Accidents Happen
It took a full two weeks before the others found out about the Lucifer Ladies and then it was only by accident. Maria along with the baby had gone by Jupiter Records to drop off the latest details for the MD contest. She'd hoped to be in and out quickly but the person who usually took up where she and the others left off was away from his desk and Maria didn't just want to leave it in case the young man had questions.
Thinking like that made her smile. It was altogether possible the man was older than she but being a mother tended to make her feel older than the unattached people around her. "Yukihiko stop that!" The little boy was in his stroller but he had reached for a colorful paper weight. "Let's not break anything please." She squatted down, tickled him then laughed with him. His joyous laughter caught someone's attention.
Sakuya was headed back to the conference room when he heard a child's laugh. "Yukihiko? Is that you? Yu – ki where are you?" Sakuya sang the boy's name. Somehow he had recognized the boy's laugh. He didn't know why the boy and his mother were there but it would be good to see them. "I'm going to find you!" A smile of anticipation crossed his face as he thought of the smile that would soon greet him.
At first fear skittered down Maria's spine at the thought of being caught but then she shook it off. She wasn't doing anything wrong and they never planned to keep it a secret from the guys forever. She held a finger to her lips with a smile and watched as Little Yuki's eyes brightened with laughter. Maria knew he would give them away, his excitement to see Sakuya would be too much for him to handle.
He peered over the tops of cubicles giving a few people a pleasant surprise with his handsome face. "I'm going to find my little Yuki; I know you're here somewhere!" Sakuya smiled as he heard a muffled giggle. By now several heads were looking beyond their walls to see what was going on and all smiled to see Sakuya looking so mischievous.
"Saku!" Yuki said in a child's whisper which wasn't a whisper at all and giggled kicking his legs and bouncing in his stroller.
Maria managed to stay quiet but she was laughing as she released Yukihiko from his stroller and set him on his feet. Sakuya was close now. She watched as her little boy looked out, saw Sakuya then squealed. Yukihiko looked back at his mother then ran down the hall laughing all the way.
"I see you!" Sakuya said and gave the toddler a head start before rushing after him. He winked at Maria then gave a small yell as he chased little Yuki. He ended up laughing as the boy fell because he was laughing and squealing too hard to run. Sakuya scooped him up and threw the mini-Yuki into the air. "Gotcha!"
For a few minutes, men and women watched as Sakuya played with the child. They laughed and tickled each other and Sakuya spun him around and tried to eat him. Finally as the boy slumped in his arms, breathing hard but smiling widely, Sakuya held him next to his heart then went back to Maria.
"Hey lovely lady." He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "What brings you two here?" Sakuya put his arm around her shoulders and started to lead her away.
"Hey Sakuya, just a moment please." Maria turned back to the man, she'd been waiting on. He'd appeared to see what all the commotion was. "Is everything in order?" She asked indicating the envelop she'd come to deliver. If he had questions, she wanted to take care of it now.
"Umm, just a minute!" He said nervously as Sakuya frowned down at him. Quickly he looked over the information. "Yes, yes this is fine. Thank you Toudo-sama. The fans will like this I'm sure." He bowed first to her then Sakuya.
"What's going on?" Sakuya asked as Maria got the stroller and started walking beside him. "That's the guy that handles the MD contest details. You drop something off for Aine? How come she didn't do it? Do I need to call Aine?" Sakuya was reaching for his phone when Maria grabbed his hand.
"Aine's fine Sakuya." She nodded when he questioned her with his blue gaze then smiled widely at man and child. "He really loves you; you and Aine should visit more often." Maria said when her son hugged Sakuya's neck.
"It's not easy to do now but maybe soon when we all go to London!" He grinned at her. "Okay stop changing the subject. Why are you and Yukihiko dropping off Aine's work?" He led them over to the conference room.
"It's not just Aine's work anymore but the work of the Lucifer Ladies." Maria announced as she entered the conference room where her husband and the other band members sat.
"Chichi!" Yukihiko yelled when he saw his father. When Sakuya set him down, he made a beeline for his chichi.
"Lucifer Ladies? Sounds like a new band." Santa said grinning. "Is there someone out there trying to steal our name?"
"Mrs. Toudo, come in. How are you today?" Mr. Takayama asked standing.
"Fine thank you, sorry for interrupting. Please forgive us." Maria bowed.
