http://clampfix.fanworks.net/ccd-fix/saving1.txt </head><body><pre>Hi, I am sending this incomplete fic to force myself to finish it. I've been sitting on it for a long time, just staring at it. So then I realized the best way to make myself finish it is to send it to the ML, then I'll have to finish it. Eventually... Anyway I want to thank Kay Willow for her great Fics and for giving me the idea to torture Akira. ^^ And to Shara who was nice enough to watch episodes I don't have just to tell me how Nokoru and Casablanca talk to each other. ^_^ So here goes... ______________________________________________________ Saving Grace by miai h_miai@hotmail.com ---------------------------------------------------- The characters in this fic belong to CLAMP. They own them, drew them, created them and have copy-written them. I just borrowed them for non-profit purposes. ---------------------------------------------------- Akira watched his friend fearfully through a small hole in the wall. "Takamura-senpai..." Suoh didn't answer right away and when he did his voice was small, "What happened?" He could see the gray eyes fill with tears. "Some sort of gas got us. You pushed Kaichou out of the way, but took it in the face yourself." Suoh did remember that. Vaguely. It would explain his pounding head. "Kaichou?" "I can't see him from here. I don't think he's being kept in the same area." Akira watched Suoh move a hand to his head and realized that as ill as he felt himself, his friend had inhaled even more of the gas. The hand stopped when could not move any farther. Suoh tired to sit up, but found himself bound to the palette. "Where you awake when we came in?" "Only from just outside my door in. They weren't happy about it, either." It hurt Suoh to hear the serious tone in the voice of his normally boisterous friend. He could only imagine what "weren't happy about it" could mean. "How many of them brought us in?" "Two carried us, one led and got the doors..." He trailed off as he considered. "I heard at least another behind us...And that one should have stayed at the door to guard us with someone named Yuiichi." Suoh looked at the gray eyes meaningfully, hoping to convey, 'that means they can hear us.' But all he said was a soft mumbling, "They know we are awake," more to himself than Akira. Akira nodded in his own cell. "And they talked about 'her' and 'last time' a lot." "Are you free?" "Suoh-san, I was bound as you are." Suoh's head of navy hair snapped towards the disembodied eyes. That was not normal for his kohai. Golden eyes narrowed and Suoh stared at the bonds on his wrists, ankles and the chain that kept him on the metal bed. He smiled. He had never thought his friend capable of actual deception, and it made him feel odd to be part of this. Suoh kept a lock pick set in his shoe, and from what he could tell with his head pounding and vision blurring, he was still wearing shoes. He assumed Akira was free and began working on his own locks. * * * Nokoru reclined easily on the couch he had been stretched out on when he woke earlier. He looked at the sumptuous decorating and the rich colors of the rug and furniture and knew at once that he had not been in this room before. He could smell the delicate perfume of a beautiful lady in the air. He didn't know where he was, or why, but he knew who had requested his presence. He smiled as footsteps approached and rose unsteadily on bound feet to greet the lady in question. "Good afternoon, Casablanca-san." He smiled happily. "Ah, Nokoru-sama," she used a greeting he had never heard from her before. "Please, it isn't necessary," Nokoru couldn't have dismissed her honorable form of address when he was accustomed to being called less by this strong woman. She smiled easily, "How good to see you are awake. I hope you are feeling well." He would never allow a lady know he was still woozy. "Yes, very." Casablanca's voice was deeper than usual, "Sorry to have to resort to such measures, but it is most important at this time." "I always welcome such pleasant distractions from my daily life." Nokoru smiled winningly. She moved a hand to her mouth. "I had forgotten what an understanding gentleman you are..." She crossed her arms, "This is not what I thought our meeting again would be like at all." "We can call it a happy accident." He looked at her suddenly sorrowful countenance. His voice was compassionate, "I promise to stay and talk to you before I leave." She sat on the couch and indicated he should do likewise, "But you will try to escape." "Ah, you read my mind!" His smile beamed at her, "I was just going to tell you that I am obligated to attempt to leave your presence if you don't let me go!" He seemed genuinely pleased. She reached out to remove his handcuffs, "Are you on vacation now?" Nokoru was immediately apologetic, "I have to be back by Sunday." "I won't detain you longer than necessary." She caressed his hands and slid her fingers up under his handcuffs as she placed the key in its lock. "Please understand." She handed him the key for his ankle braces and crossed the room to a water pitcher. Nokoru removed his cuffs quickly and placed the implements of his detainment on the low coffee table. When she returned he was seated as naturally as though it was a social call. She handed him a glass of water she knew he must need. "You were correct in assuming I am not a lower member of my organization. Please understand, I am not irreplaceable. You have escaped from me twice, now." Nokoru nodded understanding at once. She leaned close, snaking her hand up his throat and around his chin, "It is only one small job." He turned his large blue eyes to his captor, "But if I do this they will send you for me again. Every time it will be one small job, and I cannot allow myself to be used that way." Casablanca pressed her lips to the boy's cheek and whispered. "This