Disclaimer: I don't own Cardcaptor Sakura or any of its characters.
It's us again with chapter two. We're both pretty bad at grammar and spelling so you have to forgive us, spell check only does so much.
Chapter 2: Growing Up But Not Apart
Once the kids were off to school Sakura and Syaoran showered and dressed for work. Syaoran saw to all the Li clan's Japanese interest as well as any other major decisions. No one in the clan made a big decision without going through him first.
Sakura assisted Syaoran whenever he needed her but she was also the Vice President of Daidouji enterprise. Tomoyo had taking over as CEO& President for her mothers company when Sonomi retired.
Tomoyo kept the toy company going but also used the company's influence in international industry to launch her own fashion line.
Tomoyo's new edgy designs were a huge success all around the world.
She had begged Sakura to become her business partner. Having her best friend for a boss provided Sakura with the flexible schedule she needed to keep up with the family. Also through Sakura, Tomoyo now had access to all the Li clan's business resources so everybody won.
That is until the Li clan attracted trouble. For the most part life was normal enough but every now and again a magical 'mishap', as Sakura called them would cause problems for her and Syaoran.
"Everything has been quiet for a while I should have known it wouldn't last." Sakura thought to herself as she pulled into her private parking spot.
"I just hope nothing really bad happens this time."
"Your thoughtful look is still so cute Sakura." Sakura almost fell over from the surprise interruption of her thoughts.
She turned her head only to see her best friend Tomoyo Hiiragizawa. Her long black hair swayed slightly behind her while her bright amethyst eyes gleamed with excitement at the sight of her best friend.
"Tomoyo you almost made me fall out of my car." Sakura said joining her friend who was standing next to her car.
"So what were you thinking so hard about that you didn't even notice I was here? "Ohhhhh are you pregnant again? I'll have to design a new baby line."
"Stop before you start, I'm not pregnant. Since when do you jump to the same conclusions as Kero? I'll tell you all about my real problem at lunch. Is Eriol here?" Sakura asked
"Of course, I'm having him handle all the details of the new toy line we are releasing." Tomoyo explained while they headed for the elevator and off to work.
Eriol was the head of Tomoyo's marketing department and handled the releases of all new products. Eriol had an uncanny ability to convince people of anything so he was very good at convincing stores to sell their products.
Tomoyo also had a fashion show coming up next month, so there was a lot for everyone to do. Tomoyo was hosting a fashion show later that month and had Sakura trying on some of the flashier designs.
"Tomoyo shouldn't I be helping coordinate or something."
"No Sakura, you have to model at least one outfit, your way to cute to hide backstage." No matter how much time passed Tomoyo still never missed a chance to show Sakura off. Despite Sakura's constant protest Tomoyo always had her modeling for something.
Around lunchtime Syaoran arrived to meet the others for lunch. He did not go unnoticed by the models. Back in the dressing rooms the topic of the hour was not the coming show but the guy standing by the front entrance.
"Who's that guy waiting outside?" asked a thin raven-haired model.
"I think that's the vice president's husband."
"Figures all the hot guys are always taken."
"If you think he's hot you should see Miss Tomoyo's husband."
"What's all the commotion back here?" Tomoyo asked while entering the dressing room with Sakura right behind her.
"We were just trying to figure out what kind of bait you two used to real in those catches you call husbands." A blond model said with a giggle
"Sorry girls that's top secret. I can tell you that were done for today, but be back here bright and early tomorrow." Tomoyo yelled before grabbing her coat and dragging Sakura out the door with her.
Every Friday Sakura, Tomoyo, Syaoran, Eriol, Meilin, and Yugi would meet for lunch. Syaoran had come to pick up Sakura but instead found himself trapped in small talk with one of the models.
'Please hurry Sakura.' Syaoran thought as he pretended to be listening to this odd girl who just walked up and started talking to him.
"Hi my name is Kora. Is it true that your Mrs. Sakura's husband."
"Yes" Syaoran answered in a board tone.
"So, how long have you been married?"
"About fifteen years."
"That long!" she said in shock. "Not many marriages last that long these days. Do you have any kids?"
"Yes three, two girls and a boy." Shaoran could not help but smile a little at the thought of his kids.
"Wow 31 years old, three kids and she still looks like that. I always thought women packed on the pounds after marriage and kids."
"I work out a lot." Sakura said interrupting the conversation.
Kora was a little too close for comfort. She had only been with them a week and had been hitting on every male in the place.
"Come on Syaoran we have a lunch meeting to get to. I'll see you tomorrow Kora."
Sakura said with a smile as she took Syaoran's arm and led him out to catch up with Tomoyo.
"Goodbye cardmistress." Kora whispered to herself just as a man appeared next to her in the shadows.
"Something wrong Kora." The figure asked.
