Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura, nor any of the characters within.

Learn to Love Again by Aymiahfayth

Chapter 1

Carrying four bags of groceries of home was proving to be a hassle and a lot more more then Sakura had intended. However, the real challenge was up ahead, the three floors of apartment that she would have to climb to finally make it to her room. Then of course, there is the trial of how to unlock and open the door with the groceries in her hands, which is of course, impossible.

Being the outgoing person that she is, she did climb the steps and make it to her apartment before setting down the bags on the stoop to unlock her apartment. Then heading back outside, she picked up the groceries again, almost dropping them but made it inside. Heading straight into the dark apartment, her memory is the only thing that helped her make it to the kitchen in the pitch black apartment before finally setting down the groceries and flipping on the lights.

It all filled nicely into a plain, but cozy kitchen and lovely sitting room. Going into the sitting room, she flipped the news on, before proceeding back into the kitchen to prepare herself a homemade meal.

Into the silence, the phone suddenly rang, causing Sakura to drop the sets of celery on the table and then proceeding to the white phone. "Kinomoto residence."

" Sakura, you will never guess what your next assignment is?" Her best friend in the entire world exclaimed happily into the phone.

"I don't get assignments…" Sakura replied, annoyed at the interruption to what was going to be a quiet night.

Not that Sakura regretted Tomoyo's phone call, but this was the time to think of her next column that she would begin. At twenty-six years of age, Sakura had become a successful writer and weekly columnist for the local newspaper in Tokyo. College had been long and difficult, but it had all paid off. Sakura lived alone in her apartment, all of which is afforded by her standard pay. Tomoyo worked with her as her editor and of course, fashion designer. Ever the over-achieving woman, Tomoyo managed to house her own design company as well as edit Sakura's work and still have a successful marriage with her high school sweetheart, Eriol. Sakura wasn't sure how Tomoyo accomplished this, being that she barely had time for her column alone.

Cutting into her thoughts, Tomoyo exclaimed happily, "Well you do today."

"What are you talking about?" Sakura replied, her patience running shorter then usual.

"Well, I was talking to Keiji sama about the arts festival that Eriol and I are attending…"

Before Tomoyo could finish, Sakura cut her off, "I can't go!"

"Oh I know, silly, let me finish." Clearing her throat, Tomoyo continued her "exciting" story. "Okay, so Keiji sama was like, 'well that sounds like fun'. And of course, we all know it will be. I told him that we wanted you to come but that you were just sooooo dedicated to work and we weren't able to convince you to come." Sakura was certain that the gullible, but lovable Keiji sama (the boss of the newspaper) ate the story up. Sakura knew what was happening next, there was no need for foreboding.

"So he said that it sounded like a wonderful, cultural experience. It will, of course, be life changing and incredibly interesting. A much needed vacation."

Then, the thing that Sakura knew would happen, came. "He was like, well how about I assign Sakura to cover the festival in her column. Her readers love it when she travels because she kind of lives the life they all wished they had. It would be great to give them this experience, plus, it would get the newspaper noticed to include other cultural events outside of Japan."

Sighing, Sakura said, "Tomoyo, I can't go!"

"I told him what a great idea that is. The column will definitely be a success now! So guess what?"

Exasperated, Sakura exclaimed, "I'm not going!"

"We live on Saturday. The tickets are all set!" Tomoyo giggled happily over the phone with delight. Her coup had worked.

"I Can Not GO!" Then suddenly, it dawned on her, "You ALREADY HAVE THE TICKETS!" Sakura yelled into the phone, her neighbors banged a broom on the floor to tell her to keep it down.

Pulling her emotions back, Sakura hissed into the phone, "I can't believe you did that."

Tomoyo's glee expanded at the exasperated Sakura. "I could totally see myself doing that… Oh wait, I already did!"

"Tomoyo, I can't afford a trip. Not to mention my father…"

Tomoyo cut Sakura off before she could finish, "said it was a good idea and a much needed vacation. And he's right, Sakura. You need to get away. Even if you still have to write the column, at least you'll be elsewhere."

Sakura sat down at the table, staring at her unopened groceries and celery still untouched. "Sakura, you need to get away from everything here. Away from your father and his illness, your brother and Yukito san, work and Keiji sama. I would let you go by yourself if I had faith that you'd actually get out and meet people…"

Slamming her fist on the table, Sakura angrily replied in the phone, "Is THAT what this is about? Setting me up? Making sure I date? Its going to be VERY long vacation if that's what you expected…"

Tomoyo waited a moment for Sakura to gather her thoughts before speaking softly in the phone. "You know that's not what I meant. I just think you need to get away from here to… to truly get over him. You are so strong, but I think the memories kill you. I know that if you just escape from it all, you'll find yourself again. I know it"

Before Tomoyo could continue, Sakura replied, "Who said I was lost?" And then, before Tomoyo could reply, Sakura said, "I know what you mean. Maybe it will be good. My father has been feeling a lot better lately so its probably as good a time as any…" Sighing, Sakura took the leap into her friends fantasy world, "Alright, I'll go. On one condition, NO SETUPS!"

Laughing happily into the phone, Tomoyo made a quick reply, "I won't! You won't regret it! Its going to be so much fun! I'll make all the plans, don't worry about a thing. You just start writing next weeks column so you only have the week after's to worry about. I'll see you tomorrow bright and early!"

"For what?"

"Shopping of course!"

Before could protest further, Tomoyo was long gone, probably thinking of all the outfits that Sakura would be wearing during their week trip into Hong Kong's Cultural Arts Festival. Setting the phone down on the table, Sakura could hardly believe what was happening.

Tomoyo was right when she said that Sakura had lost herself. At least part of herself. Trying to keep the depression out of her, Sakura had denied herself any feelings. For the only feelings that overcame her, were the ones that hurt the most. It seemed silly to most people, it might even seem embarrassing. For her, it was just hard.

Her boyfriend, or ex-boyfriend as it were, had not called in months, Sakura couldn't call him back. She had hoped for a phone call, telling her he was sorry and he was wrong. That he loved her, that he made a mistake and would do anything to make it better. She wanted to be able to yell at him and make him know how much he had hurt her. Instead, he got off with nothing, and Sakura got off with no heart left. Yukio took everything with him, and didn't even realize it. Or maybe that was his plan all along.

Regardless, Sakura couldn't get him out of her mind. He was still very present in her memory, and although her friend had tried to make amends, Sakura couldn't speak to either of them. In her mind, they were dead to her; at least she wished they were.

A tear slid silently down her face before Sakura wiped it away and began working on the dinner that she had planned on having finished by now.

It was going to be an interesting vacation…

Authors Notes: So this story is kind of weird and totally not what I thought it was going to be… I had actually written this chapter earlier, but my stupid laptop decided to update and automatically restart, which proceeded to lose all of my work that I had on my laptop. I was pretty angry needless to say, I believe I uttered quite a few curse words. However, I have forgiven my laptop pets laptop for if I stayed angry, it might restart again! Bows down to her laptop I'm not worthy!

This idea is actually kind of based on a real event in my life. However, that event in my life had absolutely nothing to do with traveling to a foreign country like Hong Kong and experiencing really cool things. I never go anywhere, so I'm kind of like stuck in America…. It also has absolutely nothing to do with having a weekly column, unless my blog counts, which I'm proud to say, is updated at least once a week, if not more…. My job is a shoe store, where I sale shoes… It's pretty boring and not at all glamorous. (Must just be my watching of Sex in the City where the job thing comes from. Lol)

So there ya go, the truth about this story and how it's based on my life, which is to say, it isn't! Now comment or I shall smote thee!