Mr. Takayama smiled. She was the ideal woman and wife for Yuki. He was a lucky man. He went to her. "Not at all, we were taking a break so this is the perfect time to visit." He escorted her over to the two Yukis. Father and son smiled up at them.
"Hey, I wasn't expecting you guys. What's up?" He stood up to kiss her.
"Actually she was just telling me. I caught them delivering the next MD contest. Maria says it's not just Aine's work now but the work of the Lucifer Ladies." Sakuya said as he sat on the table and made faces as little Yuki.
"Lucifer Ladies? You and Aine?" Atsuro asked getting up to pour some water and offered it to the little boy.
"No all of us, Aine, Miya, Yuuka and me. Aine was working too hard and we wanted to do our part in making you guys global." Maria took the seat Towa pulled out for her and explained what she and the girls were up to.
Smiling with his chin in his palm, Mr. Takayama shook his head. "I'm impressed. You ladies are quite enterprising and we never even knew. The staff never said a word just went along! Goes to show you we've been working too hard!" He laughed. "Behind every great band there are great women! Well done!" He clapped his hands.
Maria blushed at the compliment. "So you're not angry?" She looked around the table at the men she felt as close to as brothers.
"Are you kidding? It's great. No wonder Yuuka's been looking so pleased with herself." Atsuro added. Lately she'd been watching more videos and reading the lasted music magazines. She was also singing their songs more than usual, now he knew why.
"And Miya. Yes this explains a lot." Towa grinned from ear to ear. His shy Miya had broken out of her shell and was more confident these days.
"So that's why Aine is so upbeat these days and her eyes aren't black from lack of sleep! You girls sure can keep a secret. Why didn't you just tell us?" Sakuya watched as Yuki moved Yukihiko's fingers as if they were playing the guitar.
"You were busy and we could do it without bothering any of you or Marcy." Maria looked down a moment. "She has been a little harsh on Aine so we wanted to help her out." Maria was sure not to blame the guys or make them feel guilty but they should realize what they were asking of a high school girl.
Sakuya reached for her hand and kissed it. "Thanks Maria and Yuuka and Miya. I appreciate it." He hadn't dwelled on why Aine had changed but just enjoyed her happiness.
Marcy arrived to see a woman stroking the side of Sakuya's face and him smiling softly at the woman. Who the hell is this? Has he replaced Aine? She paused just outside listening.
"I'm happy to learn how you ladies have been helping and I hope you continue to do so. Seriously, without you ladies taking care of these guys, of all of us we would be lost. Please let the other Lucifer Ladies know that too." Takayama stood, it had been a nice little break talking to Maria and seeing Yukihiko playing with his uncles but there was work to be done. "That name is wonderful." He walked around the table.
Yuki got the hint then with one last kiss for his son, fastened him back in his stroller. He stood and hugged his wife. "I'll see you at home and maybe we can talk some business." He couldn't have been happier to know that Maria was helping them out no matter how small her part may actually be.
"Actually, that's a good idea. You'd better come prepared." Maria joked then hugged Towa, Santa, Atsuro and finally the youngest, Sakuya. "So happy and healthy, Aine's treating you just fine." She cupped his face then kissed him on the mouth. When Maria let him go she saw a woman in the doorway looking like she wanted to kill someone. "Hello."
Marcy smiled and strutted into the room. "Hi there. And who might you two be?" She waved at Yukihiko but the little boy's smile disappeared and he just looked at her with wide eyes.
"Marcy, this is my wife and son. Maria and Yukihiko." Yuki introduced them but didn't give either the time to do much more than nod at each other. "Sorry Maria but we should get back to work." He wrapped a long arm about her waist. "I'll just walk them to the elevator." He told the group.
Sakuya watched them leave with a smile then looked at Takayama. "You really okay with the Lucifer Ladies? They just wanted to help Aine, well us too."
Takayama retook his seat. "Yes I am. Please apologize to Aine for me. I'm afraid I've been so caught up in all of this that I didn't realize the burden we placed on her." He felt guilty for allowing things to get so out of hand where Aine was concerned.
"Lucifer Ladies? What's that?" Marcy asked carefully as she poured herself some coffee.
"Yeah, it seems my friends girlfriends and Maria have joined up to help Aine with all the work she's been given. Between the four of them, they've taken over and run things without us knowing anything about it. Great bunch of girls huh?" Santa explained and wished he could claim having a Lucifer lady.
