Serena groaned as she was awoken roughly by someone shaking her shoulders. Why couldn't Mikaya-san give her- The familiar voice of Rei slapped her back into reality. It wasn't Mrs. Mikaya, her trustworthy maid waking her up. She wasn't in her bed at home. She wasn't getting ready for a regular day which included a nice stroll in the park, lunch with Ami, some shopping with Minako and then dinner with Mamoru. She was in a motel. She's been kidnapped. She was with one of the most dangerous women in Japan. She was getting ready to go to her house. That's what she didn't get. Why was Rei taking her to her home? It seemed completely strange. Well, to her anyhow. "Come on, meat ball head." Serna's eyes snapped open and glared at the cocky expression on her kidnapper's face. Ouch, what she wouldn't do to wipe it off. "Get ready." Serena groaned and pulled herself out of bed. She discovered a gray tank top and khaki skirt her size. When she looked at Rei, the assassin looked away and mumbled something about her clothes being trashed. "Thanks," she whispered. Once again, Rei managed to surprise her. She ran into the bathroom. ~*~*~ Rei grunted and walked to pack up. She was getting soft. Way too soft. The assassin stuffed her clothes, weapons, laptop and junk into her duffle. Ah, trusty duffle, the accessory all assassins must have. The door to the bathroom opened. Serena looked refreshed, as much as she could look without actually showering and smiled appreciatively. "Hm... anything else?" Rei asked scanning the room. "No." Rei looked at the blonde standing by her side, detecting the fear in her voice. "Come on, let's get out of this hellhole." Serena nodded obediently and followed the assassin out into the unknown. Where was Rei's home? Would she like it there? 'That's a brilliant question. An assassin is taking you to her home, of course you won't like it.' The blonde stayed close to the younger woman as she paid the front desk. Five nights. She's been away from her family, friends and Mamo-kun for five long nights. It seems more like eternity. She felt a strong hand grip her forearm, causing her to look into guarded though somewhat reassuring violet eyes. Rei led her to a beat up old car, which was definitely not the one she saw Rei in front of the night she was kidnapped. "In," Rei whispered heatedly as she opened the door. The taller woman was so close Serena felt her warm breath tickling her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. The blonde obeyed, fidgeting with her hands as her kidnapper opened the driver's side door and threw her duffle into the backseat before climbing in. "You threw your clothes into the trash right?" Serena nodded numbly. Rei had demanded that she throw away her own clothes so she wouldn't be easily identified. A small smile worked its way onto the lavender-eyed woman's lips and she reached over to pat her hostage on the head, earning her a glare from the blonde. The assassin's smile widened before she started up the beat up car. Not long after they started driving, Serena realized they were only three or four hours outside the city. That and the fact that the assassin was actually headed back towards Tokyo. If the police were lucky, they'd find her clothes outside the busy metropolis and assume they were running away from the city. Meanwhile, Rei would have managed to sneak under their noses, bringing her back to the one place where they'd least expect her to be. Smart. But with the entire city looking for them, would Rei's plan work? 'Who knows,' Serena thought idly as she watched the scenery pass by. 'Better enjoy the view, there's nothing else to do.' A while later, a hand shook the blonde awake. Blue eyes blinked open sleepily, not wanting to awaken. "Wake up, Serena." Upon hearing the voice, the young woman felt all grogginess leave her. She looked to her right to discover Rei kneeling, the door to her side open. "Are we there?" Serena asked as she stepped out, rubbing her eyes. The only thing around were trees, lots and lots of them. A small structure stood a few meters away, nothing more than a shack. Were they in a forest? "Not yet. I have to return the car." Serena nodded, still not quite completely awake. Rei smiled softly, though it disappeared when a gray-haired man in his late fifties approached. "Raven, nice at see ya 'gain," he said in English with a heavy accent. "Where's the car?" Rei asked coldly, her voice flat while emotionless lavender eyes glared at the greasy looking man. "Now, now suga. You're little friend's much prettia' when she's awake." Serena stepped back when she saw the lustful glean in the man's brown eyes and a feral smile on his thin lips. Her fear made itself known when he started to approach her. Without warning, Rei's hand shot out and grabbed his collar. She pulled him to her with strength she didn't appear to possess and before the man could even grasp what had happened, he found a very cold gun pointed point blank at his crotch. "You dare and I'll make sure you never get any pleasure again, whether it be from someone else or your own pathetic hand. The car, now." Eyes wide with fear, the greasy head bobbed up and down. One could easily tell from the fire in the lavender eyes that she was all too serious. With a look of disgust, Rei pushed the man away from her, causing him to fall flat on his ass. As he tried to rise, a black boot connected with his chest, crushing his rib cage and sending him back onto the dirt floor. "Keys, now." The man tossed her the keys with shaking hands. The assassin began walking away but stopped when