"Not at all, so those two are really the leaders of the Li clan."
"Yes, and our mission is very simple destroy the Li clan leader and bring back the Cardmistress."
Kora smirked listening to him. It was a well-known fact in her family that her partner wanted to take Sakura for his own.
"We were also ordered to kill their children but that is going to have to wait till later."
"Why is that?" Kora said she was getting board fast with this mission.
They have sent Keroberous to watch over them. Spinel Sun is there as well.
"But how did they know?" Kora asked surprised by this news.
"Don't take them lightly. He is the leader of the Li Clan and she is the Cardmistress. They are not easily tricked or trapped. We will have to bide our time until just the right moment before we strike." The man said before they both disappeared back into the shadows.
Sakura keep her thoughts to herself as she followed Tomoyo and Syaoran down the hall. When she was younger Sakura had trusted people unconditionally, but time and experience had taught many lessons, including being more careful around new people. Something about Kora gave her bad vibes, she did not know why but she just didn't trust the girl. With long black hair and blue eyes she seemed both innocent and mischievous at the same time.
"So what was that all about?" Syaoran asked.
"What was what about?" she asked
"You seemed kind of nasty to that girl back there. You're never nasty." he said.
"Kora just gives me bad vibes that's all. I can't explain it, I just don't like her."
"How long has she worked for you and Tomoyo?"
"She just started and she is nothing but a big flirt and hits on every guy in eye site and I did not like the way she was looking at you."
"We're you jealous?" Syaoran asked with an overly smug look on his face
"NO, I was not" she pouted.
"Good, because you never have anything to worry about. I love you to much too ever hurt you." He said while hugging her shoulders.
"I know" she smiled up at him.
They stopped at an office door and went inside.
The Japanese branch of Daidouji enterprise was made up of two buildings, the original toy company and the fashion design building which Tomoyo had added on. Tomoyo and Sakura usually spent their mornings in the design building and their afternoons in the toy company. Fridays however were different. Every Friday they would meet with an intimate group of friends to discuss family, business, and to just enjoy some good company.
"Eriol are you in here?" Sakura called as they entered.
"Right here" Eriol said from a sitting position on a couch placed in the center of the room. "Yugi's here too but Meilin hasn't arrived yet."
The office Sakura and Tomoyo shared had a private workstations for them both. It had two desks, one for each of the girls, along with a living room like setting for when they wanted to goof off instead of work. It was in this office that they would hold their private Friday meetings.
"I'm here, sorry I'm late." Meilin Rae said running into the office panting to catch her breath. Her long black hair stilled tied up on both sides were a little messed up from her jog, though her ruby red eyes revealed no sign of fatigue.
"What happen? Couldn't figure out what to wear?" Yugi teased earning a glare from his wife.
Yugi Rae, Meilin's husband had blond/brown hair and yellow like eyes. He transferred to Japan back in high school along with Meilin and Syaoran.
The Li clan arranged their marriage, but it was ok because they fell in love long before that. After Meilin gave up on Syaoran.
Through his relationship with her he had become good friends with the rest of the old Cardcaptor group.
"Now, now we have enough problems without adding domestic disputes to the list." Eriol said, with his glasses, dark blue eyes and hair, he looked more like Clow Reed than ever.
With a wave of his hand Eriol used his power to close the windows and lock the doors before he sat down with the others around a round table that had some cold cuts, cakes, milk, and tea all set up for them.
"Nice spread" Meilin commented before taking a bite from one of the cakes. "So what's up Sakura? You said you had something serious to tell us?"
"Are you pregnant again?" Yugi asked
"No, why is that the first conclusion everyone jumps to?" Sakura pouted before she began to go over the details of her dream to everyone.
"Do you have any idea what it means?" Eriol asked looking worried. Like the others he felt trouble stirring.
"No, but I feel like it was a direct threat to me and my family."
"Well until we find out more information there's not much we can do, but if you have another dream or if anything happens call us right away so we can help." Tomoyo said taking Sakura's hands in her own.
"That's right the rest of us may not be as powerful as you and Syaoran but I'm sure we can still help if you need it." Meilin said her voice full of determination.
"I will" Sakura said smiling; it was comforting to know she could always count on her friends.
"It's getting late I have to get back to the office". Yugi said
Yugi was a District Attorney for the Tomoeda Police. Besides just making good money, he made sure any connection that linked the Li clan to suspicious activity mysteriously disappeared. Since he had a different last name no one ever made any connections.
"Same here I'll see you guys later." Meilin said preparing to leave.
Meilin was a journalist for the local newspaper. Like Yugi she used her influence there to make sure nothing linking the Li clan to strange unexplained events made it to the press.
