Return of the Card Mistress

Home for The Holidays

Authors Note: I know I know I promised end of summer but I was sooooooo busy and I haven't been able to do anything but I finally managed to make time to do a little writing. I don't know how often I will be able to update but I'm posting this one now so you at least know I haven't deserted you. I really hope you all like this one as much as Hogwarts Here I Come...so here it is and as usual please review.

Emerald eyes opened as the sun pored though the small part in the curtains; her mind was a complete blur 'Was it all just a dream?' she though moving her hand she looked down at the ring adorning her finger 'No not a dream...' she smiled thinking about the night before, she was now engaged to the love of her life.

She felt movement beneath her and smiled, she had no regrets although the thought of her brother sent a slight shiver down her spine. He would kill her if he ever found out what had occurred after Syaoran popped the question.

She blushed slightly; she could remember every detail of the night before. Now that her mind had cleared. She could still feel his every caress and shuddered at the thought.

"Sakura! Where do you think your going?" she halted at the door and looked to her brother he had been getting suspicious of her lately. She had barely slept at home for two weeks and it was already near the end of July, "To Tomoyo's Cherry's there so I'm going to spend the night..." she explained quickly putting her shoes on.

"Sakura...you have slept over there nearly every night...why don't you stay home tonight" Touya asked pleadingly he didn't like the way she looked at anything but him.

Sakura sighed she would stay but she had a date with Syaoran tonight so she would have to go; and she couldn't come back without Cherry. Then her brother would know that she hadn't been with Tomoyo.

Her Father on the other hand, knew she was going out with Syaoran, both were sixteen now and he knew the boy could defend himself and Sakura so that wasn't a problem. He unlike his son had figured out that Sakura didn't stay at Tomoyo's every night he new she stayed with Syaoran he trusted the young man to respect his daughter and so far from what he could tell he had. And since Cherry was also present he didn't have much to worry about.

"Tomorrow...ja ne Onii-chan! Otou-san!" with that she ran out the door and though the gate.

The movie had been great as well as the walk though the park. Sakura now sat with Syaoran on the couch watching TV, she sighed resting her head on his shoulder it had been a long day she gasped slightly when he picked her up carrying into his room sitting her on the bed. She watched as he left only to come back a moment later.

She could tell he was nervous, afraid even, she watched as he sat beside her not looking up at her. He finally turned his gaze to hers she was shocked to see the sincerity that lay there, he took her hand in his, she could feel the blush raise on her cheeks. "Syao-" he placed a finger to her lips silencing her, "Sakura I never imagined I would be doing this but then again you have turned my life upside down...with you everything is different I'm so glad I got to meet you. I will never be the same..." he was gazing into her eyes holding her there, "Syao-what?" her eyes widened in shock seeing him slip from the bed to go down on one knee.

"Sakura I've been racking my brain trying to think of a good place-somewhere you would like...to propose to you...but being me I couldn't think of anything...so this will just have to do..." he opened the small black box showing her the diamond band.

He watched as her eyes widened a hand coming up to her mouth in shock. "Will you Sakura Kinomoto marry me?" he was holding his breath waiting for her to laugh at his horrible proposal but nothing came.

The silence was deafening, unbearable he was about to get up rejected when her hand caresses his cheek, he looked up at her to see her smiling, "Yes..." his eyes widened "What?" her smile brightened "Of course I will. I love you..." she joined him on the flood throwing her arms around him, her words sinking in he smiled pulling back he took the ring from the padded pillow it rested upon and slid it onto her finger. She smiled brightly and kissed him slightly before it became much, much more....

A blush spread over her cheeks thinking about it shuddering again at the thought. She snuggled closer to her love a slight throb shot though her abdomen at the movement she cringed slightly, the movement awaking the one beneath her. She felt his arm tighten around her. She looked up and meet amber eyes. "Morning" he smiled before replying "Morning." she lay her head back onto his chest hearing his heart beat she couldn't help but smile.

He looked over at the clock to see it was well past eleven he had woken much earlier but the steady heart beat and breathing from the one atop him had lulled him back to sleep. He sighed they would have to get up soon to take her to Tomoyo's then home.

Tomoyo had taken Cherry home to watch over her she had been a large help with everything along with encouraging him to ask her soon. Though having seen how the males here in Japan watched her was a large push in the right direction. He had claimed her and the bite mark on her shoulder was proof of that. He looked at the small wound on her shoulder then to the one on his own it was the mark of a mate his sent clung to her as her's did to him.

"Your brother is going to kill me..." he heard the horrified giggle that escaped her, "What he doesn't know can't hurt you..." she felt him move slightly smiling he kissed the top of her head, "I'm going to take a shower care to join me?" she looked up at him almost pleadingly "Wouldn't miss it for the world..." she smiled before getting up allowing the sheets to fall it was only Syaoran after all.