she saw the motionless and still frightened Serena. She spun on her heels and stalked back towards the sniveling fool on the ground. Without even a blink, she delivered a bone breaking kick between his legs. As he yelled in pain, she turned around and grabbed Serena's wrist, pulling her to the shack. Serena could only follow behind quietly. The man had come onto her but Rei had saved her. And the assassin had paid the man back for his lecherous ways. Her thoughts stopped when she saw a black Volkswagen Beetle in the shack. Rei stuffed her duffle into the small trunk before walking over the driver's side door and leaning on the hood. She regarded Serena with an apologetic gaze, a small smile on her lips. "I'm sorry about that. He's a bastard, but he keeps his mouth shut." Serena nodded, feeling a bit better. After all, with the kick Rei delivered, he wasn't going to be walking for quite a while. The blonde quickly got into the car and buckled up before the car pulled out of the garage. "How many more cars?" Rei smiled. So, she was smarter than she originally thought. "Three." "Oh." Three? Three more jerks like that guy? She shivered, God, please no. "Hey, don't worry about it, all right?" Serena nodded and looked out the window again. Rei always knew what she was thinking. ~*~*~ Serena blinked as she saw the gateway that led into the city. No one would think the kidnapper would go through the way most popular way in and out of the city where the most inspection would be placed. But then again, Rei was smarter than most of the police force combined. "Thirsty?" Rei asked, handing her some water. The blonde smiled and took a sip from the bottle. She recapped it and placed it on the cup holder. Before she knew it, her eyelids grew heavy. Then, all was dark. ~*~*~ Serena drifted in and out of consciousness. Where was she? Okay, why did she feel like she was moving? Her legs were sure as hell not carrying her. As she became more aware of her surroundings, she felt the strong arms under her knees and upper back. Blue eyes snapped open, staring at a pale chin and a graceful neck. Rei?! "Ack!" Violet eyes landed on the squirming girl in her arms as the blonde stared at her in shock. No one, not even Mamoru has ever carried her bridal style! A blush settled on her cheeks. "You're awake," Rei stated somewhat gruffly. "Hold still." Serena became as stiff as a board. A few seconds later, the assassin placed her in a sitting position on a bench. Looking around, the blonde realized she was in Tokyo Park. The sky was dark and the lights along the path providing the only light on the moonless night. "What... happened?" Rei scratched her head hesitantly. She felt Serena's curious gaze on her and fidgeted slightly. "I couldn't take the chance that you might make a scene during the inspection. So, I slipped a few sleeping pills into the water." Serena just blinked. She should be mad. Very mad, in fact. Furious even. But, she wasn't. Rei was just protecting herself. Fine, she was a little ticked. "So, how long have you been carrying me?" A light blush painted Rei's cheeks, making Serena's own blush darken. "Well, I've carried you onto two different cars and just walked ten blocks..." The blush made its way down the blonde's neck and to the tip of her ears. She didn't think anyone could carry her for ten blocks. She wasn't heavy or anything, but ten blocks? Serena then noticed the tiny beads of sweat on the assassin's brown. So it wasn't as easy as she made it out to be. Serena reached up and wiped the sweat making its way down Rei's cheek with the back of her hand. Lavender eyes gazed at her in confusion. Serena was now a deep burgundy color and growing darker by the second. She tried to act nonchalant, though her captor saw right through it. "Well, you could have just woken me up, you know..." "Nah. You looked so peaceful, I didn't have the-" Rei broken off suddenly, realizing what she was about to say. Her features hardened. "You didn't have the... heart?" Serena finished softly. Rei only grunted and walked down the cobble stone path. The blonde jumped to her feet and quickly followed behind. After a few minutes, Serena noticed the assassin was not as tense as she was before and looked up. "The sky's beautiful." "I'll show you a better view if you hurry." The words and Rei's gentle tone made Serena stop. A better view than this? Only in the country. Rei turned her head slightly, violet eyes glaring at the blonde. The captive blushed and ran to catch up. After a few minutes they exited the park. Parked on the side of the street was a blood red sports car, the same one Serena saw Rei with that night. Rei turned off the alarm and opened the door for Serena. The blonde stepped in, smiling her thanks. The assassin climbed into the car a few seconds later and pulled away from the curb. Serena watched the stores pass by, feeling more and more home sick. TO be so close yet so far... As the minutes passed, Serena saw that Rei was heading for the richer and more private section of Tokyo. Why was she going there? A while later, Rei pulled into the underground parking garage of one of the most elite apartments in the entire city. She leaned out the window, typing a code into the pad. The doors opened and she drove to the very back of the garage. Serena watched in fascination as Rei pulled out a small device and pressed a button. The wall itself opened as she drove inside. The blonde looked around in amazement as Rei stepped out wordlessly, opening the trunk to grab her duffle. The politician's daughter stepped out of the car and followed