A/N: Sorry for a bit late update everyone. But a deadline at work came up and I had to meet it. Oh and before I forget Merry Christmas to anyone who celebrates it! I feel kinda weird posting this chapter up cuz its got all the family sadness and all but I gotta go with the story so..yeah….Hope you enjoy it though. I think its got a cute part in it. I thought it was cute though so -shrug- we'll see.


Disclaimer: Me no own.


Eleven year old Tadashi yawned as he rubbed his eyes. Somehow he had managed to fall asleep over the book he had been reading for class. For a solid four hours. He hadn't realized he was that tired. Glancing at the clock he winced when he saw that it was nine in the evening. Slumping back onto the bed, he closed his eyes, planning to go back to sleep but his stomach protested loudly. He grunted as he sat up on his bed, his book dropping onto his lap from where it had been resting on his chest. Wincing slightly when his feet touched the cold wooden floor he shifted his neck around sighing contently when it made a loud popping sound. Standing up he walked across his side of the room into Hiro's. Glancing at his brother he almost laughed out loud. For such a little person Hiro was taking up the whole bed. And he was drooling slightly. Taking note to tease his brother about that little fact later he quickly, yet quietly, descended the stairs. Halting at the bottom he stopped when he caught sight of his Aunt sitting on the couch, hand resting on the shoulder of the last person he could've imagined.

Sakura.

His Aunt must've heard him come down because she looked up at him, smiling. Sakura looked up as well and Tadashi was taken aback by the sight of her bloodshot eyes and tear stained face. The girl offered a tug at her lips, which looked somewhat like a smile, as his aunt spoke up.

"Oh Tadashi! You're finally up!" She sat up straighter. "Would you like me to make something for you?"

Snapping his eyes away from the girl sitting on the couch Tadashi shook his head as he walked over to the small kitchen. "No, its alright, Aunt Cass. I'll just make a sandwich and go back up again."

"Oh no, Sweetie let me!" The older woman jumped up from her seat and walked over to him.

"Really Aunt Cass theres no need." He started to protest as he picked up the bread from the corner of the counter and placed it in front of him. But his Aunt quickly pulled at his arm.

"I think I have a couple of sandwiches left down in the cafe. Why don't we go get them." And without further-ado the woman pulled her nephew, gripping his hand, tugging him down the stairs. "Sakura honey why don't you help yourself to anything from the kitchen. I'll be right back." She called back before tugging Tadashi with her down the stairs.

"Aunt Cass! Whats going on? What's Sakura doing here?" Tadashi asked as he followed his Aunt down the stairs. His aunt dropped his hand, turning towards him biting her lower lip as her eyes shot towards the stairs, filled with worry.

Tadashi frowned. "Aunt Cass? Is something wrong?"

His Aunt looked at him once before taking a deep breath, wrapping both her arms around herself.

"Its Sakura. Her parents died a few days ago and she only got the news today."

Tadashi's eyes widened with disbelief as he glanced in the direction of the stairs as well. Feelings of sympathy and sorrow washed over him as he thought of the girl sitting upstairs. He knew exactly how the girl would be feeling right now. He had been feeling the same thing not two years ago.

Loss.

Sadness.

Anger.

Confusion.

He bit his lip as he looked back at his Aunt who was wiping her eyes with the apron she still wore.

"Is she all alone now?"

Tadashi asked his voice a bit hollow. The brown haired woman shook her head.

"No, the man who took her home, James, is her legal guardian now. But other then that her parents were the only family she had."

Glancing one more time at the stairs she looked back at her nephew. "Tadashi I want you to stay with her for awhile. I need to go call her guardian. Its getting late and I'm sure he's worried about her."

The boy nodded, before frowning in confusion. "How're you gonna call him?"

His aunt grinned at him before winking. "I have my ways." When Tadashi didn't move from his spot she sighed. "He teaches at a dance academy. Don't know which one but the number should be in the phone book." She said walking over to the phone at the counter and opening the thick yellow book. Tadashi quickly walked over to the sandwich stand picking out two before going up the stairs.

