Agent08 Reporting for Duty!
Now… on with chapter two!
Casting Shadows
A Familiar Feeling
Nine or so years later…
A young woman with messy auburn hair and wandering eyes ran across the room, her head ducked to look under tables and other living room furnishings. She sighed.
"Tomoyo-chan! Where are my running shoes?"
"You left them outside on the doorstep, Sakura-chan."
"Hoe… oh yeah, that's right."
Sakura giggled sheepishly as she opened the front door of her home, the home she shared with her oldest and best friend, Daidouji Tomoyo. Just like she said, they were on the step atop the "welcome" rug, right where she had left them that morning after her early jog. It wasn't the first time she forgot where she placed them, she'd been losing track of a lot of things lately and almost always had to have Tomoyo remind her where she put them.
She just had a lot of things on her mind, lately.
Picking them up from where they were on the step, she brought them inside their modest home and dropped them back on the floor in the foyer. She would be putting them on as soon as she was through digesting her dinner.
"I wish you wouldn't go running tonight," Tomoyo said distractedly as she prepared some tea. "I know it's just the beginning of summer, but it's still pretty cold out. I even heard on the weather channel earlier today that we're expecting heavy rain."
"It's just a little water," Sakura replied cheerfully, as if not hearing Tomoyo mention the word "heavy." She giggled. "And you know I don't like missing my daily jogs."
"You already took one this morning when the weather was crisp," Tomoyo answered, pouring herself and Sakura a cup. "You can afford to miss this one. You don't always have to jog twice day."
Sakura giggled again, grateful that her friend was so concerned. It had been like that for as long as she could remember. Even when they were young and still attending grade school, Tomoyo would fuss over a loose strand of hair. There was never a moment when she was never concerned about her friend.
She took the cup gratefully and sipped, allowing the heat to abate before taking any gulps. "This will be a short one, I promise."
Tomoyo glared as she peered over the top of her own mug. "Well, it better be."
The tea was soothing and helped a lot to unravel her mind. Sakura had been so wrapped up in everything, with finishing school, her part time jobs, and this weird feeling that she'd been fighting for quite some time now. It was something she felt long ago in her past, she knew, but she couldn't put a finger on what that feeling was. And if it happened in the past – well, she much preferred that it stay there.
She never dwelled too much on her past, would not allow herself to go too far back when reminiscing or talking about the good old days. That would require her to discuss him. To remember him and think of him and all the things they'd shared.
She lived a happy, simple life – she'd been more or less content with the way things were for nearly ten years. She didn't need to complicate things by thinking about that long ago mess. She was sure digging that far back wouldn't be necessary, anyway. The feeling only nagged her a little bit, every once in a while. It would be gone eventually… at least, that's what she thought and told herself.
For the hundredth time that month, she found herself slipping, forgetting the fact that she absolutely, positively did not want to think of him. But whenever she tried to figure out that funny feeling, he somehow became associated with it and she'd let her mind wander, and… things got out of control. Thoughts of him just wouldn't keep coming.
It was why she chose to start jogging twice each day. It used to be that she'd only go once in the morning, but she found that running took her mind off of everything. But lately it didn't seem to be working, and she began to think that maybe an afternoon jog needed to be added to her schedule.
"I think I'm off," she announced lightly, sliding off her barstool seat and drinking the rest of her tea, scalding her throat in the process. She smiled through the mild pain and put her cup in the sink for her to wash later.
"Be careful," Tomoyo added as she ran off to put her running shoes on.
"I'll be fine," Sakura assured, smiling wide and waving before closing the door behind her. "I won't see any monsters on my way, if that's what you're thinking."
Tomoyo smiled and rolled her eyes, waving her off with her wrist.
Had she known what she was going to encounter that night, seeing a monster would have been the far better scenario.
xxxxxx
She did a few stretches before taking off, bending every which way to get her blood flowing. She stood up straight, jogged in place for a couple of seconds, and started down the driveway, exiting the front lawn and tearing off for the trail in the woods.
