A delicate Situation

by SuperSweety09

I posted a few chapters a while ago, but i kept forgetting, so here is my ExT story that has quite a lot going on. Just read and feel free to review

Domestic Turbulence

By SuperSweety09

Summary: E/T. Tomoyo like Eriol. Eriol likes Tomoyo. Eriol's parents don't like Tomoyo. There's a lot going on, so just please R/R.

Chapter 1

Tomoyo tightened the straps of the baby carrier pouch and looked down at her chubby daughter. She was dressed in layers and layers to guard her delicate constitution against the harsh winter weather. Their luggage was already aboard the plane and everyone had been so nice to them, helping out as much as they could. One of the stewards had even assured her he would take care of the car seat and other bulky items. All she had to do was get them on the plane. Tomoyo stood statuesque in front of the gate for a long moment, debating whether she really wanted to go. Was she going for the right reasons? Or was she subconsciously wishing for something else entirely to happen? It was too late though, everything was in order. Mentally bracing herself, she stepped through the gate and quickly strode to the waiting plane.

-

Sakura, Syaoran and a little flailing bundle lounged before the crackling fire. The Christmas tree was twinkling cheerily and the smell of pine and baked good permeated the air. It was an idyllic scene Sakura mused as she toyed with her tiny son's fine hair. A small smile curved her lips and she glanced over at Syaoran. He raised a brow. "What's so funny?"

Se shrugged and reached over, brushing his hair out of his eyes. "Nothing. Just wool gathering," she murmured. Then her eyes took on a militant gleam. "You need a hair cut, Mr. Li."

He groaned and pushed her hand away. "No way, lady. I'll get it cut in spring, but right now it's keeping my poor head warm." Sakura laughed and ruffled his hair. He immediately retaliated by mussing hers and soon they were battling over their gurgling child. As Sakura grabbed a chunk of hair and pulled, Syaoran winced and wound his fist in her hair, drawing her nearer. Both their faces were scrunched with pain, but neither would admit defeat. Finally, after a heated staring contest, Syaoran let go of her hair. She immediately released his. With a wicked smiled her caught a hold of her hair again with one hand and immobilized her hands with his other hand. Triumphantly, he grinned and swooped down for a kiss. A moment later, he let go and sprang to his feet, ready to flee.

Sakura glared up at him but resettled herself and pulled Keisuke closer to her. "Daddy's a bad boy, Keikei, but you won't grow up to be like him will you? After all, you like sleeping in a nice warm bed."

Syaoran groaned and sank back to the ground. "No, not the couch," he pleaded. "It's so lumpy and cold and lonely."

She ignored him and cooed to Keisuke. The doorbell rang and she pointedly looked his way. Syaoran sighed and made a show of getting to his feet. "Maybe that's my mistress, come to keep my bed warm," he teased. His grin widened when she murmured, "Yeah, with her blood."

As he entered the foyer, he attempted to smooth his hair, but knew it was pointless. Sighing and tugging his wrinkled clothing, he opened the door a crack. "Yes?" A gust of strong wind, accompanied with a few of the first snowflakes drowned the figure's reply. "Excuse me? I didn't catch that." He reached over and flicked on the porch lights. "Holy shit."

Tomoyo smiled weakly in the bright fluorescent lighting. "Surprise."

For a long moment Syaoran just stared. His eyes started to burn and he slowly blinked. When she didn't disappear, he let out a whoop and dragged her in. He reached for her luggage and stopped short. There were only two things, a medium sized suitcase and a baby carrier. Quickly, he brought the two things in and squatted in front of the baby carrier. Tomoyo still had that weak smile on her face. She looked to be on the verge of tears. Syaoran blinked and lifted the blanket draped over the whole thing. Two huge blue stared up at him. Gently, he unharnessed the baby girl and lifted her out.

"Syaoran, what's taking so long…" Sakura trailed off as she took in the scene. With Keisuke in her arms, she let out a shriek and jumped toward Tomoyo. "Oh!!! You're finally back!" She turned to Syaoran, still holding the baby girl in the air. She handed Keisuke to the still mute Tomoyo and plucked the child from her husband's arms. "Oh, she's precious. What's her name?"

Tomoyo blinked and reflexively bounced the baby on her arms. "Um… that's Ayame."

"Ayame. Cute," Sakura said with a smile. "Let's go to the kitchen. I'm sure you're cold and hungry."

Twenty minutes later, they were all standing around the kitchen island, holding cups of steaming coffee. Tomoyo had barely murmured two words since she had arrived. Muttering some kind of excuse, Syaoran took the two babies and adjourned to the living room. Sakura had a smile on her face and gestured to a few chairs. "How have you been?"

Tomoyo sipped her coffee and met Sakura's open emerald gaze. "I've been alright. How about you?"

Sakura laughed and pulled her knees to her chest. "It's been pretty hectic lately. We're still getting used to adjusting to Keisuke…" For a good hour, Sakura talked and talked, filling in the last two years for Tomoyo. Finally, she wound to a halt and pointed met Tomoyo's gaze. "How have you been?" she asked again, her gaze harder.

She dropped her gaze and swirled the cold liquid in the cup. "When I…moved away, I went to England. I bought a little flat just outside London. I got a job at a prominent magazine and finished up my schooling. Right before Aya was born, I was promoted to junior fashion editor. Ayame was born a month early and so I took my pregnancy leave. I was let go from the magazine and it was a hard few months when I didn't have a steady job and all the bills and Ayame to look after. I finally got a job at a department store and it's been alright since then."

She looked up at Sakura and saw tears streaming down her friends face. Sakura blinked and wiped the moisture away. She blew her nose and moved to sit next to Tomoyo. She enveloped her in a hug broke into sobs. Tomoyo stiffened and felt her eyes burn. Slowly her arms encircled Sakura's slight form and she relaxed into the embrace. A moment later, she heard Sakura murmur, "I'm sorry," over and over again into her ear. The tears spilled and she started sobbing loudly. Like Sakura, she found herself saying, "I'm sorry," over and over.

-

Syaoran sat on the ground in front of the couch where the two babies were lounging, babbling to each other. He strained to listen to the conversation in the kitchen. After quite a while, he heard quiet sobbing. Shortly after, the other joined in. He smiled. Good, things were out in the open now. He turned back to his charges and they stared solemnly at him. Keisuke's bright hazel eyes and Ayame's deep blue ones halfway unnerved him. Simultaneously, they broke into baby giggles. He cracked a smile and started to play with them. As they romped, he pondered who Ayame's father was.

-

Long moments later Tomoyo and Sakura broke apart and wiped their eyes. They looked at each other and broke into helpless laughter. Sakura got up and washed their cups while Tomoyo trailed her and looked around at the kitchen. "This looks almost exactly like…"

Sakura laughed and turned the faucet off. "Yeah, I designed it like my Daddy's kitchen. At first Syaoran was set against it, but I set off the water works and he gave in." They both laughed and looked around the kitchen, giggling. From the doorway, there was an exaggerated cough.

"If you ladies are done making fun of my susceptibilities, then the children need diaper changes," Syaoran drawled. In his arms, Ayame and Keisuke spotted their mothers and babbled excitedly. As one, they started towards their precious cargo. Syaoran surrendered them willingly and went to turn on the television.

Later that night, when the children were put to sleep, the three adults were watching the late night news. Syaoran cleared his throat and lowered the volume. The two ladies looked at him questioningly. He turned bright red and looked at Tomoyo. "Tomoyo, I just wanted to say, I'm glad that you came back to us. I know that you and I aren't exactly the best of friends, but I plan to rectify that. This house is open to you as along as you need it. We were really worried about you when you seemed to have disappeared. If there's anything you need help with, I'm at your disposal." Tomoyo's smile wobbled dangerously. "No, no, no…I didn't mean to make you cry," he said, waving his hands in front of him.

She came to him and dropped a kiss on his cheek. "That's so sweet. And I've always thought of you as a close friend." She went back to her seat and worried her lip. "Actually, Ayame and I are leaving the day after tomorrow."

Sakura sat up straight. "I thought you were staying through Christmas!"

Tomoyo clasped her hands together. "I…well…I wanted to get back early to avoid the rush during those couple of days," she evaded. "With Ayame and everything…"

Sakura and Syaoran exchanged glances. "You don't want to run into Ayame's father?" Syaoran asked bluntly. Tomoyo's gaze flew to his and she nodded reluctantly. "Does he know about Aya?" he asked.

Tomoyo bit her lip and looked into the fire. "He might," she said quietly.

Syaoran's gaze turned hard. "Why wouldn't he?"

"He might not have read my letter," she murmured, tears forming again.

Sakura slapped Syaoran in the shoulder and glared, then she turned to Tomoyo. "Who is he?" she asked flatly. Syaoran shoved her a little and glared. A little sensitivity was needed in this situation.

Tomoyo looked at the two of them, curled up together on the couch. "I don't think…"

Sakura frowned and went to sit next to Tomoyo. "Come on, we're going to know someday," she stated in a matter-of-fact way. Tomoyo blinked. Sakura smiled sweetly and stroked Tomoyo's hand soothingly. "Tomoyo, you have to tell someone. Just think, if anything fatal ever happened to you, we would know what to do with Ayame and who to tell."

Syaoran rolled his eyes and came over to Tomoyo's other side. "Tomoyo…we would never betray you. Anything you tell me or Sakura, we'll keep in the strictest confidence unless you give us leave to tell others."

Tomoyo stared at them and took a deep breath. They waited with bated breath. "I'm sorry, I can't," she let out in a rush, then jumped to her feet and excused herself.

Sakura scowled at Syaoran. "Nice going," she mumbled. He rolled his eyes and caught her hand, dragging her off to bed.

As they bedded down, Sakura named off several men that could possibly be Ayame's father. "Hmm…someone we know, otherwise she wouldn't be leaving so early. Maybe…Hiro? Takahashi? No, he's too in love with Chiharu. That guy we went to school with…what was his name? Was it Hiroshi? Geez…too many people have blue eyes and black hair." Syaoran rolled over and tried to ignore Sakura's musings. He closed his eyes and attempted to sleep. "Oh my god," Sakura suddenly said. She shook his shoulder and waited until he opened his eyes. "I know who it is! It has to be Yukito!"

Syaoran just stared at her in disbelief then rolled over and closed his eyes. "Just go to sleep," he told her. "You don't want to hurt yourself."

"Why wouldn't it be him?" she demanded.

Syaoran's hand found her face and pressed her into her pillow. "He has grey eyes and whitish hair and he was practically a brother to her."

Sakura made a face at his back and flopped onto her side. She instantly fell asleep.

The next morning, Syaoran wandered down into the kitchen to make coffee and found Tomoyo and Ayame already there and ready for the day. Coffee was even made. "Good morning," Tomoyo called out. He mumbled something back and reached for the coffee. After he got his first good gulp of coffee down, he turned to her. She had Ayame balanced on her hip and was stirring baby cereal with the other hand. "How was your sleep?" he asked.

She smiled and blew on the cereal. "It was great. The mattress was heaven on earth. How was your sleep?"

A crooked smile curved his lips and he took another gulp of coffee. "Sakura kept talking to me. Did you know she talks in her sleep?"

Tomoyo giggled. "Yeah. I think she does it on purpose sometimes though."

They sat there in comfortable silence for a few minutes then Tomoyo quietly said his name. "I was thinking about what Sakura said last night, you know, about if anything ever happened to me? Well…she's right. But…" she met his gaze. "I love her, but I'm afraid she'll accidentally blurt it out, so if I tell you, you promise you won't tell her?"

Syaoran nodded and held her gaze. She looked away for a moment then met his gaze again, a sad smile on her lips.

Chapter 2

-

"It's Eriol."

There was complete silence in the kitchen for a long moment. Tomoyo looked away and started feeding Ayame. Syaoran blinked. Then blinked again. "As in Hiiragizawa?" he asked hoarsely.

She briefly met his gaze and nodded. "Please don't tell him," she whispered.

Syaoran stared at the steaming coffee and nodded slowly. "Right." He swirled the contents of the cup and glanced up at her. "Any particular reason?"

She seemed to seriously consider for a moment, but then shook her head and resumed feeding baby Ayame. "Just don't, please." Upstairs, a howl was let loose and Syaoran smiled wryly. "I would hate to not know about Keisuke," he said aloud.

Tomoyo noted his insinuation and shrugged it off. There wasn't any possible outcome that she could come to terms with if Eriol ever knew about Ayame. She moved the topic to the back of her mind and concentrated on feeding Aya the mashed banana cereal.

Sakura bounded downstairs with a wide grin and a plan for the day. She breezed into the kitchen and pulled out the makings of blueberry waffles, a favorite of Tomoyo's. "Since you'll only be here for a few days, we're going shopping!" she exclaimed. "I need to get you a few years' worth of Christmas presents since you've missed a few and a few things for Ayame too, because I'm supposed to be the fun aunt that spoils her silly." As she rattled on, Tomoyo let a happy smile curve her lips. She had really missed Sakura's lopsided logic and her ability to go on even when she knew no one was particularly listening.

Soon, the waffles were being cooked and a mouthwatering aroma filtered through the house. Shortly thereafter, Syaoran and Keisuke entered the kitchen, wearing identical smiles. "Waffles!" Syaoran exclaimed exuberantly. "We've never had these before."

Sakura glared defensively and crossed her arms. "Well you never asked for them!"

Syaoran shrugged and set Keisuke down in the walker. "So what's the plan today?"

Sakura happily launched into her game plan and had Syaoran groaning. "Why don't we just do something fun today?"

Both women looked at him as if her were crazy. "Shopping is fun," his wife informed him.

"Not for me," he muttered. "Or the kids."

Sakura rolled her eyes and slapped a hot waffle into his hand.

-

They ended up going to an indoor playground, which was conveniently located across the street from a largish shopping centre. They swooped down in a vacant table and played happily with their children for a good hour and a half before Sakura dragged them off to the mall. There, Syaoran took charge of Keisuke and they went off to do "man work," meaning they went to the music and video shops.

Sakura, Tomoyo and Ayame window shopped for a little while before Sakura walked into a baby store and bought a ridiculous amount of clothing for Keisuke and Aya, ignoring Tomoyo's arguments. The next place they stopped, Sakura chose a few nice articles of clothing and paid for them, then promptly handed the bags to Tomoyo and walked calmly away before calling out that they were hers. Tomoyo refused to walk into anymore stores, but Sakura merely left her outside and brought several things out for her. Finally, Tomoyo pointed out a few things she liked and Sakura either approved or disapproved. Mostly disapproved.

"When did your sense of style get so frumpy?" she demanded as they walked out of a shop.

Tomoyo shrugged and shifted Aya. "I'm a mother now. I can't wear all that flashy stuff anymore."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "That doesn't mean you always have to wear overlarge shirts and baggy pants all the time, and in dull colors. Don't think I haven't noticed, Tomoyo."