"Twenty James working in the dance category!?"

The boy laughed under his breath as he took the stairs two at a time. His aunt was going to take awhile. As soon as he caught sight of the girl sitting on the couch his insides squirmed with sadness and sympathy. Somehow she reminded him of how he had been when his parents had died.

Shoulders hunched up.

Legs tugged towards her chest.

Arms wrapped around them to keep them tucked in.

Forehead resting on her knees.

She looked so small sitting there that for a minute he had a hard time looking at her as the girl who had punched him. He walked over to the couch, putting the sandwiches down on the table and sitting down next to her. For the first few seconds they were both silent. The silence wasn't awkward. It was more companionable. Tadashi was staring straight ahead but he kept watching the girl from the corner of his eye. He was unprepared though when she spoke up.

"Hows your jaw?"

His eyes snapped towards the girl who was now staring blankly ahead. He kept on looking at her before she turned towards him.

"Tadashi?"

His name seemed to snap him out of his shocked state.

"Oh! Er...erm its alright!"

He said his hand moving to rub his jaw which was now just a simple light blue and purple. She nodded once in his direction then her eyes turned as they stared straight ahead. They both lapsed into silence again. Tadashi started to feel nervous at every passing minute. Where was Aunt Cass?! He had no idea how to handle anyone in a situation like this! Oh he knew he had to do either of two things. He could either comfort the girl by hugging her or he could leave her alone like some people preferred. If it had been Hiro or Aunt Cass he would've been able to comfort them by hugging. But he could only do that because he knew what they wanted because he knew them.

The problem here was that he didn't know Sakura.

Or her last name for that matter.

"Tadashi? When does it stop?"

His eyes snapped up to look at the girl who was still looking ahead. He had heard what she had said but it didn't stop the word slipping out of him.

"Sorry?"

She was quite but after a second turned to look at him. Her eyes were shining with tears yet they didn't fall.

"When does it stop hurting Tadashi?"

She asked again, this time with a break in her voice. The boy looked at her for a few seconds before sighing and shaking his head. He should probably lie. He should just lie and tell her that it would stop soon but that would be like he was lying to himself. Even after two years the death of his parents, still hurt him. Sometime, when he saw his school friends being picked up by their parents his heart would ache at the prospect that neither he nor Hiro would ever be able to experience all that. Taking a deep breath, refusing to look at the girl, he paused before answering.

"I-it doesn't stop Sakura." He said in a low voice.

"Oh!" His eyes shifted just in time to see her look away again. He sighed before looking in front of him again.

"But!" The girl shifted her head to look at him, just in time to see a soft smile steal across his face. "It fades away as time goes by. And sometimes, well most of the time," He turned to smile at her as he spoke. "You find and meet new people that you grow to love more."

Confused violet eyes looked at him as he continued to speak. Tadashi grinned as he thought of his Aunt and Hiro.

"Trust me. You'll see." The girl looked down as she nodded, her lower lip trembling slightly as she sniffled. She was going to cry and he knew it. He wasn't just going to sit there as she cried.

He really hoped that this wouldn't backfire on him.

Swallowing nervously Tadashi, shifted next to the girl. Leaning forward he placed his arms around her a bit awkwardly. He felt her stiffen for a second before she relaxed, leaning against him as he held her.

"Phew! I though you would hit me again if I hugged you."

A soft laugh escaped the girl and Tadashi gave himself a mental pat on the back for making her laugh even if it a bit sounded sad. Silence descended in the small room as they both sat there, with Sakura sniffling occasionally as tears slipped past her closed lids. He decided he would just keep hugging her till she stopped crying. After awhile Tadashi glanced at the girl to see that she had fallen asleep. The boy started to move his arms from around her but he had just started to shift away when she moved and frowned in her sleep. Tadashi froze. He even stopped breathing. But the girl merely shifted and kept on sleeping. Releasing the breath he didn't realize he was holding he let his arms fall on either side of him but didn't shift otherwise from fear of waking the sleeping girl. Her head was resting on his shoulder and she was leaning slightly against him. Letting his head rest on the back of the couch he closed his eyes. He really wanted to stay awake but his eyes were getting heavy again. Why was he this tired anyway? What book was he reading which made fall asleep? An essay book maybe...