Tomoyo's family owned the entire acre and the house that they both currently lived in. It was a rather big estate, certainly more than big enough to fit the two of them. Their home was a simple two storeys, but it was in fact rather large. Their bedrooms were big and roomy and right next to each other. There was a bathroom on each floor, a room that acted as Tomoyo's studio, a room they used for storage, and everything else was for guest use. They often had friends and family stay the night, so the fact that they had so many extra rooms about the house was a good thing.
The surrounding woods were Daidouji private property as well. It was why Tomoyo wasn't very worried when Sakura suddenly announced that she'd be doing evening runs. They were fenced off and well distanced from the other houses. Unless a friend or family member, no one ever bothered stepping foot on their property. To seek the house out was a hassle, too. Only Tomoyo and Sakura would ever be able to find it right away. The winding trails were confusing and at times not clearly visible with all the leaves and dirt covering them up. Only they would be able to find it right away because they'd grown so accustomed to everything.
There was one other reason why Tomoyo never really bothered to worry over Sakura when she was on her own. And that reason was around Sakura's neck; flailing with every thump she took as she ran deeper in the forest along a familiar trail. It was her miniature staff, the one she'd had since she became the Card Mistress those many years ago. The one that could summon and put into effect all the cards she captured when she was just a kid.
She hardly ever found reason to use it anymore. Kero had told her once when she was still a child, when she went on a maniacal "transforming spree", afraid that she wouldn't be able to transform them all in time, that she could only use them if she absolutely needed to. That night she spent tons of magical energy, transforming a bunch of cards all at once, and even went on a wild goose chase hunting down the Dash Card when she made it confused as a result of her actions. She learned her lesson, and she learned it good that night.
Strange things were no longer happening in her world or the real world, so the use of magic in her household was kept to the bare minimum. Every once in a while, though, Tomoyo would ask her to put on a show and pretend to do some hard-core combat with the Create Card, just so she would have something interesting to film.
It was only a few times that she would ever comply. Because even looking at the cards, the cards she loved and cared for so much, would send her in a state and make her think about how she'd captured and transformed most all of them with him at her side. It almost wasn't worth the trouble.
She continued jogging, working up a sweat and getting her heart rate to increase. So far, running wasn't getting her mind off of that strange feeling she'd been having, ever since a month ago. And that feeling kept setting off a chain reaction, a reaction that would almost always result in the image of his face. Would nothing work anymore? What could she possibly do to make herself stop thinking about it? What had to happen for her to rid herself of him, if only for a little while, as she ran her final stretch of the night?
As it turned out; she had to sense that feeling, stronger than she'd ever felt it in that month, so strong and overwhelming that it nearly took her off her feet.
She stopped immediately, coming to an abrupt stop in the middle of the trail.
"What…" she breathed, staring into the dark spaces of the forest, willing herself to calm down and locate wherever it was the feeling was coming from.
"This sensation…" she whispered. And suddenly, her eyes widened as she sensed the sensation's point of origin. She turned to her right and began running off trail, faster than her normal jogging speed, tearing off into the part of the woods where she hardly traveled, sure to get lost at this time of night.
But it didn't matter. That feeling, she knew it. She just knew it. But what was it?
No…
It couldn't be.
I haven't felt this in years…
She came to a dead stop in the middle of a clearing, where the moon shone directly above, illuminating everything below it. All that was present were the leaves and gravel on the ground, the trees that surrounded the clearing in a perfect circle, and her, panting heavily with a look of pure disbelief and shock in her emerald eyes.
"Syaoran?"
"Hello, Sakura."
There were very few things that went through her mind after she saw him, before the silence and the darkness settled in, rendering her completely unconscious.
That couldn't have been him I felt… no. It couldn't have been him. She thought as she felt her knees, her mind, her everything grow weaker. No – whatever that was, it wasn't him.
It was evil.
xxxxxx
Ding. Ding. Ding.
Tomoyo looked up from her sketch, upstairs in her studio. She had been glaring at it for a few minutes, trying to figure out what was wrong with it, what she could do to make it better. It wasn't the colour combination, she was happy with the ones she chose. Was it the style? Was the skirt too long? What about the–?