"Is that so? But is it wise to let these women help out when they know so little about the music business? They could do something to harm Lucifer's reputation." Marcy was enraged that these novice women were trying to butt in on her territory and even though Maria was Yuki's wife, she'd had her hands all over Sakuya! Were they all that way? Touching and feeling up on him when they had men of their own or was that the whole point? Maria, Yuuka and Miya were just using Yuki, Atsuro and Towa to get to Sakuya. Wait…that child…it could be Sakuya's! The resemblance between the three of them was uncanny. That slut! I bet Aine doesn't even know! "Aine knows this business; we should leave the work in her hands." That way she'll be kept out of my way and those other women can just disappear!
"Marcy-." Sakuya rose up.
"Sakuya sit down." Takayama said quietly but firmly. If he let Sakuya speak, things could get out of hand. "Marcy these ladies have been working for weeks with no one the wiser as to what they were doing. Aine does know this business and I trust her to let the others know what they can and cannot do. I let you have too much responsibility and in the end you've pawned off some of that work to Aine. From now on, you'll speak to me before delegating any more work to Aine. That girl is too valuable to be used and worn like a mere intern. Understand me Marcy, I am in charge here." Takayama's eyes flashed at the young woman and he saw her close her mouth instead of arguing with him.
"Good now when Yuki comes back we'll finish this meeting." Takayama looked at Sakuya who nodded and poured himself his own cup of coffee.
Maria and Yukihiko waved goodbye as the elevator doors closed. She hadn't said anything to her husband but Marcy was definitely someone to watch out for.
Miya hustled about the small dressing room. Lucifer was yet again performing for a private group of fans, the daughter or granddaughter of some rich man and her friends. They were in a small club and since she was running things tonight, she'd asked one of the other makeup artists to help her out so she could make sure everything was going fine with the crew and security.
This was to be the last show for a while since in just a few weeks the fashion show was happening and soon after that they would be filming their parts in the American TV show. Since the band was aware of the Lucifer Ladies now, things could not have gone smoother. Days off could be scheduled with their significant others or other members of the band to just get together and have some fun to offset all the work. All in all, things had gone like a well-run machine and that worried Miya. Not just Miya but Maria too. Aine and Yuuka were too involved to see the problem that was Marcy.
Both of them had seen that face Marcy managed to hide from everyone else. It held malice and hate. And it was directed mainly at them the women but upon occasion that manifestation would be aimed at Santa, Towa, Atsuro and Yuki but never Sakuya. Sakuya was treated to smiles and feminine wiles and preferential treatment to which he often shrugged off never wanting to be in Marcy's debt for anything that the whole band was entitled to.
So they, she and Maria were waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop. Marcy couldn't do much since Mr. Takayama liked the results of their work plus the guys were happy with the current situation but there were unofficial channels Marcy could use to get back at them for stepping into their world. Miya just wished she was clairvoyant so she could know what was coming.
Miya sighed and looked around. "Everything's set. Once they finished the show followed by a quick encore, Lucifer would come back here to change, grab a bite to eat then mingle with the giggling teens for an hour or so before finally calling it a night.
Finding a moment alone, Miya stood in front of one of the mirrors and looked at herself. Aine had taken her to the spa the other day to thank her for all she'd been doing. She'd been pampered from head-to-toe. Her nails and toenails had an eye-catching shine to them. She'd also gotten a new haircut, nothing too drastic but it flattered her face. Being a makeup artist for others, she tended to let her own appearance be natural and easy. But now…now she was looking pretty damned cute if she said so herself. "And I do!" Miya giggled and modeled the practical but flattering pantsuit she gotten from Trio on the same day.
"Miya, could you check to be sure the staff is ready to bring out the birthday girl's gifts?" Sasaki asked from the doorway then looked about the room. "Where's the food? You know they'll be expecting something to eat!" He groused.
She jumped then calmed down and hid a grin as Aine's description of Sasaki came to her mind. Anal times two! He ought to be making diamonds instead of managing! "I ordered it an hour ago and it should be arriving-." Miya paused as her two-way went off saying the caterer was there. "Now. If you could go greet them, I'll take care of the birthday gifts." Miya didn't try to hide her smile as he frowned at having being one upped so neatly.
"I'll let the caterer in. Go back to the party Sasaki, I can help Miya." Marcy appeared behind him with a soft smile. "Bout time I helped out a little more too. Besides with the band on stage, there isn't much else for me to do. I get the feeling that one of the aunts is attracted to you. You know the one with the long hair?" Marcy grinned at him then smiled fully when he straightened his tie and smoothed his hair then nodded to her before leaving the women alone.