Tomoyo gravitated over to an empty bench and sat, letting her bags drop to the ground and settling Ayame comfortably on her lap. She played with Ayame's straight hair while Sakura situated herself. Finally Sakura turned inquisitive eyes her way and she quietly explained, "I don't want to draw attention to myself. Right after I had Ayame, there were a lot men that…well…they were always hitting on me, I guess, and so, I started wearing more conservative clothing and I started wearing a ring so they thought I was married. Anyway, I've gained a lot of weight and barely fit into any of my clothes anymore."

Sakura stared at her in astonishment. "Tomoyo Daidouji, you are so stupid. 99.9 of all women would die to get the attention from men that you do…or. As for the weight thing, you were an absolute stick when I last saw you. Right now, you look gorgeous, filled out in all the right places and all that. After I had KeiKei, I was an absolute balloon. Syaoran had to drag me to the gym to work off all my fat. I just got into my old jeans a few weeks ago."

Tomoyo sighed. "I don't want any attention, Sakura. I just want to get by and make Ayame happy."

Sakura smiled gently and grasped her friend's thin hand. "That doesn't mean you have to sacrifice everything that makes you happy. I know you love to dress up and all that and I know that it would make you unhappy to stop, so indulge a little."

Tomoyo smiled a little and slid a glance towards Sakura. "Thanks. I think I needed that, but just give me a little time. I don't really wanna hop back into things again."

"Alright, but promise me you will," Sakura warned.

Tomoyo flashed a smile. "I promise. Now, let's go return some of this stuff." Her ploy didn't work.

At about 4 o'clock p.m. Tomoyo gave up and started toward the car without Sakura. Reluctantly Sakura followed and there they found Syaoran and Keisuke, asleep in the car. Grinning sheepishly, Sakura loaded the car and drove them home. They ate an abbreviated dinner and adjourned to the living room for some classic videos, mainly those that embarrassed each of them. In the end, Tomoyo pulled out her camera and started filming a whole new video. They connected it to the television and fooled around, making everyone else laugh.

By eight, Tomoyo and Ayame were both nodding off every once in a while, after all, they had come from a different time zone. (a/n: Ignore the fact that it would be the opposite. Lol.) They retired to their room and promptly went to sleep.

Sakura put Keisuke to sleep and then returned to the living room, where Syaoran was re-watching the home video they had just made. Every once in a while he'd chuckle. Sakura smiled secretly and looked outside, where another small flurry of snow was drifting from the heavens. Last night the same thing had happened, but the thin layer of snow had melted before morning. She crossed her fingers and wished fervently for a white Christmas. (a/n: this reminds me, if any of u like kdramas or kmovies, watch "a millionaire's first love". The snow scene is so sad -).

She returned to the living room and snuggled down next to her husband. As they settled, the doorbell rang. There were footsteps coming down the stairs and Tomoyo called out, "I got it." Sakura and Syaoran glanced towards the entrance but all they saw was a light. The sound of Tomoyo's light footsteps echoed in the foyer then the locks clicked out of place and the door opened with a whoosh. Dead silence. Then a dull thump as Tomoyo's body hit the ground.

-

Eriol watched in consternation as Tomoyo came back to consciousness. She blinked up at him and then glanced around at her surroundings. Quickly, she scrambled from the tiles and his arms. Too quickly. Her vision swirled and she had to be caught by Eriol again. Distraught, she struggled, only to find herself racing towards the floor again. "Dammit, Tomoyo, hold still," he growled as he struggled to break her fall.

She struggled still and he gently set her on her rear on the cold tiles. Syaoran and Sakura slid into the foyer and stared at the scene unfolding, Sakura with curiosity and Syaoran with horror. For a moment no one dared to breathe. Eriol stared down in awe and confusion at Tomoyo. She stared up at him with a mix of astonishment and growing anger. Sakura watched detachedly and Syaoran was wishing he were anywhere but there. Finally, gusts of wind from outside brought in a shower of snowflakes and coated Eriol and Tomoyo with a thin layer. In her sleeping gown, Tomoyo shivered and shifted to move herself. Eriol shut the door with a definitive thump and Syaoran and Sakura simultaneously cleared their throats. They all kind of stared at each other before Tomoyo glared at Syaoran before rushed up the stairs.

Eriol blinked then started to go after her. Syaoran intercepted him with a painful grimace. "Wait. Give her a few minutes." Both Eriol and Sakura turned curious gazes his way. "Just do as I say," he commanded impatiently.

As in any awkward situation, they adjourned to the kitchen for coffee and a snack. All three sat around, the table trading question glances. Finally, Syaoran stood and excused himself, inventing a sudden urge to visit the restroom. He felt both their stares squarely on his back and suppressed the urge to shrug uncomfortably. Instead of turning into the restroom, he made his way up the stairs and wandered nonchalantly into Tomoyo's room. The tableau before him was completely unexpected. She was frantically flinging all her belongings in the lone suitcase she had arrived with. Quietly of course. Ayame was still sound asleep.

He knocked quietly and Tomoyo jumped. She glared at him and strode his way, throwing a handful of clothing into the suitcase along the way. He started to retreat, but then stiffened his spine and returned her glare. "I didn't tell him, Tomoyo. He just showed up. It's a coincidence. You have to believe me," he murmured in a low voice, mindful of the sleeping baby.

Tomoyo gave him a contemptuous sneer. "I don't believe in coincidences, Mr. Li. And I seriously doubt that not even 24 hours after I told you the biggest secret of my life he would arrive." She took a deep breath then expelled it. She opened her mouth as if to say something else, but thought better of it and closed her mouth. "I believe my stay here is at an end. If you ever really had any affection for me whatsoever, you will keep Sakura and…Eriol occupied while I leave."

Syaoran's jaw hardened and he resisted the compulsion to shake her. "Tomoyo, a blizzard is coming in. Do you really want to expose Ayame to the weather?"

Tomoyo hesitated, but resolutely zipped the suitcase up. "I've already made reservations at a hotel and a cab is on its way. We'll be fine." Syaoran watched in angry silence as she lifted Ayame from the bed and strapped her into her carrier. She glanced up at him, her face pale and wan. "Are you going to help me or not?" she demanded. Her tone was undermined by the slight crack in her voice.

Chapter 3

-

Syaoran merely blinked. "Tomoyo, you're not yourself. You've changed so much, and not for the better. The Tomoyo I used to know and admire would never run away. She would always face a difficult situation head-on."

Tomoyo's expression turned sad. "I'm not that stupid anymore, Syaoran. Good-bye," she murmured as she slipped past him and down the stairs. Amazingly, she didn't make a noise. Syaoran wondered what circumstances had made her learn to tread without a sound. She slipped her shoes on and quietly eased out the door before quietly closing it. Only a click as the lock fell was heard. He sat on the top stair for quite a while, just staring at the door.

Eventually, Eriol and Sakura crept from the kitchen and spotted him. "Well?" Sakura demanded. Syaoran shook his head and made his way down the steps. He didn't say a word as he refilled his cup and took a seat. Finally, Eriol broke and slammed his palm on the table. His dark eyes were livid as they met Syaoran's sorrowful ones. "What the hell is going on?"

Syaoran took a breath and quietly informed them of Tomoyo's departure. He omitted any mention of Ayame and glared at Sakura when she opened her mouth, a definite question in her eyes. She cocked her head, but quickly pieced together the pieces. A light came into her eyes and she almost glared at Eriol.

Eriol meanwhile was quickly flushing red with irritation and anger. "Do you mean to tell me that all this time you knew where Tomoyo was and you didn't tell me?" he demanded in his calmest voice. His knuckles whitened as he clutched the edge of the table more tightly. "Do you know how crazed I was? It's been practically 2 years since I've set eyes on her! And to think you knew where she was this whole time!"

Syaoran stood and forced Eriol to meet his gaze. "Would you think? We've been as frantic as you have been! We hadn't set eyes on her either until she showed up literally on our doorstep last night!"

"Then why the hell did you let her leave?" he demanded. They were practically toe to toe now.

Syaoran's eyes blazed. "Do you think I just let her go without a protest? I tried to get her to stay, but she's a grown woman and is capable of making up her mind and stubborn as hell. Now calm down and shut up before my son wakes up," he said in a hard voice.

Eriol shook his head and turned on his heel. "I'm going for a walk," he informed them. "I need to clear my head.

Sakura started to protest, but Syaoran hushed her with a glance and they watched as Eriol's slim figure retreated from the house. As soon as the door shut, Sakura turned to her husband. "Is Eriol…"

"Yes. And Tomoyo doesn't want anyone to know, so you had better keep it a secret unless she tells you otherwise," he said wearily, sinking into a chair. "She is furious with me. She thinks I called Eriol up and told him to come."

Sakura made sounds of sympathy and curled up in his lap. She stroked his hair and they simply sat there, pondering the situation they were immersed in.

As the clock reached the 11 o'clock hour, distinct sounds of heavy footsteps sounded and then the sound of a door opening and closing. The intertwined couple glanced up as Eriol reentered the kitchen. "Can we talk?" he asked quietly in a contained tone.

They moved to the kitchen and each took up a couch. For a few moments they merely stared into the dying fire. Finally, Eriol broke the silence. "How was she?"

The question was directed towards Sakura. She grimace and failed to meet his gaze. "She was fine. A little world weary, but none the worse for wear."

Eriol immediately asked, "Was she happy?"

Sakura sighed. "She was content, I think," she finally conceded.

There was another small silence, then Syaoran told Eriol, "She didn't tell us why she left." It wasn't a complete lie. She never specifically told them that she had left because of her pregnancy or Eriol.

Eriol's control and rigid posture crumpled. He bent at the waist and buried his face in his hands, resting his elbows on his knees. Sakura and Syaoran watched in shock as he began to sob. Not little contained sobs, but great gasping sobs, as if his heart were being rent into little pieces. For long minutes, they just watched as he poured his heart into his hands.

Abruptly, he stopped and straightened his spine. "I'm terribly sorry. I think, I have to go," he murmured. He took a deep breath and rose to his feet. Something clattered to the ground and clicked. Eriol picked it up and then froze as the television flickered to life.

Syaoran's eyes widened and he leapt for the remote. Eriol's fingers lost all feeling and the remote clattered to the ground. All three figures froze and stared at the screen, where Tomoyo was playing with a baby that was not Keisuke. The camera zoomed in on the baby girl and her midnight blue eyes and black hair.

"Say 'Mama'," Tomoyo coaxed, tickling the baby and making her giggle. Tomoyo held her upright and placed her chin on the baby's shoulder. "Look into the camera, baby. That's right Ayame, say hi to cousin Keisuke and Aunty Sakura." They baby giggled and bounced excitedly as laughter filled the air. Tomoyo glanced somewhere beyond the camera and smothered a yawn. "I think it's time for baby Ayame and mama to go to bed," he teased as she stood and lifted Ayame high into the air. "Say good night, baby…that's right, good-night…"

Eriol only blinked when the screen blanked. Slowly, he turned to an ashen Syaoran. "Who was that?" he asked in a noncommittal tone. His face was devoid of all emotion as was his posture.

Syaoran hesitated, then mentally girdled himself and answered as honestly as he could. "That was Ayame, Tomoyo's daughter. She was also here." At a sharp nudge from Sakura, he added, "She's your daughter."

Eriol nodded gravely and blinked. Picking up the remote, he rewound the tape and watched it from the beginning, never letting an emotion through. Sakura worried her lip and clutched Syaoran's hand. He was as tense as she seemed to be. Finally, it ended and he slowly set the remote down. Without a word, he turned and left the house.

-one month later-

Eriol sat in his dark office and stared at his steepled fingers. Slowly, he shifted them into a heart shape and left them like that for a moment. Abruptly, he broke the shape and opened a drawer. He pulled out a file and slowly scanned its contents again. After flipping the last sheet, he returned the file to its spot and stared hard at the glowing computer screen. Even after all that Sakura and Syaoran had told him and his own knowledge and connections, he had been unable to locate Tomoyo or their daughter.

He let his thoughts linger for a moment more, then deliberately turned them towards business matters. He pulled up a window from the computer and methodically scanned the contents. In the past month, he had become a work addict. He feared that if he didn't devote all his efforts into one constant in his life, he would have a mental meltdown. Every so often he would reopen the file and glance at it, but he knew nothing really would come out of it.

After several hours, night descended and Eriol rose to stretch his static muscles. He flicked the curtains aside and took in the scene as London's night scene came to life. Lights flickered on and people started roaming the streets in groups, laughing and chatting happily. Eriol had never been one of them, but for a split second, he had a fierce desire to go down there and experience it for just one night. Everything about him and his life were goal oriented. If it served no purpose and yielded no profit, why put in the extra effort?

The light on the phone on his desk flashed and he pressed it. "Yes, Miss Hatayama?"

"Sir, I'm leaving for the night. Is there anything else you need done before I leave?" her young voice said.

"No, thank you. Have a good night. I'll see you tomorrow," he replied.

"Yes sir. Good night."

Eriol released the button and resumed his seat. He started to pull up another file to examine, but the light flashed again on his phone. "Yes?"

"I have a call on line one, sir. It's a female. She won't give her name, but she said she would like to speak to you if possible."

"I got it. Thank you."

"No problem, sir. Good night."

Eriol picked up the receiver and cleared his throat. "Eriol Hiiragizawa here."

"Do you know how hard it is to get a hold of you, Mr. Hiiragizawa?" a feminine voice informed his dryly. "Let me tell you. I was put on hold four times, not including this last one. Each one was at least fifteen minutes and then they told me to call another department. I am not amused."

Eriol felt his heart skip a beat. "Tomoyo?"

Chapter 4

-

There was a slight pause. "Hello, Eriol." He didn't dare breathe lest this was a figment of his imagination. "I'm sorry," she said quietly, her voice distorted by their phones. "Just listen for a moment, please. I'm sorry about so many things. First, leaving without a word, then not telling you about Ayame and running away when we met at Syaoran's. I'm sorry, but at the moment, I thought it was the right thing to do. I'm not trying to make excuses, but really, I am so sorry."

Eriol blinked and started tapping is finger nervously against the polished desktop. "Where are you right now, Tomoyo? I want to talk to you, in person… And I want to see Ayame."

There was a long silence, then Tomoyo took a deep breath. "I'm…I'm getting off work at 10. I'll give you a call back then and we…all of us…can meet somewhere."

Eriol jumped, commanding her to stay on the line, but she had already hung up and there was a flat beep emanating from the receiver. Would she really call him back? For the next few hours, he was a nervous wreck, on the verge of hysteria and was talking to himself. When the phone finally rang again, he leaped for it and snagged it. "Tomoyo?"