Rei to one of the stone walls. The taller woman pressed a button on the device and the stone wall opened to reveal an elevator. Serena stepped in, slightly amazed. How could an assassin have access to something like this? It isn't cheap, that's for sure. Rei waited patiently while the blonde besides her fidgeted nervously. Was all this just for security? Was her apartment actually a dump? Somehow Serena seriously doubted that. How could she afford to live in a place like this? The only possible explanation was one she did not want to think about. The elevator stopped and the doors opened with a soft "ding!" Serena stepped out after Rei and was utterly shocked. She found herself in a spacious living room with a high ceiling with cream walls. The carpet was a dark red in color. Directly in front of her was a set of comfortable looking black leather couches and a large flat screen TV. A fireplace was positioned somewhat off to the side. To her right was the most amazing thing Serena's ever seen. The circular apartment had windows on all sides, giving her an almost complete view of the city and the starry sky. "Come on this way," Rei said, amused by Serena's excitement. The blonde followed the taller woman over to the entertainment center. A pale hand slid a panel of glass to the side, revealing a balcony that essentially went all the way around the apartment. Serena's eyes lit up like a child on Christmas day as she looked up at the velvety sky. Rei smiled and looked at the blinking lights of the city. "You must be tired. I'll show you to your room." Serena tore her eyes away from the sky and followed the raven-haired woman inside. To the left of the elevator entrance was the actual entrance into the apartment. They walked passed the fireplace and into a hallway. "There's the kitchen. I don't know what I have in the fridge, or if I have anything at all. Second door's the bathroom. Across is the study. Next to it is the exercise room and those two are the bedrooms. This one's yours." Rei opened the door and Serena smiled. The carpet here was white and the walls a soft yellow. It was a bit different from the modern but comfortable feel of the living room and earthier with a lot of wood, mostly painted white. The bed was a huge white wooden piece piled with comfortable looking pillows and a pale yellow comforter. "Very bright," Serena found herself saying while smirking at the embarrassed expression on her companion's face. "I didn't decorate this room," Rei mumbled. "It's nice." The assassin muttered something under her breath and crossed her arms in an attempt to look like she didn't care. Serena saw right through it and grinned at her. "There's toiletries and everything in the bathroom, you can use anything in there..." Rei trailed off and eyed the long blonde hair. "I should pick up some more shampoo." The shorter girl blushed softly and smiled apologetically, earning a smirk from her captor. "I'll bring you something to sleep in... you can jump into the shower and clean up. You stink." Serena stuck her tongue out at the smug woman before turning around and stomping into the bathroom. Rei shook her head and walked into her own room with the duffle. ~*~*~ The blonde quickly stripped once she was inside the bathroom, finding a large window. It was done all in white, though not a blinding white, with white tiles on the ground and the white walls. A large white tub was in the center, close to the window and slightly elevated. A clear shower was to the right and to the left a vast counter and sinks filled with lotions, shampoos, bubbles, flower petals and everything else in the world. "Serena?" "Yeah?" The blonde growled back, still a bit annoyed at the taller woman. "Can I come in?" Blue eyes blinked as she searched around furiously for a towel. She found a large, fluffy one nearby and wrapped it around her nude form. "Come on in." Rei opened the door and walked in, pausing with wide eyes when she saw the blonde wearing nothing but a towel. The assassin gulped and tried to act casually, though her lavender eyes found it very hard to look away. "What did you need?" "Um... just my shampoo..." the raven-haired woman managed before heading for the counter and picking up a bottle of shampoo. "Have you seen my towel?" Serena blinked and looked down at the one she wore, spotting Rei's name embroidered in red between her breasts. She smiled sheepishly. "I'm wearing it." Rei snapped around, mouth parted slightly as she gawked at the blonde. Serena smirked smugly, loving the fact that the assassin was completely speechless and gawking at her but also blushing like crazy because the intense orbs refused to leave her body. "Um... okay then... I guess you can use it. There's more towels in the cabinet," Rei forced out before walking quickly out of the room. Serena's shoulders slouched and the teasing gleam in her eyes disappeared the second the woman practically slammed the door close. She giggled softly before letting the towel drop from her body. Maybe it was a good thing she spent all that time with her cousin after all... ~*~*~*~ Minako Aino sat in the middle of her apartment, the lights off. Her TV lay on the carpeted floor, the screen shattered. With a growl, the blonde stood, a cigarette dangling from her fingers. Where the hell are you, Serena? Are you okay? Are you hurt? The blonde superstar slammed her hand onto her desk, scattering paper onto the floor. She had taken the brunt of the blame for her cousin's disappearance. The media painted her as a horrible monster, like she had meant for Serena to get kidnapped. She