Miya had long since lost her smile at the sight of Marcy. This was the only part of her job she truly hated – being around the American. "Thank you Marcy, I won't be long. Just have the caterer set up over there please." She waved a hand at a table against the far wall.
"Take your time." Marcy gave a half smile. Despite her preoccupation with Sakuya, she was aware that the women of Lucifer didn't really like her. Bitches, soon you'll have a real reason not to like me but you won't be able to prove a thing!
Miya's stomach clinched in unknown fear as she and Marcy walked out of the dressing room together heading in opposite directions. She didn't know what was so different this time around but she would make a concentrated effort to put space between them the rest of the night.
Sakuya's eyes looked over the group of teens. The girls were only a year or so younger than him but he felt worlds apart from them while on stage. Hard to believe but one got used to fangirls so while they were cute, well-dressed and from obviously good families, not one of them attracted his attention. In fact, if the party wasn't being chaperoned by some of the birthday girl's family – he was sure many of them would be panty-less and flaunting the fact. It made Sakuya's eyes light with laughter as he sang and received more screams for it.
They were nearing the end of the set where they would pause and take requests from the birthday girl before grabbing a bite to eat. Sakuya backed up and leaned into Yuki as the man played a riff on his guitar. When he looked into his dark eyes, Sakuya could see that Yuki too was amused to be there. This had been a dream of theirs not too long ago, to have girls screaming and throwing themselves at them but while the love for the band and their music was gratifying, they'd grown up in what they wanted from women.
Something warm flashed in his stomach and if possible, Sakuya's smile widened as he spun away from Yuki and danced his way back to his position at the center of the stage. The lights were bright but his blue gaze confirmed what his body already knew. Aine was there.
Aine smiled and waved at him. She'd just left a study session and thought she run by to see if they could go home together. Feeling the glow of a woman in love, Aine left the show to see if she could go help Miya. I don't know how he always knows where to find me in a crowd but I love it nevertheless.
It wasn't hard to gain access to the private show. This was one of the many clubs where Lucifer played and most of the club staff as well as Lucifer security knew who she was and welcomed her like the friend she was.
On the way to the dressing room, she saw Marcy standing just off stage like she was waiting for her cue to join them. Aine shook her head; she couldn't understand the woman no matter how hard she tried. Her job was to promote the band, help make their move to international artists easier but sometimes her words and actions contradicted her purpose. Instead of business attire, she was dressed more like this was her party since she was dressed in a short gold dress with a flirty skirt and there was gold glitter in her strawberry blond hair.
"Whatever…" Aine said dismissing the woman from her mind as she reached the door to the dressing room. "Miya? Oh hey Suki."
"Hi Aine, I didn't know you were coming." The other makeup artist smiled at the girl. "The food just got here so I raiding the table before the guys got to it. You want something?" Suki had been with Lucifer for almost as long as Miya and while it had been a shaky start at first, she and Aine had eventually become friends. Fans of Sakuya tended to think he was their own personal property and the employees of Jupiter Records often thought the same.
"My study group finished early so I thought I'd come by. I think I will!" Aine grinned and helped herself to some grapes and some sushi. "Wow, they got the expensive stuff. Mmm…" Her eyes closed in bliss.
"I know!" Suki grinned and helped herself. They usually ordered too much so she wasn't worried about eating more than her share, there was plenty.
Miya ran in and stopped to see Suki and Aine stuffing their faces. "Well she didn't mess it up." She giggled at their raised eyebrows. "I let Marcy handle directing the caterer. Dealing with the presents took longer than I expected as the mother wanted them delivered in a certain order – the most expensive first!" She joined them at the table and looked over the spread satisfied that everything she ordered had been delivered – including the plate she'd ordered for herself. Not a big fan of sushi, Miya had gotten a deli sandwich, pasta salad and a decadent dessert.
"Well they're just starting the requests so you've got time to eat. Anything I can help with?" Aine popped a few grapes in her mouth then used a napkin.
"I don't think so but this is usually your gig – tell me if I've missed anything please." Miya went to cushioned seat with her meal.
Aine nodded then easily switched from observer to worker. In a matter of minutes she'd scoped out the dressing room, talked to several of the staff and checked on things backstage. There was the scurrying of a few people and some movement in the sound booth and equipment moved here and there. She returned to the dressing room a smile of satisfaction on her face. "I've missed this!"
