Chapter 148: Closure

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, the monster would return from the demon world.

Kyoko couldn't believe this was happening to her. Everything transpired so fast, and now she was no longer a spectator. She didn't know which was louder: the thundering in her ears from her heartbeat or the applause surrounding them. The fingers curled around hers gave a reassuring squeeze. She turned her gaze in his direction which was a big mistake. A mixture of love, pride, and heavenly divination gazed upon her making her heart skip a beat. The newest recruits to her mini grudge force that manifested throughout the day due to the models' bullying were obliterated in that instant.

In return, she flashed him a smile that came from the very depths of her Pandora's box. His smile softened to a warm more tolerable glow when he gave her a slight nod and released her hand. For one frightening moment, Kyoko thought she would stumble without him. It was instinct that kept her from falling flat on her face. In the corner of her eye, she saw Ren walking beside her yet slightly behind. He was just far enough to give her the independence she needed, but close enough to be her knight in shining armor should her ankle breakers betray her. Kyoko's love for him intensified at that moment.

With her confidence renewed, Kyoko glided down the catwalk like she was floating on clouds. Gone was the uncomfortable pressure on her feet as she transitioned into the runway diva her future mother-in-law ingrained into her only the other day. Who would have thought Julie's lessons would come in handy so quickly? Adrenaline coursed through her veins. Her surroundings blurred leaving her path forward open. She adjusted her facial expression and focused on walking, ignoring the audience and cameras trained on her. She found comfort knowing that just outside her tunnel vision Ren was beside her, and in the crowd, the Hizuris sat with Tina watching the show. It was nerve-wracking, but she was in control.

She strutted down the runway as much as the dress and sandals would allow her. Yayoi would have been pleased by her performance so far. She gave herself a small reprieve as she rounded the bend of the catwalk. She was delighted to see that a brilliant array of flowers lit up on the back screen awaited her at the end of the tunnel. It reminded her of coming home to one of his beautiful bouquets after a long night. Her smile shined through her eyes but never graced her lips at the thought of the comparison.

Before she knew it, she had reached the end of the catwalk. It was like her body knew and already began its shutdown process. Offstage, Ren's hands were on her waist steadying her as she descended the stairs.

"Not yet, baby," Ren said, guiding her back to the end of the line of models where Fuji waited.

"You were brilliant my beautiful little butterfly!" Fuji gushed, taking her hands in his and air-kissing her cheeks.

She had forgotten all about the final walk with the designer. Ren helped her back up the stairs. He winked and let go as he strode ahead of her clapping along with the audience like the models before him. It was Fuji's hand she held this go around. She would have applauded his amazing work like the others but he held firm to her hand. This time she smiled and took in her surroundings. Her admiration for runway models increased as her eyes roamed over all the people watching.

Her eyes glanced over her boyfriend's perfect form in front of her. He was easily increasing the gap between them because she couldn't physically move any faster. The one good thing about it was that she could finally appreciate the beauty of his strut. It wasn't what she had in mind when she wanted to see him work, but it would have to do.

Halfway down the runway, she spotted the overly excited Hizuris and beamed at them. It took her a moment to figure out that the photographer next to them was Tina enthusiastically snapping pictures of her. Kyoko's cheeks warmed at the fuss they were making. So this is what it feels like to have parents cheer you on.

"Kyoko," a familiar male voice rang out. She turned at the sound of her name and discovered Cedric. She nodded in his direction and smiled. Her step faltered when his mother, whom she failed to notice sitting beside him, leaned in to speak to him. It was obvious by his frown that he didn't like whatever she said to him. It was forgotten as she continued the trek around the turn that would lead them to the home stretch. They were so close she could taste it. Dreams of walking barefoot afterward fueled her until the end.

Applause erupted among the Fuji team once they returned backstage. Kyoko was giddy with excitement and relief once she stepped off that small staircase. Everyone's hard work preparing for this week had paid off. She found Ren engrossed with something on Yashiro's phone several feet away. Kyoko took a step toward them and felt a jolt of pain shoot up from the sole of her right foot and up the length of her leg. Before she could even think of falling, Ren was there scooping her up princess-style.

"Ren," she cried bewildered. It shouldn't have surprised her that he used his teleportation jutsu to get to her side so quickly. The man had always had some sixth sense about her.

"I promised, didn't I?" He whispered, placing a soft kiss on her temple.

She smiled broadly and wrapped her arms around him appreciatively. He was always there when she needed him.

