An now.. On with the show! Please let me know what you think.
Note: I do not Own Skip Beat!
The month of October passed mostly without note and they were into November before they knew what was happening. It looked as if their plan to keep Kyoko hidden was working. Kyoko had met up with Kanae to show off the ring that Ren had given her. She kept the diamond hidden on a chain around her neck while she was working. It had really impressed the older teen. She had come to terms with losing her best friend to the tall actor, mainly because she would rather lose her that way than any other. Kyoko had seen Ren a few times in town, but the men had not had a chance to come back out for another visit. Yashiro had managed to arrange an entire day off for the man next week and they were already making plans for their visit.
Kyoko was ready to call it a day when they finally made it back from Tokyo. They had a guest filming with them on Box 'R' and she was really having a problem with her lines. She kept getting the name of one of the characters wrong which forced them to have to do take after take. They finally got a clean take, but it had taken much longer then the director had originally intended. Kyoko walked in and dropped her bag next to the couch before heading into the kitchen for a drink. Catherine had suggested that she go take a nice dip in the pool while she cooked, and Kyoko was more than happy to take her up on the idea.
It was the startled cry from her manager that pulled Kyoko out of the kitchen to find the woman grappling with a larger man wielding a knife. He had the woman by the hair as she tried to get the knife away from him. Kyoko froze in terror as she watched Catherine crack the man's hand on the chair a few times till he dropped it. Once his weapon was gone, he shifted his hands to make for her neck to strangle the fighting woman. Catherine shifted her weight and forced the man to bend over top of her. With the man's head clearly exposed, Kyoko grabbed the table lamp and slammed it down on top of him as hard as she could. The hard impact knocked the man's consciousness from him and he collapsed on top of Catherine. It took her no time to flip the man off from her and stand up next to him. Catherine landed a really hard kick into the man's side that Kyoko was sure had broken ribs before she turned to the actress while rubbing the bruise forming on her neck.
"Thank you." Catherine said to Kyoko as she snatched up the knife from the floor and reached out her hand for her charge. The two girls explored the house quickly to see that there was no one else there. Catherine dug into her room and pulled out a long length of rope and duct tape. Kyoko followed her closely as she went back down and hogtied her attacker and stretched a piece of tape across his mouth. It was only after they were safe when Kyoko noticed the damp spot on Catherine's shirt or the red line gracing her arm.
"You're bleeding." Kyoko pointed out to her manager. Some very vile words issued out from the woman as she kicked the restrained man in the other side. She pulled off the shirt to see that the blade had just grazed her across the shoulder. It was better than the intended target. The man had jumped out at her from the hallway trying to slit her throat.
"We need to leave. NOW!" Catherine pulled the young actress up to her room and helped her to toss a few days' worth of clothing into a bag. She wiped away the blood and slapped a quick bandage on the bleeding wound before pulled on a clean shirt. Catherine grabbed another bag of clothing for her and two fireproof lock boxes. Kyoko followed in her whirlwind.
"But don't we need to call the police?" Kyoko thought of the most obvious thing. Catherine stopped to look at her.
"You are right, we do need to call someone." Catherine pulled out her phone and hit the speed dial button as she stacked their things in the front room.
"Lory, someone has broken into the villa and we were just attacked." Kyoko listened to the woman's shaky voice. "Please get the police out here. I am going to take Kyoko somewhere safe. I will let you know when we get there." With that she hung up on the man and turned her phone off. She dropped it on the chair and turned to Kyoko. "Please give me your phone." Kyoko did so without asking and Catherine turned it off as it started ringing and dropped it next to hers. "Come on, we need to go now." Kyoko followed in stunned silence as Catherine loaded their things and her into the car and left.
Lory looked as the number that rang into his personal phone. His heart skipped when he saw Catherine's name pop up on his caller ID. He did not even have a chance to say hello before the woman fired off at him.
"Lory, someone has broken into the villa and we were just attacked." His heart stopped as she went on without pause. "Please get the police out here. I am going to take Kyoko somewhere safe. I will let you know when we get there." Before he could ask if they were ok she had cut off the line. He immediately called her back to get more details, but the phone went straight to voicemail. He tried to call Kyoko's phone, but there was no answer there either. He then tried the house phone, but it was never answered. Worry creased his brow as he hung up and called the police to have them meet him out at the house. He knew that the woman would be long gone by the time they got there. He got Sebastian to bring the car around as he gathered the things he would need. He had two phone calls to make and neither of them was going to be good. He dialed the number of the man that was the closest and would do the most bodily harm to him if he did not let him know right away.
"Hello Yashiro-san, is Ren done yet?"
Lory arrived at the house to find the police waiting on the porch. He had told them that he wanted to report a break in, and asked that they send a car around to look at the damage. The office nearly walked away when the Egyptian pharaoh showed up. He was sure that one of the guys in the main office was playing a joke on him until the man opened to door to show the disaster inside the house. His eyes fell to the man tied up and he immediately radioed for back up. The officer started for the trussed man, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.
"This man is not supposed to be here." Lory explained. "There were two girls living here." The officer turned to look at him. "Where are they?" The officer left the man tied up and the two men started looking for the missing women. A quick search found that their rooms were messed and a medical kit tossed out in the bathroom, but the women were gone.
