Hey everyone!

Once again, a big thank you to everyone who has reviewed and has stuck with me through the whole story. Apparently it's White Day, so have another chapter!


Sakura looked around the nursery, making note of what needed to be done. They needed a cot and a changing table, which were their main concerns for the moment.
Syaoran appeared at the door of the nursery, "Ready to go?" he asked.
Sakura turned and smiled. "Yup!"

They headed down the hall and Sakura stopped at Kero's room. "Kero, we're leaving now. Are you still coming?" she asked.
Kero looked up from his comic. "Of course I am!" he flew over to her and climbed into her handbag with his head peering out. "I wouldn't miss this for the world."
Syaoran rolled his eyes. "I bet you would if there was cake involved." He snorted.
"Watch it, you." Kero growled.
Sakura moved towards the door, "Ok you two, let's go." She laughed and Syaoran smiled.

They were headed to their appointment for Sakura's first ultrasound. Kero was incredibly excited and wanted to see the images himself rather than waiting for Syaoran and Sakura to show him pictures later. So, Sakura had agreed to let him tag along. Tomoyo, of course, had demanded that Sakura send pictures later.

They sat patiently in the waiting area for a while until Sakura was finally called up.
Syaoran sat beside Sakura holding her hand; there was something almost strangely surreal about seeing the growing life inside of her on a screen. Tears of joy formed in Sakura's eyes and the nurse smiled.
"Is this your first child?" she asked.
Sakura couldn't help the smile on her face, "Yes."
"Well, the baby is healthy and there's nothing you need to worry about. Would you like to know its gender?"
Sakura shook her head, "No thank you...we want to wait."
The nurse smiled and nodded.

Kero watched the screen from Sakura's bag and did his best to control himself. He was shaking from excitement and fascination at the image of the baby sucking its thumb and was barely distracted by Sakura talking to Syaoran excitedly. He was too focused on the images on the screen which made him wonder what the future would be like. Like his master, Kero was also excited to meet this new child, and he hoped that the child would like to play video games.

Syaoran was in awe. He was seeing images of their child as they grew inside Sakura's womb for the first time, and he recalled when they had first heard their little heartbeat. He held Sakura's hand in both of his as he watched.
"It's amazing," he said softly.
Sakura nodded agreement, "That's our child, Syao." She whispered with excitement.

Syaoran could already picture the reactions Meiling and his sisters would have once they saw it. With that thought came another, one he forgot to mention to Sakura.
He hoped they hadn't arrived yet.

As they left the clinic, Sakura walked with a little bounce in her step. She was so happy and so excited after their appointment.
"Are you feeling alright to go to the shops?" Syaoran asked as they made their way along the path.
Sakura nodded, "Yes, I feel fine. And yes, I will let you know if I'm not feeling well." She added in the end with a teasing smile.
He laughed, "Good, because I don't think I'd be able to carry you home this time."
"You and I both know that's a lie," she giggled, "you'd carry me even if it killed you."
Syaoran stared at her, trying to come up with a retort.
"Just give up, buddy. She's got you there." Kero sighed.
"Yeah, you're right." Syaoran admitted with amusement.

Thankfully, the shopping centre wasn't terribly busy. Syaoran and Sakura browsed the stores as they looked for suitable furniture for the nursery, holding hands as they walked. They were able to order in a cot and once they had organised that, chose to head home.

As they approached the house Syaoran noticed a familiar car parked outside and he groaned.

"What are you groaning about?" Kero asked from Sakura's bag.
"Is something the matter?" Sakura added.
"I was supposed to let you know that my sisters and Meiling were coming today, but I forgot due to being so busy." He sighed. "I'm really sorry."
Sakura smiled. "Shall we go greet them? From that look on your face, they're already here."
"Yeah, they are."
Sakura opened her door, "let's go then." She added, "And no, you're not escaping it, Syaoran."
He pretended to pout, and Sakura shook her head in amusement as they headed inside.

