AN: Thank you to all my reviewers - you all make me so happy cause you reviewed the story!
babybluestarangel - I'm glad you like it, here's the next chapter. Thank you for reviewing.
linda-liu - thank you for reading and reviewing.
Vi3t BaBiI - glad you like it, thank you for reviewing
Bloodlust Night - here's the next chapter and I'm glad you like the plot.
Kelly - at the moment there isn't a rogue assassin, but the council are worried Sakura will turn into on. Glad you like it, and here's the update
AnimeObsessionFantasy - yup playing dirty they are, but things will get dirtier - can't say anymore or I might ruin the plot! Thank you for reviewing.
annelee - thank you for reading and reviewing
alexi - I'm glad you like it, please don't die cause here's the update
lilli-lil - I'm happy you think my fic is good, here's the promised update.
Avelyn Lauren - all I can say is they have their reasons, but I can't say anymore. I'm halfway through the next chapter of the prophecy and I promise to have it up soon.
seiko123 - thank you for reading and reviewing - here's the update
So here's the next chapter - enjoy
Summary: Sakura and Syaoran both work as assassins for 'The Wolves'. One day they are partnered up, and instantly hate each other. But what happens when their feelings for each other change? What happens when something in both their lives changes, forcing them to choose between life or love?
Disclaimer - I don't own Card Captor Sakura or any of the characters associated with it, they are all property of Clamp. I just borrow them and make their lives more interesting!
Chemicals Between Us
Chapter 2 - Moving Out, Moving In
Sakura arrived back at her place, still in a bad mood. She flipped her cell open and gave Tomoyo a ring.
"Moshi Moshi Tomoyo speaking" answered Tomoyo.
"Hey Tomi it's Sakura. What time do you finish work today?" she asked.
"Err in half an hour why?" asked a puzzled Tomoyo.
"Well could you come over and help me move out – I'll tell you everything when you get here" she replied.
"Yea sure, I'll be there in about an hour then, I'll bring Eriol along too – we'll need a strong man to help move the heavy the heavy things" she said still puzzled as to Sakura's sudden decision in moving.
"Ok, so remind me again why we need Eriol" she joked.
"Sakura, knock it off! I'll see you in an hour ok?" laughed Tomoyo.
"Ok Ja" she said as she closed the cell phone.
Sakura put her cell down on the kitchen table, and began to empty the cupboards. She threw a few odds and ends into a carrier bag, and the rest went in the bon. Most of it was out of date anyway.
Once she had cleared out the kitchen she moved into the living room. There wasn't really much there except a few photos and bits of junk she couldn't bear to throw away. She picked up a photo of her mum, and smiled at it. Her mother may have put her on this path that would eventually lead to destruction, but she loved her none the less. Nadeshiko had been a single mother, and done the best job she could in raising Sakura. Sakura's father had left just after she was born, taking her brother with him. He said he would not live in the same house as a murderer. He didn't take Sakura cause he knew she was too young, and was the apple of her mother's eye. Nadeshiko would not give Sakura up without a fight, and he wasn't prepared to fight for his daughter. He knew she would turn out like her mother, he could see it from the day she was born.
Sakura wrapped all the photos in bubble wrap, taking special care of the last photo she had with her and her mother together. The photo was taken just before Nadeshiko was killed, and as a result was one of Sakura's most treasured possessions.
Sakura moved into the bedroom and started packing up her clothes into big boxes. She always had the boxes in an empty cupboard cause she knew she never got too stay in the same place long enough to get rid of them. At the same time it stopped her accumulating unnecessary bits of junk. Some of the clothes she threw into a plastic bag, she would take them to a charity shop later on in the week once she had settled in. The rest was folded and piled into several boxes.
She picked up an old golden bear that was now ear marked and scruffy. She had had this teddy since she was a baby, and it was the last bit of her childhood she refused to let go of. 'Who knows what Li will think when he finds out I still sleep with a bear,' she thought to herself, and added as an after thought. 'Who cares?'
The doorbell rang shaking Sakura out of her thoughts. Knowing whom it was she didn't even to bother checking the peephole, a nervous habit she had acquired when she learned that people could be after you too. She knew she wasn't immortal or invincible for that matter. All it could take would be one bullet, and her useless life would be snuffed out like a candle.
