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Chapter 2

"So, Sora... we're all here. Now, what's going on?"

Sora looked around at the group she had gathered together- which consisted of May and Ken, a reluctant Layla and Yuri, and Leon. After returning to Kaleido Stage yesterday, she had tried calling Rosetta almost ten times and never gotten an answer. She also hadn't shown up for practice and no had besides Sora had seen her since the wedding rehearsal three days ago. Now that she was reasonably sure Rosetta was being abused by her boyfriend, Sora had taken it upon herself to find away to help her. But since Rosetta wasn't taking her calls, wouldn't let her inside, and was rarely outside of her boyfriend's sight, she knew it was going to require more then just simple talking.

"Layla, May, Leon, you three are here because I don't want to keep you out of the loop on this. Yuri, Ken... you two are here because I need your help."

She hesitated, unsure of how to go on, and the others shared a nervous glance before Yuri asked in concern, "Sora, what is going on?"

Sora bit her lip uncertainly, then said, "I stopped by Rosetta's place after the wedding yesterday. She was pretty beat up and seemed scared. I asked her what happened and she didn't really say, but her boyfriend started yelling at her and she told me to leave then shut the door in my face."

No one said anything for several seconds, and when it was apparent she was done, Leon said, "Um... Sora? No one really knows where you're going with this..."

With a groan, Sora rolled her eyes and exclaimed, "I think Derek is abusing Rosetta!"

Everyone stared at her in shock. After a moment of stunned silence, Ken said, "Well, I admit, it seems suspicious, but its not really proof of anything, Sora. She could of just... um... well, I can't think of anything right now, but it doesn't mean that Derek's abusing her-"

"Oh, come on, Ken!" she exclaimed in exasperation. "What other explanation is there? Ever since she started dating him, Rosetta spends less time with us- in fact, I only see her at rehearsals and performances now. Yesterday she said she just forgot about the wedding, which, as we all know, is something Rosetta would never do. And, now that I think about it, hasn't she had a hell of alot of mysterious injuries lately? Just last week she said she got mugged on the way to Kaleido Stage, even though it was in the middle of the day on a crowded street. And when I even mentioned calling Jim* about it, she went berserk and started shouting about how nothing was wrong with her and I was an idiot before running off. Yes, Ken, its so obvious that its some random thing other than abuse, its so clear to me now! Why go for the only explanation that makes sense, let's chose a completely improbable one instead!"

Normally, Sora disliked sarcasm and wouldn't have used it, but she wasn't too happy at the moment. She had known Rosetta for two years, now, ever since she joined Kaleido Stage, and she didn't like realizing that she had been abused for god knows how long. She had started seeing Derek a little over a year ago, but Sora had just never suspected anything was wrong...

"Well... okay, Sora, let's say you're right about this. What can WE do to help her? It's not like we can just go over there and take Rosetta home with us," May said, raising an eyebrow when Sora shook her head and sighed.

"Actually, yes, we can. Yuri and Ken, you guys need to come in case Derek's there and he tries to stop us. Layla, Leon, you need to help me get Rosetta out of harm's way, since you're still injured and can't fight Derek. May, you-"

"Oh, I don't think so," Ken cut in, clasping his fiancée's hand protectively. "I'll go along with this, but she's pregnant! You can't ask us to risk our unborn child for anyone, even Rosetta! Sora, I-"

"It's okay, Ken, I know," she said quickly, gesturing for him to wait before he went off into a rant. "I was about to suggest that she hang back because of her pregnancy, Ken. May, that all right with you?"

May groaned, rolling her eyes. She didn't like how everyone treated her like a little weak kid now, JUST because she was pregnant. But when she looked around at the small group of people all conspiring against her, she just sighed and nodded. "Fine, whatever."

Sora smiled in satisfaction, then looked back at Yuri and Ken. "Well? Will you two help?"

Yuri glanced at Layla uncertainly, but when she nodded him forward, he looked back at Sora and nodded in agreement. Ken said simply, "Well, if everyone else is going, I'm not going to stay behind."

"Thanks," Sora said in relief. "Leon? Layla? You two in as well?"

