Chapter 4
--TWO DAYS EARLIER
Tomoyo felt slightly disoriented when she woke up the next morning. Seriously behind on her dress, she’d worked on it until late last night. Driven to occupy her mind, the dress helped her to avoid dwelling on Eriol’s disturbing remarks that afternoon. She didn’t remember undressing or getting into bed, even, but simply collapsing on top of the comforter from sheer exhaustion.
But here she was, snug underneath the blankets and wearing her favorite nightie. The almost-finished dress on her mannequin was moving slightly with the morning breeze. He must have left the window open again.
Grimacing, she sat up in bed, then noticed something else that was different. An unmarked videotape was lying on the bed next to her.
That’s not one of mine. Is it? I always label my tapes.
Curious, Tomoyo popped it in the VCR, and the huge screen immediately lit up with an image of her. She’d never seen herself on tape before, and a horrible realization swept through her as she watched.
He’s been taping me the whole time.
Shocked into silent immobility, she watched herself have dinner with her father, then spend the day at the aquarium with him. She watched Eli make love to her on her bed that evening, and she watched herself asleep, her thick black hair streaming over the pillows. She watched herself in all her classes the next day, and she watched herself argue with Li in the parking lot before driving off in a huff.
How? I thought I was good, but how did he get these shots? How could I have not seen him?
She watched him undress her and tuck her into bed, then lean over and kiss her on the forehead.
She was starting to shake with anger and trepidation.
How could he? How dare he? And why?
Eriol turned away from the bed to face the camera, positioned on her dresser.
"Now you know how it feels," he said pointedly. "And whether or not you like it, Tomoyo, I’m watching you. You can’t stop me. So get used to it." He reached forward to hit the Off button, and the screen erupted into fuzzy snowflakes.
*****
Thanks to her reduced sleep the night before and watching the movie, she almost didn’t make it to class in time. There was just five minutes before the bell when she finally sank into her seat with a yawn.
"Good morning, Li."
"Good morning, Tomoyo. Feeling better?"
"What? Oh yeah, much. Thanks."
"Got here pretty late today."
"I was delayed by a movie."
"What?"
"Nothing," she sighed. "My watch is behind, that’s all." She held up her wrist, then blushed as she realized that she wasn’t wearing it. "Oh. I, uh, must have forgotten to put it on today."
Oh no. Everything is still with him. My watch, my other school jacket, and – oh no! My books! How could I have not noticed that I didn’t have my textbooks with me?
"Tomoyo?" Li was still looking at her intently. "Something wrong?"
"No," she replied shakily. "I just seem to be rather forgetful lately. I just realized that I left my books at home today. I’ll have to read with Sakura, that’s all."
She’d never forgotten her books before. There was an awkward silence between them as Li narrowed his eyes, and she tried to smile casually.
Enough is enough. Something is going on with her. I’ve got to know.
"Tomoyo - "
The bell rang, and Sakura blew in through the doors, landing in her seat with a couple of heartbeats to spare.
"Tomoyo, you’re back! How are you feeling?"
"Fine, thanks. I’m sorry if you were worried."
"Well, not really, but it’s not very typical of you to miss class. I was a little anxious, especially with your mother gone. A person shouldn’t be sick if they don’t have any parents around."
"Kinomoto-san?"
"Sorry." Sakura gave her teacher a contrite look, and returned her attention to the lesson. She missed the wry grin that crossed Tomoyo’s face, but Li didn’t.
*****
"Tomoyo?"
She was staring out of one of the windows in the hallway, frowning slightly.
Is he there? Is he out there somewhere right now, taping me? Watching me? This is driving me crazy – I can’t take this. I can’t take being on the wrong side of the lens!
"Tomoyo!"
"What, what?" she yelped, rather startled to see Li standing right next to her.
"Were you looking for someone?"
"Uh, no. What do you want?" She backed away from the window.
"I called yesterday. We were both pretty worried about you, you know."
"I know. Sakura left a dozen messages on my answering machine. I was knocked out from the medicine."
"Not that number. I called your house phone."
She swallowed.