was never my intent." Nokoru accepted her kiss, and turned seriously towards her. "What do they want?" She inhaled and backed away from the boy. "I don't understand the details of it. But with a mind like yours there is no doubt you can do it." Seeing the sad look on his face, Casablanca stood. "Think about it." Her voice was the flinty, angry one he remembered in the cold of the mountains. Nokoru stood and walked around the well-appointed room. Out the window he could see a manicured lawn with groomed trees lining a path. The lights were not on, and in the distance Tokyo Tower was dwarfed by taller buildings. From the sun, he thought, it was southeast. He did not want to think of the implications of being held in such a large private building in the downtown Tokyo Area. He went to the other side of the room and filled his water glass. If he was feeling this much out-of-sorts, he did not want to imagine Akira and Suoh's positions. Nokoru pulled a fan out that read, "Ladies in need are my business." He returned to his seat. Nokoru crossed his legs and settled in to watch the sunlight creep across the silk carpet. * * * "Takamura-senpai..." Suoh looked up quickly and smiled. "Are you ok?" The eyes bounced as though Akira had nodded. "These walls sure are thick." "Injyuin, it is a dungeon..." "It's a very good one!" Suoh sweat dropped and let it go. He stood and surveyed the room. Akira watched as his darker friend placed his hands on all the walls and walked the perimeter twice. He knew what the taller boy was doing, and had done it himself, earlier. In his cell, at least, there was no exit save the door. He had walked around the room thinking of every conceivable way to escape. There wasn't one, unless he counted overpowering or slipping by the guard if one ever came in. What Akira had not thought of was carrying explosives on his person daily. He didn't think he wanted to either. Suoh came near the small grated hole they had been speaking through and whispered softly, "Cover your ears and duck down." Akira watched long enough to see the older student council member touch the bolts on his door before complying. Where ever Suoh had kept the device, Akira did not imagine it was safe to walk around with something that could make such a large sound. He felt the explosion and hoped Suoh was far enough away from it. The guards came running. Suoh had left the door closed, so the debris remained in his room. He used a handkerchief to allow easy breathing, but knew that he would not be able to trick the guards. "What's going on?" The guard's voice seemed afraid. Suoh heard a metallic click, reminiscent of a gun being It was demeaning to hide in the dark and wait for the guards to come to him, but they had the advantage. "Ijyuin, are you still there? Can anyone hear me?" It was humiliating, but the guard wasn't coming in. Akira closed his eyes to help himself keep the sound of his friends voice out and to make sure he didn't try to look. "I'm still here." He didn't like this at all. Someone opened the door. "What the hell is going on in here?" The first voice answered, "Wait here, I'll go in." Suoh took a breath and put his handkerchief away, "I will attack you now. Defend yourself." It only seemed fair to warn the man, since it wasn't like it was fair to attack someone who couldn't see him. "What?" Suoh grabbed the man and hit him hard in the gut, and when he fell, knocked him out. A voice from outside, "Tanaka? Hey...answer me!" A child's voice answered, "He's down." An elementary schooler walked out of the clouded room. "Do you have the keys?" There was no answer. Suoh was determined to make amends with himself for resorting to such low tactics earlier. "Defend yourself." The man held a gun on the blue haired child, who only stifled a sighed in response. "Truly demeaning." Suoh mumbled as he ran forward. He ducked the arm, knowing that once he was out of the gun's range he would most likely out power the well-dressed captor. Akira couldn't see what was going on, but he heard a shot fired and a grunt. Then a thud. Soon his door opened. "Injyuin-kun..." "Ah, Takamura-senpai!" Akira ran to his friend and did not look at the fallen man outside his cell door. They opened the outer door and peeked to see if other people were coming. "I guess we should go up." Akira looked up and down the dark hall. Suoh's gaze followed Akira as the boy moved furtively into the darkness. He looked at the walls and checked for evidence of alarms and phones. There were none. "This is such an old place!" Akira was admiring the woodwork as he pressed the door they had just exited closed. As one they moved towards the stairs on the far side of the passageway. * * * To Be Continued...yeah. _________________________________________________________________ Please send feedback/comments and criticism to h_miai@hotmail.com Oh, and my email went down so I had to change my name on this account to make it my "real" account, not just fanfic schtuff. So why haven't I finished it? Because I don't feel like it's my voice and I have been majorly ignoring my personal precepts not to compare myself with others... And because frankly while I do know where I'm going, I don't wanna go there. ::jumping and pouting:: I fixed up "Kotori Bride," "Set Up" (still progressing), and "Winning" got a huge overhaul. ^)^ If you're interested (shameless plug) in seeing what I have been doing to avoid writing "Saving Grace" and so much else that I told myself I would write, eventually... ^^; So I will work on it after I get back from Sakura Con! See you all there. ^_^ Thank you miai http://www.geocities.com/sakurazuka_no_subaru/fanfics.html</pre><p><a href="./">Back</a></p><p><a href=http://www.dreamhost.com/donate.cgi?id=216><img border=0 alt="Donate towards our web hosting bill!" src=https://secure.newdream.net/donate1.gif></a></p></body></html>