Just a warning I am Dyslexic so my stories will not be perfect but I now have one Beta reader to help me along the way :D

Thank you so much to rsrdiall for offering to work with me :D

Hello my sweeties,

I need to thank everyone for there amazing reviews!

You're all wonderful.

Sorry I did not update yesterday as I told a few of you I would,

sadly Migraines do at times cause me to come to a complete and painful stop

god I hate headaches XD

!WARNING!

This chapter has references to drug abuse and also implies other illegal activity such as prostitution and drug trafficking.

Roshelle has been wonderful as usual making it so the T rating still applies but we ask the reader to read with caution.

Enjoy.

Neh xxx

I do not own Skip Beat!

"Well how can you be sure when they have been in Japan for the last few weeks? How can you be so sure that while they have been away from you their relationship has not gone one step further?" Sayuri simply tapped her fingers a few times and shrugged in the same way her son had.

"And what if they have? It's not like it would be a problem." And with those words the entire studio erupted once more as Sakura sat there simply stunned.

None of the Heels moved. All 4 of them simply looked unconcerned. The security staff tried to control the crowd whilst Sakura tried to think of what to say next... but what could she say? She had expected outright refusal of any type of relationship between the siblings!

Yet now... here was a completely calm and composed set of people who simply said 'OK... and?'

How could Sayuri be so calm and smile like that?

"Now it seems we have your attention maybe I should explain."

If the sudden uproar had been anything, the complete silence and stillness that descended was even more stunning as Sayuri's words held no question that she would answer the question and it would be everything they had been waiting for.

Cain simply glared at the people who had been trying to rush the stage as if they had been hypnotised. They suddenly returned to their seats without complaint as even the security moved back to their position to wait.

"Cain," Calvin's voice broke through the silence as Cain's attention returned solely to Setsu who was still cradled under his arm against his chest.

"Sayuri-san are you saying you would condone your children's relationship?" Sayuri's eyes were cold as steel as she looked down at the woman sitting before her.

"No. I am saying that rumours could never replace the true facts Mitoki-san. I'm saying that when people not only verbally, but also physically attack a child based on wild rumours that I can no longer be proud of the country in which I was born and raised. Tell me Mitoki-san, what is the age that children are thought of as adults in Japan?"

Sakura was almost quaking at the power in the woman's voice. She owned the stage and not even Sakura was going to be challenging her. "20 years old is classed as an adult without the need of parental consent."

Sayuri simply nodded. "My daughter is 17 years old, Mitoki-san. How would you feel if one of your children was brutally attacked because someone did not check the facts before they acted on an anonymous tip?"

Sakura who had no children herself could say nothing. How would she feel? She had watched the video of Setsuka being rushed into the waiting car by Cain, her cries had been haunting. Sakura could not even begin to imagine the pain the young girl must have been in.

"Since when has the media in Japan found that they have the right to release a story without proof or confirmation other than a picture taken on a mobile phone of two people hugging after what I have been told was a distressing situation for my daughter. In that moment she was simply seeking comfort from her brother?"

The audience was still silent. Sayuri's words were ringing through them all. Was she saying that everything they had been told was simply a lie? That the stories that had been told were false.

"We were never contacted or asked for any information on our childrens relationship. And surely at such a young age such as Setsu's we should have been considered."

Sayuri was taking over the story and almost brushing all of the blame onto rumour and nothing more, but Sakura could not allow this!

The Heel siblings story was the largest thing she had been given this year! So many people nowadays would have it so she was contracted in as a person they would not work with. Sakura had to make her mark on this.

"So what do you have to say about the kiss, Sayuri-san?" Sakura asked thinking she would back the defensive mother into a corner with this one.

"I would say my dear daughter is a little too possessive of her brother," Sayuri said lifting her eyebrow towards Setsu who seemed if anything to look a little ashamed as she sank lower into her seat.

"But sadly this is something that is understandable with Setsu." Sayuri smiled and for the first time the audience was shown a true if yet very very small smile from Setsuka.