"Why that number?"
"I asked the maid that picked up if you were all right. She said she saw you leave the house on foot early that morning."
"She must have been mistaken. I never left my bed all day."
"How many teenage girls live in your house, Tomoyo?" She turned and started walking down the hallway at a fast pace. "Hey, don’t run away from me!" He matched her steps as she tried to walk away.
"Checking up on me, Li? Don’t trust me or something?"
"I don’t trust whoever it is that’s bothering you. Who is it, Tomoyo? You can tell me."
"Nobody is bothering me except for you," she snapped. "Nobody’s asking you to be the protector, Li, you are not invited. Now leave me alone."
She dove into the girl’s bathroom to escape, leaving him in the hallway with a confused expression on his face.
She’s never spoken so harshly to anyone in her life, I’ll bet. Somebody – or something – has gotten to her, and it’s bad.
*****
"So how are the plans for the birthday party coming along?" Sakura queried at lunch. "If you need help with anything, just let me know. It’s such a bummer being sick a couple days beforehand, but you look like you’re much better now."
"Huh? Oh, don’t worry about it, Sakura, everything is well in hand."
"And the dress?"
"Almost done. It’ll look great."
"Good, I’m glad." Sakura sought for another topic to fill the silence. As clueless as she could be at sometimes, even she sensed the tension at the table that day. Tomoyo and Li weren’t meeting each other’s eyes at all. And Tomoyo seemed oddly distracted; she kept glancing around her as if she was expecting to catch somebody looking at her. Finally she settled on staring hard at the trees at the far end of the school common. Li followed her gaze.
"Something interesting in the trees, Tomoyo?" Quickly she looked back down at her lunch.
"No. Nothing at all that I can see."
I hope.
*****
The last class was over for the day, and Tomoyo stomped toward her locker. Her patience was wearing thin.
"You can’t keep following me like this, Li. I don’t need you looking over my shoulder. I’m fine, there’s nothing to worry about."
"Who says I’m following? I just wanted to see if you wanted to go and get a bite to eat."
"I’m not hungry."
"Maybe later. We could work on our math homework in the meantime."
"We don’t have any math homework." He pushed his bangs out of his eyes and gave her a frustrated look.
"I could call you later on your cell, see if you’re hungry then. How does that sound?"
Her cell phone had been in her bookbag the day before.
"I’m not really sure where my cell phone is, actually. I think I might have left it at home with my books."
At that moment, a shrill ringing sound emanated from her locker. They both looked at it, startled.
"Looks like it’s here after all." She hadn’t moved. "Are you going to get that?"
"Um, of course." Hastily she spun the combination and opened the locker door. Everything was there: her bookbag, the jacket and tie hanging neatly on the hook, and her watch on the bottom.
Damn him. How did he get them inside my locker?
She flushed as she realized that Li was taking it all in. More to avoid meeting his eyes than anything else, she rummaged through her bag and got out her phone.
"Hello?"
"Hi honey, how are you doing?"
"Oh hi, D - " She bit her tongue just in time. "Hi."
"I know I haven’t called in a couple of days, sweetheart, but I’ve been a little busy doing some long-distance work. And I’ve been shopping around for your birthday present. You didn’t think I’d forgotten about that, did you?"
"No, of course not." Li was leaning in slightly, trying to hear the other end of the conversation, and she backed into the lockers behind her.
"Why don’t we meet for dinner tonight at that nice café? Say around seven?"
"That’d be great."
"I can’t wait to see you again."
"Me neither." Quickly she turned off the phone, and stuffed it in her bag before Li could read the name on the screen.
"Who was that?"
"Nobody."
"Somebody important enough to have dinner with, though?" He was grasping at straws; she wouldn’t admit to anything.
"You didn’t hear anything, Li. This is my own business, all right?"
"Uh-huh." He snatched her watch out of her locker before she could get to it. "Care to explain this? I thought you left it at home today. Along with your books."
"I must be losing my mind." She grabbed it out of his hand, pulled her bag over her shoulder, and slammed the door shut.
"You don’t lose your mind, Tomoyo. That’s what worries me."