Layla rolled her eyes as she put an arm around Yuri's shoulders and said, "If my husband's going, don't expect me to stay behind like a prissy princess and do nothing."

Leon chuckled and added, "And just because the doctor hasn't cleared me yet doesn't mean I can't do anything. Hell yes I'm coming."

Sora smiled gratefully and nodded. "Thank you, all of you... especially you, Layla and Yuri. I'm really sorry I had to interrupt your honeymoon, but... well, I couldn't think of what else to do and-"

"Hush, Sora. It's okay, you just interrupted us sleeping," Yuri said with a mischievous grin as Layla blushed and looked away.

Leon frowned, then asked, "Wait... when you say sleeping, you don't mean sleeping toge-"

"No!" Yuri exclaimed while his wife heaved an exasperated sigh. "No, we were sleeping together- I mean- god, we were asleep in the same bed, okay? Nothing sexual about that, is there?"

Ken jumped in, getting on Leon's side as he said with a smirk, "There is if you're doing it right after-"

"Okay, moving on!" Layla pratically shouted, waving for them all to shut up. "Since I don't like discussing my sex life with you people, I'm going to make an attempt at a diversion and kill anyone who calls me out on it. What time are we meeting at Rosetta's place tomorrow, Sora?"

She chuckled under her breath and rolled her eyes before saying, "Um... does 3 sound good to everybody? Sorry, I know this is kind of short notice, but I couldn't think of what else to do."

They all made murmurs of assent at her suggested time, then Layla and Yuri just looked at each other before mumbling something about having to go and rushing off. Everybody else laughed at that, then Ken said he had to get down to Kaleido Stage with May and left as well.

"And then there were two," Leon said softly, gripping his coffee cup in one hand. "Want to turn this into an impromptu date? This place has pretty good food."

Sora smiled and squeezed his hand. "Well, I haven't been alone with you for a couple days... sure, why not?"

Leon chuckled, then kissed her on the cheek.

KALEIDO STAR KALEIDO STAR KALEIDO STAR

Sora glanced at her watch as they all convened together outside Derek's apartment building. "3 o'clock sharp," she muttered in satisfaction, then glanced up at the apartment building anxiously.

"Okay, people," Yuri said loudly from his spot next to Layla. "Ken and I will go up first, everybody else, stay in the hallway." He gave his wife a stern look at that, as if telling her she had better not come inside Derek's apartment, then said, "Okay... well... let's go."

Sora led Layla and Leon behind Yuri and Ken, who were thoroughly unconcerned. The two of them could easily take one other guy, especially because Yuri was strong enough to pull himself and Layla up trapezes. It didn't sound like much, but it meant lifting his own weight and often someone else's with only one hand.

That said, neither one of them had self-defense training. But still, it was only one guy, and they had the element of surprise. Neither one of them was even expecting a fight, anyways.

The whole group exchanged worried glances when Sora knocked on Rosetta's door and there was no answer. She swallowed nervously and knocked again, and was once more treated with silence. After a moment, Layla said, "Maybe she's not here right now, Sora. We could just come back later and-" Layla was interrupted by a shrill scream and the sound of smashing glass, both coming from Rosetta's closed door.

Sora gasped in shock, then started hammering on the door in a panic. "Rosetta!" she shouted. "Rosetta!"

"Get out of the way, Sora!" Yuri shouted as Leon pulled her back and allowed Yuri to ram his shoulder into the door. It splintered inwards and he forced his way inside, Ken right on his tail. Sora tried to follow, but Leon held her back and shook his head frantically, telling her to wait.

Yuri and Ken looked around at the messy apartment in shock for a moment, then started climbing over the broken furniture in search of Rosetta's screams. "Derek!" she shouted. "Arrêter, s'il vous plaît! S'il vous plaît, Derek, non!"

Finally, they made it to the bedroom and were greeted with the horrifying sight of Rosetta trying to crawl to the phone while Derek went after her with a baseball bat. "Rosseta!" Ken shouted after a moment and the two dashed forward, Ken's voice making him stop his assault on his girlfriend and look up at them in confusion.