"You were incredible out there," he complimented.

"I couldn't have done it without you," she replied, pecking his cheek in thanks.

"Thanks, but we both know you could have," he chuckled.

"Ren, put Kyoko-chan here," Yashiro instructed, pulling up a chair and placing it next to Honoka's seat. Kyoko flushed forgetting that they were carrying on a conversation with her still in his arms. Ren carried her the short distance to the empty chair.

"Better?" He asked when she was settled. She smiled and nodded, arranging her skirt so it didn't fold on the floor. Ren straightened up and stood beside her continuing his discussion with Yashiro. Her ears burned as Ren negotiated with Yashiro to get a copy of the video and pictures of her on the catwalk. Her sharp hearing heard the smallest of excited squeals come from their manager. They were ridiculous.

"Congratulations, Kyoko-chan. You did wonderfully," Honoka praised, distracting her from hearing the men behind her.

"Thank you, Honoka-san. I hope an amateur like me was able to showcase the outfit to its full potential. My respect for all of you amazing models has tripled after being in your shoes, literally," Kyoko admitted.

Honoka laughed sweetly and waved through the air swatting away Kyoko's compliments. "By the sound of the applause out there, I'm sure you held your own just fine."

"How is your ankle?" Kyoko asked with concern.

"It's not so bad. Fuji-san, wants me to get it checked out just in case. How're your feet?"

"Dead!" She deadpanned, making Honoka laugh.

Flutes of champagne were distributed among the group as Fuji gathered around the sitting women. Kyoko found herself holding a glass of the bubbly as the designer balled his eyes out giving his speech. It was short but heartfelt. Everyone listening felt the sincerity of his appreciation. Kyoko was surprised as glasses clinked against hers. Several models congratulated her for a job well down while others looked chagrined as they stared in her direction. She wasn't quite sure what occurred while she was on the catwalk for them to make such expressions and she honestly didn't care. She did her job.

Despite the loud music, Cedric managed to hear his mother utter the words, Immortal Butterfly, beside him. Just like his mother, he was familiar with the term his grandfather used to describe an actor that could reinvent themselves to play any role. Yes, they were both covered in butterfly paraphernalia, but that was beside the point. It was obvious to him that he was still lacking experience if he couldn't have discovered this on his own. The obvious proof was in their roles as the Heel siblings. They managed to fool their peers for an entire production. To him it wasn't one or the other; it was both of them.

He had tried to unlock his phone to get a video so he could discuss the possibility with his grandfather, but it was too late. They had already passed him by. He glanced around and caught Miranda on her phone.

He leaned over his mother once the couple passed by and tapped Miranda on her shoulder. The redhead in her leopard print dress looked up from her phone and smiled at the interruption.

"Yes?" She purred, batting her eyelashes in his direction. Cedric fought the urge to roll his eyes.

He held up his phone and nodded to hers. "Did you take any footage of that last couple? Could you send it to me?"

Cedric winced internally as her inviting smile faded. "Sure, can I have your number?"

He mentally kicked himself. He had not thought this one through. The idea of her having his direct line frightened him. So far they've managed not to be alone with each other. Now was not the time to bring up their history though he probably should apologize for the way he treated her back then. Since she wasn't putting up a fuss now, he thought he could take it as being in the clear. He still didn't want to share his number with her. Even his mother was smart enough to never give out his number, but if he backed down now he probably wouldn't hear the end of it from her. A solution from his days in Japan presented itself.

"Wouldn't email be better?" He asked smoothly.

He saw a flash of disappointment streak across her face. "You may be right. What's your address?"

He withheld his personal one and gave her his official address provided to him by the agency that he used for work. It was another smart idea on his part. By now, the models were already making their final round. Cedric's attention was once again on Ren and then Kyoko. He made his presence known to her so she wouldn't be startled later when he tried to apologize. Her genuine smile was reassuring and let him know that she wasn't upset with him. It was comforting compared to the glare her boyfriend flashed him just moments before. There was no denying he was pissed.

During the intermission, Cedric brushed off his mother's comment the stood up to hunt down Flynn and a restroom. He wondered if the guy had any luck with finding out if Viola was here. They were down to the last collection and he hadn't recognized her among any of the models so far. As he headed to the exit he called Flynn. He had no idea where the male model ran off to.

"Talk dirty to me!" Flynn answered.

"Is that seriously how you answer your phone?" Cedric asked, unenthused.

Flynn laughed on the other end. "Only for you."

Cedric groaned. "Any luck finding her?"