"Well, you should stop worrying so much. It’s unhealthy, Li. And Sakura doesn’t need an overstressed boyfriend."
She stormed down the hallway and out of the school. Li wasn’t finished with her just yet, however.
"It’s not safe to ride without a helmet you know."
"I know that, I wore - " She stopped short and mentally kicked herself when she saw the gleam of triumph in those brown eyes. "I don’t know what you’re talking about. I need to get home. Excuse me." She fished her keys out of her purse and dove into her car before he had the chance to block her.
"I’m going to figure it out," he declared, right before she shut the door and started the engine. He watched her shift gears and pull out, refusing to look in his direction.
"Sooner or later," he muttered.
*****
The brunette backed away from the now-empty parking space and kicked at a rock. It went flying and almost hit another car. The owner bristled, but when he saw the look on Li’s face he thought better of it and turned away without saying anything. Nobody crossed Li when he looked like that.
Amused, Eriol zoomed in on his face. It was unlikely that anybody would notice him here in the trees, despite Tomoyo’s persistent searching.
You do hate it when you don’t know what’s going on, don’t you, Li? Especially when someone special in your life might be in danger. It was bad enough when my attacks were threatening Sakura. But now it’s Tomoyo that’s affected, and paradoxically that makes it so much worse for you. How interesting.
Li’s scowl lightened a bit when he saw Sakura coming out of the school.
And there she is, my favorite person. The heir to my power, in love with the heir of my blood. They’re wonderful together, and everyone knows it. I know it. Tomoyo knows it.
Sakura was frowning slightly, probably asking him what had got him in such a bad mood. Eriol couldn’t hear the conversation, but Li didn’t look as though he was being entirely honest with his girlfriend. He shrugged slightly, and waved his hand nonchalantly as he fed her some excuse. Then he put his arm around his shoulders and they began to walk away.
It was meant to be between them. Long before either of them knew, it was obvious to her and to me. That’s a nice little advantage to being such a dedicated watcher. We can see what’s going on long before anyone else can. But there are drawbacks too, drawbacks that Tomoyo is only just now discovering. To people like us, it’s so clear what’s going on in other’s minds. But to try and examine ourselves; that’s tricky. We’re not used to it. And I must admit it. I’m lost.
Sakura and Li were out of sight now, and he dropped down from the tree.
Quite lost. Tomoyo certainly read me well enough yesterday. This is a challenge for me, something to concentrate on. And it’s been delightful, if difficult at times. I know I’m close to pushing her over the edge. And then what?
Will I turn around and walk away, content to have changed her? I’m not looking forward to that. She still fascinates me; I’m still hungry for her touch. When does fascination cross over into love? Or are they the same thing? How long was Tomoyo ‘fascinated’ with Sakura? It’s an interesting question to ponder.
*****
Tomoyo smiled for the first time that day when she sat at the table.
"Hi Dad."
"Hi Tomoyo. Good to see you again. You certainly look nice tonight."
"Thank you."
"I’m so sorry that I haven’t called in the past couple of days. I don’t want you to think that I’d forgotten you or anything. I just had some emergencies at work to take care of."
"That’s all right. I’ve actually been kind of busy too."
"And, like I mentioned, I’ve been looking for this." He held up a small jewelry box. "I hope you like it."
"Oh Dad, you didn’t have to get me anything. I’m too old for birthday presents."
"Don’t be silly. To me, you’re still three. I want you to open it now. I want to see the look on your face."
"All right," she acceded, and smiled again as she took the proffered box. Then she gave a startled gasp upon opening it. "Oh Dad. This is too much. This is beautiful!"
He looked so eager and happy.
"Really? You like it? I could see your eyes in it when I first saw it, and I knew it had to be yours."
"It’s gorgeous." She was lifting it out of the box now, a perfectly polished amethyst that was surrounded by tiny diamonds, suspended on a gold chain. "It’ll look beautiful with the dress that I’m designing for my birthday party. That’s purple too."
"You’ll look like a princess," he declared. "The guys’ll be throwing themselves at you."