Cass Hamada had to give it in to her luck. She found the James she was looking for at the third try. James Brown. Easy enough to remember, she mused to herself as she dusted off a couple of jars waiting for him to come. She had gone upstairs to check on Sakura but seeing the two children had made her stop right next to the couch. Sakura next to Tadashi, sleeping peacefully. Since the moment she had seen her that day this was the first time Cass had seen her look so relaxed and peaceful. Otherwise the young girl had been very tense with utter sadness written across her face.

Cass smiled as she thought of her nephew sleeping. He was a nice and sympathetic boy and she knew that he would be able to look after the girl for awhile. He had even managed to get her to fall asleep, which she had been trying to do for the past half hour without any success. So she had left the both of them there, after draping a blanket over them, and proceeded downstairs to wait for the girl's guardian to show up.

Beside the picture being painted there was just too cute to disturb.

The cafe owner shook her head as she smiled to herself. Placing the cookie jar she had been cleaning back on the shelf she turned just in time to see a familiar person knock on the glass of the door. Quickly walking past the counter she picked up the keys from the nail next to the door and opening it.

"Come on in, Mr. Brown."


James had been worried sick.

Sakura still hadn't come back and it was almost 9:30.

What was he even thinking?

Did he really expect Sakura to take the news well?

She was just eleven years old for Christ Sake!


The day started out normally for them both, minus the heaviness he had been feeling in his heart for the last two days. Sakura had been chattered about the new move she wanted to try out that day. He hated to do this, hated to be the one to bring her the news, but she had to know. He stopped her just as she was about to demonstrate the step she had learnt.

And then next few minutes had been a blur.

He had stood, leaning down so he was at her eye level and brushing her hair back from her forehead. Taking a deep breath he promised her that he was going to be there for her no matter what. Sakura simply smiled and said that she knew he was going to be there. He had promised her that when she was seven years old hadn't he. He was her godfather after all.

Pursing his lips, eyes burning with tears, he had lowered his head before blurting out the news to her.

"Your mom and dad aren't coming back."

He had looked up in time to see her smile fall from her face as she frowned in confusion. He gulped back the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. Gripping her shoulders tightly he whispered the last words out.

"They're not coming back!"

Her little face morphed from confused to horror in a matter of milliseconds as the true meaning of the statement finally got to her. Her face paled and her eyes widened as she stepped out of his grip and choked out.

"You're lying."

He wished it were that way.

That he could say that no he had gotten the wrong information and they were alive but he said nothing as he took out the letter from his pocket and held it out for her to take. Snatching it up Sakura gripped it tightly as she read the first few lines of the letter. Her body stiffened as she read. She glanced up at him once, handing the letter back to him, her hand trembling uncontrollably. He stepped towards her but she took a step back. He could see her gulping back her tears.

"Y-you-you're lying!"

She screamed out looking up at him eyes burning with rage, sadness and confusion. Tears were welling up in her eyes but she blinked back refusing to let them fall. He opened his mouth to say something but the girl was already running towards his small dance room that served as her bedroom and slamming the door behind her.


He had left after that. The deafening silence had gotten too much for him and he had taken his truck and gone to work. The entire day he wasn't able to erase the image from his mind. Those violet eyes always so full of joy and mischievousness now filled with anger and sadness. When he had gotten back in the evening the apartment was empty. A small note was stuck to the fridge that read: 'Gone for walk.' He had fixed himself a cup of coffee and sat in the kitchen chair the whole day waiting for her to get back.

