AUTHOR'S NOTE: Merry Christmas everyone! Sorry for the delay in updating the story, I really am having some trouble with parts, but I guess it is quite appropriate that this part fell at this time of the year. I actually rather like this part for some reason (maybe because I love this time of year under normal circumstances .). It is my New Year's Resolution to get back into the habit of updating this more often until I am done.

Please read and enjoy!

And I hope you had a very Merry Christmas and you have my warmest wishes for the coming year . Here's hoping 2005 is going to be a great year! -toasts with ramune soda-

Basket Eight: Holiday Home

"You look horrible!"

"Good to see you as well, Megumi," Sakura said tiredly as her cousin exited the customs.

Time had passed and autumn had faded into winter, and Sakura was avoiding Tohru and the Sohmas as much as she could. No doubt, Shigure and Hatori probably hated her right now for shoving them away after all of her assurances. Guilt still plagued her, but she didn't want to get the Sohmas mixed up in her problems, they already had enough of their own. The calls from her family in America had begun coming much more frequently despite the fact she'd moved into a house from her apartment. Recently, they had begun to take on a more threatening sound and Sakura wondered why they were so desperate for money. Even with Alexander Technologies and all its profits falling into her hand, the Alexanders weren't poor by any stretch of the imagination.

"The truth is the truth, you look like death warmed over," Megumi retorted as they headed to the baggage claim.

Sakura gave her cousin a wry smile and let the comment pass without any further observation. "I don't know why you decided that you wanted to come for Christmas, you really should have waited until spring. The cherry blossoms are gorgeous."

"Nothing says I won't be back for spring," Megumi grinned. "I've only got one project between now and then and I don't anticipate the production going much over a couple months. It's pretty simplistic in comparison to what I normally do, and most of the graphics are already done."

"Still—"

"Mom and Dad are going to be in Europe and moving around so it wouldn't make much sense to go with them, I'd like to stay in one place for a little while," Megumi shrugged. "Besides, this will be the first holidays without your parents and this is a family time of year."

"Yeah, family..."

Bitterness tinged Sakura's voice and her cousin regarded her sharply. "Don't tell me they're still calling!" she exclaimed.

"It's neither here nor there," Sakura shrugged. "We're here. Which flight were you on again?"

Megumi gave her cousin an assessing look and silently let the subject drop for now. Sakura really did look bad though. Her thin frame was even thinner than it should be and dark shadows ringed her eyes. The violet eyes that they both shared that used to be so full of life were full of nothing, it was like everything had been sucked out of her leaving an empty shell that still moved around and lived a semblance of life. Frowning, Megumi watched as Sakura made her way through the crowded baggage claim to the proper carousel without waiting for her response.

Something was seriously wrong.

They collected her luggage without incident and Megumi followed her cousin to the parking garage. They reached a silver vehicle that Megumi easily identified as Sakura's car because of the seahorse hanging from the rearview mirror. The silence filled the car as they made their way out of the airport and towards Sakura's residence. Part of Megumi's excuse for coming out so much before Christmas was to help Sakura get her house in order since Sakura herself had to attend to school matters.

They arrived and Megumi shivered as they stepped inside and it wasn't because of the temperature. Their footsteps practically echoed in the house, which she found very strange. The floors were bare and there was nothing on the walls or decorating the shelves despite the boxes piled against the wall. It didn't even feel like Sakura lived there. She moved as if she were a ghost merely existing within its walls and that worried Megumi perhaps even more than the slightly older woman's physical condition. Ever since she could remember, Sakura's houses had always been bright and cheerful and full of windows. The windows did exist in the house, but everything else was dull and quiet.

"Sakura?"

Megumi shuddered as her voice bounced off the walls and Sakura turned around to look at her. "What?" she asked.

She shook her head. "Never mind."

Shrugging, Sakura led her up the stairs. "This room is the guestroom, I set it up with you in mind, I hope it works for you," she said pointing at the door. "If you need anything let me know, I'll be in my study downstairs and to the left just as you come in the front door. Toilet's downstairs and to the right. The linen closet is next to the bath, which is pretty close to the toilet. Feel free to do whatever you like. I have to go finish my lesson plans."

"Sakura, you're practically arctic, I feel like I'm about to get frost bite just by talking to you," Megumi scowled at her.

Sakura's lips formed into a mockery of a smile that didn't even come close to reaching her eyes. "I'm just tired, Megumi. I'm sorry?"

She vanished down the hall and Megumi shook her head. Something was definitely wrong. Silently, she set her luggage down and frowned. This room was warm, everything had been decorated with a careful hand, the blend of sea green and pastel purple gave it a very peaceful feeling. Megumi settled on the bed and looked thoughtfully at the computer sitting on the desk. As always, Sakura had thought of everything.