"Why do you say it is understandable Sayuri-san?" Sakura asked feeling there was more behind the words Sayuri had used and the way she said them.

"Because to Setsu, Cain is the most important person. He is her comfort, her strength and the one person in her life who has never let her down." The mumbling began almost instantly again at Sayuri's words.

"Sayuri-san are you saying you have let your daughter down?" Sakura needed this, she needed to knock this powerful woman down a little. At that moment, she needed to retake her stage.

"Yes exactly." The murmurs stopped as the brave woman simply agreed. It wasn't the audience that exploded this time... it was Setsu.

"NO! No... you have never let me down, Mom!" Setsu had not jumped up this time, Cain's arm preventing it but still her emotions were raging. No one could miss her tears. No one doubted the sincerity in her almost whispered words.

"Not intentionally sweetheart, but I should have known... I should have done something sooner," Sayuri said. Her own eyes filled with tears as she looked upon her daughter.

"NO... no... It wasn't your fault... it wasn't you...you saved me...us. You saved us."

The emotions on stage were overwhelming as the people watched the drama developing. Cain's arm had not been enough to hold her back. Or maybe he had simply allowed Setsu to stand when she had first started denying Sayuri's words.

"I should have known Setsu. I should have been able to read the signs to understand! She was my sister! Your mother was my sister and I let you down!" the intake of breath could have emptied the oxygen from the room, the way the words hit everyone.

"NO! NO! NO! NO!" the distress in the young woman was visible as she denied Sayuri's words with all of her being.

"SHE WAS NEVER MY MOTHER! SHE NEVER LOVED ME! REAL MOTHERS LOVE! REAL MOTHERS WOULD HAVE STOPPED THEM... Real mothers would never have done that... you're my mother...you promised you're my mommy..." tears were pouring from both Setsuka's eyes and Sayuri's as Calvin leaned forwards.

"We are sweetheart and we always will be." He took Setsuka's hand gently in his and rubbed it gently as Cain sat forwards and placed his hand lovingly on her back rubbing softly.

Yet even at this moment Sakura had to get her word in.

"Setsuka-san, you're adopted?" If feelings could have been a physical form the one that surrounded Sakura at that moment would have been pure black, as the temperature dropped rapidly.

"We both are," were Cain's simple words.

The entire audience was again unsure of what to do, think or say. The words sank in before the world exploded once more as Setsuka turned on the host full of rage and anger.

"DOES IT MATTER? DOES IT MATTER THAT WE HAVE DIFFERENT PARENTS? IS IT ANY OF YOUR BUSINESS? IS IT ANYONE'S BUSINESS BUT OUR OWN?"

Sakura was scared for her life at the pure malice radiating from this girl, but as swiftly as it came it left as Setsuka sobbed loudly before bursting into tears and exiting the stage at top speed.

Cain sighed and stood. Sayuri swayed as if all the emotions had drained from her. She dropped back down onto the sofa beside Calvin who instantly pulled her towards him comforting his still crying wife.

"You want to know how close me and my sister are Sakura-san? Let's just say I would die for her. I would go to the end of the Earth and back to make sure she would no longer feel an ounce of pain. I would make sure that someone that hurts her would never be able to hurt her again..." The warning was there, left hanging in the air like a guillotine ready to drop at the slightest touch. Cain walked swiftly off the stage after his sister.

Lory didn't even attempt to stop Setsuka as she rushed past him. He had been waiting in the wings in case the Heels needed him and he certainly was not going to stop Cain with his face set like that! It was more than his life worth.

'What the hell? I knew they were going to rock the boat on this show! Hell that's why I got them on here' Lory thought to himself as he tried to hide his little smirk. If Sakura couldn't expose them then no one would, 'But really! was this planned? Had they already written out this story or were they ad libbing? They had refused to comment when he met them this morning and they really couldn't when the LoveMe ladies were there. But really this was more fun than I have had in ages.'

