Hello my lovely and awesome readers, followers and reviewers! I am really sorry it took a while for me to update Crimson Rose. I've been busy at work and was down with the flu the past couple of days.

I won't keep you from it much longer but fair warning the end is almost near.

Xoxo Lexi1989

Chapter 8: Dreaming of You

MIKAN's POV

I felt the sharp sting of metal against my skin. Himemiya had slapped me with the gun she was holding. And she laughed menacingly. Her laugh was so evil it made me shiver in fear. Then she slapped me on the other cheek. I felt the blood slowly drip from the wound the gun had created on my face. I feel nauseous. The smell of blood is heavy. I flinched and closed my eyes as I see her raise her hand again, but I didn't feel anything. I open my eyes to see Shiki gripping her arm.

"That's enough Himemiya." He said. She rolled her eyes as he let go of her hand.

"You're such a softy Masachika. She's going to die anyway, why don't you let me have my fun?" She made it sound like I was a toy to play with.

"The plan is in progress. There is no need for further violence." He said. His eyes darting quickly to me. For that brief moment, I felt his old presence again. The Shiki who cared about me, who was like a father to me.

Himemiya left the room and Shiki resumed his previous position lying on a small wooden cot. He waited five minutes before he stood up, went to the far corner of the room where a table was located and dug on the soil below it. He took out a funny looking phone and dialed quickly. His eyes were on the door.

"It's Masachika. Coordinates: 11.49417 °N 123.17944°E." I could barely hear what he was saying.

"I have her. But I also have guards watching 24/7. 20 guards total. The prisoner is also here. You have 48 hours." He promptly hung up and stashed the phone in the hole he dug up. Making sure the disrupted soil looked natural.

"Mikan." I looked up at him. "I know you're confused. And I'm sorry if I had to do what I did. I have my reasons." He knelt down in front of me, holding up a glass of water to my lips. I refused to drink it. It could be laced with poison.

"Why should I trust you?" My voice was hoarse and my throat was parched. I was thirsty but I resisted. He sighed.

"It's such a long story Mikan-chan." He used the nickname he always calls me when he is serious.

"I've got time. Apparently I've got 48 hours before you kill me right?" I said defiantly. I wasn't gonna die not knowing anything.

"When Himemiya was imprisoned, she still had ties to the outside world. She used her power and connections to know what was going on regarding her empire. She did her research and she found out you were alive. Regardless if you weren't with Natsume and you were under a fake name, she feels threatened by your presence."

"What is your part in this?" I asked him.

"Himemiya made sure I would cross your path one way or another. I know her from back then. I was part of her action team. We were an assassination team that was used to take out her enemies. However, I was also your father's friend and I refused to play a part of the plan when she schemed to kill him. I left the team, my conscience no longer taking the burden and started a new life. Turned over a new leaf as you might say." He gave me a sad smile at that memory.

"I fell in love and got married but Himemiya found me, like she always does when people escape her grasp. Just like how she found you. On the same day that I found out that my wife was pregnant with our first child, Himemiya came to the house. She threatened to kill my wife and my unborn child if I didn't come back to work for her. I was powerless." Tears were flowing on his cheeks and my heart ached for him. All traces of anger were gone from me.

"Forgive me Mikan-chan. But don't waver in your trust in me. I have a plan. We still have 48 hours. Just let me pretend and don't give Himemiya any clue, okay? I'm sure your friends will come for you." He whispered softly. I nodded and fatigue overcame me, I dozed off a bit in the chair with my head drooped in my chin. And even now, in the face of imminent death, stuck here in the middle of God knows where, not knowing if I will ever see my loved ones again, I dreamt of Natsume.

NATSUME'S POV

I pace this goddamn laboratory in the canyons just as I had paced in Ruka's living room. Mikan is alive. She was in my arms, but I had lost her once again. And maybe this time forever. I run my hands into my hair messing it up for the nth time today. Hotaru was calmly sitting on her chair, eating crab roe sushi and doing exactly nothing. It made me furious.