"Yeah. Umm…can you meet us at Ed's Pizzeria? It's on First and Clementine," she asked nervously.

Eriol scribbled it down and confirmed it. He paused slightly and murmured, "It's good to hear from you," before they both hung up, hearts thundering.

-Ed's Pizzeria-

Eriol scanned the diners and fidgeted nervously. Would she show? A hostess asked him if he was Hiiragizawa and showed him to a booth. "Miss Daidouji said she would be here in a few minutes. Said she was running a little late," she informed him with a bright smile. "It's great that she's seeing others again. I've been worrying about her lately. You treat her nice, y'hear?"

Eriol smiled easily, more easily than he had in a long while and nodded. The hostess left him and he sat nervously, watching the door closely. After a few minutes, he started tapping his fingers on the table, attempting to calm his nerves. He started reciting his multiplication tables and then the great British poets and playwrights.

He almost jumped when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Instead, he froze. A slight figure carrying a bulky baby carrier walked to stand before him and he almost couldn't look.

Tomoyo held her breath as she waited for Eriol to meet her gaze. After what seemed an eternity, he finally lifted his face and met her gaze. Hesitantly, she smiled and slid into the booth, setting the carrier beside her. "Hi," she murmured, sounding too loud in the awkward tension. "How have you been?"

He blinked and let his eyes wander again. She had gotten so thin. Too thin. "I've been alright. And you?"

"Same," she answered shortly. There was another odd pause.

"May I…" Eriol asked, gesturing towards the blanket covered carrier. Tomoyo nodded and removed the blanket. She fiddled for a moment then lifted out a tiny scrap of humanity. "This is Ayame," she whispered, cradling her close to her body. "She'll be six months in three days."

Hesitating, but only for a moment, she passed the baby to Eriol, who received her uncomfortably and with great caution.

Eriol carefully cradled the baby's head with one hand and with the other, he held her rump. She was so tiny. "Ayame…" he whispered. "When did you meet my grandmother?"

Tomoyo averted her gaze and tightly laced her fingers. "Remember when I went to meet your parents? Well, she was there and was very kind. I got the impression the two of you were close."

Eriol considered then brought the baby closer to his chest. "Where have you been living?"

Tomoyo hesitated and didn't answer for quite some time. "I think that's irrelevant, Eriol. Why don't we just enjoy each other's company right now?"

Eriol shook his head. "Tomoyo, I need to know what's going on. Why are you hiding out as if you're some kind of criminal? And I need to know how my daughter is being taken care of."

Instantly, Tomoyo's eyes blazed. "What are you implying?" she asked in a dangerously soft voice.

Eriol's expression went blank and he baldly met her flaming gaze. "Nothing. Nothing at all."

Taking a deep calming breath, Tomoyo stood and reached for Ayame. "I guess I was a little too optimistic. Ayame and I will just be leaving now," she said in a tight voice. "Apparently, this was a mistake."

It was Eriol's turn to be angry. Instead of handing the baby off to Tomoyo, he held her closer and shook his head. "I don't think Ayame will be leaving with you."

Tomoyo froze in disbelief. "Excuse me?"

Eriol arched a brow. "I think you understand, Tomoyo. You were never one to lag behind."

Tomoyo sat again, her hands clenched in fists. "You're right, but just to make sure, explain."

"The way I see it, there can only be one outcome. Ayame is going to come live with me." When Tomoyo opened her mouth to protest, he held up a hand and glared at her. She glared right back, but didn't say anything. "She is going to come live with me because if you refuse to giver me partial custody of her, I will take you to court. Believe me, if we go to court, I will gain full custody."

Tomoyo stared at him mutinously. "You are a low-down, dirty jerk."

He shrugged. "If it gets me what I want, I can become anything." He stood with Ayame in his arms. "I think I'll take her from here." He reached over the table and grabbed the carrier. "Get the car seat and meet me at my car. You can drop off her things tomorrow. I'll keep her for six months and you can have her for the other six, until she's old enough for school. Then, she'll stay with me and she can visit you during vacations."

Tomoyo stood and straightened to her full height. "I don't recall agreeing to those terms, Mr. Hiiragizawa."

He stared at her hard. "You will." Without a further word, he strode from the pizzeria. He made for his car and set the baby in the carrier as he waited for Tomoyo. A few minutes later, she strode across the parking lot hauling what must have been a second hand car seat. She roughly dropped it at his feet and glared up at him.

"Don't do this to me, Hiiragizawa. She is the only thing I have in this world," she pleaded, now in a soft and amiable voice.

He nearly gave in, but stiffened his spine and picked up the contraption. "At one point, you could've had me," he muttered under his breath as he started to install the thing. "But, no, I wasn't up to snuff. Not rich enough or handsome enough."

"That's what you think?" she asked in shock. "You think that I was that shallow and petty?"

He finished up and reached for the baby. "That's what I said, right?" He reined in his emotions and handled the baby carefully. After situating Ayame securely, he shut the door gently and turned to Tomoyo. He pulled out a business card and a pen and scribbled his home address and cell phone number on the back. "Here. Drop her things off at this address. I'll keep in touch if you give me your cell phone number."

She took the paper and slipped it into her pocket. "I don't have one." She grabbed the pen from his hand and flipped his hand over, palm up. "Here's my home number. And don't forget to call me, or I will hunt you down and I'll take Ayame and disappear again."

He arched a brow. "Is that a threat, Tomoyo?"

"It's Ms. Daidouji and it's not a threat, it's a vow." She swallowed her next words and stiffly walked away. Halfway across the parking lot, she turned around and called out, "Take care of my baby, Eriol Hiiragizawa."

He could've been mistaken, but he swore tears were sparkling on her cheeks. Ignoring his growling conscious, he started the car and drove off. He picked up his phone and called his butler. "Roy, tell Anne to prepare a room for a baby girl…why? Because I wish it. You'll see soon enough. I'll be there in about 20 minutes. I expect everything to be in place." He hung up and turned slightly. She was still slumbering peacefully; unaware of anything that had happened in the last half hour. With one hand, he reached back and traced the smoothness of her cheek. Although he had only just seen her, he knew he would lay down his life for hers. Pushing Tomoyo out of his mind, he concentrated on driving smoothly and carefully.

Roy Bitters was waiting outside as Eriol pulled up in his car. He watched impassively as Eriol emerged from the car then went to the back seat and took out a tiny bundle of blankets. He kept his face carefully smooth as his employer ascended the steps with the little bundle cradled to his chest. However, when the bundle started to move, Roy's mask slipped. "You brought a baby?" he demanded. Eriol's gaze flickered up and he arched a brow. "Is there a problem?"

"Yeah. Where did you get it?" he asked, his usual formal manner discarded.

Eriol looked distinctly irritated now. "Her name is Ayame. And she's my daughter. Is her room ready?"

Roy's wife and Eriol's housekeeper, Anne Bitters stepped outside and only had eyes for the baby. "Oh! A baby! How precious!" She took the little bundle from Eriol and took her inside. The men trailed uncertainly. In the next half hour, they could only watch as she settled the baby, changed her diaper, gave her a bath and dressed her in warm clothes from the bag Eriol had been handed by Tomoyo some tome ago.

Only when they were all sitting amiably in the living room next to the warm fireplace, did Anne and Roy start the interrogation. As soon as Eriol thought he had escaped from their clutches they started in on the questions. "Ahem, sonny, now why did you bring a baby girl home all of a sudden?" Roy asked, bouncing the gurgling baby on his knees. "What's her name?"

Mentally bracing himself, he started talking, trying to cover all the bases at once. "Her name is Ayame. I met her mother tonight and we decided the best course was for me to take care of her for a while. Her mother will take her back every couple of months. Tomorrow, she will come to drop off Ayame's things and we'll see from there."

Anne gave him a nonplussed stare. "Okay, so how do you know Ayame's mother?"

Eriol scowled, but answered. "Tomoyo Daidouji was an old flame who broke up with me a few years back and left without a trace."

Roy and Anne exchanged looks before Anne said slyly, "Ahh, so the mystery woman you've been obsessing over has finally come back to you eh?"

"No! I want nothing to do with her I'm just concerned about Ayame."

Anne blinked and her face blanked. "I'm sorry if I offended you, sweet. I didn't mean anything by it."

Eriol took a breath and shook his head. "No, it's quite alright. I'm really not myself today…if you'll just hand me Ayame, we'll go to bed a little early." He waited for the housekeeper to hand over the baby, but she merely stared at him incredulously.

"Sweet, I don't think you understand that a baby isn't like regular people. Ayame won't go to sleep just because you tell her too. She probably won't sleep through the night either. I think she should sleep with Roy and me tonight. I don't think you'll get any sleep otherwise."

"No, it's alright. We'll be fine," Eriol insisted as he bodily took Ayame from Anne's arms. "Good-night, we'll see you in the morning."

The two went up the stairs slowly. Eriol awkwardly crooned to her and she seemed to laugh at him with her eyes, so much like his. He turned into his bedroom and flicked the light on. He found a diaper and haltingly changed her. Again, she gurgled mockingly the whole time. Eriol flicked a glance her way. "Alright sweetheart, Daddy's pretty bad at this right now, but you just wait and I'll be an expert in a week flat." He checked that a bottle and formula were on the bed stand then turned to his kicking daughter. "Okay, time for bed."

Chapter 5

-

Anne and Roy kept a close eye on the staircase in the kitchen. They had been up for a while and were still waiting for Eriol and Ayame to come down. Roy poured himself another cup of coffee and stared intently at the stairs. It was unusual for Eriol to sleep past seven and it was already half past. Finally, Anne set down her cup with a click and marched resolutely up the stairs.

She had just made it past the last step before Eriol strolled out of his room, Ayame in his arms. They didn't seem tired or cranky. In fact, both were smiling almost identically. "Good morning. I was just coming to check on you," she greeted cautiously.

Eriol adjusted Ayame and flashed a toothy grin. "We just spent a little extra time getting ready. I've decided Ayame will accompany me to the office until lunch. Can you and Roy come pick her up around 12?"

Anne stared in bafflement after the two as they descended the stairs. "Um…of course…but…why are you taking her?"

Eriol had reached the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee for himself. He handed Ayame to the outstretched hands of Roy and leaned against the counter. "I thought I'd let everyone get a good look at her. That way, we can control the rumors that are going to fly. If things get to rough, I'll give you two a call."

Roy crooned to Ayame and bounced her a little, eliciting baby giggles. "You seem to be adjusting well. Eerily well."

Eriol sipped the coffee and took a deep breath. "It's not all that hard. I was expecting her to throw a tantrum, but we went to sleep fairly easily. She only got up once, and then, she didn't even cry. She just kinda made a few gurgles and sucked on my arm. After the bottle, she just went back to sleep."

Anne shrugged and passed a plate of waffles his way. "That's a little unusual, but then, maybe she knows you're her father." She was silent for a bit then, "Speaking of parentage, when is her mother stopping by? I want to know, so I'll be prepared for a load of baby things. Will she be resentful, do you think?"

Eriol wolfed down the waffles and carefully kept from meeting Anne's gaze. Frankly, he didn't know what to expect from Tomoyo anymore. Once, he would have said she wouldn't throw a fit, but he wasn't so sure now. He swallowed and washed everything down with a gulp of cooling coffee. "I'm not exactly sure, Anne…about anything. Um…we'll just be going now. Oh, yes, before I forget. Before you come by today, pick up a car seat for Ayame. The one she has now has a definite reek." He plucked Ayame from Roy's arms and headed out the door.

-

Tomoyo blinked as she pulled up in front of the Hiiragizawa residence. She recalled his parents' house as a virtual palace, but she never imagined his too be more grand. This place was smaller of course, but all the details were so much more fine and looked so much more inviting. She pressed the call button and waited for the camera to move her way. A moment later a voice crackled over the intercom, "Hello, there. May I ask your name and business?"

She frowned. The least he could have done was told his household she was coming. "Uh… my name is Tomoyo Daidouji and I just came to drop off Ayame's things," she got out politely.

"One moment please." A second later, the gate smoothly parted to one side and she drove slowly through. The longish driveway was a scenic one and Tomoyo was almost afraid of accidentally upsetting a meticulously placed cobblestone. She stopped in front of the structure and merely admired it for a second. Sighing deeply, she got out of the car and popped the trunk open. As she hoisted a box of her toys out, an older gentleman appeared beside her and took the burden from her. "No need, madam. I can handle it from here. Please, go inside for refreshments."

Tomoyo was flabbergasted. "Oh! No, thank you. I really just need to get this stuff out. I wouldn't want to impose."

He smiled amiably and motioned with his head for her to head inside. "Nonsense. My wife has been waiting for you all afternoon. Please, go ahead." Hesitantly, she ascended the steps and entered the doorway, the man behind her. "Take that left hall and you'll come into the kitchen." Tomoyo took his directions and found herself in a modern but cozy kitchen.

"Hello?" she called hesitantly upon entering.

"Oh! Yes, dear. One moment and I'll be right there," a cheery feminine voice called out. Shortly thereafter, a slender older woman appeared from the pantry. She smiled broadly and gestured towards the table. "Have a seat. My cookies finished baking just a moment ago and I would love your opinion. It's a new recipe," she added.

Tomoyo found that the woman ignored all protests and so let her self be dictated to. A glass of milk and a plate of chocolate chip cookies appeared before her. She docilely munched and sipped as the woman chatted. Tomoyo soon found out that her name was Anne Bitters and she had been in Eriol's employ for the last year and a half and was married to the butler, Roy. She was also told of Anne's medical history and her various aches that no one took note of.

Almost half an hour later, Anne stopped whatever she was doing and took a seat across from Tomoyo. "So, my dear, what's your name?"

"Tomoyo Daidouji, ma'am."

"Well, it's a pleasure to have you here. And Ayame also. She's a dear. She actually slept quite peacefully with Eriol last night. I thought for sure I would have to go help him, but nothing at all happened. You must be a terrific mother," Anne said with a smile. "Now, I don't mean to pry, but why are you letting your daughter come to live with us?"

Tomoyo had no idea how to respond. She slowly rotated the half finished cup of milk and contemplated her answer. How was one to answer a question like this? She couldn't really tell this pleasant woman that her employer had fathered the child a year back and she had run away. And that last night she had finally gathered enough courage (or stupidity, depending on how you looked at it) to call him up. Finally, she just said, "It was time Ayame got to know her father."

Anne carefully kept a pleasant look on her face. "Yes, of course, but I understand Eriol and you have a history…" she trailed off, not wanting to scare the dear girl away.

Tomoyo took a breath. "I do believe that if Mr. Hiiragizawa wanted you to know, he would have told you. In any case, I'm really not at liberty to say anything except that I'm reluctant to part from Ayame. I really, really did not like Eriol's plan."