"What the hell?" he yelled at them, raising his baseball bat defensively. "Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my house?"

"Ken, get Rosetta," Yuri commanded as he raised his fists, watching Derek's every move. "Leave her with the girls then get back in here." Ken just nodded and rushed forward, moving around the side of the room and keeping his distance from Derek, grabbed Rosetta's prone body and started to leave. Derek lunged at him, but Yuri blocked it and allowed Ken to hurry outside.

"I'm not gonna ask again- what the hell are you people doing in my house, and where is that one going with my girlfriend?" Derek shouted as he took a step back from Yuri, keeping his baseball bat up and ready to swing.

"She's not your girlfriend, not anymore," Yuri snapped, listening for Ken's return. He wasn't about to take a guy with a bat without help. Ken returned then, rushing over to stand at his side, and Yuri told Derek coldly, "Now we are going to leave, with Rosetta, and you're not going to bother her again. You got that?"

Derek just laughed at him. "You don't know who you're messing with."

"I know I'm messing with some jackass who thinks its funny to beat up women."

With an eye roll, Derek chuckled again and said, "I find your pathetic attempt at being tough amusing."

Ken practically growled at him as Yuri shouted, "You won't find my punch amusing!" and started to move for Derek.

What happened next went by so fast that Yuri and Ken had no idea how, but somehow, Ken ended up on the floor, passed out, and Yuri was struggling violently against Derek's chokehold.

Outside, in the hallway, Sora and Layla were tending to an unconscious Rosetta, waiting for the others to come out so they could take her to the hospital. Leon heard another crash inside and frowned, not happy that we was missing all the action, then glanced at the girls. They were both distracted by Rosetta; neither one would notice if he slipped away for a bit.

Leon hurried inside and made his way towards the back, where the sounds of a fight were coming from, then froze.

Ken was out cold on the floor, and Yuri's face was turning red as he struggled to breathe while Derek choked him. The moment Derek looked up from Yuri and saw Leon, he froze, then threw Yuri violently to the ground and kicked him once in the head. Yuri stopped moving entirely, then, leaving Leon more than a little uncertain about his ability to fight his way out of this. "Oh, great, more punching bags?" Derek exclaimed as he launched himself at a shocked Leon.

"Sora... where's Leon?"

Sora stopped in her attempt to assess Rosetta's injuries and looked up, surprised to find her boyfriend missing. There was another smash from inside, this one louder than before, then a male shout. Sora and Layla exchanged concerned glances before nodding at each other and heading silently into the apartment.

Layla clamped a hand over Sora's mouth as she tried to scream when she saw Derek and Leon wrestling on the floor... with Leon in desperate need of help. Layla nodded at the discarded bat lying on the floor and gestured for Sora to go get it before diving into the fight herself, hitting Derek with her cast twice before he managed to force her off. Sora dashed for the bat in a panic, grabbed it, then hurried back to the struggling trio on the floor. With a frantic cry, she brought it down on Derek's head. He shouted from the pain and rolled off Layla and Leon immediately, heading for Sora. She screamed as he pinned her back against the wall and cocked his fist back for a punch.

Derek got at least three good hits in when he abruptly stopped fighting and crumpled to the floor, revealing Leon standing behind him, the baseball bat in his hand. "Sora!" he gasped, rushing for her and catching her before she fell to the ground. She blinked blearily, trying to see something other then the red haze clouding her vision, then focused on Leon when coughed... spraying her with blood.

"Leon!" Sora cried, immediately grabbing his hands. "Oh, god, Leon... we've gotta get you to a hospital."

"Not just him," Layla managed to call from behind Leon, where she was examining Ken and Yuri, who were both still unconscious. "Sora, go get Rosetta and May, I'll stay with Ken and Yuri." Layla blinked back tears as she said her husband's name and pulled out her cell phone to call 911.

Question: Is the Sora's cop friend's name Jim? Sorry, I didn't remember. And Rosetta was speaking French, but sorry, I don't, so I used google translator. So if you actually speak French, its probably wrong.