Ding. Ding. Ding.
She huffed at the insistence of the doorbell. Why did Sakura have to forget her key at a time like this, when she was in the middle of working?
"Really, Sakura-chan," she muttered to herself, getting louder as she marched down the steps that led straight to the front door. "What has been going through your head lately? You never forget your—"
She opened the door wide to continue lecturing, but was greeted with a sight she had not seen in nearly ten years. The scolding died in her throat as she gasped, bringing both her hands to her mouth as she tried to register what stood before her.
Syaoran smiled weakly at her, holding an unconscious Sakura in his arms.
"Li-kun!" she exclaimed, the confusion in her eyes and voice so strong and overwhelming it started to make even him feel nervous.
"Hi Daidouji, nice to see you."
She disregarded his polite greeting completely as she stared at him and her best friend, eyes widening in shock. "What on earth happened?"
"She fainted," he replied, "I caught her before she hit the ground though, she's just out cold… listen," he said, hoisting Sakura up higher in his arms. "I'm really happy to see you and all, and I know that we have some catching up to do, but do you mind if we do this inside?"
Suddenly she remembered herself and held the door open for him as he stepped inside, not forgetting his manners and kicking off his shoes before walking into the living room.
"No, no," Tomoyo chided, making her way up the stairs again. "Put her down in her room. She'll be surprised if she wakes up and the first thing she sees is you and me talking. She'll probably just faint again."
He understood her logic and followed her up the steps, securing his hold around her so that she wouldn't bump her head during the short trip. His eyes wandered, coming to rest at all the photographs that hung from the walls and the overall décor of the house that was home to the unconscious girl in his arms.
They arrived on the last landing that stretched into their wide corridor and was led to one of the rooms in the middle. Tomoyo opened the door as quietly as she could and allowed him to enter, putting a finger to her lips as she did so.
He nodded and walked in, locating her bed and setting her down gently, taking her unfolded pink blanket and covering her with it before stepping back to admire what he'd just done. It seemed that her unconscious state had become a light slumber, and he was happy for that. After what happened, she needed some rest.
It had been a long time – much too long, in fact – since he had last seen the girl, sleeping on the bed before him. Her peaceful face was something he had lived without for nearly ten long years, so he could not bring himself to stop from staring. He wanted to drink her in, have that moment last for just a little bit longer…
"Li-kun."
He blinked once to detach himself from his reverie and turned to his side. Tomoyo was still standing by the doorframe, her arms folded and eyes expectant.
He walked up to her, exiting her room so that Tomoyo could shut the door softly behind the two of them. Before she could, he took one last fleeting glance over his shoulder, at the sleeping Sakura who dozed lightly on the mattress, and sighed.
"I can explain," he answered in a hushed voice, not able to meet Tomoyo's eyes.
"I certainly hope you can," she whispered back, giving him a knowing look before closing the door.
She once again led the way downstairs, wasting no time. They headed straight for the kitchen and she began brewing a fresh pot of tea, turning her back to him but beginning the conversation at once.
"You've got a lot of nerve, mister," she said.
"Let me explain," he said.
"Don't get me wrong, Li-kun, I'm glad you're here. But you could've called."
"Really?" he asked, his eyes and tone of voice conveying his surprise. "You're happy to see me?"
She rolled her eyes at him as she turned around, sliding a cup to him across the counter. "Of course I am. Not everyone hates you. Not even she does," she said, nudging her head in the direction of the stairs, obviously referring to Sakura. "Just her onii-chan, I think. And, well, Kero-chan never really liked you to begin with."
He looked about his surroundings, continuing his earlier evaluation. He appraised the neat and tidy living room and the well-kept kitchen space. It seemed as though the two friends were living in a comfy, ordinary house. It looked like a happy enough home, with lots of picture frames and nice decorations everywhere he turned. Sakura most likely led a stress-free life there.
"And where is the plush toy, exactly?" he asked curiously, swinging his head around to see if he could spot him.