Miya had eaten her food automatically, not giving it much attention but had instead frowned as she watched Aine in action. As he took the final bite and wiped her mouth a fleeting thought flashed through her mind that something had tasted off but she quickly pushed the thought aside as she looked up at Aine. "I'm not doing a good job am I?" She sighed her good mood fading.
"Yes! Yes you are! Oh Miya, there wasn't that much going on. I just had them start breaking down some of the equipment and have the sound guys get the music prepared to play for after the live show. You've stepped into my shoes perfectly. It's just after handling this for so long and not being able to help out – well I missed doing it. I help Sakuya whenever I can but its different being here and doing what I can to make things easier for him as he's out there giving it his all. Don't you feel the same when you're doing Towa's makeup?" Aine perched on another table full of supplies.
Miya sighed in relief glad she wasn't mucking things up then smiled. "Of course. His talent is phenomenal so I love making him stand out as the most beautiful person on stage!" She said dreamily then blushed. "Not that they all aren't gorgeous, especially Sakuya but Towa's my man and…oh good grief!" Miya hid her face as Aine and Suki laughed at her.
While they waited, they teased Miya some more and ate and just generally spent some quality time with friends but before long they heard female screams and Sakuya telling them they'd be back after a short break. All three rose to their feet and stood to one side for the room was small for eight people.
"Hey you got my favorite food!" Sakuya said as he strode into the room and picked Aine up off her feet and nibbled on her neck. "So delicate this flavor, I could eat this forever." He cupped her bottom and kissed and licked her neck from one ear to the other.
"Sak-uya…" Aine let him have his way for a minute maybe two before grabbing his head and lifting it. "Stop, this can wait. Hurry and wash up then eat; you've still got to make some fans very happy."
"I just want to make you happy." Sakuya said looking into her eyes.
All four band members, "Ahhhhhh…." Before they burst into laughter. The others were in various stages of undress and stuffing their faces.
"Jerks!" Sakuya muttered before stealing a kiss and setting Aine on her feet. He disappeared into the bathroom to follow her instructions. "Save me something!" He yelled back not trusting his friends to leave anything for him.
Suki was waiting patiently for whoever was ready to have their makeup redone. Usually they wouldn't need more makeup but there would be pictures with the birthday girl and those would most likely end up on the website so no reason for them not to look their best.
"You okay?" Towa asked softly as Miya handed him a plate of food. She was sweating and looked pale.
"Yeah, just a little hot. I hope I'm not coming down with something." Miya dug up a smile for him. "Go on and eat then change. I want you to show up those debutantes!" She looked him over and could honestly say she'd never seen anyone more beautiful and he was all hers.
"With your help, it's easy." Towa smiled softly. He leaned up to kiss her lips. "Take it easy and don't work too hard. I'll fix you up one of my remedies when we get home then we can take a nice hot bath together okay?" He was natural care giver and taking care of Miya was one of his favorite things to do. No cold would catch her if he had anything to do with it. Towa planned to love it right out of her.
She smiled with real pleasure at the thought. Being sick had its rewards when Towa was the nurse. "Sounds wonderful thanks."
At that moment Sakuya returned with clean pants on but without a shirt and a wet head. He took a plate from Aine and let Suki start drying his hair. One hand grabbed Aine and pulled her close so they could talk about their day.
Yuki was right behind Sakuya and his seat was closer so the door so he was able to catch a glimpse of Marcy before she turned away. Her expression was a mixture of glee and anger but he couldn't fathom why. Everyone was acting their normal selves and there had been no hiccups with the show. "Strange woman." He whispered to himself then grinned at Aine when she brought him a plate as well.
"Thank Aine and not just for this. I know Maria likes being a wife and mother best but she's really having fun helping you. I never knew my wife knew so much about music!" He laughed. "She's constantly surprising me with her ideas; we talk so much more now about Lucifer and how far we should go and according to Maria – not even the stars are high enough!" Yuki kissed the girl's cheek then laughed as everyone chimed in with that idea.
Aine was happy that her need for help had been so welcomed by everyone and that she wasn't the only one benefiting from it. She lost her smile though for a frown of concern when she saw Miya's hand shaking as she dried Yuki's long hair. The girl looked decidedly sick. "Miya?" She started to ask but the girl shook her head vehemently. Obviously she didn't want to draw attention to the way she was feeling. "Umm, can I help?" Miya was a professional determined to do her job no matter how bad she felt. Now it was Aine's turn to help out.