She replaced the necklace in the box and closed it with a snap. Bringing up the party had probably not been such a good idea. Should she invite him?
"Um, Dad, about my party…"
"Oh, sweetheart, I hope you’re not going to ask me to come. You know I love to see you, but I don’t think I’m up to facing your mother, even in a setting like that. Maybe we could go out to dinner earlier that evening, hmm?"
Relieved, she nodded. The secret was safe for now.
"Happy early birthday, Tomoyo." He raised his glass, and she clinked hers with his. "To my daughter, the most beautiful and successful girl in her school. Cheers."
She giggled.
"Cheers."
*****
Tomoyo turned her face up to the hot water and sighed. It had been such an awful day, coping with Li and worrying about Eriol, but dinner with her father had been like a soothing balm. She felt so much better now, and was looking forward to a good night’s sleep. She’d feel better in the morning, and then she could figure out how to put Li off his suspicions. Everything would be fine.
She stepped out of the shower stall and began to rub herself down with a towel. When she straightened to hang it up again, Eriol was standing by the sink.
Her breath caught in her throat, and then she gave an exasperated groan and reached for her robe, pulling it tightly around her.
"Lavender," he commented. He was holding a bottle of her favorite lotion in his hands, inhaling the scent from the open lid. "Soothing, calming, a tranquil scent. Meant to settle ruffled feathers."
"That’s right." She pulled a clip out of her hair and let the black waves fall down her back.
"You should try bergamot. It’s great for passion."
"I like lavender. I thought I told you to stay away from me."
"Can’t help myself. You’re my challenge. You’re an addiction."
"Is there a hidden camera in here? Should I worry about showing my best side?"
"All of your sides are equally good," he assured her. "And no, I’m momentarily not filming you. Unsettling, isn’t it? Never knowing whether you’re on camera or not, not knowing what moments are being recorded for posterity. I suppose this is what Sakura must have been feeling all these years." He looked at her meaningfully, and she fidgeted.
"That’s different. Sakura is meant to be on camera. She’s meant to be the star. I’m meant to be the cameragirl. That’s just the way of things."
"Everybody likes a little privacy now and then."
"Sure. And speaking of privacy, I’d like to change."
"Go ahead."
"Eriol, get out of here. I want to go to sleep. I can’t do that with you here. You’re not welcome."
"Then why was the window still unlocked?"
"An accident."
"Intentional forgetfulness. One of the sure indicators of what’s really going on under the surface."
"You don’t know what you’re talking about."
"Is that so?" He started to approach her, and she backed into the bedroom. "You’ve been thinking about yesterday, I know. How good it felt to be in control, to be driving that bike, and how dangerous and wrong it was to be doing it while missing your classes. Yesterday was probably one of the best days of your life, and you’re not going to stop thinking about it anytime soon." She backed into the bed and sat down on it heavily. He climbed up on top of her and pushed her down, pinning her by her shoulders.
"And you can’t stop thinking about how good it was for you. Underneath the slide. You were really on fire, you know that? I suppose you’ve blocked it out, you don’t want to think about it, but you were a goddess. I think I’ve touched a powder keg in you. And you’re about to explode."
He leaned downward but didn’t kiss her. Instead he just let his lips brush over hers, and then the tip of her nose. She was trembling, she was horrified to discover, and her body was aching to have him again. Suddenly the argument that they’d had didn’t seem so important…
Eriol saw the change in her eyes and smiled.
"What’s going to happen, Tomoyo? I can hold you down, force you to make love again. We both know that you want it. I know I do. And there’s the rub. Because I’m tired of doing it that way, it’s hurting me more than I’d like to admit. You have to ask me this time, Tomoyo, you have to admit that you like it. Will you?"
Her throat was dry as she stared into those perfect blue eyes above hers. Her body was screaming at her, but she couldn’t speak. She couldn’t do it, she couldn’t let go. It was too much for her to say.
He waited for a few seconds, then climbed off of her. He had a black bag lying near the dresser, and he pulled out a camera and hit the Record button.