"My room," Tomoyo answered shortly, pouring him his tea and beginning to rummage through the fridge. "He likes it there because my room is tidier and he says my cushions are softer. And I also keep a stash of goodies in a drawer for him for when he gets hungry. He's probably already asleep. He had a long, hard day of… beating his high scores on our video game system…" she finished with an ironic laugh.
She presented him with a slice of cake that she took from the fridge and sat herself down in the barstool seat across from him, putting her elbows atop the table and her chin in her hands, preparing herself for whatever story he had to tell.
"Thanks," he said, though he really wasn't in the mood to be fed. "Things haven't changed much, have they?"
She shook her head, a small smile on her face. "Things are more or less the same."
Syaoran wanted to smile at that too. Good – a normal, happy, peaceful life. Exactly what he had wanted for Sakura.
The smile on Tomoyo's face slowly vanished as she took on a look of annoyance. "But I have a feeling things won't be the same – not once you've told me why exactly you're here."
"I can explain," he said again.
She frowned. "So I guess this means you're not here to get her back." The way she said it didn't seem like a question.
He let his eyes gravitate to the countertop as he shook his head. "Of course not."
"And why not?" she asked, sounding angry. "If you ever did show your face here ever again, I would have thought that it would've been for that reason."
He sighed sadly. "It's not. Let's just get that out of the way, okay? I'm not here to win her back or to restart what I ended. I have no right. Please, just don't bring it up in front of her – all right?"
Tomoyo was looking at him incredulously, her eyes narrowed almost as if insulted. "What do you mean you have no right? Don't you love her anymore?"
He knew this conversation was bound to come up when he decided to travel back to Japan, he just didn't know Tomoyo would bring it up so fast. But there was no use in avoiding it. He thought he might as well hash it out right then and there and have the discussion over and done with, so he could talk about what he really came for.
"Daidouji, my feelings don't factor into my trip here. At all. Whatsoever. I'm not here to screw up her life by trying to get her back. So just get the idea out of your head already, all right? And don't you even think about doing any scheming."
She frowned as though a parent had just scolded her. But she regained her feisty attitude once more, not allowing him to end the conversation so easily like that. "So you're saying you do still love her?"
"Does that matter?" he retorted.
"Of course it matters!"
"No. It doesn't. She's happy, she's safe, and she's normal. That's all that matters."
Tomoyo huffed, unhappy with his response. "Well if you're not here for her, then why areyou here? And why didn't you call, for heaven's sake? You just had to randomly show up on our property one day and get her to faint by scaring the bejeezus out of her? What were you thinking?"
"I would've called," he said, knowing that it wasn't entirely wise to make his arrival unannounced. "But I didn't have your number."
She had forgotten that slight problem. "Oh… right."
"I visited her house, but no one was there. Then I went to yours, but the new family living there couldn't point me to where you and your okaa-sama moved. I thought about visiting the boutique, but I probably wouldn't have—"
She stopped him with the wave of both her hands, confusion showing in her eyes. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait. What boutique?"
His eyes widened, as though he had just caught himself in a lie, though he hadn't. "Oh – um, the… the boutique. I heard you last worked at a boutique when I… er, called up Yamazaki..."
A thin eyebrow was lifted, doubting his reply. "I never worked at a boutique."
Syaoran cleared his throat nervously. "Well, then, that must have been Yamazaki making up lies again, I guess…"
"Li Syaoran…" Tomoyo began, her voice impatient.
He started scrambling for other responses. "What I meant to say was… I meant to say… studio?" As the words left his mouth, he remembered walking up the stairs, down their hall passed a door labeled, "Tomoyo's Studio", and scrawled underneath in Sakura's familiar penmanship was, "But only when she's not at the other one!"
"Yeah," he coughed, confident in this new answer. "I meant to say studio."
Her eyebrow was still raised, but it seemed as though she was buying his lie – for now. "Right."
"Right," he repeated, trying to switch topics. "Anyway. I just had to find you guys again."
"And why is that?" she asked, and he wondered why she never bothered joining the police force, because she was doing a terribly good job at seeing right through him and interrogating him.