Sure enough waiting inside were Syaoran's four older sisters and Meiling, all sitting in the lounge room.
"It's about time you got home! You knew we were coming." Meiling frowned, her tone one of irritation.
Syaoran sighed. "Sakura had an ultrasound today. I'm sorry for not being here."
Sakura smiled, "It's good to see you again. When did you-"
"An ultrasound!?" Syaoran's sisters squealed and jumped up, racing over to the couple. "Do you have pictures?"
"Yes-just a moment." Sakura smiled and searched for her phone. She pulled it out of her bag and handed it to Syaoran. "I'll go make us some tea. Syaoran can show you." She laughed.
Syaoran looked at her as he took her phone. "Thanks, now I'm stuck with them."
"I'll be in in a few moments! Show them the pictures." Sakura grinned and hurried off to the kitchen, leaving Syaoran with his four sisters and Meiling.
He sighed and unlocked Sakura's phone, went into photos and pulled up the first of many.
The girls around him giggled and awed over the pictures.
"Do you know what the gender is? Did they tell you?"
Syaoran shook his head. "No, we're choosing to wait until birth."
Meiling smirked triumphantly. "I thought you might."

Sakura walked in carrying a tray of hot tea and biscuits.
"What did you think?" Sakura asked. "I know it's hard to tell what's going on in the pictures."
Meiling span around to face her and took both of Sakura's hands in her own as she jumped up and down in excitement. "It's so exciting! Have you guys thought of any names yet? If so, what are they?"
Sakura blinked. Names.
Meiling stopped and looked to Syaoran who looked equally embarrassed.
"You two forgot about names, huh?"
"Well, it's not that we forgot..." Sakura started.
Meiling groaned.
"A-anyway. Didn't mother come with you?" Syaoran asked.
His eldest sister was the one to reply. "She wanted to, but something came up and she couldn't come."
Sakura smiled, though couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. She had been hoping to talk with Yelan about parenting. "That's alright. Maybe Syaoran and I can come and visit? I'd like to see Yelan before I...you know." Sakura laughed.
"I'll see if I can get the time off work. It might just be for a weekend though." Syaoran added.
"I'm sure mother would be delighted." His sister answered cheerfully.
"Would you like to stay for dinner?" Sakura asked the girls. "I'm sure Syaoran doesn't mind." She smiled sweetly at her husband.
"Of course we would!" they all chirped.
"Great!" Sakura grinned.
"I feel like you're trying to torture me." Syaoran muttered.
"Oh, don't be that way, Syao. Spend some quality time with your family." His sisters teased him, poking him and calling him all the cute names he hated but put up with anyway.
Syaoran sighed in resignation. "Ok..."
Meiling grinned, "Why don't we get take-out tonight?"
"Good idea! Since there's a lot of us tonight, it will be easier for us as well." Sakura chirped.
"Oh Syaoran-what's this necklace?" One of his sisters asked, lifting the chain hanging around his neck with her finger.
Syaoran batted her hand away.
"I gave it to him for his birthday. Mine is a wolf pendant-see?" Sakura drew their attention as she showed them her own necklace.
"Aww, that's so cute!"
"You two are so adorable."
Sakura blushed a little as the women fawned over her. She still hadn't gotten used to it even though she and Syaoran had been married for five years.
"Ok you four, leave her alone." Syaoran said, "what do we want to get for dinner?"
"Fish and chips!" Sakura and Meiling shouted.

...

Syaoran and Sakura sat in the lounge alone once everyone had left; Syaoran sat with his arms wrapped around Sakura's waist, his hands resting over her growing stomach as Sakura leant back against his chest.
In her hands was a book of names, one of the many books Sonomi had given her.
Syaoran rested his chin on Sakura's shoulder as he looked at the book with her.
Sakura groaned. "There's so many to choose from! How do parents do this?"
Syaoran laughed and she slumped back against him. "Are there any names you like the sound of?" She mumbled.
He shrugged. "Two or three of the girls' names I liked."
"None of the boys' names we've come across, though?" She asked.
"Not yet." Syaoran admitted.
Sakura sighed in defeat. "Well, we still have time to decide... are you ok with going to the hot springs tomorrow? It is sudden."