The following day, Megumi started moving the boxes in Sakura's house to more appropriate places after checking the careful labels Sakura had placed on all of them. The first thing she planned on doing was make the house feel a little less empty, and that meant putting stuff on the shelves. Sakura had given Megumi full permission to do whatever she wanted with the house as she probably wouldn't have time to go through and set it up until much later. She had finished the entry hall when the doorbell rang and Megumi frowned, Sakura wasn't expecting anyone today.

She answered the door and stared in startlement at the visitor. "Is this the home of Sakura Alexander?" the man asked casually.

He was taller than she was with longish brown hair and an amused gray gaze. "Yes, it is, but she's not here right now..." Megumi began.

"Well, at least I've found the place, I assume you are Megumi-san, the cousin that Kura-chan talks incessantly about?" he queried.

"That would be me," Megumi agreed, "and you are?"

"Ah forgive me for not introducing myself sooner," he said expansively and bowed. "I am Shigure Sohma, an old school friend of Sakura's."

"Ah, one of the mysterious Sohmas whom I've only heard vague stories about," Megumi murmured, matching his tone.

He nodded. "I supposed I shall have to come back later and hope that Kura-chan doesn't slam the door in my face as she has been slamming the phone in my ear," he said with a sigh.

"Wait," Megumi said and he gave her an inquiring look.

"You're a good friend of Sakura's right?" she asked.

"That is what I just said," he responded.

"No, you just said that you were an old school friend of hers, not that you were still a good friend," Megumi corrected with a slight smile.

"Yes, I am still a good friend, or I rather hope so anyway," Shigure answered. "I'm not exactly sure where I stand right now to be truthful."

"Come in," Megumi invited. "We can have some tea and talk for a bit. I'm concerned about Sakura..."

"Sakura!"

Sakura jumped at the voice that echoed from several feet away and turned to see a familiar white-haired figure prancing towards her. "Ayame, what are you doing here?" Sakura asked in startlement. "Yuki's already gone home a long time ago."

"I didn't come to see Yuki," Ayame declared, "I have decided that we should go out."

He grabbed her arm, and Sakura shook her head as she was carried away in the overwhelming current of Ayame's energy. They wound up at his favorite restaurant and ordering potsticker plates, and Sakura smiled wryly to herself, she never could fight her way out of Ayame's traps. Ayame began to regale her with stories of some of the clientele at his store, and Sakura found herself giggling.

"Ah, a smile suits you far better than that seriousness you've been displaying lately," Ayame said and lowered his voice into a conspiratorial whisper. "Certain individuals have been very concerned about you lately."

Sakura sobered and stared down into her tea. "They're my problems, Ayame," she said in a low voice.

"And I am sure you'll handle them splendidly, but you needn't lock us out while you deal with them," Ayame scowled at her. "Our lives are bleak and lonely without our flower to brighten them up, even now."

Sakura was quiet and Ayame gestured for the check. "Now then, I must admit I did have ulterior motives in bringing you here for dinner."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Sakura questioned with a slight smile.

"I fear I am at a loss at what to give the lovely Tohru for a Christmas gift," Ayame admitted heavily, "but I do feel a need to get her something very nice for she has brought so much color into the life of my dearest brother. I should get him a gift as well, but he may not appreciate it as much."

Sakura suddenly looked thoughtful. "I seem to remember an absolutely lovely dress in Tohru's closet, a very nice one that could be no one's work but yours..."

"Ah, yes, I did give her one a while ago when she and Yuki came to visit my shop," Ayame said thoughtfully.

"I know a perfect gift for you to give Yuki," Sakura grinned and gestured him down and whispered in his ear.

Ayame grinned. "Absolutely splendid idea, Sakura! Now about Tohru..."

Sakura looked considering. "Have you anything else to do today?" he questioned.

"Not particularly," she admitted.

"Then you shall come, we must shop!" he declared.

They arrived at Sakura's house much later in the evening and she gasped in shock. Lights were up all over the place and through the window she could see an undecorated Christmas tree. She turned a startled look on Ayame and saw the smile on his face. "You..."

Words failed her and a quick look up and down the street showed it was abandoned and for lack of anything to express herself she dropped her bags and flung her arms around him and gave him a tight hug.

-POOF-

She grinned down at the white snake. "I should have known there was something more to it than shopping for Tohru!"

A shiver passed through the snake and Sakura chuckled as he quickly slithered into her shirt. "You're such a baby, Ayame, it's not that cold out here," she said.

"You're not afflicted with cold blood either, but I find this quite comfortable," Ayame said smugly.

Sakura shook her head and gathered his clothing from the street, stuffing it in her bags, and climbed up the steps to the house. The door opened before she was even there and she regarded Megumi in startlement...she'd forgotten about her for a sec. Ayame ducked into her shirt and she smiled at her cousin. "Decorating behind my back I see," she said.