"Nope, but I did notice your cute little co-star coming down the runway. I'm assuming that the devilishly handsome man that was glued to her side is the big bad scary boyfriend."

"In the flesh."

"Good luck with that one."

"Thanks! Well, let me know if you find out anything."

"Aye, Aye, Captain."

He could just imagine Flynn's sarcastic salute as he hung up the phone. Cedric stopped at the restroom before returning to his seat. He gulped when he once again caught Kuu staring his way out of the corner of his eye. The discomfort he felt all through the night until the distraction of Kyoko's appearance on the catwalk had returned. He should have insisted that his mother choose anywhere else to sit than right across the Hizuris. He kept his eyes turned away and gave himself a pep talk to calm down. Relax Cedric. One thing at a time.

This upcoming collection was his last hope. He wasn't sure what kind of deal his father worked out with her and wanted to confirm with his own eyes that she was safe and hopefully happy. If tonight turned out to be a dud, he would consider hiring a private investigator to find her. He would have asked his grandfather already since he had all the good connections, but he didn't want him to know he was trying to find her. That wouldn't go over so well after what his family endured at her hands. He was on his own on this one.

The band started playing a familiar song that he couldn't quite place when the first model appeared. Cedric concentrated on her face trying to determine if the woman under all that makeup was his ex-girlfriend. His blue eyes narrowed and focused on the twelfth model in the lineup. Her hair was ice blonde with a pixie cut opposite of Viola's luscious long hair that he remembered. Other notable differences in this model's facial structure had him second-guessing himself unless she finally got the nose job she had always wanted or the lip injections that he always managed to convince her not to get. To him, she was already beautiful.

He let out a defeated sigh and dropped his gaze. He was doing it again to this model as he had done many others in the previous collections. His theories were running rampant. On his way toward the ground, his eyes spotted something oddly familiar thanks to her outfit. The dress she wore was short and black with beads and feathers showing off her legs. The designer of this collection had some morbid ideas when it came to the idea of Spring. The juxtaposition of the black and white outfits reminded him of the movie Black Swan.

He homed in on her thinly strapped left ankle and stared intensely as she walked by. Bingo! There was no denying the beaded anklet with a large feather for a pendant tattooed around her ankle and the top of her foot. His head jerked up, but she was already past him. He wanted to run after her, but he couldn't without disrupting the show. He couldn't bring that kind of attention to himself or her, especially with all these cameras around.

His leg shook with frustration as he was forced to endure the rest of the show. He stopped when his mother slipped her hand to his knee.

"Sorry," he whispered. "I'm fine," he answered her questioning gaze. He folded his arms and waited. When the final procession of models came out, Cedric found her immediately and stared her down. He couldn't call out to her; not without alerting his mother. He willed her to look in his direction and she did. Though her eyes were a lighter shade than he remembered, recognition flashed across them for a brief moment.

The designer finally filtered out among a loud round of applause. A minute later the band played its final chords and stopped. Cedric was out of his seat, shoving his way through the crowd to get backstage. This time he hoped his face would be enough to get him back there since he didn't have a pass. He knew if he stuck with his mother he'd be able to get to the back without any problems.

"Oh hey, Mr. Bennett," a muscular man wearing a black t-shirt with SECURITY written in big bold white letters greeted him.

He stopped and ran his hand through his hair to smooth it down and adjusted his jacket. Several people walked around him flashing their badges.

"Badge?" The security guard asked him with a serious face. Cedric's mind worked quickly. Maybe the man would sympathize with him if he told the truth. "I'm just messing with you," he laughed and waved him through. "Enjoy the rest of your evening," the guard said with a conspiratorial wink.

Cedric stopped himself from groaning out loud and explaining his predicament. His reputation was really in the dumps these days. He smiled gratefully instead. "Thanks, man!" He gave the guy his business card. "I owe you big time." He patted the stunned man on the back as he rushed through. It was risky giving out his business information like that, but this man seemed genuine. He hoped he wasn't wrong about him.

The back area was in chaos as people worked while cameras, reporters, and other VIP guests filtered in. To his right, Cedric could tell by the colorful ensembles getting packed up that she wouldn't be down there. He turned the other way and went searching for the short-haired blonde. He was too busy looking around that he didn't notice himself walk into a crowd gathering in that area. He accidentally bumped into someone and sent them sprawling. He looked at the fragile-looking being clad in leather. Is this a man or a woman? He was losing his edge if he couldn't tell the difference.