Miya gave Aine a grateful smile and quietly told her the things she needed. In silence she worked as quickly as her trembling limbs would let her. Her stomach was alternately rolling and clinching up and she was having a hard time keeping her food down.
If the guys noticed anything, they didn't let on thinking it was a female thing but Towa watched her worriedly. As they were heading back out he pulled Aine to the side. "See if you can get her to go home Aine, I don't like the way she looks. I'd take her myself but…" Towa looked over his shoulder where the rest of the band was gathered with Marcy waiting on him.
"Go. I'll take care of her, I promise." Aine gave him a reassuring smile and pushed him towards the door.
Towa nodded. It still bothered him that he had to leave but at least Aine was there. He gave Miya a quick hug then turned to leave but even as he stepped into the hall, his worried face looked back at his girl.
"Oh God!" Miya held her chest and stomach then ran for the bathroom. It had taken every last bit of her control not to be sick in front of Towa. She would not ruin things for him or Sakuya, Atsuro and Yuki – not because she was sick.
"Miya!" Aine and Suki followed as Miya threw up before she got to the toilet. It took both of them to lift her until she was over the bowl. Aine stroked her head as she retched. "Has she been sick the whole time?" She asked worriedly.
"No, no. Miya was fine. She only got sick…after she ate! Oh no, food poisoning?" Suki asked horrified.
There was a gurgling noise coming from Miya's stomach and she pushed her friends away so she could sit on the toilet now and her bowels continued to empty themselves.
"Call for a car – hurry! Once she's…done, I'm taking her to the hospital." Aine got a towel, wet it and held it to Miya's head.
"Right!" Suki turned then stopped. "Lucifer?" She was sure they would want to know.
"They're working Suki. I can take care of Miya until they're free. Don't you dare tell them until that party is over! And get Mike, I'll need some help carrying her. Now call for a car!" Aine practically shouted as Miya began to throw up again. "Hold on sweetie, I'm going to get you some help." Aine promised and prayed. Food poisoning but she got sick almost immediately! I hope this is not as bad as it seems!
Marcy rode in the limousine with them to the hospital. It was hard not to laugh when she thought of Miya. The dressing room reeked of her excrement and the bathroom was a disgusting mess. She wondered thoughtfully if she'd overdone it but shrugged lightly since the damage was done.
"We've never had trouble with that caterer before. Are you sure it was something she ate? Maybe it was her own cooking…" Sasaki trailed off as five angry and worried men glared at him. He cleared his throat. "I'll check into it. I'm sure she's fine. Yukimura got her out of there quickly."
"That's right, Aine's with her. She's fine Towa." Santa said with a weak smile.
Towa nodded absently but said nothing. His beautiful face was hard with worry. He sat between Santa and Yuki, arms crossed tightly over his chest. All he could see was Miya's pale, sweaty skin and the fine tremor of her hands as he walked away from her. I can't believe I left her when she was so sick. God I'm such an IDIOT! Towa threw back his head and breathed deeply.
"Stop blaming yourself, Miya wanted you to go. She wouldn't want to be responsible for you not fulfilling your duty." Yuki said reading his mind.
"That's a bunch of shit!" Towa exploded. "She's sick – I never should have left her! Fuck those spoiled little rich girls! I should have been at her side…" He finished off quietly closing his eyes in guilt and misery.
Both Sasaki and Marcy opened their mouths to tell him he did the right thing but Sakuya scooted forward and dared them to speak with ice blue eyes.
"You're right it is shit but true too." Yuki turned to look at him. "She's completely dedicated to you and us – Lucifer. We all saw she wasn't feeling well but we didn't say anything because we know how seriously she and all the women are taking our dreams. This is what Miya does." He gestured to his face and hair. "She takes great pride in her work and it helps us towards our goal. Don't take the pride from her Towa. She's in bad enough shape without you questioning her decision not to tell you she was going to the hospital or that she was too sick to do her job. Be proud of her, that's one strong lady you've got there." Yuki put one hand on Towa's shoulder and squeezed.
Atsuro frowned. Didn't Suki say it was Aine's decision? Maybe Miya wanted to tell Towa. But if she had, it definitely would have ruined that girl's party. He started to ask the question out loud when Yuki shook his head at him. Right, this is not the time.