The stagehand standing nearby wondered if the rumours were true. Was one of the most powerful men in Tokyo truly mad? Lory chuckled at the complete disaster that was happening live on the stage. He had half a mind to believe he was.

Cain didn't even have to guess where Setsu had gone, simply following the line of stunned whispering people that lead straight to the dressing room. Pushing open the door Cain's eyes swept the room until he saw the small, shivering and rocking figure. He locked the door silently before scooping Setsu up and wrapping her in his arms. Sitting on the sofa and holding her tightly as she too clung to him in a death like grip as she cried out her hurt and frustration at the world.

No words were needed. There were no words that could really explain just what she was feeling. How much she was hurting and Cain knew this. Ren knew this and no one could know this better than Kuon. He remembered the small little girl with pigtails and how she had cried over her mother by that stream in Kyoto.

It was what Kuu had taught her. Draw on what she knew and what she had seen. So Kyoko had. As Setsu, Cain was her fairy prince and her mom's actions and behaviour was simply staggering to the girl.

Kyoko was quiet, obedient and honest to a fault! She would do anything to please anyone whereas Setsu was highly strong, passionate yet insecure. And hidden deep down she held some of that scared little child who was Kyoko. She held onto a fairy prince, or in her case her beloved Nii-san. He was her anchor to her sanity...her security. He was what it meant to her to be loved and safe. Her parents were her extension of that. It was her simple fear of rejection and abandonment that made Setsu who she was. The girl who pushed the world away whilst only pulling her brother closer.

"I'm here Setsu... I'm here..." Cain finally said as her tears started to lessen and her trembling subsided slowly to occasional shivers though she still clung to him for dear life.

"I hate her Ren."

The fact that Kyoko had broken character first and was clinging to him so needingly broke Ren's heart. The fact she had finally said what her heart had known for so long... Yes it was possible for a parent to hate their child. Kyoko had said that once to Maria when acting out the part of Flora and her sister Angel after their mother's death. But it was also possible for a child to hate their parent when they had a play in all of the most horrible memories in their life and in some of those memories they had been the root and cause.

"It's ok Kyoko. I'm here if ever you need me and I will always be here." Ren kissed her hair like Cain would have. Kyoko neither pulled away or blushed as she turned her eyes to meet his.

"Do you promise?" Her eyes were pleading as she looked at him so deeply, Ren had to rein Kuon in from kissing her in that instant as he leaned his forehead against hers and breathed in her special scent.

"I promise Kyoko."

She snuggled deeper into Ren's chest as she sought comfort in the arms of the only man she had ever truly loved. She could think about her actions tomorrow. Tomorrow she would be able to stand on her own two feet and let him go. Tomorrow she would be able to think about her actions and scold herself. But today she needed him, she needed this.

'Tomorrow I can be stronger'.

Mitoki Sakura sighed inwardly. This was the first time she had ever lost full control of her own show. She had been lost for words long enough for the producers watching to cut to a break early. And it was all because of this family. If ever there was a life that was like the dramas everyone loved watching so much, she would bet all her money and belongings that most of the Heel family fit the bill.

"Are you going to be ok to continue?" she asked for once feeling sorry for her guests rather than feeling intimidated.

Usually she felt she was going to make herself better off from this show. It hit a nerve with her the way Setsuka had cried. Sayuri blaming herself had felt so wrong yet it was obvious she believed herself at fault and Sakura honestly did feel sorry for the woman and her family.

"I'm ok, thank you." Sayuri said softly.

Calvin hugged his wife closer before he added his own broken Japanese. "It's a hard subject for all of us, but if we really want to put the rumours to rest about our children the truth needs to be told."

Sakura nodded. She could understand the need to protect their children and she marveled at just how far they were both willing to go to do this. She had expected a scapegoat or maybe an illusion of sorts to take the public's eye away from the Heel siblings. She had not expected a gaping wound of hurt and pain so deeply etched it changed the victims and people around them.