"Oh, shit! I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going," he apologized, moving quickly to help the person up. He was able to confirm that it was a man when the guy pushed his long hair out of his face. Japanese! Cedric wasted no time gripping his hand and helping him up off the floor easily since he was slight in build. The man hissed and pulled his hand away from Cedric's rudely.

"Don't touch me," the man seethed rubbing his fingers to his temples. He had grown pale and was sweating profusely.

"I'm sorry," Cedric responded. "Do you need to see a doctor? Did you hit your head?" He asked glancing up to look for anyone that looked like a medic. He knew every minute he spent here was another minute he could be losing Viola. He reached out to help steady the guy.

"I said don't touch me! Your hands are tainted!"

What the fuck? Is this guy high?

Cedric raised his hands in defense and backed away. He wanted to argue but he was the one in the wrong.

Another Japanese man dressed similarly came to his friend's aid. "Are you okay?"

"I accidentally bumped into him. I was just trying to make sure he was okay," Cedric explained. The man continued to hold his head as he clung to his friend.

"I'll take over from here," the long brown-haired man informed Cedric. He watched them walk away before turning back to his mission. He ignored the whispers and continued walking deeper into the throng of models in their various states of undress.

He found her close to the end of the line frantically trying to shove her outfit into a garment bag. She was so focused on her task that she had yet to notice him. A model nearby shouted his name in giddy excitement alerting her to his presence. She jerked her head up; the panic evident in her eyes. She reminded him of a frightened doe he came upon during one of his family trips to a lodge. He tried to apply the same approach to her as he did the animal back then, and just like the animal she bolted. Cedric didn't run after the animal then, but he didn't hesitate to run after her. He caught up to her easily in a conveniently deserted hallway.

"Viola, please!" He begged, grabbing her by the wrist. His heart lurched as he looked into her large eyes swimming in tears. He wrapped his arms around her and stroked the back of her head slowly. "Please, I'm not here to make any trouble for you. I just wanted to see you," his voice cracked with emotion. They stood silent until he regained his composure. "Can we talk for a minute?"

"I have nothing to say," she replied coldly, pushing him away. He sighed and let her go.

"Then I'll do all the talking," he stated. She swiped at her eyes and folded her arms, waiting for him to speak.

He looked closely at the physical changes of her facial features. She had changed everything that she used to complain about when they were together. It was still her underneath it all, just enhanced. She squirmed under his gaze and looked at him expectantly.

"Well, are you going to speak, or are you going to stare?" She demanded.

"Are those contacts?" He blurted without thinking. She huffed and moved to stalk off, but he stopped her. He was so relieved to see her safe he couldn't think straight. The scenarios of what could have happened to her had plagued him for months. She changed her appearance and maybe even her name. The backlash of her accusations wasn't pretty so it was understandable to reinvent herself. Since she was willing to risk being here, things must have worked out for her.

"Wait, sorry. The thing is...I just wanted to make sure you were okay and tell you that I'm sorry...for everything." He wondered if he should tell her that he knew how Kimiko had played her, played him. He decided against it. It wouldn't do either one of them any good blaming her. They obviously had problems if Kimiko could easily shatter what they had together, but he would always have a soft spot for her in his heart.

"I'm sorry, too...for what I did. You're a good guy, Cedric, even if you like to believe otherwise." Her eyes softened and she cupped his cheek gently. "You don't have to feel guilty. I'm to blame for this. If it helps, know that I'm doing just fine."

He blinked back tears and took a deep shaky breath then nodded. It felt nice to be considered good after everything wrong he had done in his life.

She removed her hand from his face and said, "This is good-bye, Cedric."

"Good-bye, Viola," he replied watching her leave.

He gave her a headstart to return in the direction they came. He had so much more to say but didn't. It was a good way to end things with no hard feelings. He wiggled his shoulders around, trying to get used to the lightness in his body. It felt good to have this closure. He glanced at his phone. One down, one more to go. It was time for him to face the Japanese couple.

AN: Hiya everyone! I only managed to get through two scenes I had planned for this chapter. I honestly wanted to throw in the towel this week and not finish. I hope it didn't show in this chapter. I had to write two test analysis reports for work that really put me off writing, yet here I am XD. Skip Beat does that to me. BTW did you guys like what I did there with that accidental run-in? Who saw him coming? LOL

Thank you for always reading and for the wonderful reviews of the last chapter. I HEART all of you for sticking with me.

Until next time, ja ne! ^_^