"Look, we're here!" Atsuro exclaimed in relief. He'd almost brought up something that could have caused friction between them. Answers would come later after they found out about Miya. "And there's Mike!"
Sakuya was out and holding the door for the rest of them then with Towa and Yuki leading the way they approached Mike who stood just inside the door with his Staff jacket on.
"Where's Miya?!" Towa demanded his hand clenched into a fist to keep from grabbing the blameless man.
"She's doing a lot better! Aine's with her. She got Miya a private room up on the third floor – 315." Mike explained quickly and wasn't surprised when all but Sasaki took off for the elevators.
"It's probably going to get out that there's a member of Lucifer's staff in the hospital. Arrange for two security guards to be here in twenty minutes and inform me if and when the press arrives. I'm going talk to the hospital administrator then Takayama. Maybe we can keep this from becoming a headline!" Sasaki ordered then strode off to the nurse's desk.
Aine lifted her head from a magazine as the door swung open. She rose quickly and hushed them before they could speak. "She just drifted off, outside."
Towa, finally at Miya's side and was loathed to leave her. He looked at Aine and shook his head – he wasn't going anywhere. She relented since she knew Miya would want him there but pushed the others out so the two of them could be alone.
"Aine, what the hell happened?!" Sakuya asked. "Are you okay?" He held her face and looked her over for signs of sickness. His own worry over her health had been why he'd remained silent since he'd found out they'd headed for the hospital.
"I'm fine and we're not really sure." Aine sighed as Sakuya pulled her to his side. She looked up at the guys. "She was fine until after she ate. It was just a normal sandwich, pasta salad and dessert. Miya didn't say it tasted funny or anything but what else could it have been? Just as soon as you went back to the party Miya…well she exploded. We stayed with her until she'd emptied herself then got here as quick as possible. Her stomach was cramping so bad and she had dry heaves – they had to pump her stomach." Aine held her hand over her own stomach as it had sympathy pains. "They've given her an antibiotic and something to help her rest. Sakuya, she had such a violent reaction…they're wondering if it was something more than simple food poisoning. They want to test all of us." She put a hand over Sakuya's stomach now. "Do you feel sick?" Aine asked worriedly. She shivered thinking that whatever had affected Miya so badly could happen to him. Aine reached up to feel his cheek.
The guys looked at each other then down at their flat stomachs then shrugged. "I'm – we're fine. It happened pretty quick didn't it? If we ate the same bad food, wouldn't we be sick by now?" Sakuya asked.
"Well we're going to find that out right now!" Sasaki said as he arrived with a doctor and a flustered guy in a suit. "If this was done on purpose – we're damn well going to find out! I ordered the dressing room sealed until we can get someone in there to test that food and a sample of…umm well you know. If there's a threat out there we need to know it!" He was horrified thinking that what happened to Miya might happen to all of them.
Marcy stiffened at the news. She'd stuck close to the guys and feigned sympathy but now maybe she'd better make herself scarce. Never had she thought they might test what it was that made Miya sick. This hadn't even entered her plans. Dammit can the really detect that stuff in her shit?! She was about to go find a bathroom and throw the incriminating evidence away. Luckily she'd hid it in her purse the whole time and no one had seen her with it.
"Just a moment Miss! If you ate the same food as them, we'll have to test you too. Or are you feeling sick?" The doctor reached for her wrist to feel her pulse.
"No I just needed to use the bathroom. My stomach feels fine." Marcy explained politely.
"Hmm, your pulse is a bit fast. Let's take your blood first and do a quick exam, okay? Just to be on the safe side. No reason for you to suffer like that young lady did if it's the same thing. Come this way please." The doctor gently placed a hand on her back and led her off down the hall.
"What a nightmare! Takayama's woken the office staff and they're preparing statements and contingency plans if this gets out. God I hope none of you are sick! What will happen with the TV show? The fashion show? Both are coming up soon!" Sasaki threw up his arms as he paced back and forth seeing their schedule and all their hopes circling down the toilet.
"You're one cold bastard Sasaki! Can't you think of Miya instead of business? Especially when we're standing right outside the poor girl's hospital room! Why don't you just leave?" Santa yelled walking the man backwards towards the elevator, anger in each step.
"Santa! Keep it down but he's right Sasaki. We're here for Miya right now; we'll worry about the work later. Go talk to the doctor or go back to the office – we don't need you here." Yuki said with a quiet frown glancing back at the door to Miya's room. "Now's the time for family. Take Marcy with you." The woman was brash at the best of times, she wouldn't offer much comfort if she stayed either.