He didn't quite know how to answer her question, though he'd been practicing this speech over and over again in his mind, since he got off the plane. He wasn't sure how to make her understand, or if she'd even believe him. But she had to, she just had to. He couldn't let her believe that the reason he was back was for Sakura, or nothing would ever get accomplished.
"I need her help."
Suddenly she seemed concerned, and she was back to being the old Tomoyo he knew when they were younger.
"What is it?" she asked with worry. "Are you in trouble? Is it money?"
He shook his head, quickly ruling the suggestion of money out. Tomoyo began to wonder why she even bothered to ask if it was about money, because it certainly seemed that Syaoran was doing perfectly well. The wristwatch he was wearing looked terribly expensive, and with her fashion sense, she could just tell by the material that it wasn't a rental suit he was wearing.
"No, no," he assured her. "Nothing like that. It's…"
She waited for him patiently to go on. "It's what?"
He ran a hand through his chocolate brown hair, attempting to get himself together and just come out with it already.
"I think something is after me."
Her eyes widened at the answer.
"Something is after you?"
He nodded, staring at her seriously in the eyes. "I've been having these… funny feelings."
Tomoyo leaned forward, suddenly intrigued. "Sakura-chan too," she said, and Syaoran was surprised to hear this. "She's only mentioned it a couple of times, but lately this past month… she's been having this weird feeling. She said it reminded her of—"
"The past?"
She settled back in her stool, eyebrows raised. "How did you know that?"
He inclined his head forward, as if they were sharing an important secret. "Because that's what it's been reminding me of too. This feeling, the sensation… it's been following me."
"Following you?"
He nodded. "I've been living abroad for a while, mostly in North America doing business with other companies," he explained to better her understanding. "While I've been there, that feeling always nagged at me. I just knew it had to be something magical, so I flew back to China to get some answers from the clan, and—"
"And?" Tomoyo prompted.
He seemed as though he was struggling with what to say next. "They were… unavailable. I couldn't get any answers out of them. So I came here."
"For Sakura-chan's help," Tomoyo finished for him.
He nodded again. "Yes. For her help. Because I know she's the only one who can do anything about it."
She eyed him suspiciously, giving him a look that nobody ever wants to be given, especially not from someone who can be as tenacious as Daidouji Tomoyo. "What are you not telling me, Li-kun?"
The look on his face told her that he was positively caught – that there was in fact something that he was keeping from her. And if he was keeping it from her, there was no doubt that he'd be keeping it from Sakura as well.
"N-nothing," he stammered, looking away. "I've told you everything I know. Now I just need you to help me ask her for her help."
Tomoyo ignored the way he lied so poorly to her and leaned back in her stool once more, folding her arms and looking as though she were about to get entertained.
"Ask her yourself," she said simply.
"Now?" Syaoran asked. "But she's sleeping."
Tomoyo shook her head and nudged her head in the direction of the stairs the way she'd done earlier, without even looking up from the table.
"Oh?" she asked in that annoyingly familiar know-it-all manner of voice of hers.
Startled by her challenging tone, he looked to his side to see if she was simply trying to psych him out. But she wasn't. Standing in the middle of the stairs, leaning on the railing and rubbing her eyes stood Sakura, who had obviously just woken up from her nap.
"Sakura," he said breathlessly.
She rubbed her eyes once more, as if trying to see if she was just hallucinating. "Syaoran-kun."
He swallowed thickly and nodded, as if confirming her realization for her – no, he wasn't just some figment of her imagination; he was actually there, in the flesh, sitting at her kitchen table. He didn't blame her for her reaction. If she had shown up on his doorstep unexpectedly after almost ten years, he probably would've soiled himself.
She smiled. "You came back."
xxxxxx
They were all three seated in the living room, sipping tea and trying to get comfortable. Tomoyo looked perfectly at ease, settling down on the sofa as though she was watching a good soap opera. The other two ignored her and tried to face the other, without looking foolish by blushing or stuttering.
"I'm sorry I scared you back there," Syaoran began.
Sakura smiled and shook her head. "I – I was just surprised. I had been running pretty fast for a long time... I was just out of breath. That was probably why I passed out…" she said pathetically, and Tomoyo had to stifle a snort for her best friend's poor excuse.