"Honey, did Eriol pull his dictator façade and take action before you knew what was happening? Well, you can't let him get away with it. I was thinking -"

Tomoyo quickly stood. "I really have to be going now, Mrs. Bitters. It was a pleasure," she said rushing for the front door. "Tell Mr. Hiiragizawa I'll be in touch." She turned and was reaching for the door when it suddenly and violently swung her way.

Anne skidded to a halt as she watched the heavy mahogany double doors knock the skinny young woman off her feet. She heard the crack as the frail girl's head connected with the tiles of the foyer. As she rushed forward to help, that woman stomped in, just barely missing injuring poor Tomoyo with her lethal-looking stilettos. "What is this?" she demanded.

Chapter 6

-

Eriol arrived home nearly three hours earlier than usual. He was still unused to the idea of a baby at home and was anxious to see how Ayame was faring. At the office today, she was very well behaved and only fussed once or twice. He had been reluctant to see her leave during lunch. He smiled self depreciatingly and unlocked the front door.

"Roy? Anne?" he called as he stepped in. Instead a gaudily dressed woman rushed out from the sitting room and flung herself into his arms.

"Oh, baby! You're home. I heard the most awful thing today," she announced dramatically. "I heard that you had taken up a baby girl." She inflected the last two words with distinct disgust. "Tell me it isn't true."

He rolled his eyes and tried to shake her off. "Victoria, why are you here?"

She pouted and hung on tenaciously. "Stop playing, baby, you know as well as I that we're practically an item. Now, tell me about that rumor. I swear I will get that lying reporter's job and make sure she won't ever live comfortably again."

Eriol managed to disentangle himself from her lethal acrylic nails and headed towards the kitchen, calling for his employees and hoping Victoria Ito would take the clue to leave. Unfortunately, she was either dense or intent upon his answer. He rather thought it was the latter.

When he didn't find either Anne or Roy in the kitchen or upstairs, he ventured into one of the living rooms. Victoria still trailed him and pestered him with questions about Ayame. A happy gurgle drew him towards a guest room. Curious as to why they were in a bedroom, he quietly crept in.

The first thing Tomoyo saw upon coming to, was Ayame, happily chewing on a rubber toy. She glanced about the unfamiliar surroundings and met the worried gazes of Anne and Roy Bitters. She smiled weakly and moved to sit up. "Um…what happened?" she whispered. Her head throbbed horribly and she felt as if it were swollen. Her back and shoulders also dully ached. As soon as she was upright, the room started to spin and she grasped out to reach for something to steady her. Unfortunately there was nothing and she managed to slide slowly back to her prone position. "Ow ow ow. I guess that was pretty stupid." She opened one eye and glanced at Roy, who was hovering in a fatherly way. "Tell me what happened, please."

He glanced at Anne, then at someplace beyond her vision. "Ahem…well…you were knocked in the head by the front doors. You then fell and knocked your head against the tiled floor and I think some of your upper back. Anne and I managed to carry you here, but we did drop you once or twice, which would account for any bruised elsewhere. You've been out for about and hour," he added as an afterthought.

Tomoyo let out a soft breath and gingerly touched her forehead. "Is my head terribly swollen and bruised?"

Anne coughed and motioned vacantly. "Well…the door is pretty heavy and you did fall pretty hard…"

Tomoyo managed a smile and said dryly, "I guess I'm black and blue all over then. It's a wonder you dears can even look at me. However, I do have to get to work." She eased up on her shoulders and then gingerly to a sitting position. "May I use a phone?" There was a cough slightly behind and to the right of her. She slowly turned and then blinked. "Actually, I think I will just be going now." Idiotically, she swung her feet to the floor, stood and took a few steps quickly. Her balance was askew and she had to grab a wall to orient herself. Fortifying herself, she took a deep breath and straightened her spine.

She was just squeezing through the doorway, where he was blocking a good portion of it, when he grabbed her by the waist and swung her up into his arms. "You are such an idiot," he muttered for her ears only as he carried her the few steps to the bed and dropped her unceremoniously, jarring her head painfully. "Rest. I'll call your work if you give me the name and number."

Irately, she kept her mouth shut and got to her feet again, ignoring the pain in her head and back. Eriol sighed loudly and pushed her back onto the bed. He sat next to her and clamped a warm hand on her ankle. "Just tell me and well both be better off." Still, she kept silent.

"Eriol! Get your hands off her!" a screechy feminine voice exclaimed. Sharp pain shot through Tomoyo's head and she let out a little moan. "What are you doing?!? Who is this!?!" The woman spotted the baby and turned livid eyes on him. "So everything is true? That's no matter, these things can be hushed up," she told him in a suddenly gentle voice. "Nothing can come between true love."

Off to the side, Roy and Anne rolled their eyes. This hussy had a penchant for dramatics. Sending guilty looks Tomoyo's way, they gathered up Ayame and discreetly left the room. Tomoyo kept her eyes shut and tried to wriggle her ankle from Eriol's grasp. He tightened his grip and tugged sharply. Instantly more pain went to her head and she docilely lay in wait for her first opportunity to break free. Meanwhile, the two lovebirds were having a heated discussion, one of which Tomoyo didn't want to be involved in.

Eriol was glad that Tomoyo was lying still now. He listened distractedly as Victoria rambled, but took his chance when she paused for breath. "Victoria, I have no idea who gave you the idea that I was at all interested in you, but I can assure you that I am in no way looking for a relationship of romantic nature. Please leave."

She gaped at him for a full minute before glaring and pouting. "You are such a bastard, Hiiragizawa. You deliberately led me on until you had this whore in your house. I was cruelly used by you. Agh! I absolutely hate you! No matter what you say, I'm leaving and I will never be back! Even if you beg me on your knees! NEVER!" She stomped her foot for emphasis and stomped out, slamming the door loudly in her wake.

Eriol blinked and felt Tomoyo flinch. By her motionlessness, he thought she had fallen asleep. Apparently, not. He cleared his throat and shook her leg none too gently. "Tomoyo, I know you're not asleep. Now, give me your workplace and number and I'll get things taken care off."

She opened her eyes and glared. "I will be going to work if you would be so kind as to release my ankle. So, there's no need."

He shook his head and reached for the phone resting on the bedside table. He stared at her blankly as he dialed a number and waited for the dial tone. A moment later he started talking into the receiver. "Yes, this is Hiiragizawa. I need some information on Tomoyo Daidouji. Yes, of course." Apparently he was put on hold. She glared daggers at him and tried to wrest her ankle from his grip.

"That's dirty and back-handed, Hiiragizawa. Let me go and I swear I will never bother you again…Except when I come take Ayame," she pleaded. Her struggles gained a bit of power as she became more desperate. "Let me go."

He merely stared at her and then looked away as the person started talking. After a moment, he blinked and stared at her incredulously. "Yes, I understand. Try Madison Taylor."

Tomoyo's eyes widened and she attempted to swipe the phone from his hand. "Stop this right now, Hiiragizawa. Stop...please."

His face was hardened now and he easily eluded her attempts to dislodge the phone. "Yes, I'm still here. Sato Hotel? Okay, do me a favor and give them a call. Tell them she won't be returning to their employ."

Tomoyo shrieked stopped struggling. "Eriol! Stop! I need that job!"

Eriol merely ignored her and half shoved her onto her back. He stood and talked technical for a few minutes and in the end, it sounded like the man on the other line was sorry for disturbing "Mr. Hiiragizawa". With a self important click, Eriol set the phone on its cradle and bent a haughty stare on Tomoyo. "For once in you life simply shut up and let me handle things. You will be staying here for the immediate future until I deem it necessary for you to move out. And I can guarantee you will not be leaving without giving me a full explanation of the last two years. Furthermore, you are going to help me out of this social grave you've put me into and play my happy fiancée. When the time is appropriate, we'll conveniently call it off. As for Ayame, we will simply ignore all inquiries about her. Do you understand?" he informed her in a brisk business like tone.

She glared hard at him the whole time she slowly got to her feet. "There is no way in hell that I am simply going to leave my life and start one that revolves around your whims. Ayame and I have not some this far just to be stuck back in the same position I fought to get us out of. I will not do your bidding."

He looked nonplussed. "If you recall, a few years ago, you simply left your life and started a new one on a whim and a nonsensical notion. You thought it was the only way at the time and I understand that, but at this point and time, I am telling you, not merely suggesting, but telling you, that you will sever all ties you have made in the last two or so years. You have tried it your way and failed and so now, we will do it my way. And I guarantee you that it is fool proof." As he spoke, he had gravitated towards the door and ended with the soft shutting of the door. Tomoyo stared at the closed door and suddenly, her body was wracked with involuntary shudders. She lowered herself onto the bed and stared down at her toes. Had she failed miserably?

The door creaked open and Anne strolled in with Ayame in her arms. Ayame gurgled cheerfully and held out her hands to Tomoyo. Setting those heavy thoughts aside, Tomoyo took Ayame from Anne and proceeded to frolic. Just outside the door, Eriol had a hard look on his face as he tried to remain aloof. The little sounds of general happiness tore at his heart. Not because he wanted their company in his present miserable state, but because he longed to join them in their seemingly carefree state. Anne paused in front of him and smiled reassuringly. "Don't fret, Eriol. You'll get your answers soon enough."

He forced a smile and took off the other way.

Hours later, Eriol was slowly brought to consciousness by the halfhearted cries of his daughter. He lay still for a good minute, hoping the wails would abate. Unfortunately for him, the cries continued. He dragged himself from bed and involuntarily shuddered from the early February chill. Cursing hardwood floors, he padded to Tomoyo's room and cracked the door open.

The bedside lamp illuminated the room in a cozy glow. Within the light, he spotted Tomoyo pacing the room with Ayame in her arms. She crooned softly and bounced the sobbing bundle softly. She looked dead on her feet as well. Frowning, he let the door open fully and stepped inside. Tomoyo glanced sharply in his direction, but continued her gentle ministrations.

Anne and Roy exchanged excited glances as their employer shut the door firmly behind him. They waited a few minutes before Roy shrugged and silently led Anne back downstairs. The young people could deal with their problems, but in the mean time, he still required his rest.

Eriol approached the females cautiously and peered at his red-faced daughter. "What's wrong?" he whispered. Tomoyo blinked at him and shrugged. "I think she's gotten a cold." Right on cue the child sneezed and then quickly resumed her wails. Without so much as a by your leave, he lifted her from Tomoyo's arms and took over the crooning and pacing. To Tomoyo he looked pointedly at the bed. "You look like you could use some rest."

Tomoyo hugged her empty arms to herself and obligingly sat on the edge of the bed. However, that was as far as she would get to resting. Almost immediately, she stood again and held out her hands for Ayame. "No, you're the one that has to get up tomorrow. We'll be fine. You can go to bed."

He shook his head. "Tomoyo, don't you understand? You're not alone anymore. Ayame is as much mine as she is yours. So we'll share the responsibility."

Still she held out her arms. "You're wrong. Ayame is mine and no one else's. Kindly giver her to me. Please Eriol." He could see the sheen of tears forming in her eyes.

Reluctantly, he handed Ayame over. Her cries hushed only momentarily. Tomoyo dismissed him with a look and retreated to the disheveled bed. She set Ayame between the covers and then joined her, turning her back on Eriol. Eriol stared at the slender back for a long moment. For her fragile looking state she sure liked to pile things on her shoulders, he mused. From Ayame there came a thin cry. Alarmed, he bounded to the other side of the bed and stared down at the bundled infant. "I'm going to call a doctor," he announced. Tomoyo shook her head.

"These things happen and they have to run their course. If she gets any worse, we'll take her to the emergency room, but she's still only a few degrees above normal. For now, we just have to keep her warm." With that, she wrapped Ayame in her arms and started talking nonsense. All the while she kept her gaze on him, standing there virtually useless. In time, Ayame's cries turned to pitiful whimpers. Tomoyo frantically piled blankets on her, but it seemed futile. She pulled Ayame close to her body and tried to warm her through body heat.

Eriol watched the proceedings restlessly. When tears started to seep from Tomoyo's closed lids, he let out a cry and lay down on the other side of Ayame. To Tomoyo's surprise, he pulled the both of them to him. His body radiated heat but Ayame's shivers only got worse. She was crying in earnest now, not even embarrassed over her tears. Suddenly, Ayame's shudders ceased. Tomoyo froze and cried out. Eriol shook his head in denial and ripped at the blankets wrapped around her tiny body. "No, baby, you can't do this to Daddy," he murmured. "I just found you." Finally he uncovered her sweat soaked body and searched for a pulse. He let out a cry as he found her steady pulse. He breathed again and framed her small head in his hands. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. Her little brow wrinkled but she remained asleep. He looked up and met Tomoyo's swimming gaze. He smiled in relief and she tremulously returned it. Slowly, he reached over and pulled her head towards his. Painfully cautious, he brushed his lips against hers. A moment into the kiss, Eriol felt a butterfly-light touch on his jaw. Tenderly, he opened his mouth a fraction and traced her lips with the barest tip of his tongue. Her body trembled as she hesitated, but she unerringly parted her lips for him.

Tomoyo felt his tongue trace the edges of her bottom teeth and opened her eyes. His midnight blue gaze met hers and she read perfect lucidity in them. So they weren't crazy after all. They held each other's gazes for a long moment before Tomoyo deliberately closed her eyes and broke from the kiss. Moving slowly, she lay on her back and stared up at the ceiling, dimly lit by the bedside lamp. She felt his gaze on her, but resolutely closed her eyes and focused on sleep.

Chapter 7

-

When she closed her eyes, Eriol averted his gaze and also turned onto his back. He looked down on his daughter and reached over to delicately touch her superfine jet black hair. As he did so, he let out a deep trembling breath and wondered if Tomoyo was affected like he was. Apparently not, he decided as he took in her flawless profile. Shutting all troubling thoughts out, he focused on sleep.

Bright winter sunlight slanting through the curtains woke Tomoyo. She groggily opened her eyes and found herself in an awkward position. Ayame was face down on her torso and Eriol's arm was flung carelessly around the both of them. They were all nestled closely together, sharing body heat. She blinked and wondered how to slip away without waking either of them.

Taking a deep breath, she circled an arm around Ayame and inched sideways, trying to slide out from under Eriol's arm. She was almost out when he let out an incoherent murmur and pulled her up to his chest again. She felt his hand lightly trace her side and wondered if he was awake. She shifted to her side and settled Ayame on her back.

And froze as she felt Eriol's hand explore her derriere. Again he murmured something and shifted a little closer. Ayame gurgled and turned to Eriol's chest, nestling herself comfortably. His hand slid over her hip and settled lightly on Ayame's bottom, pulling her closer. Tomoyo let out her breath and crept silently from the bed.