Sakura was talking about the spontaneous plans for the weekend that Meiling and Syaoran's sisters had come up with.
"It's fine." Syaoran replied. "You seem excited about it."
"I am! I haven't been to the hot springs in a long time, and it will be great to go with everyone, don't you think?"
Syaoran looked away. "Yeah, only to be tortured by my four sisters..."
"At least you know they love you." Sakura laughed.
Syaoran buried his face in her neck and breathed deeply.
"Stop it, that tickles." Sakura giggled.
He was going to tease her a little more but decided against it and returned to resting his chin on her shoulder.
Sakura pulled out her phone and pulled the pictures from the ultrasound back up.
"Aren't they adorable?" She asked.
"I don't know if I would call that particular picture adorable." He murmured.
She frowned, though he couldn't see it. "Are you insulting our child?" she asked in a warning tone.
"Of course not-our child will be the most adorable thing in this house, asides from you of course." He replied quickly.
"You're not getting off that easy, Syao."
He went rigid and she stayed silent for a few minutes before finally bursting into laughter. "I'm kidding! Now, I'm going to go get ready for bed. I'm a little tired after today." Sakura stood up and smiled cheekily at her husband. Syaoran just sighed and shook his head in amusement.

...

The trip to the hot springs was more than a little tiring, in Syaoran's opinion. His sisters chatted excitedly with Sakura and often fawned over him. While he did love his sisters, they could be exhausting.
When they finally arrived at their destination, he was more than grateful to be left in peace while the girls went and had a bath.

It had been a while since he had been to the hot springs. The last time was for his and Sakura's first wedding anniversary. They'd been married for five years now.
He smiled at the memory.
Syaoran was distracted when he heard the door slide open.
"Sakura-I thought you were in the baths with the others." He said as she entered.
Sakura nodded and smiled. "I forgot something, so I came back to get it." She said, "Aren't you going to have a bath, Syaoran?"
He watched as she walked over to her bag and knelt down to look through it.
"I will soon. I was just relaxing." He replied.
Sakura smiled with amusement. "Your sisters are tiring you out already?"
Syaoran just rolled his eyes.
Sakura found what she was looking for and stood back up, "See you soon." She said.
"Have fun." He replied with a hint of sarcasm.
Sakura just laughed.
Syaoran sighed and stood, deciding to grab his own things and head for the bath.

Sakura lowered herself into the water beside Meiling while the others were all relaxing at the opposite edge.
"Did you find what you need?" Meiling asked.
Sakura nodded. "Yep! The water feels amazing."
Meiling laughed, "I know, right? It feels great-especially on a nice summer night."
"Are you going to visit Tomoyo while you're here?" Sakura asked curiously.
"Yeah, Tomoyo has actually invited us over for dinner on Tuesday night. She wants opinions on something as well." Meiling grinned.
Sakura blinked. "Opinions on what?"
Meiling winked, "That's a secret."
Sakura just looked even more confused.
"By the way...did that stuffed animal come with you too?" Meiling asked.
"Huh? Kero? No, he decided to stay home and play video games." Sakura replied.
Meiling sighed, "Why am I not surprised?"
"So, how is our little brother doing?" Syaoran's second oldest sister asked.
Sakura smiled. She knew they missed him a lot and were worried about him. "You don't want to ask him yourself?"
"Oh, we've tried, but that boy has always been stubborn."
Sakura sighed. She imagined he just didn't want them to worry about him. Instead she smiled, "Syaoran's doing well. Things seem to be moving along nicely at work. I think he worries about me too much though." Sakura answered honestly.
Meiling laughed, "He's probably right to. You may be athletic, but you sure can be dense."
Sakura pouted. "Thanks, Meiling." She muttered sarcastically.
"You're welcome!" Meiling winked.
The girls all laughed.
"Ooh, you're mean!" Sakura complained, but after a few moments joined in with the laughter as well.