was almost ready to go to court when the letter came. The letter. From her. Rebecca. "She's not Rebecca damn it, get it through your fucking brain." That's right, it wasn't Rebecca. The woman that she liked and perhaps even fell in love with wasn't who she thought she was. "Raven. Fuck it, the bitch was Raven. You lead your fucking cousin to the damn bitch. You are to blame for her fucking abduction." A bitter laugh escaped the pink lips. No matter how much Raven explained to the media that she had tricked Minako and used her, the guilt didn't decrease. It only increased, along with the pain. She had been tricked. Tricked and led by the nose like some giddy school girl. The fucking bitch was able to wrap her around her finger, getting exactly what she wanted from the singer. Minako Aino had been used. She had been nothing but a pawn, a pawn used in a twisted game that probably cost her cousin her life. "Usa... please be okay..." ~*~*~ The blonde high society girl stepped out of the bathroom and into her room, wrapped in Rei's towel once again. Despite her embarrassment, Serena wanted to throw the assassin off her feet once more, if she should see her again tonight. Her long hair was for the most part dry thanks to the hairdryer she found in the bathroom. She pealed back the comforter and sat on the side of the bed, staring out the window. The view of Tokyo was breath-taking. She could see almost everything from up here. And the thought made the throbbing in her heart hurt more. Everyone she knew was living their life, worried about her. They didn't even know whether or not she was alive. How were they dealing? Did they even care? 'Don't depress yourself, Usagi.' Usagi... where was Minako right now? Was she at another party? Was she at a photo shoot? Or was she at home? The woman rose to her feet and she walked over to the balcony doors, opening them and stepping outside to be met by the crisp autumn air. She was so close to everyone, yet so very far away. There was no way she could contact them, let them know she was okay. Her slim arms wrapped around her shivering form. Maybe she should just jump off. End this nightmare and rid herself of this pain. What she wouldn't do to be at home, safe in Mamoru's arms and listening to her cousin sing for her... "What are you doing out here only in a towel?" Serena didn't turn when she heard Rei's voice. If she did, she would see the lavender-eyed woman looking at her with a teasing expression. She would be reminded once again of the truth and she couldn't handle that at this moment. Rei sighed softly and approached the blonde leaning on the railing. She didn't have to be a genius to know what she was thinking about right now. Serena was in Tokyo, within range of her family and friends. Yet she was stuck here with her captor, standing outside in nothing but a towel. Part of her actually wanted to let Serena go at this point, no matter how small. It was the thought itself that scared her. Rei's never cared for a hostage, a job. But why the hell did she care for Serena? The blonde felt the assassin approach and something draped over her shoulders. The warmth she felt was enough to stop her trembling as she looked over her shoulder at Rei. Violet eyes were soft, an almost apologetic gleam in the dark depths. Serena sighed and stepped away, entering the room and leaving Rei alone of the balcony. She had to get away. The assassin stayed there for a second, staring at the city below. Her eyes narrowed for a split second. She couldn't afford to be too soft, she had a job to do. But it was becoming harder and harder for her to remain distant and cold around the blonde. And it angered her to no end. She was a trained assassin with a blood of hundreds on her hands. Why the hell was girl breaking down the walls around her heart? She was doing the unthinkable: she was starting to care. 'Damn it, get a grip. Don't play around.' With a defeated sigh and a strengthened reserve, Rei reentered Serena's room, finding the blonde sitting on the bed, the large white T-shirt she had brought in her small hands. With graceful steps, she made her way to the door, pausing for a second before she exited the room. "Good night, Serena." The blonde stared at the closed door, tears welling up in her eyes. She threw the towel to the ground and pulled on the shirt Rei had brought for her before climbing under the covers. As she laid on the bed, thinking about her loved ones and the tears flowing down her cheek, she was aware she was surrounded by the scent of her captor. ~*~*~*~ Another chapter done! Hope you liked it! I only had most of the chapter written and in my notebook. Usually that lets me correct and reread whatever I wrote white I type (since I'm too lazy to do it afterwards). But everything from a little before the bathroom scene to the end was improvised and written as I went along. I hope it was okay. Ah, and one more thing. I had originally planned the fic to just deal with Rei and Serena for the most part. But death soul-shinigami brought up a good point that I should describe what is going on with the rest of the world. I really wanted to only focus on the two main characters, but I cracked a bit and added that little thing with Minako (Sorry if I cursed a lot, I have a very bad mouth I'm afraid...). That doesn't mean I'm going to have a lot of scenes with Mamoru and Minako from now on, maybe just a few. I only did one this chapter because it seemed to flow so well and I found myself writing it before I put any thought into it.
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