"Oh Touya cheer up she said she would stay here tonight didn't she?" he looked up at his father and sighed, "I don't know it's past noon and she hasn't come home yet you think something happened?" Fujitaka watched his son closely he knew how protective he was over Sakura and sighed. He wondered slightly what he would do if he found out that Sakura had been staying at Syaoran Li's apartment instead of with Tomoyo.

"I'm going to call Tomoyo's and see if everything's alri..." his words were cut off by someone opening the front door. Both men stood before walking into the hall only to see the one they had been talking about wave at someone behind her and close the door.

Sakura smiled down at Cherry as she took off her shoes then the little girls. "Where have you been?" she turned around only to face her brother looking up slightly she smiled, "Tomoyo wanted me to stay for lunch..." this was true at least. "So your not hungry?" she nodded no before picking Cherry up "I'm going up to change be down in a bit..." she ran up the stairs before they could ask anymore questions.

She lay in bed Cherry curled up beside her thinking; what was Touya going to say when he found out she was engaged and to Syaoran Li. She sighed she was going to have to tell them sooner or later but right now later looked so much better. "Mommy? When are we going back?" Cherry looked up to see her eyes were closed but she was listening, "Soon we are going to Eriol's first though..." she smiled and nodded

"Sakura! Dinner!" she sat up "Coming!" she scooped up the small girl and walked out of her room and down the stairs towards the kitchen. Cherry sat in one of the chairs with a few extra pillows so she could see her food. Touya was sitting in front of his sister watching her eat and help the small child to do the same when he noticed. "What is that?" he yelled standing up he pointed to her left hand and the ring that was sitting there.

She pulled her hand back looking up at her brother. "I....Syaoran....me...." her father smiled slightly as he watched his son blow things way out of proportion....again..."What does the gaki have to do with the ring Sakura?" she looked down "He asked me to marry him..." Touya sat down that was not the answer he had wanted to hear. "You said 'no' right? Right?" at this Sakura fumed she stood up placing her hands on the table. "Of course I didn't say 'no'! Why would I do something so stupid I love Syaoran." she blushed at her last statement. "Otou-san please tell me your not ok with this?! He didn't ask you did he?" he was looking at his father now.

"Touya he did ask for my permission and I gave it to him...Syaoran Li is I good man he will take care of her I know he will..." Touya nearly fell off his chair. "You said it was OK?" Sakura looked livid. "Touya why can't you be happy for me? You would rather see me miserable then with Syaoran wouldn't you!? I...I...I hate you!" she turned on her heal and left the table tears streaming down her face. The only sound at the moment was her running up the stairs and the ever loud slam of her door.

Touya eyes were wide, she hated him? His heart wrenched, her own brother she had never said that to him even when they bickered about things...he never though she could hate someone he looked down he had failed her. He never wanted to see his sister unhappy but why did her happiness have to be with the gaki? He had known that Syaoran would end up taking his sister from him he just hoped that she would change her mind. He didn't even really know why he disliked him so.

Looking up when a whimper was heard he looked at the small child tears were polling in her eyes "Cherry I..." his word were cut off "You hurt mommy!" the girl bellowed before running off as well. He sighed standing up Fujitaka watched as he walked though the door, he rubbed his temples how he waited for another ten months of peace.

Touya walked up the stairs he looked over at his sister's door he knocked softly only to hear a muffled 'Go Away!' he turned the knob only to find it locked. "Sakura open the door! Come on I'm sorry I didn't mean it..." he pounded on the door, "Touya just go away" he could hear the tears in her voice and sighed.

He tuned to his room 'Why? Why did I open my big mouth?!' he could kick himself for his stupidity, he knew Sakura would forgive him eventually but she would be going in two weeks he didn't want her to be angry at him while she was away.

Sakura sat with Cherry in her lap 'Why can't he just understand that I love him?' she let out a sigh she knew her brother would be angry but not that much, she would forgive him eventually most likely before school started.

Morning came all to quickly for many that sill had to get up to go to work for those that were on summer holiday never even noticed the sun.

Sakura lay awake listening to the birds chirping out for a morning fly before it got to hot. She didn't even notice when her door was opened and her brother walked in, "Sakura?" she turned away from his voice wishing she had locked the door after Cherry left to go downstairs.

"Sakura please I am so sorry really I am, I just wasn't expecting it...I'm really sorry I blew up at you..." she turned over before sitting up, "Touya I know you didn't mean it but it still hurt that you would rather see me alone and unhappy then with Syaoran" fresh tears were brimming in her eyes.

"I never meant it that way I just meant-well I don't know what I meant but I know I'm sorry. You're my little sister Sakura I never want to see you hurt...so if the gaki makes you happy then fine but if he ever does something...anything to hurt you tell me ok...and I'll make sure he never does it again ok?" she couldn't help but smile.