As the bathroom door clicked shut, Eriol slowly blinked awake. Hmm…that had been a nice dream, he mused. The little body cuddled to his chest shifted restlessly and Eriol started humming and lightly patting her bottom. A minute later she fell back to sleep and Eriol eased from the bed before arranging a pillow barrier around her. He glanced at the bathroom door and saw the crack of light under the door. The sound of water reached his ears and he figured Tomoyo was bathing. He shrugged and stretched before padding to his own room.

Anne peeked into Tomoyo's room and was slightly disappointed that they were no longer in bed. Only baby Ayame was laying there, her hands and feet kicking vigorously. She glanced at the bathroom and heard the shower water cut off. She figured Tomoyo would want her privacy and picked up Ayame before heading out.

Tomoyo peeked out of the bathroom to make sure Eriol wasn't there. The bed was empty. Anne or Eriol must have taken Ayame. She sighed and looked down at herself, clad only in a towel. She had no clean clothes with her and really didn't want to wear her old clothes. She supposed she could call her landlord to send some clothes to her. Or ask Anne to go pick them up. She sat on the edge of the bed and stared down at her hands. It was 8:30, but she doubted her landlord was awake yet. She tended to keep late hours. She got to her feet and started rewrapping the towel tighter around herself, wondering if Roy and Eriol would be lurking around the house.

Eriol opened the door and blinked. A moment later, he closed the door again. "Sorry," he called to Tomoyo through the door. "I thought you'd still be in the shower."

Tomoyo stared incredulously at the door and felt her cheeks burning. He must've gotten a good look at…everything. She quickly arranged the towel around herself and tucked the edges in under her armpits to keep them secure. Cautiously, she cracked the door open and met Eriol's embarrassed gaze. "Sorry," he murmured again. "I was just coming in to get Ayame."

Tomoyo flushed and pointed her chin down the hall. "I think Anne has her. Um… if you could ask Anne to come up here as soon as possible, it would be wonderful," she stuttered.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, his concern evident in his voice.

"Nothing important," she mumbled.

"No, tell me," he commanded.

Tomoyo glared at him and the stubborn set of his jaw. "Fine. Could you please go to my apartment and get my clothing. I currently have none." She watched in some satisfaction as a deep blush spread on his face.

"Ah…right," he mumbled as he went back to his room.

Tomoyo laughed a little and closed her door. She had just opened the curtains when a knock sounded. "It's Eriol again. Are you decent?" he asked.

She went to the door and peeked out. "Yes?"

He held out a button up pj top and a pair of windbreakers. "They're probably too big, but I figured you'd want to be able to leave your room," he explained as he handed them to her. "Um…so…I'll see you downstairs."

Tomoyo closed the door and looked at the clothes. She still didn't have underwear of any type. Mentally shrugging and cringing, she pulled the clothing on and hurried downstairs.

Eriol couldn't help but stare at Tomoyo. She had crossed the edges of the shirt and tied the ends together at her back. The sleeves were folded back several times until her forearms showed but the sleeves were way too wide for her slender arms. She managed to make the shirt look ok, but the windbreakers were a lost cause. She held folds of the waistband in each hand and tripped along with each step. It didn't really hit him until now how thin she was. She flashed a smile his way and he almost choked on his toast.

Roy hid his smile with the newspaper and coughed to hide his chuckle. Anne turned with Ayame in her arms and gaped at Tomoyo's appearance. "Child! Where have you been shopping?"

Tomoyo laughed and shook her head. "Oh, no. These aren't mine. They're Eriol's. Mine are actually still in my apartment." She smiled ruefully and took Ayame from her with one hand while holding up her pants with the other.

"Well then, we need to get your clothes to you," Anne announced. "Eriol was just telling Roy and me that he was going to take the day off today. He can take you to get your things."

Eriol nearly choked again. "What?"

Roy smiled and patted Syaoran's back. "My, my, you have a short memory," he commented. Eriol met his meaningful gaze and slowly nodded. "Right." He turned his gaze to Tomoyo's wide ones. "Yeah…I decided to spend some time with Ayame…and you…today."

She blinked thoughtfully. "Okay…it's not like I have so many pressing things to do today."

An hour later, the three of them stepped into the cramped apartment. "This isn't going to take long," Tomoyo murmured as she tripped into a bedroom. Eriol was left standing with Ayame in his arms. He glanced around and didn't really like what he saw. It was clean, but shabby. He was glad they were coming to live with him. He took a little stroll around the small apartment and agreed with Tomoyo; moving would take no time at all.

Tomoyo emerged from the room in worn jeans and a khaki coat over a black turtleneck. Her hair was pulled up in a messy but stylish bun and she had a light dusting of make up on. She smiled and took Ayame from his arms. Something she liked to do, he noticed. No one really got to hold her for more than a few minutes.

Tomoyo wandered into the kitchen and asked him if he wanted anything to drink. He agreed and slipped into the bedroom. He opened the closet and flipped through the contents. The clothes, like the apartment were clean but of poor quality. Well he had his work cut out for him. He strolled into the kitchen and took the glass from Tomoyo. "Gather all the things that hold sentimental value or that you would like to keep. We have to be going soon."

Tomoyo gave him a puzzled look. "Excuse me?"

"Don't take any clothing."

Tomoyo set Ayame in the carrier and faced him. "Why don't you just spell out your intentions?"

He sighed and took a seat at the table. "It occurs to me that…well…Let's put it this way. The Hiiragizawas always have the best things. Many things you have here don't come up to par. So…anything you want to take, go ahead, but leave clothing, dishes, Ayame's toys…we'll go shopping today for new things."

She merely stared at him for a long moment. He grew uncomfortable and squirmed. "So you expect me to simply leave everything here?"

"Well…yes."

Tomoyo frowned and sank into the chair opposite him. "I suppose it makes sense…decking your whore and her child out in the best of the best so people won't talk as much…"

Eriol's eyes blazed. "Don't you ever refer to yourself in that way again!!!" he said in a dangerously low voice. "You are not a whore and I will not have you think that. I am trying to win you back, Tomoyo! Not get back into your pants. Do you have any idea the hell I went through in the last 2 years? I hired every damn detective there was out there and they couldn't find you! I was frantic, thinking that you had been killed or kidnapped or any number of other things. I'm trying to make you like me again and not make the same mistake I made 2 years ago when you left me. Hell! I still don't know what happened. Would you care to enlighten us mere mortals?"

Tomoyo had only ever seen him angry once or twice and she had never seen him this riled. It quite simply shocked her.

"Well?" he demanded, rising to his feet.

She frowned. "I will not be intimidated, Hiiragizawa. And I refuse to tell you under these circumstances."

Eriol stalked over and stood directly in front of her. "Yes, you will. You will tell me this moment," he informed her in a menacing tone. She kept her mouth shut and stood to be on a more equal plane. Her eyes flashed as she passed him. He grabbed her upper arms and shook her a little. "Goddammit! Why the hell are you keeping it such a secret?"

Her eyes blazed and she pushed out of his grip. "I figured you would figure out, since you're so smart, but apparently you're too thick headed and ignorant. I was giving you and out, Eriol! You didn't want a relationship any longer. You didn't want to take me home to your parents. You didn't want to get engaged. You didn't want to get married and I know you sure as hell didn't want Ayame. But no, you were too cowardly to say anything and you didn't want to hurt my feelings. Let me tell you something Eriol, you don't have to pretend anymore. You did a damn good job of it 2 years ago, but I refuse to live a scam life anymore. Keep your money, your house, your time! I don't want it! Just pretend that you never ran into Ayame and me. We'll both be happier that way. Now…leave," she said in a low tone, trying to subdue her tears. She was such an idiot, wasting tears over him.

He stared down at her in disbelief. "Who the fuck told you that bullshit?!?" he asked furiously.

Her gaze scoured him scornfully. "What? Are you going to beat one of your cronies because he couldn't keep a secret?"

"No, I'm going to kill the person who told you this mess of lies. How could you even believe any of it? I know you're smarter than to fall for any stupid rumors. You have no idea how much I loved you –still love you. I wanted nothing more than to get married and have kids with you. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. I still want to. Dammit Tomoyo, give me a name," he demanded.

She gave him a scorching glare and turned her back on him. "Stop playing dumb. They told me that you told them to tell me. That you didn't want to appear callous and were too weak to break up with me."

"Fine. Refresh my memory then."

She turned to him with an incredulous gaze. "You don't remember telling your parents how much you hated a clingy pushy female such as myself? I don't believe you. I want you out. Now. Immediately."

Eriol was stunned. "What? My parents?"

She frowned. "Stop playing with me. And leave!"

He came to her and roughly pulled her into his arms. "Shit, Tomoyo…both of us were played by my parents. They told me…they said…aw…fuck…"

She pushed at his chest, but he didn't budge. "Let me go! Stop lying."

He pushed her to arms length, but kept a firm grip on her upper arms. "Don't you see? They didn't want me to marry you. They even told me so. After…after you left, they told me you had told them you couldn't stand the thought of us marrying and so ran off. They said that you pitied me and so didn't say anything… God, Tomoyo…"

She wrenched from his grip and slapped him. Hard. "STOP IT! STOP THIS INSTANT!" she screamed, tears streaming from her eyes. Ayame started crying and she went to coddle her. "I don't appreciate your lies," she said in a low voice.

He came towards her, but stopped when a knock sounded on the door. Tomoyo went to open it, wiping the tears from her face. "Yes?"

A large man stood leaning against the doorjamb. "Is there a problem 'Moyo? I heard some noises…" He spotted Eriol standing in the kitchen. "Is this guy causing trouble?"

Tomoyo started to shake her head, but then stopped. She tossed an assessing glance at Eriol then nodded. "Yeah. Could you help me persuade him to leave?" she asked in a weary voice.

"With pleasure."

Chapter 8

-

Eriol rubbed his aching jaw and angrily reversed the car. He glanced up at her apartment and saw a curtain twitch. He could honestly say she was the most irritating and stubborn woman he had ever met. Cold too. How could she just let that guy punch him? He had circled around the dingy neighborhood before he returned to the parking lot of the complex. This time, he marched right up to the office and handled all the paperwork. Upon completing that, he stalked to her apartment and opened it with a key the landlord had so kindly given him.

Very cautiously, he opened the door and eased his way inside, closing the door quietly behind him. "Tomoyo? Where are you?" he called softly. He walked around the main rooms of the house then peeked into the bedrooms. She was curled up on the bed, fast asleep. Or at least doing a great job of pretending to sleep.

He padded over and sat on the edge. The bed dipped under his weight and she rolled into him. She blinked blearily and there was plain evidence on her face that she had cried herself to sleep. "Tomoyo…" he whispered, conscious of the sleeping baby, "I'm sorry about earlier. I was just…shocked…I guess. Why don't we talk it over rationally?"

She stared at his knee and traced distracting designs on his slacks. He laid a hand on hers and stopped the motions. She met his gaze and silently nodded.

In the kitchen, Tomoyo made a pot of tea and sat across the table from Eriol again. "So…" she started. "I have to apologize for…earlier…you know, when Tom came and…yeah…"

He nodded and a slight smile came to his lips. "Apology accepted. I probably deserved it though."

The exchanged strained smiles and stared down into the steaming tea. "Um…would you explain what happened…you know…before you left?" he asked as he traced the edge of the tea cup.

She nodded slowly and began her recital.

-two years ago-

Coming out of the airport, Tomoyo glanced at Eriol. He seemed very stressed out about something. He wasn't his usual leisurely self. Every other minute he checked his watch and he couldn't sit still. Added to that, he kept glancing her way. She smiled reassuringly and took his hand into hers. "They aren't that intimidating, are they?" she teased lightly. He only smiled distractedly and extracted his hand from hers.

A moment later the car rental representative strolled over and handed Eriol a set of keys. He smiled his thanks and they were off. The car ride was very silent. Not an amiable silence either, but a very tense one. Tomoyo glanced at his face, but he kept his gaze unerringly on the road. She was very tempted to tell him of her pregnancy, but she knew it was the wrong time.

They arrived at the large imposing estate and were greeted politely if not very warmly by his parents. Tomoyo was shown to her room and left there until dinner. She sat on the comfortable bed and merely stared out the window for a good half an hour before a maid knocked on her door and informed her that dinner was being served in a few minutes.

She followed the quiet maid to the dining room and found that Eriol and his parents had already arrived and were sipping glasses of champagne. Every one of their faces was polite, but distant. She gritted her teeth and engaged in small talk throughout dinner. Directly after dinner, she was again escorted to her room by Eriol.

The next morning, she wandered downstairs early and found Eriol's father seated in a sitting room with a cup of steaming coffee and a newspaper. They exchanged pleasantries for a moment then surprisingly, he folded his newspaper and leaned towards her. "My dear, in your opinion, how are things progressing between you and Eriol?" he asked bluntly.

Tomoyo was flabbergasted at the sudden personal inquiry. "Um…well…sir…I do believe we have a close relationship and I look forward to it becoming closer…and possibly more definite," she worded carefully. She could already feel beads of sweat collecting on her scalp. "We haven't really discussed it though, sir. So I have no idea what Eriol is thinking."

He nodded slowly and thoughtfully. "I see…"

Just then, Eriol's mother, Aiko, strolled by. She stopped and entered the room. "How was your sleep dear?" she asked. After a few more pleasantries, she cleared her throat and glanced at her husband. Tomoyo was definitely sweating at this point. "Um…my dear…Eriol was speaking to us yesterday…about your relationship and his plans for it…How do you feel about it?"

Tomoyo blinked. "Pardon me, but Eriol and I haven't discussed the future recently."

"Oh dear," his mother commented. "Tomoyo dear…Eriol feels that…well…he doesn't see the relationship going anywhere."

Tomoyo blinked again. Dammit. She really did not want to appear as a dimwitted person. "Uh…well…That's the first I heard about that particular plan," she got out. Her hand went to her stomach and she pressed gently. Oh dear God.

The older woman patted her knee sympathetically. "I'm terribly sorry dear. Eriol told us last night that he felt he just couldn't commit, even though you were such a nice girl."

Eriol's father nodded and interjected. "Eriol told us how nice you are, but he feels that now just isn't the time for a relationship and that you and he were not meant to be."

Tomoyo got abruptly to her feet. "If you'll excuse me, I'd like to speak to Eriol. May I ask where to find him?"

Eriol father shrugged and picked up his newspaper. "He said something about getting together with a few friends this morning…"

Aiko stood and seemed to force a compassionate smile. "My dear…maybe to avoid any awkwardness, you should…well…of course you're welcome, but…"

Tomoyo pleaded a headache and fled to her room. There, she threw her things into her small traveling suitcase and left the estate. As soon as she arrived at the airport, her phone went off. An unknown number. She took a deep breath and answered. "Hello?"