"Of course," Syaoran agreed quickly – of course she'd fainted because she was exerting herself too much. She would never pass out, just because she saw him… right?
"So what are you… what are you doing here?" Sakura asked, her voice cautious. "How did you find us? I don't think we're in the book…"
He set down his tea. "I've been here for almost a month, actually," he answered, surprising them both. "I've spent the last three weeks trying to find you guys. I didn't want to… er, be a bother to anyone by asking where you lived, but I didn't really have a choice. So eventually I had to call up Yamazaki and ask him."
"I see," Sakura answered, trying to put from her mind the fact that he'd been in the same country as her for nearly a month already.
There was a short silence before Syaoran started talking again, as if not wanting it to be so quiet and trying to make some conversation so as not to let the atmosphere be so awkward. "The house was much harder to find," he told them. "The estate is huge and covered in trees. It might as well be a forest."
"So how did you find it?" Tomoyo then asked.
"Well, I had to sense you out." And it was obvious that he was addressing Sakura even though he wasn't looking in her direction, because the only one with magical powers between the two of them was her. "But sensing you out only led me near to where you were jogging, not the house. When I found the trail you were running on, it got easier."
When no one said anything, he spoke again, a little peeved that he had to be the one making an effort with the conversations. He just knew that Tomoyo was purposefully keeping quiet so that she could watch him squirm and say something stupid in front of Sakura, the way he did back when they were in grade school.
"I know I really should have called, but…"
Sakura shook her head, smiling kindly and waving off his apologies. "It's no problem. Really. Ne, Tomoyo-chan?"
"Yeah, no problem. Just drop by whenever he darn well pleases and scare you right out of your running shorts. As long as he brings you back, unconscious though you may be—"
"Tomoyo-chan…" Sakura said.
She shrugged and gave her best smile.
Sakura laughed nervously, turning to face Syaoran once more. He was looking at her funny, as though it was his first time setting eyes on her – and technically, it was. He hadn't heard her laugh in so long. It was music to his hears, literally.
"So," she began again, cheerfully as ever, as if the ex-boyfriend that completely shattered her heart was not sitting directly across from her, "To what do we owe this pleasure?"
Syaoran could hardly believe his ears. She called having him there a pleasure? He would've thought that she wanted to spit in his face, send him away and never speak to him ever again – but that was crazy thinking, of course. The Sakura he knew was forgiving, kind, and always cheerful. Those were things he knew that would never be changed in her.
"Actually… I need your help," he finally said. "I know I have no right to be here, or to even ask… but—"
"Stop," she insisted, the concern in her eyes making his heart twist. "Don't say things like that. You know you can always ask me for help."
They both knew what he was referring to when he said he had no right to be there and ask for her help – but neither of them would voice it. It was already uncomfortable enough without acknowledging the big, black elephant squatting in their living room.
He gave her a small smile. "I was telling Daidouji earlier, about this funny feeling I've been having for a while now…"
Sakura didn't need him to explain any further. Immediately she was sitting upright in her seat, her attention focused on him. "What I felt back in the woods," she said, "before I passed out. That feeling. Is that what you're—?"
He nodded. "That's exactly what I'm talking about."
Suddenly she was alarmed. "Syaoran-kun, that feeling was—"
"Evil," he finished for her. "I know."
"And you've been feeling it for weeks?" she asked, worried.
He nodded again but didn't want to make her worried. "I'm sorry to bother you with this, but… it's getting bad. The elders are no use. They're not… um, available," he said. "I didn't have anyone else to take this problem to but… well, you."
"They're not available?" she asked, "what do you mean?"
It appeared as though he was struggling with his words again, thinking carefully before he spoke next. "They don't really… have any answers for me," he finally said, thinking about each word before it escaped his mouth.
"They don't know what's going on?" she asked.
He shook his head. "Er… no. So, you see why I had to come to you. It's bad, Sakura. I wouldn't have bothered you if it wasn't."