"Alright Touya but you have to stop calling him gaki alright?" he looked at her before nodding, "I'll try..."

The silver moonlight washed over everything two shadows shifted beneath the pooling silver nearly at the edge of the forest. Sakura pulled off her top after they were under the cover of trees the change was creeping up on her when a cry echoed though the bushes.

Both turned recognizing the voice, "Cherry!" Sakura's voice was rough but she ran from her spot to where the sound had come from. Stopping before the small curled ball "Cherry?" small emerald eyes looked up at her, Syaoran came up to them kneeling beside the two. "Hurts..." was the only response.

"Cherry, I want you to relax...ok? Please, it will hurt a bit but it'll go away, please just let go and calm down." Syaoran's words were soft but effective she uncurled herself and tried to relax though the pain was rather unbearable but she trusted Syaoran he had never lied to her before why would he start now.

She heard a loud crack and all the pain was gone she looked down to see her hands-or rather paws she looked up at her parents what were standing in front of her 'Otou-san? Kaa-san?' she didn't know what was going on. She tried to walk but found herself tripping over her paws she landed on something soft looking down at her father who had caught her.

Cherry wasn't sure what was going on but she couldn't help feeling rather free as if she could just run forever...if she could get her legs to work properly that was. Syaoran set her strait again and nudged her trying to get her to focus she seemed to snap back into reality.

'Running on four legs is harder then running on two.' was the constant thought on her mind as she tried to get up having tripped over her own feet once again, 'Calm down Cherry you almost got it...' Sakura walked up at her Syaoran by her side if she could smile she would have, the smaller of the three only nodded slightly getting up how could her parents do it so easily when she remembered all the times she had stayed with Tomoyo or one of the Elves over night while her parents went out.

The sun was poking out over the horizon promising another hot day, Cherry lay curled with her mother and father in a small clearing she had finally gotten the hang of running again and she was tiered they had only stopped a few hours ago when she could finally walk without tripping over herself.

The two weeks after that had flown past in a blur now Sakura sat on her bed bags packed, and Cherry downstairs. Thoughts of how her friends were doing came to mind she hoped Harry had a good summer even if he was with his aunt and uncle.

She had sent Harry a birthday gift and card. She had gotten Syaoran and Tomoyo to sign the card along with Cherry's childish signature. She had also sent with it a few small pastries she had made just in case his cousin was still on his diet. Along with a package from Tomoyo and from Syaoran. She had received a letter back from him thanking them for everything and saying hello to Cherry as well. She thought of Hermione and Ron and hoped they too had, had a good summer holiday she had sent a few letters to them as well.

She thought of her own holiday and smiled she could still remember the first full day of summer vacation at home as if it had happened yesterday.

Sakura smiled looking at her old room having unpacked her trunk she picked up the laundry and walked downstairs placing everything in the washer she turned it on. She had called Tomoyo to see if she had wanted to go out but she had to go out with her mother somewhere. She had thought bout calling Chiharu, Rika and the rest but decided she would talk to them tomorrow.

Making her way back to her room she watched as Cherry began waking up from her nap when the phone rang it was odd to be back in the world of machines, where everything was automated and magic was the last thing on someone's mind. She picked up the phone.

"Moshi, Moshi?" her eyes widened 'Was that my voice?' she put a hand to her throat, "Sakura are you ok you don't sound to well...maybe I should call back?" she could hear the voice on the other end she shook her head slightly, "Gomen Syaoran-kun I'm just a little tiered that's all" she smiled though she knew he couldn't see it. "You sure?" he sounded worried, "Yeah I'm fine really..." she tried to reassure him.

After a long silence he answered "All right if your sure I was just calling to see if you want to go for a walk since Cherry hasn't been out?" her smile grew there was nothing better to do her father would be gone for the rest of the day along with her brother and Cherry had never been around the streets of Tomoeda, "Yeah were should we meet?" she could tell he was smiling now "I'll come pick you two up ok? "

"Ok, Ja ne"

"Ja" with that they hung up Cherry was now sitting up in bed watching her talk, "Come Cherry baby we're going for a walk ok?" she nodded and got up wiping the sleep out of her eyes as she went she had almost made it to the bedroom door when she was snatched up and found herself standing on the bed she had just gotten off of. "Oka-san?" tilting her head slightly as Sakura left to one of the drawers, "You can't go out like that Cherry come on get changed..." pink flooded onto her cheeks when she looked down she was wearing just a t-shirt that reached her ankles; the rest of her sleeping cloths were in the wash .

She changed with Sakura's help when they finished Cherry sat watching as Sakura brushed her hair quickly grabbing a skirt and shirt changing quickly finishing just as the doorbell went off. She smiled and took the small girls hand leading her out of the room and down the stairs. She opened the door smiling.