"We are going live in 3...2." The stage producer signalled for one as the Sakura once more welcomed the audience.

"So Calvin-san, Sayuri-san before the break Cain-san told us that they are both adopted? From what I gather Setsuka-san is your sister's child?" Sakura was ready now, it had time to sink in and she was ready to take back control of her show

She wasn't well known for nothing and now she knew she had an amazing story on the way. And maybe just maybe a very amazing family to tell it.

Sayuri smiled in a sad way towards Sakura, but inside Julie was cheering. 'We did it!' They had played their cards right and now she could tell from the change in Sakura that rather than trying to break them they would have more of a chance of her sympathising with them.

Sympathy was something none of the true people behind the Heels would ever wish for. But as Chiori had said completely by accident to Julie, so many young female actresses played the sympathy card for getting roles. So why couldn't they use it for getting support?

"That is correct. Sadly I'm unable to have children. We had always wanted them but it was not meant to be for us. Cain and Setsu are our children now and they always will be." Sayuri sighed sadly. No one could miss the way Calvin squeezed her hand or the sad smile she gave him.

"Setsuka is my younger sister's child. When Cho was around 10 we moved from Japan to England due to our father's work. It was hard at first, but we made friends quickly and were both very happy there. It wasn't until a few years later after I had left high school that Cho... found her way to the wrong crowd." Sakura watched Sayuri who seemed to be struggling with her choice of words as the beautiful woman's eyes once more filled with tears.

"It was when she met her boyfriend Daniel that it all started. At first mother's jewelry would go missing or money from our father's wallet. Before long we knew Daniel was addicted to drugs.

Cho was caught shoplifting when she was 16 and even though we all tried our hardest to get Cho to see that Daniel was using her, she was in love... My father decided that Cho needed professional help and she was admitted into a rehab facility.

3 weeks later Cho disappeared..." Sakura tried to hide her shock as Sayuri swallowed down the sobs that were trying to break through her, these were subjects that the Japanese rarely talked about but still everyone seemed to know what happened behind closed doors. It just happened that here was a woman willing to speak out as the audience listened with rapt attention.

"We tried everything to get Cho back yet it was if she had disappeared into thin air, though we never truly stopped searching for Cho. My own mother even came home to Japan to see if perhaps she had travelled to her native home. It wasn't until 5 years later that we finally had news about Cho... and it wasn't good." The tears Sayuri had been trying to hold back had started spilling from her eyes as she spoke. Calvin had his arm around his wife trying to offer as much comfort as possible.

"Cho died of an overdose on the 12th of June 2001. She was found in an alley in the worst area of the city. Sadly my father had died a year before. Mother always said it was from a broken heart. Until that day I had always thought it was impossible to die from that." Taking a deep breath Calvin whispered soothingly to Sayuri who nodded. Sakura didn't speak allowing the beautiful woman time.

"We were asked if we would come collect the body and her belongings . We never thought twice about it. At the time my new husband drove all the way to London to meet us. It wasn't until we got there that we received the biggest shock of all.

The police were wonderful and treated us wonderfully at a very difficult stage. It was after I identified Cho's body that we asked how everything had come to pass and just what had killed my sister. The world they explained to us was one of prostitution and drug trafficking.

I identified Cho for the simple reason that the police had worried about my mother seeing her body in such a condition. I was glad I had Calvin beside me as I think I would not have been able to bear the pain and truth alone. It was when the officer asked us if we had known about Cho's daughter though that we were hit with the biggest shock of all."

At this point Sayuri completely broke down in Calvin's arms. All Sakura could do was sit there and wonder at the woman's bravery. She never noticed the well-dressed man in an English styled Victorian suit and cravat enter the stage. The audience did and Takarada Lory smiled softly at his friends and bowed politely to Sakura when she finally raised her head at the noise the audience made at the man's arrival.

"Please allow me to help out in this difficult time," he said both in Japanese and English as Calvin nodded. Sakura smiled and motioned to the seat as Calvin this time took up the story using Lory as the perfect translator.

