toll on her and now she felt it all at once, consummating into an abundance of tears beneath her eyelids as she attempted to stifle a small sob erupting from her mouth.
Syaoran surveyed the small female next to him, unsure of what to do with a young crying female. His façade dropped slightly, replaced by once again that unfamiliar feeling in the pit of his stomach. What was he to do with a young crying girl anyway? He was Syaoran Li, cold and composed at all times. He was not going to sit in a car and comfort a crying schoolchild. Turning from her, he started the car and pulled down the street, listening to her soft sobs into her hand from her gently wracking body.
They pulled at her address, the navigation system bleeping slightly and removing the silence from the car. Sakura sat up, wiping her eyes from the mascara that had smattered around her lashes. She turned to look at Syaoran, her eyes surveying his form as he sat, waiting for her to leave the car.
"Thank you." Her voice was sincere, no hint of the anger that it had held earlier, or the fear. The slight tremble of her lip gave way to the fact that she was still upset, yet she attempted to hold her face composed and calm as possible.
His expression softened slightly at her puffy eyes, stained with black make up and her soft rose lips, damp from tears that she had shed that had fallen down them.
"It's alright."
He uttered just two words as she left the car, moving to jump from the height of the car as she plucked her heels from the foot well that had been taken off some time during the time at the hideout. When she turned to leave, she smiled slightly, yet it did not reach her emerald eyes that he recalled had sparkled so brightly when she was in the club previously.
She nodded, closing the door and turning to walk back to the door.
Impulsively, not knowing what was possibly going through his brain, as he watched the emerald eyes beauty walk away, he pressed a button on the car, an electrical buzz as the window wound down.
"Hey…!"
She turned, startled at the voice that had halted her progression as she saw him lean over to glean a better view of her.
"For what it's worth, I'm sorry."
AN: End of chapter three! Hehehehe I shouldn't have ended it there, but I'm glad this chapters over to get to the nitty gritty. It kind of needed to be here, but it was hard to write because obviously it's way too early to develop something between the two of them, yet something obviously needs to give way. Lots of Sakura feelings here, and it's quite annoying to have to jump between whats happening in her head to whats actually happening. Hopefully next chapter will be better and yes IT WILL BE SOONER! I apologise
Lots of love,
R&R