She didn’t move, just stared at him with frightened, but yearning, eyes.
"Still not ready to go that far, I see." He zoomed in on her face. "This is what you look like when you’re in limbo, Tomoyo. When you watch it on tape, perhaps you’ll see how frustrating and nonsensical it really is." He turned the camera off and replaced it, then slung his bag over his shoulder and went out the window.
How is he doing that?
She considered going to look and see how on earth he climbed down the walls of the mansion. But she couldn’t move, she felt as though she was still pinned to the comforter by his hands. He was so strong…so muscular and handsome…
Stop it. Stop thinking about him. He’s done nothing but use you, you don’t want to be with him anymore. You don’t want him. You don’t need him.
Tears were starting to slide down her cheeks now.
You…don’t…need…him.
--ONE DAY EARLIER
It was with an eerie sense of déjà vu that she awoke the next morning. She’d never changed out of her bathrobe after Eriol left, but fallen asleep on the bed. And here she was, underneath the covers and wearing her nightie again.
Why do I even bother? It seems he’s determined to tuck me in every night. How long did he wait before coming back to see me, I wonder? And was he taping it?
She sat up wearily and realized that he’d left another surprise on her bed. It wasn’t a videotape this time, fortunately, but a medium sized white box.
Hesitantly, Tomoyo lifted the lid. The dress was gorgeous. Slinky, sexy, and totally unlike the lavender dress hanging on her mannequin, it was the product of a prestigious designer label.
He bought me a dress. Nobody’s bought me a dress since I was little.
She rubbed her cheek on the black velvet. It would fit her perfectly, she knew. That’s what he’d been doing by her mannequin when she found him Sunday evening; getting her measurements.
But I can’t be bought like this. He’s been using me, and buying me a dress is not going to make it right.
Angrily she threw it across the room. It hit the wall and landed in a crumpled heap.
Bastard.
*****
It was impossible to concentrate in school that day. Instead she doodled on her notes. She wasn’t designing a dress this time, but sketching that which had already been made. It was so totally unlike her style that she couldn’t get her mind off it. She knew she should be angry at Eriol for what he’d been doing to her this past week. But if anything, she was more upset at herself.
What happened last night? He held me down, but then he got off and left me alone. He left me. I thought that that was what I wanted, but then I started to cry! I haven’t cried in a long time. Not since…
She let her glance slide to her left, at Sakura studying her notes.
Not for a really long time.
Li saw the direction of her gaze, then heard her tiny sigh as she returned to sketching in the margins of her book. Tomoyo didn’t seem jumpy today so much as melancholy. There was a distracted, sad look in her eyes that made him wince when she walked into class that morning. It also hardened his resolve.
*****
"Are you all right, Tomoyo?" Sakura watched her friend push her food around at lunch without bothering to take a bite. "You seem a little down."
"I’m fine." Tomoyo kept her eyes on her lunch to avoid Li’s stare. "Still a little tired, I guess."
"Hmm. You know, Tomoyo, it might not be a bad idea to cancel the party."
"What?" Her friend looked up at last, and Sakura hastened to explain.
"Everybody would be disappointed, sure, but I want it to be fun for you. It won’t be if you’re still worn out."
"No." Tomoyo shook her head firmly. "No, I want to throw this party. I’ll be fine, Sakura, don’t worry about me."
"Well, if you’re sure…"
"I’m sure."
It’s the one thing in my life that I’m still marginally in control of. I need to do this. If nothing else, I will be at that party tomorrow night.
*****
Why did I cry when he left me? I thought that that’s what I wanted. I hate him, I really do. He’s so smug, so condescending, so sure of himself. And he’s a liar. He uses people, he used me. He violated me.
And then he buys me a dress and suddenly I can’t stop thinking about him.
Oddly enough, he’s not the only one who gave me an unexpected gift yesterday.
She’d forgotten to take her father’s present out of her purse the evening before, and she took it out now so she could admire it again.
It’s so beautiful. But can it really compensate for all those years of missed birthdays? Of missed everything?
I did forgive him rather quickly.