"HOW THE FUCK CAN YOU JUST SIT THERE AND EAT AND DO NOTHING?" I shouted at her. I wanted to strangle her like what I did to Mikan's uncle. Regardless if she saved me she was so calm, you would think we were just at a party hanging out.

"AREN'T WE SUPPOSED TO BE FORMULATING SOME KIND OF PLAN?" I screamed once again as my previous outburst was only acknowledged by a shrug.

"I'm waiting for an important call." Was all she said.

"FUCK HOTARU. WHAT DO YOU FUCKI-" My scream was cut off by the her screen beeping and a loud ringing noise.

"Satellite call, I'm starting a trace right now Hotaru." Sumire called out. She was madly typing on the keyboard. Everybody else seemed frozen from where they were either sitting or standing.

Hotaru dropped the plate she was holding and it shattered on the floor. She quickly swiveled in her chair and faced the PC monitor. Her fingers quickly travelling across the keyboard. A map of the world came up on the screen as Sumire was trying to trace the call. I had seen enough tv shows to figure that one out.

"It's Masachika. Coordinates: 11.49417°N 123.17944°E." Shiki's voice was scratchy but I recognized it. Hotaru nodded to Sumire who immediately faced her own screen and began typing furiously.

"His coordinates match. Call trace indicates they're in an uninhabited island in the Philippines. Himamylan Island. Running a quick research on the island mapping and environment now. 3d scale will be up shortly." Sumire said after a few seconds before she turned back to her screen.

"I have her. But I also have guards watching 24/7. 20 guards total. The prisoner is also here. You have 48 hours." The transmission cut off and there was eerie silence for roughly 30 seconds. Only the sounds of fingers tapping on keyboard remains. Sumire was finally done with Hotaru finishing a second later. She turned to face us, her face undecipherable.

"Hijiri, Natsume, Koko, Tsubasa, and Ruka will come with me as an extraction team. The rest will stay here and assist." She said. She swiveled to where Sumire and the rest of the girls are.

"Shouda, you are on comms. Nonoko, take over my post here at command and be my eyes and ears while I fly. Anna, you will come with us and be our medic. "

Yuu suddenly spoke up, fearing for his ex-girlfriend whom he clearly still has affection for. "Are you sure you guys will be ok? I don't want any of you to get hurt."

"Oh please Yuu, you just don't want Anna to get hurt too." Sumire teased him while Yuu and Anna blushed. "Besides, don't you remember what I told you guys the first time we met?" The guys shook their heads.

"You should never underestimate THE SQUAD." Sumire said as she flipped her perfectly done hair and went back to her work. [A/N: Refer to Sakuras & Swords Chapter 5].

"How did Masachika end up working for you?" Kazumi narrowed his eyes at Hotaru.

"He does not work for me. He came to me after I hired Mikan to sing at my wedding. He confessed his ties to Himemiya to me and wishes Mikan no harm. I gave him a satellite phone to call me in case anything happened. So when Ruka told me over the phone that Masachika is also missing, I figured it had something to do with Himemiya which was confirmed by news of her prison break." She replied. She then went on to tell us that she had anticipated this somehow, which explains her disappearance. She had wanted to talk to Mikan away from prying eyes, therefore tasking Hijiri to cut the power that day at the recording studio and to get to Mikan. However, Mikan had fled and Himemiya had Shiki take her along with her goons.

"We can rest for a few hours and then we will fly out." We (the extraction team) all looked at each other with confused expressions.

"Wait a minute, Hotaru, what do you mean by you flying? What exactly are we going to ride on? It probably takes like half a day or more to get from here to the Philippines." Koko told her.

"That's if you take a passenger plane, Koko! You're taking Cool Blue Sky." Anna said as if talking about the obvious. She rolled her eyes.