"Hey guys" she greeted as Eriol and Tomoyo walked in.
"Hey Sakura" replied Tomoyo giving her long time friend a hug.
The three of them went and sat between the hurricane that was Sakura's living room. It was currently littered with boxes bags and bags of all shapes and sizes. To make it worse all of Sakura's draws where lying in the middle of the room. She had decided her room was too small and thought that the living room would be a better idea.
"Can I get you guys anything, tea coffee?" she asked.
"Err tea would be great" they both replied.
Sakura went into the kitchen, only to realise she had packed the tea bags away at the bottom of a box and that there was no milk. She popped her head back round into the living room.
"Err rain check on the tea, it's packed. Water ok?" she asked
"Yea sure" replied Tomoyo.
Sakura reappeared a moment later, skilfully carrying three glasses of water. She sat down on the armchair and waited for the barrage of questions to begin. She was well expecting this – it happened every time the council wanted her to move.
"So, what did they say this time" Eriol asked.
"I have to move house, and get this they gave me a partner. A MALE partner. I mean they know I won't work with anybody, but still they bombard me with a different partner every month. This time they where set in their ways." Sakura fumed. "Stupid old men. Oh and they also expect me to live with him. I don't get why I have to live him, I've lived on my own when I've had a partner before now."
"What's his name?" asked Tomoyo, used to her friends rants.
"Li Syaoran" Sakura stated spitting out his name like it was venom.
"Oh" said Eriol.
Both Sakura and Tomoyo turned to look at him.
"Oh" said Sakura. "You want to elaborate on Oh, or do I have to make you?"
"No, it's just that is the same name a cousin of mine had. But he died along with his family eight years ago. He was 15 at the time, and a bit of a loose cannon. What does this partner of your look like?" enquired Eriol.
"Err tall, brown hair amber eyes," replied Sakura.
Eriol's jaw hit the floor. His mind was racing. This description of Sakura's partner was identical to that of his cousin. But it couldn't be, he died eight years ago with the rest of the Li clan.
"Hey Eriol" said Tomoyo waving her hand in front of his face.
"It's him," whispered Eriol. Clearly shocked to find that someone in his family was still alive. He got out his wallet and showed a picture to Sakura. "Did he look anything like this boy I'm stood next to?" he asked her.
"Yea, they look the same, except he's older now. Eriol what's the story behind him." Asked Sakura, wondering if someone had a past like hers, a reason for doing what they did like her?
"Well this photo was taken a few weeks before the incident. I remember it clearly cause I woke up to find my mum crying at the kitchen table. It was all over the news at the time. There was a bomb in the Li mansion – at the time they where the most powerful people in china, and had a lot of rivals because of their position. All I know is that they never found the people responsible for killing everyone in the Li family. My Aunt Yelen and her husband died instantly, and his four sisters died a couple of hours late in hospital. They never found Syaoran's body, and thought that he had just been burnt to ashes by the flames." Said Eriol painfully remembering the memory.
Sakura sat there absorbing the information she was given. It was strange to think that Li had been through so much, he had lost his family and childhood innocence because of the bomb. Much like she had lost her mother to murder and her innocence to the unknown men in the street.
It was getting late. Syaoran had finished packing everything in his flat. There wasn't much anyway. He didn't have the need for useless trinkets and sentiments. What he had was in the present and it did him no good to dwell in the past.
He placed the last few boxes in the boot of the car. He had everything now. All he had too do was get in the car and drive off. He wasn't fond of the place he lived in now, nothing was home to him anymore. But still the prospect of moving in with a girl was daunting to say the least. He had been living on his own for so long now he didn't know how to act around people.
He sat in the drivers seat and read the address of the new flat. He knew the area, having lived in it before. He started up the ignition and drove off, leaving another part of his past behind him.
Sakura arrived at the new house before Syaoran. It was in a quiet neighbour hood on the outskirts of Tokyo. She looked the new house over, noting the state of the art security system and bulletproof glass windows. She walked up to the front door and inserted the key into the lock. As soon as she opened the door the warning signal from the alarm went off. She punched the code in and sighed at the peacefulness after she had turned it off.