After their bath, the girls headed back to their room finding Syaoran wasn't back yet, so they decided to sit and wait. Dinner would be served soon.
He arrived just in time, entering moments before their hosts.
"You took your time." Meiling muttered.
"Sorry, I lost track of time." He murmured as he sat down at the table beside Sakura.
Sakura smiled at him brightly, "I wonder what's on the menu? Hopefully nothing with raw fish...I can't stand the smell right now." She chattered.
Syaoran laughed, "I guess we're about to find out."
They all looked over as their hosts entered, carrying a range of different dishes for them and setting them down on the table. Syaoran smiled in amusement when he spotted the sashimi.
They thanked their servers and said their blessings before eating.
"Wow, this is really good." Meiling smiled happily.
Sakura pushed her plate of sashimi away, cringing at the smell, and turned her attention to the sushi on her plate.
"You're not going to eat that?" Meiling asked, nodding towards the plate.
Syaoran smiled, "Seems anything raw just isn't on Sakura's menu today."
"I'm sorry..." Sakura groaned.
"I'll eat it!" One of Syaoran's sisters piped up.
Meiling passed it down while Sakura nibbled on a slice of warm bread.
"Should we go to the activity room later?"
"That sounds like a fun idea. How about it, you two?" Meiling asked the couple.
"Sure!" Sakura smiled cheerfully.
"I guess." Syaoran shrugged.
Meiling narrowed her eyes at him, "You guess? Aren't you a party pooper."
"Hey! It's not like that at all." He clipped back.
"I'm just kidding, sheesh." Meiling poked her tongue out.
Syaoran rolled his eyes and continued to eat in silence.

It was very late by the time everyone had fallen asleep, but Syaoran was still wide awake despite how exhausted he felt. Careful not to wake the girls, he stood and headed over to the door that led to the outside decking, and sat down, letting the cool breeze brush through his hair.
It felt nice and refreshing, and it distracted him from his thoughts.
"Is something the matter?"
He looked up to see Sakura standing by the door which she had just closed. She walked over and sat down beside him.
"Did I wake you? Why are you up?" he asked.
She smiled. "I'm having some trouble sleeping. It's a bit hard to get comfortable some nights, for whatever reason."
"I wish there was some way I could help." He said softly.
She leant her head against his shoulder, "You do enough for me as it is."
He turned his head and nuzzled her hair slightly before kissing her temple.
"So what's keeping you awake?" Sakura asked him.
He sighed softly and placed his arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer. "I guess I'm just a little anxious."
"About what?" she asked softly.
"Everything. Being a parent, you giving birth..."
She leant up and kissed his cheek. "The cards will be with me, and the doctors have said I'm pretty healthy. I'm sure everything will be fine." Sakura said comfortingly.
He smiled a little, "Thank you, Sakura."
"Should we head back inside?" she suggested.
"No, let's stay like this...just a little longer." He pleaded.
Sakura smiled and stayed where she was with her head on his shoulder and his arm around hers. He smiled softly and squeezed her shoulder a little, silently thanking her.


What did you think? I'm doing my best to improve on how characters interact. I don't think I'm doing a great job though, but maybe I'm just being too critical of myself. After all, we're our own worst critics, right?

Anyway, I know that some things in this chapter probably aren't things that can happen in real life (like Sakura having pictures of the ultrasound on her phone for example) but since technology seems to evolve fairly quickly in the CCS universe (yo i'm looking at them smart phones in clear card) let's just go with it for this story. I guess.

Also what are Syaoran's sisters names? I don't trust my ability to search for things at the moment for certain reasons I wish not to discuss. If anyone can give me answers, you are a ray of sunshine and I love you and I'll edit the chapter. (Seriously. I'm not in a great state of mind at the moment.)

I'll cut it short now. Thank you all! Questions, thoughts, concerns?