"Say what now?" I said. Anna gave out an exasperated sigh and led us to a room from one of the doorways. Just how big is this lab anyway? We go into a cavern like room and then somebody switched on the lights. Tsubasa let out a long whistle. This room was filled with different aircrafts. There were at least 4 or 5 different kinds from Gulfstreams to Cessnas. Hotaru led us to a pitch black craft that looked like something I had seen before in the movies.

"Hotaru?" Tsubasa asked. "Is that what I think it is?" She nodded.

"Boys, meet my baby Cool Blue Sky."

"Is it the one they used in the X-Men Movies?" Koko was jumping up and down like a little boy. She nodded again.

I nudged Ruka. "Did you know about this?" and he only shook his head.

"I know she collects something, I didn't know high end airplanes was her fetish." He whispered to me. Not quiet enough though since he got hit by the Baka Gun.

"Are you girls mutants or something?" Koko asked, his eyes narrowed.

"Of course not. Hotaru is just, well, being Hotaru. She has the money to buy stuff. But she's not like any other girl who would just go shopping for clothes or even expensive cars. She likes planes and flying stuff." Anna held up two hands in the air as if that piece of information was general knowledge.

"If you guys are done drooling, I suggest you rest up. I have a few guest rooms you can prepare in. You will have to bunk two on two of course. Girls, you know where your quarters are." The ice queen turned and left.

"Why do the girls have their own quarters and we need to buddy up?" Koko complained. "Sumire, sweetheart, can I be join you?"

"No, i wont be in there most of the time. And i dont want you to mess up my stuff." Koko pretended to pout. Sumire just smacked his arm and went back to her workstation.

"When did she build all this?" I asked to no one in particular.

"She did it after Mikan 'died'. Though she has been developing this area even before that. I believe she was planning on making it a bunker or somewhere to go to in case of a catastrophe or what. We didn't know back then too that Mikan was alive. She must have dedicated this place to monitoring Mikan." We didn't notice Nonoko was with us. She led us out of the "hangar" and led us to another hallway from a different door in the lab. It felt like I had just stepped into a hotel hallway. She gave the guys keys to different rooms. Ruka was bunking with Imai in her own suite, Koko with Kitsu, Tsubasa with Yuu. Kaname with Youichi and Kazumi with Narumi. Which left me. I looked at her expectantly and she led me towards a small walkway at the end of the hall. It branched off to different suites for the girls. Nonoko had her own suite, marked with the letter N and a picture of a beaker, as did Sumire, marked with an S with a picture of a dress and Anna, the letter A with a cupcake below it. The last door had the letter M on it with a picture of a sakura flower. She gave me the key and turned back to go to her own suite.

"She never got a chance to see it when it was finished, so you would be the first to use it." She whispered.

"Before we get her back." I said with resolve. She just nodded and left. I entered the room, it was bright and sunny just like her. I let out a huge sigh. The window was facing out into the grand canyon's view. With the river flowing lazily below.

I laid down on the bed and tried to rest but my mind was racing. 'I will bring you back Mikan. This time I will definitely come and find you.' And I will never let her go ever again. I drifted off to a short nap dreaming of her.

END OF CHAPTER

Will Natsume, Hotaru and the rest be able to save Mikan?

Stay tuned to find out ;)

So basically this is just a filler chapter. Gomen'nasai if it's a bit short.. I am not feeling too good so I will take a hiatus for the next couple of days till I get better. It's the rainy season here and I was caught in a couple of rain showers making my condition a bit worse. I'm being forced to go on a "technology ban" so no phones unless its work related and no lappy. My real life Natsume's orders :( (Why are they always so bossy? LoL)

This just explains Shiki's actions from the previous chapter and Hotaru's disappearance. And also gives out how everything ties up together. The end may be near. It all depends if they can save Mikan or not from the evil clutches of Himemiya and her greed.

And also, to explain, Hotaru is a very wealthy and intelligent person. She designed this lab hidden in the Grand Canyon as a hideaway for her collection of high end planes but the girls except for Mikan have already been there which explains why she had built them their own suites. ;) how I wish I had a friend like that hahahaha

Review Answers Corner!