"Tomoyo Daidouji? This is Aiko Hiiragizawa. I don't want to be rude, but I felt we needed to clarify a few points. Eriol never wants to see you again. He told us that you were too dependent on him. He said you were set on a future he wanted no part of. Basically you were a downright nuisance. However, Eriol was too kindhearted to tell you and well…now you know the salient points. So, please do us all a favor and leave my son alone." The phone beeped as Aiko hung up and Tomoyo stared at the cellular device. Without a second thought, she dropped the phone and stepped on it, snapping it in two. She picked up the pieces and dropped them unceremoniously into the trash bin.

She bought a ticket back to Japan and from there packed all her things from their condo and left for America. She spent a few months there with an old friend, and then moved to England where an acquaintance had a job for her. After she became a little too round, she was fired and was forced to take little menial jobs.

Just as she began those jobs, Ayame was prematurely born and the hospital bills piled up. She was forced to take out several loans and basically her whole life savings. Then, she finally got the funds and the guts to visit Sakura and Syaoran during the Christmas season.

-present-

Eriol stared down at Tomoyo. Near the beginning, he had begun pacing around the small kitchen. "So…you believed it all? Every single thing they said? Why didn't you wait for me? Or at least contact me…" he got out.

Tomoyo shrugged and stirred her cooling tea. "At the time…and then later…it was just…I thought it would be too awkward and I just wanted to move on."

Eriol sat and grasped her hands. "Okay, listen to my side of the story. And you have to believe that I wouldn't lie to you," he said, squeezing her hands a little. She nodded a little, but withdrew her hands and put them in her lap. She dropped her gaze to her hands and Eriol frowned. She didn't look like she would seriously consider that he was telling the truth.

"Okay, well I knew that I was going to propose before the trip. That's probably why I was so stressed out. And that night, we arrived, I told my parents. They were pretty set against it at first, but then they gave their consent…or so I thought at the time. Anyways...early the next morning I went to get the ring that a friend of mine had on hold for me. There was an accident on the roads and I was sandwiched in traffic for an hour. When I got back, you were gone. My parents only told me that you had left because you felt things were getting too serious too soon and you were uncomfortable. So I called you. Dozens of times. When you didn't pick up, I figured something was wrong and I flew back to Japan. When I got back to the apartment, all your stuff was gone and no one knew where you were. I talked to my parents again and they told me that you said a few nasty things along the lines of never wanting to set eyes on me again. I gave up for a while, but then you never contacted any of our mutual friends or even any of your own friends. I started to worry and then I hired dozens of detectives to find you. Unfortunately none of them could…"

Tomoyo glanced up and offered a sheepish smile. "Uh…I believe every single person found me. Twenty three in all?" Eriol merely stared. "Everyone can be bought right?" she murmured with a shrug.

Eriol waved aside the irritating tidbit. "Never mind that, do you believe me?"

Tomoyo considered for a long minute. She set her hands on the table and tapped her nails on the dull surface. "I think," she said slowly. "There's no way you could make that up and have it match my story so well…And your devotion to finding in me…I'm almost positive you're telling the truth."

He held his breath. "So…would you be willing to give it another shot? Do you want to try again?"

She seemed to deflate before his eyes. "I can't," she whispered.

She met his gaze and he saw that her eyes were swimming in tears. "What? Why not? Don't you see? We both wanted the same things before my parents interfered. It would work so well," he persuaded.

She shook her head and stood. "I have Ayame now. And I have to give all my attention to her. It's too complicated, Eriol. I think you have to let us go. I wouldn't want you and your parents to become estranged because of me."

"It's too late. We can't go back to pretending neither one of us exists," he insisted. "And I know that you and I are meant to be together. Why else would we keep meeting?"

She stopped in the doorway and shrugged. "Because I'm careless. I really think you should go now, Eriol. Just try to forget about Ayame and me."

His face suddenly hardened and he got to his feet. "I do believe we had a deal. The paperwork's already done and you have to honor it, Miss Daidouji. Oh, yes, and I already informed your landlord of your departure."

She gaped at him. "I can't believe you're playing that card."

He shrugged. "I get what I want," he said as he went to the bedroom. He carried Ayame out and walked past her. "You have half an hour to gather what you want. Remember, only things that hold sentimental value."

She was left standing alone in the doorway, fuming at his high-handedness.

Exactly half an hour later, Eriol strolled into the apartment and saw her sitting on the coffee table, a small suitcase at her feet. And a mutinous look on her face. She took the babbling Ayame from him and walked out the door. He took the luggage to the car and then went to the landlord's office to return the keys.

The ride to the house was silent and loaded with tension. There, he told her to remain in the car while he dropped Ayame off with Anne and deposited her suitcase into her room. He hurried out to the car and they were off to the shopping center. He hated the silence. He preferred the yelling matches and fiery anger. They arrived at the shopping center and he practically had to drag her out of the car. He seized her hand and pulled her close. She glared up at him, but didn't pull away.

Eriol totted her along to their first stop. A lingerie shop. She stopped outside and gawked at him. "What are you doing?" she demanded, her face aflame. "I have underwear. Don't worry."

He smiled and pulled her along. "Not the kind I want you wearing."

"Wha-" she closed her mouth and haughtily stalked in. Leaving him to follow.

"What size do you wear?"

She flushed bright red and replied tightly, "34A and a size 1 in…bottoms…"

He grasped her am and tucked it firmly between his arm and his body, keeping her in place next to him. "You know, since you just had a kid, I was expecting you to be a little bigger. I think you're skinnier now than when we were dating. What were you then? A 3?"

She ignored him and stared unseeingly straight ahead as he dragged her around the store, picking out underwear now and then. He decided to be difficult and waved a scrap of red lace in front of her face. "I think you'll look hot in this," he murmured into her ear.

She grabbed it and held it out in front of her. "It's a thong," she stated. "Why would I wear it? I'm not trying to get someone into my bed."

He chuckled and put it back into the pile of thongs. "So if I wore it, you'd let me into your bed?" he teased. She kept her lips in a straight line, but he knew she wanted to smile. Half an hour later, he had an enormous amount of lingerie in his hands. He dragged Tomoyo to the fitting room with a wicked smile. She dug her heels in and had a horrified expression on her face. He laughed and redirected them to the cashier. She tried to squirm away, but he resolutely held her arm and plopped the pile onto the counter. The cashier smiled knowingly and winked at Tomoyo. She blushed to the roots of her hair and seriously considered slapping Eriol for this embarrassment.

"Grand total is $345.86," the cashier said with a deep smile.

Tomoyo's jaw dropped. For underwear? Eriol smiled at her expression and handed the cashier his credit card. He walked out with a smug grin and she walked out with an expression of awe. She had just spent $345 for underwear. "I think that's enough for today," she told Eriol. He merely grinned winningly and tugged her to the next store.

"See anything you like?" he asked.

She kept silent and glared at him. He shrugged and grabbed a few things off the racks. She almost cringed at his choices. Eriol kept an eye on her as he went around picking the most horrendous outfits. He wanted her to break. The shoppers stared at him in kind of a horror as he talked to Tomoyo about how well the deep purple went with the bright green. Finally, he dragged her to the register and watched her face as the cashier shakily rang up the pricey clothing. He was about to hand over the card when she snatched it from his hands. "Fine. I will participate in your sick little game. I hope this thing is unlimited though," she threatened emptily. He shrugged and gestured for her to go ahead. She broke from his grasp and quickly went to grab a few tops and a pair of slacks. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, but can you ignore those and ring these up instead?" she asked in a sweet voice. "My… fiancé has a strange sense of dress."

Eriol smiled and watched the transaction. Then he dragged her to the next store. This process went on until she dug in her heels and went to sit on a bench. "Eriol. Stop. I think we have enough." He sat next to her and shook his head.

"You still need evening gown, shoes, some more casual clothing, a few more jeans, socks, and some suits. We're going to get it all done today," he informed her. "Now, there's a shoe store."

She grasped his arm and waited till he met her gaze. "Don't try to make up for anything that happened in the past."

"Right. But that's not why we're shopping today. We're shopping purely because I'm selfish and I don't want you to look bad in front of people," he said with a straight face.

She frowned. "Fine, but I'm starving."

He grinned. "I thought you wouldn't say anything. Come on, there's a great burger place here."

A few minutes later, she was seated in a booth with a huge burger, fries, and an intimidating milkshake in front of her. Eriol only had a hot dog and some water. She blinked. "I can't eat this," she told him.

He smiled and shrugged. "We're not leaving until you finish everything."

"Eriol," she whined. "I really can't. Can't we trade?"

"No. I am a healthy weight and don't need to gain anything, while you need to get back to a 3 or bigger. Has anyone told you you look anorexic?" he inquired.

She arched a brow. "No."

"Well, I'm telling you now, so eat up. Besides, if you gain some weight, your boobs will get bigger," he informed her with a wicked smile.

"Men," she muttered as she reached for the milkshake.

-

A good hour later, Tomoyo swallowed the last of her fries. Eriol had an amused expression on his face. "I can't believe you did it," he said with a smile. She nodded and patted her firm belly. She shakily got to her feet and was almost doubled over. She felt ridiculously stuffed.

Eriol grabbed her hand and led her to a store that displayed several gowns on mannequins. She shook her head. "Eriol, my stomach is twice its usual size. Let's not do dresses yet. Please?"

He shrugged and dragged her to a shoe shop.

-

Tomoyo felt unaccountably dizzy. She blinked several times and tried to clear her vision. She leaned against the car as Eriol put their things into the trunk. She felt a queer burning in her chest and started gagging as that feeling rose to her throat. She staggered to the planter and retched her lunch out. She felt cool hands patting her back and pulling her hair from her face. She continued to throw up until she was only gagging dryly. The hands left her and returned with cool water. She rinsed out her mouth and patted her face to cool it down.

Eriol's face hovered into her vision. "Tomoyo? Are you okay? Are you well enough to get into the car?"

She nodded weakly, wanting to get home. Unfortunately, he drove straight to the nearest hospital.

Chapter 9

-

Hours later, she listened distractedly as the doctor spoke to her. "Do you have any eating disorders?" he asked gently.

"No."

"Any illness?"

"No."

"Okay, well you're extremely underweight. I'm going to put you on a diet that is going to build up your muscle and fat simultaneously," he said with a smile. He proceeded to outline a diet plan and she listened absently. Eriol came into the room at one point and Tomoyo noted that he looked as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. She motioned him closer and he drifted slowly towards her. Smiling reassuringly, she grasped his hand and held it in her lap. A good hour later she was released with a thick manila folder tucked under her arm.

As he drove them home, Eriol mentally beat himself up. He wondered if Tomoyo hated him as much as he hated himself. She was idly flipping through the folder and humming to herself. Quite abruptly, he turned into a dirt lane. She looked up at him in question, but didn't ask the question he knew burned on her lips. He stopped and cut the engine. For a long minute, they sat in silence. Eriol stared at a rippling puddle and rested his chin on the wheel, between his hands. "I'm sorry," he murmured.

Tomoyo set the folder down and undid her seatbelt. He still would not look at her. She smiled a little. He had never been this humble before. She found she liked it. She reached out and traced his cheek.

Eriol turned slightly and came face to face with Tomoyo. For the first time since he had seen her again, she had a soft expression on her face. And it was meant for him. Her lids lowered and she brushed her lips against the corner of his. He froze, unwilling to ruin the moment. He felt her lips curve and then she turned his face fully and kissed him on the lips. For a moment, he was transported back in time to their first kiss. It was a cheesy situation, stuck at the top of the Ferris wheel in the pouring rain. However, the opportunity was too good to pass up and it was a moment to remember.

Tomoyo eased away from Eriol and sat back in her seat. She peeked at him through her eyelashes. He was still in the same position. Either he was shocked or disgusted. She picked up the folder and started flipping through it again. "I'm sorry, it was a momentary mental collapse," she said in a controlled voice. "I realize that you want this…arrangement to stay businesslike…and I'll try to -"

Eriol cut her of with a hard demanding kiss. He cupped her face and laced his fingers through her hair. After a heated moment, he pulled back and rested his forehead against hers. Their lips remained a bare inch apart. "Tomoyo, there is nothing in this world that I want more than you. Get that through your head," he got out before she pulled him close again.

Several minutes later, there was a polite tap on the window. Tomoyo glanced up and gasped, pushing Eriol back. He blinked and focused on her face. "Wha….Oh. Officer…"

Tomoyo's face was a bright pink as they resumed their journey home. Eriol laughed at her stiff posture and rested a hand on her knee. "Don't worry, sweetheart. It's not like it's going to be on the news or anything." Tomoyo bit her lip and smiled a little. "I guess you're right, but it was still embarrassing. God…"

-a month later-

The door creaked slightly as Eriol snuck into the room. It was almost midnight and he was just getting home from work. He felt bad because he was supposed to take Tomoyo and Ayame out to dinner tonight, but he was forced to stay because of a server crash. He had called and she said it was okay, but he knew she was disappointed. His eyes adjusted to the dark room and he made out the figures of Ayame and Tomoyo. As he had taken to doing, he slipped into the bed on the other side of Ayame. He fell asleep staring at the two most important people in his life.

As the sky started to gray with the coming dawn, Ayame woke and started wailing. Tomoyo's eyes immediately popped open. She patted the baby, but she kept fussing. Eriol cracked his eyes open and groaned, "She's hot. Take off her blankets."

Tomoyo sleepily glared. "She already kicked them off." She sighed and picked the baby up and rested her on her torso. "Come on, baby, go to sleep," she crooned. However, Ayame kept fussing and rolled herself off her mother's chest. She hiccupped then fell asleep quite promptly. Tomoyo gave a sleepy laugh and rearranged the bedding, placing pillows on the other side of the snoring baby and scooting into the space Ayame had occupied. She came up against Eriol's hard warm body and froze.

He chuckled and wrapped an arm around, her, pulling her closer. "It's okay, I can control myself," he teased before he closed his eyes. They both lay there for at least ten minutes, each barely daring to breathe. They hadn't been this close for a long while. Finally, Tomoyo really drifted off.

Eriol breathed in her familiar lavender scent. He wished they really were a true legal family, but that would come soon enough. He promised.

Anne eased the door open and peeked inside. Tomoyo had told her she wanted to help with breakfast…She gaped as she took in the homey scene. She and Roy had known that Eriol had been sneaking into Tomoyo's room to sleep, but…they had no idea it was already to this level. Eriol had Tomoyo cradled in his arms, perfectly fine. The thing that gave it away though, was the fact that Tomoyo was turned to him, and they had their legs all tangled up in each other.

