A/N: IMPORTANT- for those of you who didn't notice the other post, this is the LAST chapter. HOWEVER I cannot let this story go, I am far too attached, so there is a 80 chance that I will make a good long sequel if you all want it. So let me hear if you want it, okay? Oh and, I'd kind of like it if I got to a hundred reviews. So, if you read, please review, it'll make me happy. I'd like to reach my goal.
Disclaimer: I have no money, you'd get nothing if you sued, stop trying for godsakes.
Xkuroxshinobix- Yay, let me hear it again! I hope you'll review this time too.
Yipster54- It's o.k! You always review which is duly appreciated . I totally understand, and I love your limerick, it was never any good at them, but yours made me laugh. I'm glad you liked the part about the Policemen's Ball, if there's a sequel, I'll be sure to throw in another one for you!
Lil-saturn-goddess- Thanks! I really appreciate you updating after almost every chapter too, I LOVE THAT (in case people haven't caught onto that)
Xo dArK- Sorry my computer just hates your name, I retyped it like nine times and this is as close as it can get to right. I'm so glad you like it, and um… 14 reviews would have been fine lol
Redrose Moon- I know, sweat drops she's a trouble magnet. Dark is in this chapter for a bit, yeah I kinda lightened him up a bit, but I thought he grew a bit in the story. Lol and I loved your second update; got me motivated I'll tell you.
The darkness' cry- Thank you! Make sure to tell me again in your next review hint hint lol I'm so lame. I haven't seen it yet, but I'm going to borrow it!
Phantom Dark- Yeah… cancer. I'm doing okay; it's not so bad. Thanks, sorry it took so long.
Clarence Hikari- I'm sorry if I had you scared there, but I wanted to go over it a lot..
Part XV
"Nothing that grieves us can be called little: by the eternal laws of proportion of a child's loss of a doll and a king's loss of a crown are events of the same size."-Mark Twain
Satoshi saw the flash of red out of the corner of his eye and reached out and snatched it.
"Takeshi!"
Takeshi yanked his tie out of Satoshi's iron grip and reminded himself that if it was his girlfriend that was missing he'd been as crazed too. "Satoshi I've been over the third floor twice, nothing."
Satoshi told himself to relax, he really did. But when your girlfriend is a trouble magnet, and if she's gone for more than ten minutes the statistics showed she was in mortal peril.
"Dammit, can't someone stop trying to kill her for five minutes?!" Satoshi ran a hand through his hair, and tried hard to focus.
His gut told him that Albedo guy had most likely snatched her, but who the hell was Albedo anyway?
Riku rushed forward, "Satoshi, tell me something."
Takeshi scowled at her. "Riku this isn't the best time to just be asking him questions! Aeris could be lying in a ditch someone dead or-!"
Satoshi's eyes narrowed as he slapped a hand over Takeshi's mouth. "You-are-not-helping." Someday he just knew the idiot would give him an aneurysm. "What Riku?"
"Is someone looking outside?"
Takeshi and Satoshi looked at each other.
"Gods, men…"
It was like Aeris was watching everything happen from someplace else. Her body was like a rag doll, being dragged outside while her head screamed for Satoshi or someone to notice.
'Please Satoshi, I can't fight back!'
"Do you know who I am?"
Aeris would have rolled her eyes if she could feel them while her mind rattled off all the possible foul names she could think of.
"I-" He tightened his grip around her waist, "Am the reason for all the pain and suffering in your life." Albedo smiled crazily.
'Oh great, he's completely insane.'
"I knew your father when he was in school. We were friends." Albedo continued while Aeris felt her heart begin to pound. "Right up until he met her, Sakura."
Aeris wouldn't have said a word if she could.
"She was beautiful. Too beautiful for your dad."
'Albedo loved my mom… he was friends with my dad…'
"But I blew my chances again and again, your father married her. I couldn't believe it. The traitor."
'Yeah I'll bet, you probably just grinned the whole time, never said a word about you being insanely fixated on my mother.'
"It was too much. I went to the house and told her that he didn't deserve her that she would be better off with me. When he refused… well he got what he deserved."
Aeris felt the hot sting of tears behind her eyes.
