IMPORTANT Author's Note: Hi everyone! I'm back! Sorry I haven't been updating my stories lately, I've had lots of writer's block (so has my friend who writes 'Totally Phantom' with me). My most recent (as in 'now') obsession is Tokyo Mew Mew (DUH). By the way, I changed both of Ichigo's parents' last names because the story would be a little… confusing, I guess you could call it. Anyway, on with the fanfiction! Cherries and Pears – Chapter 1

:flashback:

"Goodbye, Mom! Nashi and I are going to the beach now!" twelve-year-old Sakura McKenna called to her mother.

Yasuko McKenna, Sakura and Nashi's mother, sat in the basement. She was the most talented local artist in Los Angeles, California and was working on her latest painting, a beautiful one of the entire family. She, Sakura, and Nashi had packed Sakura and Nashi a picnic lunch that day so that the two sisters could spend the entire day at the beach. She and Robert McKenna, her husband, and Sakura and Nashi's father, were going out to lunch today.

"Do you promise to be with us in time to watch the sunset?" nine-year-old Nashi prodded. Their mother chuckled and ran her fingers through Nashi's shoulder-length dark blonde hair.

"Of course, dears!" she promised. She twirled a few strands of Sakura's golden-brown hair around her index finger, absentmindedly separating the brown hairs from the blonde. Sakura and Nashi grinned and left their house after blowing kisses to their beloved mother. The two sisters headed down the road, Sakura riding her crimson bike and Nashi riding her yellow bike, to the beach.

When they reached the beach, they parked their bikes in the parking lot, took the basket from Sakura's bike's basket, and headed down the stairs to the sandy space below. They spread out the picnic blanket, placed the picnic basket in one corner of the blanket. Sakura lay down on the picnic blanket and Nashi ran to play in the clear, shallow waters. Sakura watched her sister swim around and laugh for a while, then her eyes eventually closed sleepily.

When she opened her eyes next, she found Nashi shaking her frantically. Sakura immediately sat up.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"It's somewhere around one o' clock! Hurry, get our stuff packed up! We have to leave!" Nashi cried.

Sakura folded up the picnic blanket, packed it into the basket, and pulled Nashi up to the parking lot. Sakura tucked the basket into her bike basket and asked Nashi why they had to leave so soon. Nashi pointed a shaking had eastward. Sakura turned to face where Nashi was pointing and immediately saw the problem.

Smoke was rising from somewhere not far from where they lived. Sakura hurried Nashi onto Nashi's bike and the two sped from the beach. When they finally reached their destination, the two were struck still.

In the middle of the road, two cars, a blue jeep and a green van, had crashed into each other and were covered in fire. Every window was broken and the cars were all smashed up and looked like a pair of accordions. On the side of the road, a couple and a family were being loaded into an ambulance.

Sakura and Nashi dismounted from their bikes and ran to the ambulance.

"Excuse me, may we please see that couple from the green van?" Sakura asked the man hoisting the bodies, and climbed into the ambulance before the man could answer. "Thank you very much, sir!"

Sakura surveyed the couple. The man had blonde hair and had gashes around his shoulders, face, and arms. The woman had long black hair and had cuts on her arms, face, and legs. Sakura gasped and backed up with her hands covering her mouth. It was her and Nashi's parents.

"What are you crazy? Get out of there!" the man, whom had loaded the ambulance, shouted at her. Sakura turned to the door and hopped down from the ambulance. She immediate kneeled down to Nashi's height.

"Nashi-chan, we need to call Mr. Smith. We won't be seeing Mom or Dad any time soon," she told Nashi softly. "They are hurt very badly and they need to get better. We'll be on our own tonight."

Nashi's eyes widened and she collapsed into Sakura's arms wailing wildly. Sakura shut her eyes, as if in pain, and then let the sobs built up inside of her escape. The two sisters held each other and cried for their parents, hoping that they'd get well again.

The man who'd been loading the ambulance bent down to the crying girls.

"The couple was your mommy and daddy?" he confirmed. "Miss, you certainly won't be seeing them any time soon at all. They are injured severely and will be put into intensive care, although, I'm sorry to say it, I doubt that they'll live."

Sakura looked up at him with a tear-streaked face and thanked him for letting her see them. She asked him to call them when he had more news. Then she hoisted Nashi to her feet and the two mounted their bikes. The two sisters sped off home to call for help.

"Mr. Smith? It's Sakura McKenna," Sakura spoke to her parents' best friend over the phone. "Mom and Dad got into a huge car crash and the doctors don't think they'll live. Do you think you could spend the night with us?"

After making arrangements, Sakura hung up the phone and set up the supplies to prepare dinner for the three of them. When Mr. Smith arrived, he had a file full of plans for the McKenna sisters.

"So," he began, "we'll need to find a new place for you two to live if your parents don't live. Have you any relatives in America?"

"No," Sakura answered. "Dad's parents died last year and is an only child, Mom's parents live in Kenya, and Mom's sister lives in Tokyo, Japan. We've never met Grandpa and Grandma, but we hear from Aunt Miyuki-san every holiday."

"Well then, we'll have to have you live with you Aunt Miyuki," Mr. Smith decided. "That is, if your parents do die."

At that moment, the phone rang. Sakura picked answered it. It was the man from the ambulance.

"Hello," he greeted sadly. "I'm… I'm afraid your parents didn't make it. They died shortly after we reached the hospital. You and that little girl, I'm sorry to say, are orphans now."

Sakura was speechless. Tears welled up in her eyes. She manage to stammer, "Th-thank you, sir. G-g-good… b-bye."

She then hung up the phone and fell to her knees. She looked at Mr. Smith and Nashi.

"Th-th-they d-didn't live," Sakura sobbed. Mr. Smith nodded and Nashi burst into tears.

"Well then, call your Aunt Miyuki," Mr. Smith ordered. Sakura nodded, picked up the phone, and dialed her aunt.

"Hello?" Sakura greeted nervously. "A-Aunt M-M-Miyuki-san? It's Sakura. Um, Mom… and Dad… got into a car crash a little earlier today. They… they both died shortly after reaching the hospital."

Aunt Miyuki gasped, "Oh no… how are you and Nashi-chan?"

"We're fine," Sakura answered. "But we have nowhere to live. Do you think Nashi and I could come to Japan and live with you?"

"Oh, Sakura-chan, of course! Let me just check with Uncle Jiro, okay? Hold on for a moment," Aunt Miyuki confirmed as Sakura waited. "It's all right with him, so we'll clear out the guest rooms for you and Nashi. Catch the next flight to Tokyo as soon as possible and we'll try to be there at the airport to welcome you."

"Arigato, Aunt Miyuki-san. We'll call you again when we're ready. Goodbye," Sakura finished. The phones on both sides were hung up and Sakura announced to Nashi and Mr. Smith that Aunt Miyuki had said it was okay to stay there.

Over the next few days, Sakura, Nashi, and Mr. Smith focused on packing for the girls and selling the house and extra furniture. Sakura and Nashi spent some of their money on buying tickets for the next flight to Tokyo, Japan (it was a week away) and decided to bring the rest to Japan with them.

When the time came, Mr. Smith drove them to the airport. At the gate, the McKenna sisters both hugged and thanked Mr. Smith for everything and waved goodbye as they boarded.

:end flashback:

Author's Note: What do you think so far? Well duh, you don't know much about it yet, the next chapter will be up within a week or so, I PROMISE! Anyway, give me a review by clicking that nice, friendly little blue button down there…