She smiled and closed the door again. Tomoyo blinked awake as the latch clicked. She started to stretch and found that it was a little difficult to move. She lay still for a little, then glanced up and took in Eriol's chiseled jaw. Hmm. She blinked again and started to ease away from the circle of his arms. She had just hopped off the bed when he groaned and stretched. "Where are you going?" he mumbled.

She froze. "Uh…to the bathroom."

He sat up and she could only stare as the sheet fell to his waist. Her mouth dried and she turned away, blinking. "Yes… I…I'm going to brush my teeth." She mentally kicked herself and rushed into the bathroom before she said anything else.

Eriol grinned. In addition to the blank look on her face, she was in nothing other than short shorts and a tight tank top. Damn this day was looking good. Ayame rolled over and blinked awake. She spotted him and squinted, then held out her arms to him. He chuckled and picked her up as he got out of bed.

Anne listened as Tomoyo rushed down the stairs and into the kitchen. She couldn't keep a grin off her face and so ducked into the pantry. Pancaked were on the menu anyway, she decided. A moment later Tomoyo appeared, her hair was still wet and she looked half dressed in tight jeans and a tank top, although a blouse was clutched in her hand. "Anne! I am so sorry. I forgot about helping you with breakfast."

Anne smiled and waved her hand dismissively. "No problem, darling. I haven't even started yet."

Tomoyo put her blouse on and they chatted amiably as they set up breakfast. As the aroma of coffee and pancakes filled the house, the other occupants of the house drifted into the kitchen. Eriol strolled in with Ayame draped over a shoulder and kissed Tomoyo soundly. When he took a seat, she blinked at the pancake for a long moment. Only when a burnt smell started to invade her nose, was she spurred into action. Eriol laughed and Anne giggled as she threw the pancake into the trash. She glared at Eriol and resumed flipping pancakes, pointedly ignoring him.

As they all sat down to eat, Eriol cleared his throat. "Ahem…well, I am going to apologized to the ladies right now and I'll apologize again later. I'm sorry. We were all invited to a ball and dinner tonight and I accepted…oh…about 2 weeks ago. Again I'm sorry." He ducked his head and shoveled a whole pancake into his mouth. After a stunned moment of silence, he started to choke and Tomoyo and Anne only stared as Roy helped him breathe again. Ayame laughed and clapped her hands. The women exchanged glances and slowly rose. Roy backed away and sent Eriol a sorrowful look. Both women gave him a resounding slap on the back of his head. He took it with a grimace and fished out his debit card.

A few minutes later, Eriol was left in the kitchen with Ayame, Roy and a pile of dishes with his name on them. Just before they went out the front door, Tomoyo stopped short and grabbed Anne's hand. "Wait I think I have a dress already, but I want your opinion. Come upstairs with me?"

Anne's mouth dropped as Tomoyo turned to face her, still struggling with the back buttons. "Oh my god. You have to wear that Tomoyo. You absolutely have to. Here let me help," she said, turning Tomoyo to the mirror and doing up the buttons.

Tomoyo gasped. Anne grinned. "What did I tell you. You look absolutely gorgeous." Then she grimaced. "Sweet, I love you, but don't stand next to me tonight, alright? I'll look a positive gargoyle next to you."

Tomoyo shook her head. "No, I can't wear this. It's not supposed to fit this way," she said with a sigh. "It's that weight I put on."

"My dear, you still look like a stick to me, and you are going to wear that dress tonight. I will personally see to it," Anne threatened.

Tomoyo laughed as Anne undid the row of buttons. "I'll redo the seams and wear it another time. I promise," she said with a sincere smile.

They put the dress back into the closet and Tomoyo was in the process of slipping her jeans on when the door opened. She froze like a deer in the headlights and her eyes grew impossibly round. "E-Eriol…what a surprise…" she stuttered as she folded her arms over her chest. Her jeans dropped and she looked down. So did Eriol.

Anne laughed out loud at the scene and threw a robe at Tomoyo. "Cover up, dear. What did you need, Eriol?"

Eriol slowly blinked and handed a largish box to her. "I…um…A while ago, I bought that for Tomoyo. Try it and see if it fits…I mean, ask Tomoyo to try it…Um…I'll just be going now," he murmured as he turned on his heel and walked away. Damn. Why did he insist on that lingerie?

Anne closed the door and threw the box on the bed. "Hmm…well let's see what your stuttering sweetheart bought you."

Tomoyo lifted the lid and picked up the dress. "Oh," she breathed. "This is gorgeous." She slipped it on over her head and moved to stand in front of the mirror. The dress was a pearly lavender silk. It was a Grecian cut dress and seemed to fall from her right shoulder, where it was caught with a silver and crystal brooch. A fair amount of her back and left side was exposed. She took a step and a glimpse of her leg showed. She blushed and shook her head. "I don't want to show too much skin," she murmured. "It's gorgeous…but not my style."

Anne snorted. "Girl, give me a break. That is what you're wearing. No ifs ands or buts," she said with finality.

Tomoyo pulled the dress off and looked at it longingly. "I don't think so Anne. This is going to be my first night at a social thing with Eriol. I don't want anyone to think I'm…well...sleazy, per se."

Anne grasped her shoulders and gave her a little shake. "Child! No one with a disposition personality like you could ever be confused for a skank like that Victoria Ito. Now, you are going to wear that dress and make every woman envious of you and every man envious of Eriol. So, we just need to get a few accessories and then you're set. As for me…"

A few minutes later, they left for the shopping centers.

Chapter 10

-

Eriol straightened his suit and brushed invisible specks from it. He patted his hair and checked his shoes for any scuff marks then made his way downstairs. Roy was loitering in the foyer with a glass of whiskey in his hand. At his questioning glance, Eriol shrugged and pointed upstairs. "I think they're still primping."

"You think wrong," Anne said with a blinding smile. Roy almost dropped his glass. Eriol had to admit Anne looked beautiful tonight. She was in a strapless royal blue dress with white trim. It was a simple cut, but she made it look like a million dollars. Her hair was swept up and into an elegant twist, set off by a few white baby roses yet to bloom.

Roy came forward and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "You look absolutely stunning, but where's my wife?"

She giggled and playfully slapped his arm. "Wait till you see Tomoyo. I could swear on my life she's the most gorgeous thing in the world tonight. Let me go get her. She's a little bashful."

She disappeared for a moment then there was the sound of a slight scuffle. Eventually, she reemerged and with a triumphant smile on her lips. Almost directly behind her, was Tomoyo.

If Anne looked like a million, Tomoyo looked like ten million. At least she would if she smiled. Her head was bowed and she walked stiffly. Eriol would swear his heart had stopped pumping. She stopped behind Anne and finally looked up at him. He gulped and came forward. "You…you look more than exquisite," he said softly. He grasped her hand and pulled her towards him. "You just need to smile." He pulled her into a hug and surreptitiously tickled her naked back. She giggled and squirmed away. "You had better keep smiling or I'll sneak up on you and tickle you till you pee in your pants," he said with a smile. She giggled again and pulled away. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Hey, you look beautiful tonight," he murmured before he kissed her. He only stepped away when Anne pointedly coughed. He smiled and tickled Tomoyo to get her giggling again. "You're going to cause nosebleeds tonight."

Just outside the ballroom, still in the limo, Eriol started to get nervous. Not for his sake, but for Tomoyo's. People were cruel and it was human nature to gossip. She seemed to be nervous herself. She sat opposite him, wringing her hands and staring at the tip of her shoes. He reached out and pulled one of her hands into his. "Don't worry, sweetheart, everyone will love you," he reassured her. She offered a weak smile and squeezed his fingers, but didn't say anything.

The limo came to a stop and the chauffeur stepped out to open the doors. "Remember to smile,'' Eriol whispered before the door opened, emitting a blinding flash of cameras and the raucous shouts of reporters. Roy and Anne got out first and paused for a moment, smiling and waving to the cameras. When they started on their way, Eriol unfolded his frame from the low limo and reached a hand in to help Tomoyo out. When she straightened and shook down her skirts, a momentary hush fell over the cameramen and women. Then the volume and intensity of voices and cameras doubled.

Eriol glanced over and Tomoyo was smiling beauteously. She looked like a natural in this sphere. She was radiating joy and confidence. Eriol was more than a little confused, even if he didn't show it. As they started to walk along the carpet to the double doors, she held his right hand with both of hers squeezing almost painfully. But she kept the million dollar smile on her face.

Halfway across the red velvet expanse, he stopped her with a gentle tug and nudges her to face the scrambling camera people. He pulled her to his side and slid an arm around her slender waist. Her smile faltered slightly and he lightly tickled her.

Immediately, her lips kicked up at the ends and she almost relaxed against him.

"Miss! Miss! What's your name?" a frantic man called from behind the slight barrier.

Tomoyo took a few steps forward. "Excuse me?"

"Your name, miss," he said, holding pen over pad.

Tomoyo glanced at Eriol. He nodded almost imperceptibly and she smiled slightly. "Tomoyo Daidouji."

"Spell it please."

Tomoyo grinned, starting to enjoy the quirky way of things. "T-O-M-O-Y-O-D-A-I-D-O-U-J-I."

"Very good. Now, my name is Derek Pannier. I'm a reporter for the social section of the Daily Publication. Would you mind if I asked you a few questions?"

"No."

"Very good. Now, how do you know Eriol Hiiragizawa?"

Tomoyo blushed a little, recalling what he had told her that first night. He hadn't mentioned it another time though. Oh well. "I'm his fiancée, sir."

"Please, call me Derek. How long has this engagement been on, Tomoyo?"

"About a month."

"When's the wedding?"

Tomoyo blushed and looked to Eriol. He shrugged and came to her rescue. "We're still in the process, Derek. I think that's all for today. Sweetheart, let's get going," he said loud enough for Derek to hear.

"Wait, one more question sir. Where's your lady's ring?"

Eriol paused mid turn and grasped Tomoyo's bare left hand. "I guess she left it at home. It's okay, I remembered it though," he said with a smile at Tomoyo. From his coat pocket he produced a massive diamond ring. Two smaller amethysts flanked the large cushion cut diamond. Unsurprisingly, it fit perfectly. She gasped and stared. She opened her mouth to say something, but he shook his head slightly and led her away.

When they were out of hearing range, he bent to her ear and whispered, "Don't lose it. It's real." He smiled against her ear and then pressed a dry kiss there.

She stopped and returned to the kiss to his cheek. "Thank you, it's gorgeous," she said against his skin. He smiled and nudged her to get her going again.

-

In the next two hours, Tomoyo was introduced to an endless amount of people. Some were genuinely kind, others were indifferent, and still others were barely civil. Generally, Eriol was by her side, tickling her every once in a while. Finally, they were called into dinner. They were all seated at two long tables. Unfortunately, she and Eriol were seated at separate tables.

Tomoyo was directed to a seat near the middle of the table. She settled herself and then watched to see who she was seated next to. An actress sat to her right, a politician sat to her left, and directly across from her sat Victoria Ito. Pettily, Tomoyo noted that her dress needed to be let out a little at the seams and re-sewed at the bodice.

Victoria could not believe her eyes. Eriol Hiiragizawa's tramp was here! Mingling with people of good class and upbringing. She settled carefully in her chair, arranging her short dress and lightly touching her hair. She watched as…what was her name…ah, yes, Tomoyo turned to Mr. Travis Cunningham and answered some question. Her response drew a chuckle out of him. They conversed quietly as dinner was served. Hmm…if she was here, that must also mean Eriol was here. Surreptitiously, she sought him out.

There, at the other table, next to that horrid housemaid. Victoria shuddered a little and ferociously cut into her chicken. Suddenly an evil thought popped into her head. She almost laughed at the simplicity of it. After chewing and swallowing, she leaned forward. "Tomoyo! You remember me dear?"

The lady looked up from a conversation with the actress. She glanced at her then smiled slightly. "Oh, yes, Victoria, correct?"

"Yes, darling. Well, how have you been?" she asked, her voice dripping honey.

Tomoyo seemed a bit taken aback. "I've been fine. And you?"

"Very well. So, how has your darling daughter been? I've been meaning to drop by for another visit," she lied loudly.

"Ayame has been fine also," she responded shortly. She turned her eyes to her food. Victoria wasn't done yet.

"That's good to hear. And how has Eriol been holding up? I'm sure he still must be in shock. After all, discovering you have a child must take quite a toll on your health," she said, with fake concern.

Mr. Cunningham cut in. "You have a daughter, Miss Daidouji?"

Tomoyo resisted the urge to cringe. "Yes, Mr. Cunningham. She's about six months."

He smiled and pulled out his wallet. "I have a few myself. My daughter's six and my son's ten." Proudly, he displayed the two photos. She smiled in relief and fawned over the photos. The actress showed her own photos of her newborn and the three had quite a lively dinner conversation.

Victoria heaved herself from the table and left the room in disgust. Tomoyo relaxed as the woman exited in a huff. Mr. Cunningham chuckled and took a sip of his drink. "Well, I can't say I'm sorry to see that one go." The actress agreed readily while Tomoyo hedged a little.

Eriol strolled by and put his hands on her shoulders. "Enjoying dinner?" he asked generally. Her companions assented and she nodded her head with a beauteous smile.

Mr. Cunningham clapped a hand on Eriol's forearm and boomed, "Son, why didn't you tell us about your daughter? Ayame, right?"

Eriol smiled and shrugged. "It didn't seem appropriate," he murmured. "However, now that Tomoyo has graciously agreed to marry me…"

Suddenly, they were surrounded by a small crowd. "Really?" the actress asked. "I wanna see the rock," she laughed as she lifted Tomoyo's hand. Everyone ohhed and ahhed until Eriol winked at them all and pulled her away. "We're going to call it a night," he said as the crowd laughed good naturedly. Tomoyo blushed vividly as she was pulled away into the night. The limo was called and Eriol held the door as she slid in. He closed the door after him and broke out laughing as he pressed a kiss to her riotously curling hair. "That was marvelous," he laughed. Tomoyo smiled a little and nestled into his chest.

"What happened to Roy and Anne?" she asked, absently noting their absence.

Eriol laughed again and explained that they were going to stay for dancing. The rest of the way home, they were silent and merely enjoyed each other's nearness. The limo driver stopped in front of the gates and Eriol slipped out of the car, pulling Tomoyo with him. "We'll walk the rest of the way. Thanks, Petey."

They opened the gates and strolled slowly to the house, hand in hand. Just before they reached the brilliantly lit house, Eriol turned abruptly and tugged her to a hidden gazebo. She raised a brow, but didn't question him. He sat on one of the cushioned wicker chairs and pulled her down into his lap. "Did you enjoy the evening?" he asked against her temple. She nodded mutely and twirled a lock of his hair in her fingers. "I found that I enjoyed it immensely. More than I have ever enjoyed a social function in my adult life. Do you know why?" Again, she didn't say anything, only shook her head slightly. "I think I genuinely enjoyed the evening because you were mine for one night. I could really call you my fiancée or wife or whatever I wanted. I was floating on a cloud tonight…I like that feeling," he whispered as he tightened his hold slightly. "I want that feeling for the rest of my life," he told her as he gently turned her to face him. "Do you understand what I'm saying, Tomoyo?"