Sasaki hustled away from Santa and straightened his tie. He nodded thoughtfully. "Sorry, yes I'll do that. I've got security coming and the hospital has promised to stay quiet about you being here so please try to keep out of sight and be as discreet as possible." His expression softened as he looked at Lucifer his visage telling them that he did understand why they were there and for who.
"Yeah sure, just go." Sakuya waved a hand in the air.
"Miss Yukimura, thank you for your quick thinking. It's appreciated that you didn't ruin that young girl's party." Sasaki said as he bowed to the girl.
"I know what's at stake and Miya would have been humiliated to have all of you hovering around when she was so sick. I did what was best for all of us." Aine stated, taking no credit for her actions. It was simply right thing to do for all of them.
"Still it was a wise thing to do." Sasaki told her before turning. "I'll just go give my blood then Marcy and I will take our leave. I will see you all tomorrow." Their manager bowed slightly, then continued down the hall.
Towa opened the door then. "She's still so pale and moaning. I guess she's still in some pain. Aine, tell me what happened." He looked drained worry over Miya was taking its toll. He let Aine pull him over to the small waiting area and she explained what happened. While she was talking, Yuuka showed up and Maria called.
They all stayed most of the night there with Towa and Miya though she was fine and finally resting quietly, it was just what family did. Finally, the doctor returned saying they were all fine and whatever affected Miya was something she alone had ingested. He suggested they go home and rest. They would keep Miya for a day or so because her body was exhausted from emptying itself then from the pumping of her stomach and to be sure there was no virus or infection.
"I'll stay with them – go." Yuuka said hugging each of them. "I promise to call when she wakes up. Aine you have school, you've been doing so well – don't mess up so close to graduation. I don't think Takayama will mind Towa having a day off but the rest of you should keep your appointments. I have tomorrow off, I called in before I left home. Now go and get a few hours of rest." She stopped before Atsuro and stepped into his embrace. "I love you."
"I love you too, thanks sweetheart." Atsuro squeezed her tight before letting go. "You call us if you need us." He said to Towa and clasped his hand tightly.
"Thanks guys, night." Towa smiled sleepily at them. He couldn't have asked for better friends.
"All right, time for you to get some sleep too. Aine went to the trouble of getting a private room and there are two beds – so get in it!" Yuuka said sternly and pushed him back into 315.
"Yes ma'am!" Towa answered with a weak but grateful smile and let himself be guided towards the bed but first he stopped to kiss Miya on the forehead. "Get well soon my love." She'd regained some color over the last hours not much but it was reassuring and she was resting comfortably. "We'll find out what happened, I promise then God help whoever did this to you!" He kissed her once more before sitting on the other bed and removing his slippers. Towa fell asleep as Yuuka covered him and two thoughts occupied his mind, keeping Miya safe and revenge.
Marcy went back to the small apartment she'd leased for her stay in Japan. She disposed of the cocktail she'd used to make Miya sick while still in the hospital. "They'll probably blame the caterers. All I did was let them in and show them where to put the food. Nobody saw me and there's nothing pointing to me." She'd stripped naked then put on a sexy teddy.
"Sakuya they're interfering but I'll make them stop. Miya was just the first. I've got to show these backwards women just who they're messing with. Trying to enter my world and take over my job? Like hell!" All over the walls were blown up pictures and posters of Sakuya's face. Many were publicity stills she had access to. In them he was smiling sexily at the camera and there for her. "They won't keep us apart for long. Miya's down and out for now and next is that bitch Yuuka. Obviously I can't do the same thing to her or they just might suspect me but I think I know a way to make her suffer almost as much as the makeup girl!"
Marcy paced and chewed a sparkling fingernail as she plotted Yuuka's downfall. Suddenly she stopped and spun to face a picture of Sakuya where he was reaching out for her. The strap of her teddy slid down her arm exposing one breast to Sakuya's velvety blue gaze. "I've got it! It won't be much longer now my darling. First the women, then those men holding you back and then we'll be together." Marcy approached the picture to rub her body against the cold surface. "Soon it will be just you and me on top of the world Sakuya!" She kissed his mouth and felt a thrill go through her body. The little strip of fabric between her legs got damp as Sakuya held her in his hard embrace. Marcy giggled and let him take her to a paradise.