"Tomoyo." It was Li again, right behind her. Quickly she stuffed the necklace back into her purse and turned away from her locker.
"Hi, Li. Need something?"
"I don’t. But cheerleader practice is starting and Sakura was wondering where you were."
"Oh." She blushed. "Tell her I’m sorry, but I forgot my camera. They’ll have to do without me today."
She shut her locker door and tried to walk away, but he slapped his hand hard against the lockers, barring her escape.
"Enough games, Tomoyo. There is something seriously wrong here, and I’m worried for you. Would you please tell me what’s going on?"
"It’s my business, Li. I am capable of handling things on my own, you know."
"I know. But just because you can doesn’t mean you should."
She tried to go the other way and he braced both arms against the lockers behind her, penning her in.
"Let me go, Li. You have no right to keep persecuting me like this."
"I am trying to look out for my friend! God knows why, but you’re determined to make it as difficult as possible. Why won’t you let me help you, Tomoyo? Please?"
Tomoyo could always read Li better than anyone else, and she didn’t like what she saw in those golden brown eyes so close to hers.
"Stop it, Li. Stop trying to be my protector. You’re never going to get rid of the guilt, and you know it."
Li ground his teeth.
"Maybe I can’t ever make up for taking her away from you, but I’ll die before I let anything happen to you. I’m determined to keep an eye on you until I figure out what’s going on, and I stop it." She was matching him glare for glare now, but he wouldn’t be put off. "Whether you like it or not, I’ll be watching you."
"You men have got to stop saying that to me," she muttered, and ducked under his arm.
"Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?" She was striding down the hallway now, Li just a step behind her.
"It means: Leave me alone! For how many years has everybody taken me for granted? The quiet girl behind the camera, no problems of her own, only too willing to sacrifice herself to solve the problems of others? Now in the space of one week, nobody can get enough of me. It’s too much, all right? It’s just too much!"
The anger and frustration building inside her was lending her voice volume, and students glanced up as they passed.
"Yes, that’s more like it. Talk about it, Tomoyo, tell me what’s been going on. Who’s been bothering you? Is somebody stalking you?"
She almost blurted out the name right there and then, but managed to keep it inside. She just couldn’t admit to Li what had been going on, she’d be mortified. Instead she picked up her pace.
"That’s it, isn’t it? Somebody’s been stalking you. Tell me who it is, Tomoyo, I swear I’ll kill him."
"Wouldn’t solve anything, Li."
Nothing can erase the fact that I liked it and I wanted it. Nothing can take away my reaction to him when he’s near.
"What do you mean? Who is it?"
"Nobody!" She tried to duck into the girls’ bathroom, but he blocked her way.
"No. You’re not getting away that easily."
"You’re going to have to let go eventually, Li. What do you think you’re going to do, spend the night on my bedroom floor?"
"If that’s what it takes."
She groaned out loud and turned away.
"What is it with you men? Doesn’t anybody respect a girl’s privacy anymore? Everybody’s so convinced that I need ‘fixing’ or ‘saving’. What about my feelings? What about what I want?"
She took off for the front doors, Li in hot pursuit.
"And what do you want?"
"To be left in peace!" She pushed open the door and froze. Her father’s Jaguar was parked by the curb, getting ogled by all the students hanging about out front. What was he doing here?
"Well, it’s not going to happen," Li declared, coming out of the doors behind her. "I’m not going to leave you alone as long as you’re in some kind of danger."
She turned to face him, hoping her father hadn’t spotted her.
"I’m not in any danger, Li. You’re jumping to conclusions like always. Don’t you ever get tired of being suspicious of everything?"
"I would if I wasn’t normally right. But I am, and I know I’m right about this."
"You think you know so much? Why don’t we ask Yukito’s opinion?" She nodded to someone behind him, and he whirled around in surprise.
Yukito? Here?
But there was no one, and he turned around to find that she’d disappeared.
"Damn it, Tomoyo! Come back here!" He thought he saw her duck behind a knot of girls, and he rushed over to investigate.
"Tomoyo? Tomoyo? Has anyone seen Tomoyo?" Frantically he tore through the crowd, hearing ‘she was just here, Li’ over and over again.