"Your mother came in and saw what I had done, she became hysterical. Said I had killed the only man she loved. I lost control." Albedo sounded like he really regretted killing her mother. "I didn't mean to kill her, but it was too late, I had gone too far."
"So I ran. Felt for sure they would find me and blame me. But luckily for me, cops usually go with what they see first, and Hiwatari saw you covered in blood. Open shut case, the cops are like that."
"And then they threw you in the facility where I worked! How perfect could it be? I was sure it was fate."
Aeris was silently crying, the tears streaming down her face while her head screamed and screamed.
Albedo continued to carry her in the dark until he was close to the bridge.
Aeris realized almost at once what he intended to do and screamed in her head.
With her body weak and her unable to move her limbs at all, Albedo wouldn't kill her, the water would.
She'd drown and it would look like she'd done it to herself.
"-So he dashes out after nearly strangling the chief's son to look for her looked half crazed." The police officer took a sip of his punch. "Must really love her."
"Guess so." His partner downed his drink as well and folded his arms.
Riku did a 90-degree turn on her heels and leveled the policemen with an icy glare, "YOU MEN ARE SO INCOMPOTENT, GET OUT THERE AND HELP HIM FIND HER!"
The men scrambled for their jackets.
"Yes ma'am!"
"Gods…" Riku felt like crying.
Dark watched with amusement as the police officers scrambled out of the building in a major hurry. Someone had certainly lit a fire under their butts.
He sighed and shifted his weight. The police's movements didn't bother him so much because he was pretty sure he hadn't been spotted, so if they weren't after him, they weren't his concern.
Besides, other things were on his mind.
He grinned; several of the policemen's wives were quite attractive after all…
Satoshi ran for all he was worth, checking every possible place around the building. He'd sent Takeshi in the opposite direction so they could cover more ground.
But he was getting no-where fast, and time was a factor.
Albedo set Aeris against the bridge railing and sighed. "You know, I wouldn't have had to do this, and kill off the boy if you would have just stayed put in the facility."
'Boy? What boy?'
The realization hit Aeris as hard as a hammer and she nearly saw stars. The boy who had made her dash out the window, he'd killed his own accomplice.
He lifted her up and sat her on the edge so they saw eye to eye.
"You know… you look just like her." A strange look came over his face and he brushed the hair out of her eyes. "I bet if you'd have lived 'til twenty, you could've passed for her twin."
He shrugged again and a sick smile crossed his features. "But like I said, you won't live that long." Albedo placed his arms on either side of her and leaned in close. "And this time Aeris, you will die." With a mighty shove he pushed her off the railing and watched as she fell through the air and hit the surface of the tranquil water and sank beneath it without a struggle.
Satoshi couldn't believe his eyes.
"GET HIM! GET HIM!" He screamed as he ran towards the railing, shoving a startled Albedo to the ground and launched himself into the air.
It seemed deathly quiet until he hit the water and forced his eyes open and looked around until he spotted her body, on the bottom.
He frantically kicked until he reached her to find her with her eyes open, but not moving. Satoshi grabbed her around the waist and kicked hard with his lungs burning until they broke the surface.
He swam slowly, slowed down by Aeris's dead weight, and finally reached the bank.
He laid her on the ground and placed his ear above her heart to hear it beating slowly.
"Aeris, answer me."
Her eyes locked onto his and she tried again to speak.
It was a bit less hard than it had been before, the drug must've worn off some. "S-Satoshi."
He looked tremendously relieved. "Aeris, your all right." Satoshi lifted her into his arms and held her tight, noticing her lack of response. "Right…?" His eyes swept over her form before frowning.
Aeris fought internally until she locked her trembling arms around his neck. "Albedo… pricked me…" she said, frustrated with her slow speech.
Satoshi looked momentarily confused until he tilted her chin and exposed her neck to his eyes. "He shot you with a drug… that made your body limp. That's why you couldn't fight back." His eyes lit up with understanding and he picked up her wet form bridal style, hugging her close to him. "It's all right, I've got you."
Upon hearing his words, Aeris felt unbelievably safe and content, and fell asleep in his arms.
From the bridge, someone watched as Albedo was dragged into a police car with angry eyes.
Once all the policemen had gone, he walked to the railing and watched Aeris much alive form beingheld tightly to the Commander.
"You'll pay, I promise."