By the time that Ren and Yashiro arrived at the villa, the police were everywhere. The assailant had been handcuff and taken away to the hospital for treatment for the nasty bump on his head and what looked to be broken ribs. Ren tried to get past the officers, but was held out so the investigators could do their job. The crime scene investigators were there taking their pictures and collecting evidence to find out what had happened. Lory stood in front of the house watching the police work.
"Where are they?" Ren turned to the man that he was sure would know something. "Is she ok?" Lory tried to calm the tormented actor.
"Ren, I don't know anything." He confessed to him. "We found a man tied up inside and the girls were gone." Ren paced as he talked to his boss.
"But are they alright?" Ren kept turning to look at the people coming in and out of the house. Lory tried to calm him again.
"Catherine called to let me know that she was taking Kyoko some place safe." He tried to use as soothing a tone as his frayed nerves could make. It did not help the actor's state of mind that the investigators chose that moment to bring out the bloody knife and shirt. Ren's panic level increased again.
"Was she hurt?" Ren growled at his boss. Lory was forced back a step by the threat of violence held in the actor's words.
"I don't believe so." Lory started. Ren turned his eyes back to the investigators. "They did find a knife, some blood, and a torn shirt." Ren seethed. "But I think it belongs to Catherine." Ren paled and turned to look at Yashiro. Lory's eyes shifted to the manager standing back watching the controlled chaos that had been a safe place. The man had been very quiet since he told Ren about the problem with the girls. Yashiro had held a very calm and distant attitude as he repeatedly dialed Kyoko and Catherine's numbers with no answer. The only thing that had given the man's nervousness away was the way that his foot had shaken the entire drive over. Even now as Yashiro leaned against Ren's hood with his arms and ankles crossed waiting for news, that foot twitched rapidly.
It was another hour before the four LME men were let inside the house. Sebastian went to make tea while Lory, Ren, and Yashiro stood in the living room to discuss what happened with the detective.
"As far as we can tell, the assailant broke in through one of the bedroom windows and waited for the women to return. He hid in the hallway and attached one of them when she walked past. It looks like she was cut and struggled with him. We found evidence that the girl forced the knife from his hand and it looks like the other girl cracked him in the head with that broken lamp." The detective paused in his speculation while the three men processed what they were told. "From there it gets a little confusing." The detective pointed to the little blood drops that were scattered throughout the house. "We found these droplets in all the rooms. It looks like they searched the house before taping up the wound, packing bags, and leaving." The men exchanged worried glances. "Do you have any idea what is going on?" Lory offered to take the detective back and share everything that his gumshoes had discovered in the time they had been investigating the rumors. He agreed and they were off with Sebastian to the main office.
Ren and Yashiro watched quietly as Lory and the detective left. They were both hoping that the girls would show back up like nothing had happened. The police had found both of their phones on a chair so they knew it was no good to call them. After a few more minutes of waiting for something to happen, Yashiro headed into the kitchen to finish the tea that the quiet servant had started. Ren turned his feet up stairs to the room that Kyoko had been using. He looked over the mess that was left from their speedy departure. The draws were half open and things were dropped to the floor. He quickly sorted it out before lying back on the bed where he had last held the girl. He picked up the Ren doll that sat against her pillow and looked at it. As he studied it he thought about the last night that he had spent with her here. They has spent a long time talking and cuddling before drifting off to a deep and restful sleep.
Ren was pulled from his thoughts by the sounds of movement in the bathroom. He levered himself up to go see what was going on. He found Yashiro gathering up the first aid supplies and repacking them in the box. Ren noticed a slight tremble in the manager's hands as he sorted bandages and tape back into their slots and clicked the kit closed. He pushed the used packages from the counter into the garbage can. Yashiro paused for just a second before picking up the bloodied towel that was dropped to the floor. He stood up clutching the towel. Ren stood in the doorway unsure what to say to the pensive man.
"Catherine will keep her safe." Ren was shocked by the comforting words coming from his withdrawn manager. Yashiro turned to look at his charge. "Come on let's going." Ren stepped back as Yashiro walked out of the bathroom. He followed the man down the steps to find that Yashiro had already picked up the broken lamp and righted the furniture where it had been shifted about in the struggle. Ren could not believe that he had spent that much time lost in thought. Ren followed Yashiro into the kitchen to find that the man had cleared the baked goods the women had made away into the freezer and a shopping bag. He collected the bag and turned to his friend. "Ready?" Ren nodded and they turned to leave. There was nothing more they could do here. Yashiro made sure that the lights were off and locked the door as Ren made his way to the car. Yashiro sat the bag of goodies in the back floorboard and settled himself into seat for the ride back. Ren noticed he still had the bloodied towel clutched in his hand.
"They will both be fine." Ren finally found his voice and something to say to comfort the man next to him. Yashiro nodded and squeezed the towel tighter. Ren went to start the car and laughed. Yashiro turned to see what the man found that was funny. He held out Kyoko's doll that he had unwittingly brought with him. The manager let out a little amused chuckle as Ren sat the doll up on the dashboard so he could see it while he drove.
"They will both be fine." Yashiro repeated Ren's words with a little more natural tone. Ren started the car and they returned to the lives waiting for them. No matter what, in the entertainment industry, the show must go on.
Author's note: You didn't think I would let them stay safely hidden away till she got married did you? What fun is that! The plot thickens... dun dun dun.
Thanks for all the great reviews Deets. I know that I can be really mean to the poor cast, but it makes for such good fun. I am going to have to go back and revisit some of these chapters again... oh so much fun.