Where could she have gone? Why is she running at all, it’s not like I don’t know where she lives!
It was pure chance that he was looking at the car parked by the curb when he saw Tomoyo open the passenger door and dive in.
"Hey! Tomoyo, wait!"
Kagami Daidouji beamed at the panting girl beside him.
"Hi honey. I thought I’d surprise you and pick you up from school."
"You did," she assured him. "Now step on it."
She sank a little in her seat when she saw Li running toward them. But he was too late; her father shifted gears and pulled away from the curb with a squeal.
Son of a bitch, Li thought furiously, and kicked the curb. Who was that?
Another engine’s roar made him look up. From behind a row of cars, a gleaming black motorcycle pulled out and shot past Li. He couldn’t see the face behind the helmet, but his mind buzzed with that familiar sensation again.
And who the hell was that?
*****
Tomoyo heaved a sigh of relief and leaned her head against the window.
"Where are we going?"
"To the train station. My partner is coming into town today. We’ve been great friends for years, and he’s been listening to me rave about you all week. So he’s coming by to meet you and catch up on a little business with me."
"Oh." She felt a little limp after all that running and arguing and closed her eyes. If she’d kept them open, she might have seen the black motorcycle tailing them. "That’s nice. You never really told me what it is you do."
"Oh, it’s easier to show you than tell you. You’ll see."
*****
"Hey, Yuhi!" Her father waved enthusiastically at the man in the train window, and his partner waved back at him, then smiled appreciatively at Tomoyo.
"Come on, then." Kagami took his daughter’s hand and crossed the platform. No one else was around; the station was usually free of crowds on a weekday afternoon.
"Where are we going? Isn’t he getting off here?"
"Actually no. He has to get to his next meeting tonight, so we’re just taking advantage of the half-hour stopover to meet in his first class compartment. I can’t wait for you to meet him."
Her father reached the car’s door and stepped onto the first step.
"Tomoyo, stop." Surprised, she turned her head to see Eriol standing there, glaring at her father.
"What are you doing here?"
"Watching out for you. Get away from him."
"Tomoyo, who on earth is this?"
"Nobody. How did you find me here, Eriol? Were you following me? Can’t ever let me have any moments to myself, can you? You and Li are so alike sometimes, it’s scary. Now go away and leave me alone."
"No." Eriol took a step closer. "Don’t get on that train with him. He’s dangerous."
Kagami Daidouji frowned.
"Listen, I don’t know who you think you are, but you can stop right there. I’m just trying to be with my daughter."
"No, you’re not." Eriol’s tone was confident and sure, and Tomoyo hesitated. He might be a horrible person, but he could sense these things.
"Dad, what is he talking about?"
"I have no idea. Come on." He tightened his grip on her hand and pulled her closer to him.
"Ouch! You’re hurting me!"
"Time’s awasting, Tomoyo. I need to meet my partner."
"You certainly do," Eriol agreed. "You owe him a lot of money, don’t you? And you finally figured out how to get some."
Tomoyo drew her breath in sharply and tried to pull out of her father’s grasp, but he wasn’t letting go.
"Dad, what’s going on?"
"You really should stop calling me that," he chided. "It’s such an outmoded term."
What?
Her eyes betrayed her confusion and fear, and he gave a short laugh.
"Your father never mentioned who he was working with, did he?" Eriol asked pointedly. "Nobody likes to tell their children that they’re in with the Japanese Mafia. Especially when they owe the Mafia a lot of money and they have to pay up or die."
Her father shrugged.
"Sorry, honey. It was nice seeing you again and all, but business is business. You’re worth a lot of money, and Sonomi will pay it all, just to see you safe and well."
Tomoyo shrieked and tried to pull away again, but Kagami yanked her towards him and put a hand like a vise around her neck.
"Any sound out of you and I squeeze," he warned. "And you," he turned to face Eriol, "I don’t know who you are, but you just stay away if you don’t want to see her hurt. Got it?"
Eriol nodded.
