Title: China's paramour

Summary: Sakura would do anything for her family. Three shot fic fem!JapanxChina

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 1: Death in the family

Death in the family often destroys every plan you have set out in your life. It often occurs in the most unexpected times that leaves a blow that reverberates to every member of the family. This occurrence often happens when you least expect it but the repercussions are often felt within the household.

Sakura Bonnefoy-Kirkland, the oldest daughter of the late spouses Francoise and Arthur Kirkland knew her responsibilities when her parents met untimely demise. A plane crash destroyed her dreams of ever finishing medicine on time and leaves everything hanging in the air. Death was like a punch in the gut, a blow you never expected out of the blue. And being the elder sister, she needed to step up the plate and take command of the sinking ship.

Even before the midterm exams, she went straight home to New York to overlook the funeral proceedings. The last will and testament was also later read, leaving her the sole guardian of her siblings Amelia and Matthew Bonnefoy-Kirkland. The good news is that mama and papa gave all of them trust funds enough to live in the luxury all of them deserves. The bad news was, they could only touch it when they reached 25 years old. So she still needs two years before she could touch it.

She often sighed if this was a test being raised by her adoptive parents. She often recalled how mama would often look at her and say she was her lucky charm. Mama would often say that if Sakura never entered their lives, Franchoise and Arthur would have divorced years ago.

Mama would often recall the nights when she and Arthur fought because they had no children at that time. For all their success in their careers, both had trouble conceiving so it was a miracle when they heard knocking and a wail of a baby being heard at the front door. When they found her, Arthur considered looking for her parents but Franchoise refused. Sakura was considered a heaven sent and she hated being parted of her new found baby. Franchoise's beckoning later won out and the two legally adopted the foundling.

It was also probably the reason when seven years later after the stress and frustration have simmered down, Franchoise finally conceived and gave birth to twins. This made Sakura fear being replaced and she almost ran away from home when the two babies arrived but Arthur and Franchoise assured her that she would never be replaced. She was the oldest now so she had the responsibility of taking care of them.

It was that thought that was ingrained in her subconscious. "You are the oldest now sweetling, when we're gone, you have to protect your brother and sister." Thus, as the oldest, she became the person in charge when mama and papa were often gone on business trips or honeymoons. How ironic that now that she was at the turning point of her life that tragedy strikes. How is it fair that just when she is almost there, life tries to take it away from her.

She often looks to Franchoise for advice but she is gone. Now she just needs to try to figure this out on her own. Like papa said, cheer up poppet, when life throws you lemons, you make lemonade. Then he would give her one of his biggest smiles.

Looking at the window of their family home, she didn't notice Matthew creep next to her. "Sakura, Sakura?" There was no reply until he placed his hand on her shoulder.

She turned and looked at her brother. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine Matthew. Just thinking about our options."

"You know, I could always drop out of school and work part-time," asked Matthew.

The response was a glare. "Absolutely not, Matthew. You're 16 years old. Mom and dad would haunt me from their graves when they find out you dropped out from school."

"But I could help out. I heard the solicitor, we need to pay off the debts left by mom and dad."

"I know you can bro, but I decided to sell the house and lot left by mom and dad. If my calculations are correct, we'll be debt free by the end of the year."

"Yeah but what about us, our education, your degree, we also need to eat sis?"

"We'll since the boarding school is already paid in full. You'll still go back and finish school with your sister. I'll also go back to med school and finish the school year. The insurance proceeds left by mom and dad would also help tide us for the next couple of months."

"Yeah but what about next year and the year after that. I know how to count sis and unless mom and dad bequeath us a time machine to make you older for two more years, we're broke."

"Well I've decided to look for work after I settle everything here. The next two years are going to be terrible but if we could survive for two years, we'd be home free by then."

"I don't know about this sis."

"Listen Matthew, all mom and dad ever wanted was for all of us to finish school and find career paths that make us happy. Now, I know you hate school and you want to become a hockey player. That's fine with me but you still need to finish school and Amelia for all her brilliance would still need her older brother with her. We both know how much of a troublemaker she is."

Matthew sighed but he gave her a weak smile, "She got that from dad."

Sakura grinned.

"But you know, you also got dad's stubbornness."

Sakura merely laughed. "I think we all did, brother. Now, go outside and fetch Amelia. It's time for dinner."

Matthew acquiesced before leaving the room.

Sakura went to the kitchen to make breakfast. Pretty soon, she would have to sell the house. Better use the house amenities before it's gone. Sakura thought. Now she just had to look for work and hope for the best. She prays to the Lord that two years would come by faster…