Syaoran stood there waiting for her he smiled slightly when the door opened he was nearly knocked over when Cherry hugged him "Otou-san..." he picked her up placing her on his shoulders as he held onto her legs so she wouldn't fall off.

Sakura smiled he had changed so much since she met him even in the past year, he looked back at her, "Sakura are you coming?" nodding she closed the door before running up to them at the gate.

Syaoran sat on one of the park benches watching as Sakura played in the sand with a giggling Cherry, he smiled they had been out for near two hours. Cherry couldn't help running up to store windows, occasionally wanting to go in one. Finally they had made it to the park, and here was where Sakura had been dragged to the sand and they had been playing there ever since.

He looked over when he felt something poke at his chest seeing Sakura standing giggling slightly he smiled, "You two ready to go?" they nodded and he stood up.

"Hey Sakura!" she turned to see who had called her as a boy around her age came running up his blond hair falling over his eyes as he ran, "Oh Hi Mark" he smiled.

Mark had come from America when the pack had run from the werewolf hysteria that was happening there at the time, though they had the species wrong but humans rarely ever got the story strait anyway.

He looked over to the guy standing beside her with some kid in his arms, "Who are you?" his voice held an edge Sakura had never heard from him before. "Oh Mark this is Li and Cherry" Syaoran nodded not liking how he had been looking at HIS Sakura.

"Oh is she your sister?" he was looking at Syaoran now, "No she's my daughter" Mark's eyes widened, "Daughter?" he watched him nod. "Oh but then who..." he seemed afraid to finish the sentence, 'Sakura why are you handing out with some guy that's got a kid I mean come on people are going to think...' She could hear him in the back of her mind and she prayed Syaoran didn't hear him.

"Tou-san I'm tiered can we go home?" came the soft sound of the young girl, "Sure Cherr as soon as your mothers finished talking" if Marks eyes had been wide before they were nothing compared to now, "You're her mother?" he looked at Sakura who nodded never losing her smile, 'But then where is her mark?' when he realized that Li guys sent clung to hers yet he had watched them since they got to the park and he hadn't been near her really in over half an hour his sent should have left her by then yet it was still there plain as day.

Trying to be as cheerful as possible his smile fake "Well now that your back Sakura we should go out for a run some time with the gang ne?" she nodded "Yeah that would be fun ne Syaoran-kun?" he nodded, "Yeah but I think we should get going before Cherry falls asleep..." with that they said goodbye and walked back home.

That was when Sakura realized Mark had never really been the same to her he had seemed to always try and compete with Syaoran every chance he had gotten over the summer, they had even gotten into a huge fight while out for a run one night both of them had managed to get a fair amount of bruises and cuts though Mark seemed a little more worse for wear at the end having backed down from the fight running off tail between his legs most likely to try and heal the gashes and wounds before they scarred.

She shook her head clearing it of that thought she remembered seeing her old friends again they had spent much time together getting caught up though having gotten the edited version of the story all magic removed.

She could remember when her pack had been told about the marriage and them being mates. Sota Maitsu - her pack leader had thought it was alright. He had taken a liking to Syaoran saying he was leader material and would be welcome in his pack anytime.

Mark on the other had hadn't been that happy about it now that she really thought about it, he had snapped at her a few times after that as if everything had suddenly become her fault. After that he had completely cut her off, she wasn't as dense as everyone thought she could tell that he had liked her but it was his own fault she had told him before of her boyfriend in Hong Kong.

They had stopped talking for over a month after he told her to 'dump his sorry ass' when he had heard her talking to Tomoyo about how she missed him and he hadn't sent her any letters since the one just after he left the second time.

She now compared Mark and Brad and they were so similar it was frightened to say the least both obsessed it seemed. She sighed you could never make everyone happy at the same time no matter what. She had managed to get back on speaking terms with him she had assumed he realized they would never be more then friends.

Finally the memory of her brother face when he found out she was engaged to Syaoran came flooding into her mind and she couldn't help but laugh. Of course neither her father or brother knew that she was now his mate and had the scar on he shoulder to prove it. That 'mark' as Wolves called it couldn't be erased nor would it fade. She inhaled deeply she could smell his sent on her, another thing that would never leave her.

Sighing again she got up and walked to the door before headed downstairs. Everything was packed, she had her Hogwarts letter with plane and train tickets, along with a list of all books and supplies she would need this year. Their plane left tomorrow for England and she would meet Eriol at the airport in London along with Meiling who would arrive about an hour later from China. They would spend the rest of vacation with Eriol before the train came to take them to school.

Authors Note: well there you have it the first chapter Good? Bad? Please tell me if I should continue with it...anyway review and let me know...

Ja ne