"Got it. But then, I’m not really the one you should be worried about." He met Kagami’s terrified eyes and spoke calmly. "You see, since you walked out on Tomoyo all those years ago, she’s had to take an amazing amount of crap in her life. She’s been real good about absorbing it, burying it deep beneath the surface. But she’s tired of it, and she’s not going to take it anymore. I have a feeling that you’re going to be the final straw. This time she just might hit back."
The man behind Tomoyo snorted.
"Nice try, kid. But she’s not going anywhere except where I tell her to. Now up into the train, Tomoyo. Honey."
He tugged violently on her arm trying to guide her up the steps.
Eriol’s right. I can’t take any more abuse from the people in my life. I have to fight back. I only wish I knew what I was doing.
Feeling a little estranged from her own body, she watched herself brace against the step and push off. She watched herself jab hard with her elbow into the ribs of the man behind her, and she watched him grunt in pain and double over. Then she watched him raise his hand to her, and herself stumble back in terror. And then she watched Eriol finish crossing the distance between them and strike her father across the face so hard that he spun around and collapsed on the train steps.
"Vermin," Eriol spat. He jumped lightly onto the steps and dragged the man further into the train, then retreated to the platform. "Come on, let’s get out of here."
She was pale and trembling.
"What – what about about him…"
"Don’t worry about it. This train was never going to be here for thirty minutes." Indeed, already the engines were beginning to sound again, and a conductor called out a warning. The carriage door shut automatically, cutting off her father from view. "By the time his ‘partner’ figures out what happened, they’ll be on their way to Tokyo. And those people take care of their own. Your father won’t be bothering you anymore."
He led her away from the train as it began to move sluggishly out of the station. There was a glazed look in her eyes.
"Tomoyo? Are you all right?"
"He wasn’t my father – was he?" She looked at him, appeal in her eyes. "He was a con man, right? Somebody hired to trick me and kidnap me?"
Eriol gazed at her sadly and cupped the side of her face with his hand.
"I’m sorry, Tomoyo."
"Oh my god," she whispered.
My own father…my own dad. He – he tried to…
She broke down and cried.
*****
She cried for a long time, great racking sobs. She’d never cried so hard in her entire life, but she couldn’t help it. This kind of pain was too much to quietly absorb.
Eriol held her in his arms the whole time, saying nothing but gently stroking her hair. And when the last of her strength left her and her knees buckled, he caught her and carried her out of the station. She was as helpless as a child, and he buckled her into the passenger seat of the Jag to drive her home. She cried and cried throughout the entire drive. She had a lot of tears to get out of her system.
Li would almost certainly be watching the front of the mansion, so Eriol drove around to the back, at the servants’ entrance. He carried her, unnoticed, up the back stairs to her bedroom and started to fill the bathtub. Naturally she had a bottle of lavender-scented bubble bath and he dumped half of it in. She needed it tonight.
"He – he – he was my own d-dad…"
"He didn’t deserve to be, though. Your mother knew it all those years ago. You’re better than him."
"I’m nothing," she sobbed, as he began to undress her. "They all leave me. I love them, and they leave me. Everybody walks away!"
"That’s not true, Tomoyo. I’m still here. I’m not walking away from you."
He pinned her hair up, then deposited her in the bathtub.
"You’ll leave too. They all turn their backs and leave me!" He wiped away her tears with the warm sudsy water.
"No I won’t. I can’t walk away from you, Tomoyo. You’re too fascinating to me. Every little thing you do intrigues me, makes me want to explore you and understand you better. I think you’re the most exciting woman I know. I want to be with you."
She hiccuped and met his eyes for the first time since the train station.
"You knew. You knew the whole time why my father was here."
"Yes."
"Why didn’t you tell me?"
"You wouldn’t have believed me."
"That’s true," she admitted, and began to cry again. She cried throughout the remainder of the bath, and while he patted her dry and massaged her lotion into her beautiful soft skin, and as he pulled her favorite cotton nightie over her head and tucked her into bed. Then he turned out the light and crawled into bed with her, and he held her in his arms, and she cried herself to sleep.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.
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