Hours later he was gripping the coffee mug between his fingers he glanced at the clock for the fourth time in the last ten minutes and pursed his lips in worry.

He should go out and start to look for her.

His mind made up he quickly got up from his chair at the kitchen table grabbed his jacket and keys from the hook by the door and ran downstairs towards his pick up truck. He had only just put the keys in the ignition when his phone started to blast out AC/DC's Back in Black. Not bothering to check the ID he quickly flicked it open, hoping it was his God-daughter.

"Hello?"

"Mr. James Brown?"

He frowned as he heard the person on the other side say his name. "Yes?"

"Do you by any chance know a little girl named Sakura?"

Immediately he sat up in his seat one hand gripping the steering wheel while the other clutched the phone to his ear.

"Yes! She's my god-daughter!"

The person on the other end sighed with relief. "Oh good! I found you!" Relief was evident in their tone as they continued.

"This is Cass speaking. Cass Hamada? We met at the Lucky Cat Cafe?"

James released a breath as he leaned back against his seat.

"Yes. Yes, Miss Hamada. I remember."

More importantly how could he forget!?

James was the kind of person who never forgot someone once he had met them. Most people found it rather weird but he didn't. He was very good with faces and names. In any case he was not going to be forgetting Miss Hamada any time soon. It was after all her advice that gave him the strength to tell Sakura about her parents. His heart ached at the memory but he quickly shook it off as he concentrated on the voice coming out of the phone.

"I just wanted to tell you that I met Sakura outside my cafe and I brought her inside."

James felt his tense shoulders slump as he quickly muttered under his breath.

"Thank God!" He straightened up before he spoke up.

"Is she alright?"

"You don't have to worry about her Mr. Brown. She is completely safe here although." The cafe owner's voice took a much lower and sadder tone as she continued.

"I don't know how she is emotionally."

Immediately his hand shot out to turn the key.

"I will be there in ten minutes!"

Slamming the door after him, fifteen minutes later, James strode over to the door of the cafe and knocked at the glass window.


She was moving.

Had she fallen asleep on the couch again?

Was James carrying her back to her room?

Her eyes opened yet they remained half closed as she looked up at the person carrying her.

James.

He looked down at her, stopping and gripping her tightly towards him.

"Go back to sleep." He muttered soothingly. Sakura frowned slightly at the unfamiliar surroundings and the scent of melting chocolate in the air.

This wasn't their home.

The sound of a bell tinkled in the air and cold wind swept at her face. As everything slowly came back to her she closed her eyes, burying her head in her godfathers warm shoulder.

"It wasn't a dream was it?"

She said her voice muffled. She didn't see him as he glanced up at the woman and boy standing at the door of cafe watching them go. Sighing loudly he shook his head.

"No love. I'm sorry it wasn't." He could feel her nod against his shoulder as she said.

"They're never coming back are they?"

A defeated sigh escaped him as he leaned against his truck still holding the girl close, one arm tightening around her torso while the other gripped her legs so she wouldn't fall. Burying his own head in her hair he blinked to stop the tears from falling.

"I'm so sorry kiddo!"

Sakura only tightened her own arms around his neck.

"Tadashi told me we'll find more people to love." She whispered her voice low and broken in places.

"Will we?"

James glanced at the small cafe seeing the small family standing there. Cass smiled at him just as Tadashi did. With a nod she guided her nephew back inside and closing the door behind her. As the lights turned were turned off and they both disappeared from view James nodded against the small head his cheek rested against.

"Yeah, kiddo." He murmured pressing a soft kiss against her head.

"We both will."


A/N: And thats a wrap. As much of a sad chapter this was the next one is gonna be a fun one. Sakura finds out that both the brothers went to jail and she's gonna be giving them a piece of her mind. So we shall see what happen then! Think of the review as a christmas gift to me. Hehee. And I still need more prompts you guy! Thank you for reading and have a Merry Christmas! - Hestia 28