RavenAcA3 – Ally-chan! Thank you so much for following! Hope you enjoy this chapter. It's a bit low key and I tried (not really sure if I did it justice) to insert a little humor into it. With all the seriousness that's going on hehe and yes Himemiya is a bit of a jerk/bitch here.

frozenbutterfly – here is your much awaited update :) I haven't checked out 'The Raven Bride' yet but I'll be sure to read it once I get better. Thank you for your feedback by the way for the other stories I posted. I'm sorry about making you feel so bad about 'I'm Sorry' but I guess I got the reaction I wanted from those who read and reviewed. Thank you for supporting me and my stories. :) I have a couple of new ideas but I'm doing a techno-ban so I might get them up in a couple of days. I'm taking your suggestions about teacher-student /boss-secretary kind of story into account. I wouldn't want to make one with the same ideas of those that posted those kinds of stories before me, so as usual, I'm gonna put my own original twist to it. ;)

Anilissa – This chapter explains how Himemiya got out of prison :D Mikan was blindfolded but Shiki took it off. :D Hotaru and the rest have 48 hours to get to her. So hopefully I feel better in 48 hours too so we can see what happens ;) thank you for the well wishes via PM :D

Nikinora96 – Niki-san! Yes I guess it sorta was a bridge LoL. I never thought when I started Sakuras & Swords and Crimson Rose that it would come to this *from rom-com to Action* hahaha.. But I really am glad that all of you guys liked it.

xNatsuMikanx – hey there my friend! :D I'm not sure if Shiki's confession counts as a plot twist but I will let you be the judge of that XD haha.

For those of you who haven't read my one shots. You may want to check them out :) (Just click on my profile and check out my stories)

I would also like to address the reviews on my most recent oneshot "I'm Sorry." Since I can't really update it coz it is like I said, a oneshot.

I am particularly pleased to receive the reviews I did, because (and I am sorry I made some of you guys cry) it means I succeeded in my quest as a writer. I started reading stories in this page a couple of weeks ago, because I am so addicted to the manga and frustrated that the anime only has 1 season. Seeing it has been 10 years since the last episode of the anime, im pretty sure there wont be a second one. T_T (we could always hope though, right?).

I started writing because I got inspired with all the writers here and I wanted to put my ideas out into the world. I am that passionate with writing as with reading. I cry a lot too, when I read stories like that and I am thankful I have been able to touch your lives with my writing :)

Though I know there may be some upset of how I depicted Natsume there as a bit OOC (sleeping with women) etc but I guess I just wanted to say that that was intended because I wanted it to portray the reality of life. No matter how much you love a person, there will really come a time that you make mistakes. Most fanfics depict him as such, more explicitly I might add. A guest commented that if he was too busy to spend time with Mikan, why didn't she go back to work anymore. So the gist of the story is that she was sick. I didn't really say it there but I will say what I said to Anilissa through a pm, that before that drunken incident with Natsume, she was diagnosed with cancer. She kept it to herself. Mikan being Mikan, didn't want anyone to worry about her. She was always that selfless. And when she found out Natsume was cheating on her, she still loved him. But it made her depressed until her health deteriorated.

And I totally agree with Animaddict, Ambition sometimes will make you blind with what is important. Which is why, it also serves as a lesson for those who have high ambitions in life. It is never wrong to dream and to work hard to achieve them. But keep your feet grounded. And always remember that without the support of those who love you, you would not be where you are right now.

Thanks to those who reviewed I'm Sorry as well as my other oneshots 'You Belong With Me' and 'Realize'

Let me know what you think.

Suggestions, Reactions, Compliments and Critics are welcome

just say the criticism in a nice way please? ;)

Read, Follow, Favorite and Leave a Review :)

Xoxo Lexi1989

P.S. I'll be up and running in a couple of days. (I hope)