The Li clan often places family members in strategic occupations wherever they conducted business to keep any stories or mishaps with magic from getting out. If people knew that such thing really existed, there was no telling what kind of mayhem would ensue.
Before she could leave Sakura pulled Meilin aside with an important favor to ask. "Meilin before you go would you mind if Sagwa, Shang, and Shegwa stayed at your place tonight? I want to do a fortune telling with the cards but I don't want the kids to see and start asking questions I can't answer."
"Sure, that's no problem the children love sleepovers." Meilin said smiling
"Thanks, we owe you one." Syaoran added
"We'll pick them up after school. They already have some clothes at our place so it's no problem. See you later. Yugi said before he and Meilin departed.
"I'm going to get going too." Eriol said as he kissed Tomoyo goodbye "I have to finalize the price for the new toy that's coming out. He said walking out the door.
"Eriol is right Sakura, we need to get back to work we have a new toy line to launch."
"So what's this new toy line you guys are releasing anyway?" Syaoran asked curious.
"I don't even know. Tomoyo refuses to show me until their done." Sakura answered with a shrug
"You're both in luck." Tomoyo said popping up between the two. "They're in the final stages of development, and ready to be revealed." she said walking over to a cabinet and taking out two dolls.
"I call them the cardcaptors!" Tomoyo held up two dolls that look like Sakura and Syaoran when they were kids. This made both fall to the ground.
"I had the dolls designed to look like you two back in the good old days. I call them Cherry Blossom and Silver Wolf. Cherry comes with the cat costume, (the one from the thunder card) a book of magic cards, and a wand. Silver comes with a Li styled costume, spell scrolls, and a sword. They come in a package of two with a story book, telling of two star-crossed lovers who meet on a magical quest." Tomoyo explained all starry-eyed.
"Tomoyo!" They both said, sweat dropping as they get up off the ground.
"Oh, I hope you don't have anything to do because I want you both to model for the picture that will be on the cover of the story book." Tomoyo explained, pulling out two costumes from a bag next to her desk, making Sakura and Syaoran fall over for a second time.
"Tell me she is not serious." Syaoran groaned
Back at Tomoeda Elementary Souppy was patiently waiting in a tree, for the final bell to ring. Kero had fallen asleep an hour ago.
"Kero wake up." Souppy whispered poking Kero who was obviously annoyed at being woken up.
"Look its Yugi and Meilin."
Looking over to where Souppy was pointing Kero spotted Meilin and Yugi waiting by the entrance of the school. Double-checking to make sure no one was around; the two guardian beast flew over to where the Raes were standing.
"What are you two doing here?"
"Sakura asked us to watch the kids tonight so she could do a fortune telling with the cards." Meilin explained
"You sure they don't just want some time alone?" Souppy asked with a suggestive tone.
"Get your mind out of the gutter." What are you doing here anyway? Meilin yelled, glaring at the guardian beast.
Before anymore could be said the bell rang, and students began to emerge from the school. Kero and Souppy ducked into Meilin's purse so no one would see them.
Sagwa and Ling were the first ones to come out of the building and head to the area they met up at every day to walk home.
Sagwa was surprised when she noticed a familiar pair of faces by the gate.
"Ling, look it's your folks." Sagwa said, pointing them out to Ling as they left the building.
Wondering what his parents were doing there Ling and Sagwa quickly ran up to where they were.
Meilin explained that she and Yugi had come to drive them all home rather than let them walk today but did not elaborate on why. Once all six children had been retrieved the Raes piled them in to a minivan and set off for home.
"Hey guys, what about Kero and Souppy?" Mire asked, realizing they had forgotten to meet them after school.
"Don't worry were right here." Kero said popping out of Meilin's purse.
"Mom, Dad, why did you pick us all up from school today?" Ling asked curiosity getting the better of him. He and his friends usually walked home. It was very unusual for any of their parents to pick them up. They were normally still at work.
"Because, Sagwa, Shang, and Shegwa are going to stay at our house tonight." Yugi answered.
"How come?" Shang asked
"Because your parents have some things to do tonight." Meilin said in a way that signaled it was the end of the conversation.
The children knew when not to ask questions, because secrecy often involved family business. They knew if their parents did not want them to know something, there was a good reason.
"Can Kaido and I come too? Tomorrow is Sunday so there's no school. We can make a big sleep over out of it." Mirei pleaded with enthusiasm in her voice.
Meilin could not help but laugh at the overly zealous girl. "Sure, as long as your parents say its ok."
"Yay!" came two voices from the back.
"We can make somores…" Squeaked Shegwa
"…and practice our magic." Mirei went on.
Sagwa and Shang just gave each other looks that seem to say 'how immature is our sister.'
"Did someone say something about smores? I'm so hungry. You better not be planning on eating anything yummy without me." Kero yelled from inside Meilin's purse.