Tomoyo and Eriol had left her some time ago. Mainly because Eriol was still in shock that someone in his family was actually still alive. They had helped her load some stuff into the back of the car, and waved goodbye to her. She left the flat that she had no happy memories without looking back.
Sakura started to ship some of her stuff in. Most of the boxes contained wigs and various coloured contact lenses for her disguises. She sighed as she carried a boxful of shoes in – yet more accessories for her disguises.
Sakura had just begun unloading the last boxes when Syaoran pulled into the drive. Instantly her temper rose. This was the one person in her life she could do without – but no the council where being all uppity over it. Sakura was fed up with having to obey their every command. She wanted to be a freelance agent, not tied to any one, anything, anywhere. But no she had stupidly signed her life away to them and had too do as she was told.
She felt like she was trapped in a five year olds life, a very gruesome five year olds life but the life all the same.
She growled in her throat as Syaoran walked into the house. It may be part his, but Sakura was not happy about having to share a house with him. And boy he was going to know about it.
Syaoran noticed the hostility Sakura was displaying towards him. But to be honest he didn't care. This girl was like every other one, just someone he had to work with until one of them got killed. It was easier not to get attached.
Attachment hurt too much when you where severed from the people you loved.
He carried his boxes into the house with out a word towards Sakura. Sakura was angered even more by his attitude towards her. Not only did she have to be partnered up with this moron – he was ignoring her. 'of all the cheek' she thought to herself. ' He goes about setting up this partnership and then doesn't say a word to me. That's it I hate him more now that when I first met him!'
Sakura carried on ranting in her head about Syaoran and his annoying habits. Syaoran was just humming away in his head watching Sakura get more and more angry.
Sakura flopped on the sofa and turned the TV on. The news was reporting on the death of her target last night. She cringed remembering how he had felt her up and kissed her. She hated killing – but it was a way of life. Her way of life.
"You are a good killer," said Syaoran interrupting her thoughts.
"Thanks I guess," replied Sakura absent mindedly not realizing he had just given her a compliment.
"But there are ways you could improve. Like you let them put their hands all over you when it isn't necessar..."he started.
"Li, I don't need you to tell me how to do my job" Sakura interrupted. "I'm not proud of what I do, and there is no way in hell I am going to listen to you nit-pick my flaws. If I had seen you in action maybe that would be fair because I could nit-pick all of your flaws." She said very angrily.
"I was only trying to help," he answered back equally as angry.
"You want to help." Shouted Sakura. "How about this you turn round to the council and tell them you don't want to be in this partnership. Cause I know for a fact YOU organised it - and I am sure as hell not happy about it. So why don't you just admit that you can't work with me, and that you won't work with me, cause I swear to god if you don't I will make you life a living hell." She yelled.
"I did not organise this" Syaoran yelled back. "I had as little choice in this as you did. You're not the only one who was dealt a hard hand in life so get over it already."
"You know nothing of what I've been through" she screamed back, angry that he could accuse her of having an easy life. "I have NO-ONE left. You may have lost all your family but a least you still have Eriol."
Syaoran was about to yell back and stopped. Eriol. She couldn't mean his cousin, and if she did how could she know about him. He was about to ask Sakura questions about his cousins whereabouts when she turned on her heal and stomped into her room, slamming the door so hard that it broke the hinges. He could hear her cursing the door, and a well-measured kick towards it.
He sat down trying to understand what Sakura had just said. He came to the conclusion that she was lying, and without another thought to it he went to his room and began to unpack.
Sakura lay on her bed; fuming at the things Syaoran had said to her. She picked a photo out of one of the boxes and unwrapped it carefully.
"What would you do if you where me mum?" She asked the photo. "Would you tell him that his cousin is my best friends husband or just not tell him anything?"
End Chapter Two
AN: OK there's the chapter, please RR cause it makes me happy, and I tend to update more!
Err the next update will hopefully be by the end of the week, but I'm not sure yet cause I'm getting a new computer - and god knows how long it will take to fix up the network system...again.
Yea if you want me to email you when I update - let me know. Either leave your addy in your review or email me - (original I know )
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