"When we found out about Cho's child we did what any good family would do. They took us to the children's home she was at since we both were intent on adopting the child of the sister she had loved so much.

What we found when we arrived was not what we would have expected. Setsu was tiny for all her five years. Her body was more like that of a child of three. She was malnourished and utterly terrified of any adult contact other than that of the nine year old boy she clung to." Lory waited like the rest of the audience as Sayuri's body trembled and for a moment Calvin stopped speaking to offer more comfort to his wife.

"Setsu and Cain had been together for as long as either of them could remember. By this time Cain was an orphan entirely. He openly told the police how the 'Man' had only kept him around to look after the other children. Or else he would have been out on the street somewhere as so many children had been before.

That poor young man had seen things that most adults have never seen: death, murder and maybe worst of all drug addiction. Maybe it was simply a stroke of luck that Cho had not been using while she was pregnant with Setsu. However it came to pass Setsu and Cain made it through five years together.

When we saw the bond they had together, and learned how Cain had loved and protected Setsu for so long we could not separate them. And after a twelve month hard fought legal battle we were able to adopt not only her sister's daughter but also the boy that had undoubtedly saved Setsu's life." Calvin stopped and Lory waited along with the very silent room. Sayuri was slowly regaining her composure and Sakura took this moment to give both of her guests time to calm their overwrought emotions.

"I'm not sure if our new guest needs any introduction." Sakura smiled at Lory. He was one man she would never cross. He had the ability to destroy her entire career. Now with him sitting there so comfortably beside the Heels she was rather happy her first thoughts of destroying them did not go so well.

"Takarada Lory President of the most prestigious Lory's Majestic Entertainment, welcome to the show."

Lory smiled and bowed again. "Thank you for having me. I'm sorry if I intruded but I felt it was better for me to assist my friends rather than push dear Sayuri further than she was able." Lory smiled at Sayuri who offered him a very watery grin. She had sat back up from her husband's chest and even though she was crying still.

Sakura couldn't help but feel a little jealous that she still looked beautiful even after crying so much. "So how do you know the Heels Takarada-san?" Sakura asked a question that others had been asking since the siblings appeared with him at the filming of Tragic Marker.

"We have been friends for a few years now. Calvin is a wonderful stuntman that has worked for LME a few times now over the years. I also knew his father before his passing."

Sakura nodded. LME was the biggest talent agency in the business. The only one that could compete would have been Akatoki. So of course a big agency like Lory's would have connections all over the world.

"Were you aware of the family history behind the Heel family?" Sakura asked now wondering if Lory had known the history and why LME would not have issued a statement on the siblings behalf at the start of all of this mess?

"I knew some of my friend's life, but truly it was not my place to say anything. I just offered as much support as possible.

Sakura thought back two the two LME talents that had indeed been seen with the Heels over the last few days. He had just answered her next question so she had to frantically think of her next topic.

"If I may?" Lory asked and Sakura nodded her instant approval.

"The Heels have been longtime friends of mine. I also have never had the pleasure of working with such a professional and talented family. No matter what history the Heel siblings came from they have never been more loved or cherished since they became the family they are today. With the help of this loving couple the siblings have grown and blossomed into two very special people. They have a love and a passion for their work and neither one of them have backed down throughout this entire debacle. And honestly they are a lot stronger and braver than so many people I know who are also their age.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that I myself am proud to know them. No matter what is to come in the coming days they will now and always have the full support of LME."

The strong and powerful words delivered from the man named on the list as one of the most powerful people of Japan was something no one could deny. The TV producer counted down the ending of the show and Sakura gathered as much of her poise and grace to thank the people for watching and her guests for attending. Those people who remained on stage cheered silently.

They had won a large battle here today. And with this under their belt Lory was almost certain they would win the war.

Well the interview is over, now its time to see how Japan reacts!

thanks for reading

Neh xxx

Comments and reviews please, I will happily reply to PM's and questions