Chapter 11 (Last)

-

She nodded met his gaze, square on. "But…" she murmured. "I…Will you just state your intentions clearly? Just in case?"

He smiled and pushed the hair away from her face. "Tomoyo Daidouji, will you marry me?"

She smiled gently and leaned forward, resting her chin on his shoulder. "Truthfully?"

He nodded and stroked her bare back. "As long as it's a yes."

She giggled a little and pushed away from him, gracefully getting to her feet. "I have to think," she said, gazing into his eyes.

His face fell and he stood. "Umm…what do you mean?"

She shrugged and stepped close again, wrapping a hand around the edges of his formal coat. "I think I want to, but I'm not 100 sure. Would you mind terribly if…well if I went to visit Sakura…"

Eriol blinked. "Well…actually, I invited her and her family over for a week or two. They should be here tomorrow afternoon."

She gasped in surprise and pleasure and squeezed his body in a hug. "Oh, Eriol! You have no idea how much I love you right now!"

The breath left Eriol's lungs. "You…uh…love me?"

She gasped, stepped back and slapped a hand over her mouth. "Oh my God. I think I do."

He couldn't help but grin over her expression. "So…"

She pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. "No, it doesn't change anything. I still need some time, Eriol." She opened her eyes and let her eyes leisurely peruse him from head to toe. "Why don't we…er…coffee sounds good," she ended lamely.

She turned and started back to the house. They entered the kitchen and Eriol sat as Tomoyo bustled about, preparing tea instead of coffee. As she set it to steep, she sank into the chair across from him. "So…um…I was wondering if…well… now that we've established the fact that…well.. you know I love you now… um… well…do you?"

Eriol blinked. Her stumbling voice was a little hard to follow. Apparently she took his hesitation a as negative and jerked to her feet. "Okay…well…I think I'm going to go to bed now. Good night." Her voice cracked a little as she hurried up the stairs.

Eriol sighed and took off after her.

Tomoyo bit her lip to stop the tears as she walked quickly to her room. She opened the door and spotted the sitter asleep in a chair and Ayame curled up amid atleast ten pillows. The sitter opened her eyes and sprang to her feet. "Oh! Ma'am. You're home early. Did you enjoy your evening?" she asked, adjusting her clothing. "Ayame was a perfect angel. There was no trouble at all."

Tomoyo forced a congenial smile and paid the sitter. As she slipped out the door, Eriol stepped in.

Tomoyo didn't notice. She was leaning over the bed and adjusting the pillows around Ayame. The baby slept on, peacefully unaware of anything around her.

Silence reigned in the room until Tomoyo let a sob escape. Eriol watched as tears dotted the pillow she hovered over. Her sobs were muted and barely disturbed the silence. Eriol stepped forward to comfort her, but he knew he had no right, since he caused the tears. Without a sound, he eased the door open.

Then she slipped her dress off.

Eriol was a man and had a man's prerogative. Equally as silent as when he opened the door, he closed the door.

The dress pooled to the ground and left her clothed in a sad excuse for panties and a pair of heels. He held his breath. She wiped at her eyes and sat on the bed to pull her shoes off. She had just pulled off her shoes when she suddenly went stock still. Slowly, she turned her face to him. Her eyes widened and she clutched her arms to her chest. "How long have you been there?" she asked, staring straight ahead.

He went to sit on the bed next to her and wrapped her in his jacket. "Awhile," he admitted. "I just wanted to talk. However…well…maybe you might want to do a little more than talk?" She turned and stared at him until he felt his face going up in flame. "Uh. Never mind." He quickly got to his feet and was turning the knob when she called his name softly. He froze and lightly thumped his head against the door. "Yes?"

"Turn around. Please," she said quietly.

He slowly rotated on his heel until he was fully facing her. However, he was staring intently at her gown. There was something new though. It had company. His coat was lying next to it in a strange misshapen heap. He watched her feet pad closer and closer and had to close his eyes. "Tomoyo. If you don't want to, I understand. And I don't want you to do it because you feel you have to."

No response.

He felt her body settle against his and her arms slide up and over his shoulders.

"Tomoyo? Are you sure?" He still had his eyes clenched shut and his hands turned to fists by his side.

He felt the air move before his face. "Open your eyes," she breathed.

Reluctantly, he gradually eased his eyes open. Her eyes were wide and clear as they met his gaze. "I want to," she whispered before she melded her lips to his.

Later, Eriol dragged a pillow down to the floor and placed it beneath his head. Tomoyo let out a long breath and snuggled closer to him. "I think you've gotten better," she murmured. He could feel her smile against his neck.

"And I think you've gotten worse," he teased. She let out an exhausted laugh and settled her head on his chest.

"How bad would it be if Roy and Anne walked in right now?" she murmured sleepily.

He shrugged and ran his hands down her back, reveling in the feel of her supple skin. "I think they would be happy. They have been trying to set us up for the past month or so."

She made a little contented sound in the back of her throat and then her breathing evened out and slowed. She was asleep. He wound a hand in her hair and closed his eyes.

The door swung open, quietly but swiftly. Eriol's eyes popped open and he groped for a covering. Unfortunately the only thing available was the pillow. He grabbed it and covered their naked hips. Sakura appeared, blinding light from the hallway behind her. Then Syaoran. Dear God.

Sakura blinked, adjusting to the dim room, then spotted them. Her eyes went wide and her mouth formed a perfect 'O'. Syaoran merely laughed and leaned against the doorframe. Eriol blushed and leaned back nonchalantly. Tomoyo was still asleep and cuddled up to him. Only her back and legs were showing. "I thought you guys were coming tomorrow," he stated, glowering at Syaoran's laughing gaze.

He shrugged. "We caught an earlier flight."

Sakura was still in shock. "How…I mean…I thought…Uh…"

Eriol grinned winningly.

Tomoyo murmured something incoherent and blinked awake. "Hey," she murmured sleepily to Eriol.

His grin widened. "Hey. Guess what?"

"Hmm?"

"Sakura and Syaoran are here."

There was a brief silence. "How do you know?" she asked, her body stiffening.

He jerked his chin in their general direction.

Tomoyo carefully turned her head and saw Sakura and Syaoran. There was a moment of deathly silence then she gasped and buried her face in the crook of his neck.

The other three laughed and Syaoran and Sakura left them alone to get dressed. As the door shut, Tomoyo scrambled to her drawer and pulled on sweats and a sweater. Her face was a bright red and she couldn't look at him. He laughed and caught her against his chest. Before she could say anything, he framed her face and kissed her deeply.

A few minutes later, when they broke apart for breath, she pushed away from him and wrung her hands nervously. "We have to go…Sakura…"

Not necessarily, he said with a grin. "I think they'll understand." He came at her again.

Another few minutes passed and she stepped away again. He groaned feelingly and she couldn't help but glance down. Her gaze flew back to his and color rose in her cheek again. "I think you need to…umm…put some pants on."

"It's not going to help," he said with a deep sigh as he reached for his trousers and boxers.

-

Tomoyo woke up late the next morning. They had all stayed up till the early hours of the morning, catching up. Amazingly enough, Eriol was still next to her. They were once again on the floor, but decently clothed. She made a little groaning sound as she stretched and pushed herself to a sitting position. She blinked down at Eriol through her hair and he calmly blinked back. "Good morning," she murmured huskily.

He smiled and pulled her down on top of him. "I need a proper good morning kiss," he informed her before fitting her lips to his. Momentarily, a happy babbling sound came from behind them. Tomoyo pushed up from Eriol and licked her lips. She smiled down at him and hopped onto the bed.

"Good morning, baby," she cooed. "Are you ready for a bath? Huh? Are you?"

Eriol closed his eyes briefly before forcing himself to crawl over to the bed and prop his chin on the edge. Ayame rolled over and army crawled towards him. She reached over and pawed at his face as she babbled incoherently. Tomoyo giggled and made a run for the bathroom.

When she stepped out again Eriol and Ayame were asleep again. She gently shook both of them awake and took Ayame to the restroom to get washed up. Eriol followed them and propped himself against the doorframe as Tomoyo bathed Ayame.

"I was thinking…" he murmured casually. "We should have a spring wedding."

She turned a raised brow to him but withheld any comments.

"And we should have a gi-normous wedding cake. It should be outdoors, no? By that time, will Ayame be walking, do you think?" For a good ten minutes, he plagued her with possible thoughts on their maybe wedding.

After she got Ayame dressed, she flashed a grin and a shrug and left.

Eriol sighed and ruffled his hair. If she didn't marry him, he was going to check himself into an asylum for life.

-

At noon that day, Sakura and Tomoyo settled themselves in the largish sunroom with their children. Both lay on their side, propped up by their elbows while their babies sat and played somewhat unsteadily with each other.

For a while, they exchanged information then a short silence ensued. Tomoyo broke it.

"Um…I don't know if Eriol told you and Syaoran or anything, but he asked me to marry him," she said to the tree behind Sakura.

Sakura giggled and rolled onto her back. Tomoyo followed suit. "So what do you think you're going to say?"

Tomoyo huffed out a breath and rushed out, "I certainly want to marry him, but I…Well…is it a good idea to? I mean, what if he just wants to avoid gossip, or he just wants Ayame. Or worse yet, what if he just feels sorry for what his parents did? I would hate to bind him to me for life if he really didn't love me…On that note…I'm not even sure if I love him. I certainly think so, but then my experience has been extremely limited and I have no idea what love can be or can't be and…I'm babbling aren't I?"

Sakura giggled. "Uh-huh. Here's what I think: I think that you two are so hopelessly in love with each other that you can't see straight or use either of your normally down to earth logic."

A frown creased Tomoyo's eyebrow. "That's way too simple," she muttered.

Sakura laughed and caught Keisuke as he tipped slowly backwards. "It's most likely the truth, so I think that you should say yes."

Tomoyo stared thoughtfully up at the ceiling.

-

Syaoran grinned and collected the two dollars from Eriol's shirt pocket. "What'd I tell you? Of course they would talk about it. By the way, I agree wholeheartedly with my wife."

Eriol straightened from the door they were listening at. "That doesn't really help my case. If you can get her to say yes I'll be your eternal slave," he muttered under his breath.

Unfortunately, Syaoran had exceedingly well hearing. "Eternal slave, you say?"

Eriol slanted a wry glance at him. "No."

Quite suddenly, the door swung open and hit Eriol. A loud expletive was released a second before he doubled over, clutching his nose. Syaoran and Sakura burst out laughing and Tomoyo let out a horrified gasp.

"Oh my god. I'm so sorry," she murmured softly as she handed Ayame to Syaoran. She grasped his arm and gently led him to the kitchen. Syaoran and Sakura wandered back into the sunroom with the babies. Tomoyo put an ice pack together and gently pressed it to his nose. He hissed out a breath and gingerly touched it.

"Thank god. I thought you broke it," he said in a nasally voice. She smiled and started to step away, but he pulled her closer with one arm and tumbled her into his lap. "Wait. Let's just sit a minute."

She complied and easily relaxed in his arms. Absently, she put her hand on his chest and toyed with his buttons. "What were you doing so close to the door?" she asked.

Eriol closed his eyes and grinned ruefully. "Eavesdropping," he admitted without shame.

"Really? Well you should be happy to know I came to a decision," she informed him. "I'll marry you…"

"But?"

"Only if you promise that you love me and you'll never divorce me. Also, I want a summer wedding. And we have to move back to Japan," she added as an afterthought. "Or visit a lot."

Eriol was still for a long minute. "Is that it? Nothing else to say? You'll agree to marry me now?"

Tomoyo took her time saying yes.

Eriol whooped loudly and crushed her mouth to his. Unfortunately, he smashed his nose against hers and jerked back, tears springing in his eyes. Syaoran and Sakura raced around the corner and watched as Eriol wiped away the moisture in his eyes. They promptly burst out laughing.

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Epilogue

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6 Months Later (Summer)

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Everyone watched in horror as Ayame released the contents of her stomach onto Tomoyo's glimmering white gown. In all their wedding finery, no one was really willing to pick the wailing child up. Tomoyo sighed and set Ayame on her feet. She weaved unsteadily for a moment then clung onto her mother's leg, dribbling more discolored liquid on the skirts. "ome on, baby, let's go find something else to wear," she said with a little sigh. "Do you think anyone'll mind if Mommy wore jeans?"

The women in the room watched as Tomoyo walked into the bathroom and shed her and Ayame's dresses. "Shit," MeiLin muttered under her breath. "What's Tomoyo going to wear?"

As one, the five or so women jumped into Tomoyo's closet. Anne sat thoughtfully, then ordered the younger women out of the closet. "I think she has something…" she murmured, searching near the back of the closet.

A moment later, she reappeared with a dress bag. She set it on the bed and pulled out the dress Tomoyo had tried on way back when. The stiff bodice glittered in the sunlight as she pulled it out. It was even more gorgeous than she remembered when Tomoyo had shown it to her before the ball. A few minutes later, the wedding planner opened the door. "Where's the bride? She's supposed to be out there in basically 4 minutes."

Tomoyo emerged from the bathroom in a bathrobe. "Ah…I don't have a dress. Ayame spit up on it," she said with a bright smile as her daughter toddled out in a clean lavender dress. "Any tips?'

Anne threw the gown in her face. "Everyone else can go ahead. Put this on, sweetheart. Now."

The planner hurried away with the bridesmaids and Ayame. Tomoyo slipped into the gown and struggled a little as she worked the tight fitting dress up over her swelling chest. The corset she was wearing wasn't helping at all.

She pushed the gown down again and got unlaced from the anti-breathing device. Anne shooed her out the door, buttoning the myriad pearl buttons lining her spine. Five minutes later, they arrived at the site of the wedding and she was properly done up. The wedding planner threw a bouquet into her hands and told her to walk. The guests were already buzzing with questions about whether she was showing up or not. As she stepped into sight on the arm of Roy, the crowd rose as one and turned to look at her.

She laughed out loud at Eriol's pinched face. The look fell from his face as he spotted her and was transformed into one of pure unadulterated pleasure. She smiled serenely and walked into her future.

A/N: Cheesy last sentence? Yup yup yup. LOL. I AM FINALLY DONE!!! I'M DONE, I'M DONE!!! (Victory dance) I hoped u guys enjoyed it. I'm sorry for anything that is inaccurate or yeah…any of that. Okay, well…I don't know when im going to write another story, but if u have a suggestion, send it to me and we'll see )