She understood completely, and he thought it was funny how in one measly night he could be reminded of all the reasons why he fell in love with her in the first place. And those were a lot of reasons.
"We need to fix this," she said determinedly. "That feeling, whatever it was… I didn't like it. And we can't let it hang around for too long."
He could tell that she was worried and wanted to do anything to ease her troubles. He had to reassure her somehow. "It hasn't done anything too terrible," he began. "You don't have to—"
"Too terrible?" Tomoyo chimed, all of a sudden worried, just like Sakura. "What's it done to you?"
He shook his head and bit his tongue, realizing he'd spoken out of foolishness. If he didn't want to worry them, he should have just kept his mouth shut. In the end, he'd only managed to fuel their concern for him. He felt like an idiot.
"N-nothing," he answered. But Tomoyo wasn't buying it, and he silently cursed her for it. Sakura would have believed him, he was sure, but with Tomoyo doubting him, Sakura was bound to begin doubting as well.
"Tell us," Sakura insisted, and when she said it so worriedly like that… well, he just had to comply.
Reluctantly he lifted the sleeve of his expensive jacket and revealed dark bruises. The girls gasped at the sight of them. They were yellow and black, some even blue and definitely fresh.
"They don't hurt," Syaoran insisted. "And it hasn't done anything to me other than that. It didn't even start doing any of this until I arrived in Japan."
The girls didn't seem to know what to say. He had sprung so much on them in one night, had caught Sakura by surprise, caused her to faint, and now made them worry so much so that they weren't able to speak. He should've practiced how this was going to happen. He shouldn't have done all of this in one night.
He stood up. "I'll leave you for now. It looks like we all have a lot to think about."
"You're not going anywhere," Tomoyo piped up angrily, standing as well.
"I – I'm not?"
"No," she answered, glancing at Sakura, who looked just confused as Syaoran did. "You think we're going to let you off on your own with that thing following you around and leaving you bruises?"
"Daidouji, listen, this isn't—"
"No," she said, answering her own question and disregarding his attempt to speak completely. "We're not. You'll stay with us until we know what's going on."
"W-what?" both he and Sakura stammered.
"You heard me," she replied. "You'll stay here, where Sakura-chan can protect you."
He wanted to scowl at this, because he wasn't in need of anyone's protecting, not even Sakura's. "I've been fine on my own, Daidouji. I don't need to stay here."
"I don't want to hear it," she said stubbornly, taking him by the arm and leading him to the stairs. Sakura followed, unsure of what to do with herself. They stopped at a window and gazed outside to see that the rain began falling, without anyone noticing it. "Oh, what do you know? The weatherman was right for once. How can you go out to find your car with the rain pouring so heavy like that? You'll stay with us, at least just for the night. You can leave in the morning and we'll make a game plan. Oh, this is so exciting! It's like capturing cards all over again!"
"Tomoyo-chan, are you—"
"Yes, I'm sure," she snapped.
Syaoran and Sakura were finally able to look at each other, but only because they weren't too certain about Tomoyo's quick decision making. Their eyes shifted from one another to Tomoyo to the upstairs where all the bedrooms were. Would Tomoyo make her—?
"Sakura-chan, will you show Li-kun to his guest room and all the other guest facilities in the house?" she asked, bounding up the stairs and not waiting for her answer. She clapped her hands together. "Boy, I'm exhausted. I'm going to get ready for bed. I think you two should as well."
Syaoran walked briskly up the stairs after her and caught her by the elbow. "I thought I told you no scheming—" he hissed in her ear.
"I'm not scheming," she whispered back, loosening herself from his grip and grinning at Sakura, who stared at them, confused. "I'm just giving you a place to sleep for the night. Is that so wrong?"
He scowled at her.
"Now let's all get some sleep, shall we?"
Somehow Syaoran was sure that she and the plush toy would be the only two getting any sleep at all that night.
xxx.
Author Notes: I owe all of you a big, fat thank-you for the wonderful reviews I got for the first chapter!
Lots, lots more to come! So please stay tuned :)
Thank you again and please take the time to review!
Signing off,
Agent08 – My life as a secret agent xD