"Well, you weren't decorating," Megumi scowled at her.

Sakura laughed. "I suppose you're right."

"Where is Ayame?" Megumi asked. "Shigure-san has been telling me all about him."

"He'll be along in a bit, he got a bit sidetracked," Sakura said. "Let me go put these things up in my room and I'll be down in just a few minutes. You're still not allowed to see your gift before Christmas."

Sakura breezed past the door, up the stairs, and into her room and stopped in shock—Megumi had been busy. She shut the door and looked around the room and couldn't help, but smile, Megumi had set it up exactly the way she used to set up her room down to the placement of the last little knick knack. "So this is what Sakura's room looks like," Ayame observed lifting his head over the opening in her shirt.

Sakura chuckled. "That's right, you guys were never able to really visit me before. You better get out though and warm up. Hopefully your clothes aren't too cold from falling on the ground out there. I forgot Megumi was here."

"They should be fine, don't worry about me, I'll make my entrance shortly," Ayame said grandly, slithering out of her shirt and onto the bed.

"All right," Sakura chuckled and put his clothes on the bed. "See you in a bit."

She set her stuff down and secured the Christmas presents in a hiding spot and walked down the stairs. Faint echoes of Christmas music came from the main living room and she could hear talking and laughing from inside. Scents of warm apple cider and some of Megumi's famous cookies came from the kitchen and she wandered in and regarded Tohru in surprise. "Pardon my forwardness in cooking in your kitchen without permission, Sakura-san, but I wanted to make you something good for dinner and the others were saying they were hungry."

"No worries, do you need any help?" Sakura questioned.

Tohru shook her head. "Thank you for the offer, but it's nearly done. Is Ayame-san all right?"

Sakura grinned. "He got a little cold and I had to hide him from Megumi."

Realization dawned on Tohru. "Is he—" she began.

"He's up in my room, he'll be down shortly," Sakura smiled.

She snagged a cookie from one of the cooling racks and entered the living room and looked around it in awe. "It's amazing, Megumi!" she exclaimed.

"Glad you like it, Shigure-san and Tohru-san have been helping quite a bit," Megumi told her.

Sakura turned and saw Shigure lounging in one of the chairs and he gave her a grin. "I wasn't going to let you shut us out forever, Kura-chan," he grinned, "and your cousin was more than willing to help me."

"I imagine so," Sakura said, turning a wry look on her cousin.

The doorbell rang again, and Sakura frowned. "Are you expecting someone else?" she asked.

Shigure looked mysterious and she stuck her tongue out at him and then went to go answer the door. She opened the door and a greeting died on her lips. "Merry Christmas, Sakura," Hatori Sohma said seriously and handed her a bottle of sparkling apple cider.

"Merry Christmas, Hatori," Sakura finally managed. "Please come in. Tohru's making some food..."

Hatori entered and behind him were Kyo and Yuki. Sakura couldn't help but be surprised that the two had come. "Tohru asked us to come," Yuki explained to her.

Sakura smiled. "Please, come in."

She moved aside and Tohru came out of the kitchen as if she had sensed the boys' arrival. "I'm so happy you could make it! I'm sure Sakura-san is too."

"Just to warn you, Ayame's here as well," Sakura told them.

Both paused in the process of putting their jackets on the coat rack and Sakura could almost see them planning to bolt. "Oh please stay!" Tohru exclaimed looking at them earnestly. "It's Christmas..."

Sakura stifled a laugh as both boys put their coats on the rack immediately and assured her that they'd stay. "Everyone's in the living room, dinner's almost ready, I'll be right there."

"Hey, it's snowing outside!"

Sakura heard Megumi's exclamation from the living room and raced into the living room to glance out the window. Sure enough, snowflakes were beginning to drift down and she smiled. "It's been a while since I had a white Christmas," she said happily.

"Ah, it warms my heart to see our family together this lovely holiday!" Ayame proclaimed from the doorway. "Come, Yuki, we must take advantage of this warm and happy time and become—"

"Ayame," Hatori said sternly and the white-haired man stopped immediately and moved on to more conversation.

"Ah, you must be the lovely Megumi we have heard our flower speak so much of!" he said extravagantly and grasped her hand and placed a kiss on the back of it. "It is an honor to finally meet you."

Megumi grinned at Sakura over Ayame's hand. "I like this one!"

"I figured you would," Sakura laughed.

Tohru entered the living room, wiping her hands on her apron. "Dinner's ready," she announced.

"After dinner, we have to decorate the tree, Sakura!" Megumi said enthusiastically.

"I don't know if I have—" Sakura began.

"Oh you have decorations," Megumi grinned. "Tohru brought over a set of really cute ornaments too."

"Oh?" Sakura looked curious. "I want to—"

"Not until after dinner," Shigure said. "You must eat!"

Sakura looked over at Hatori who was watching everything with veiled green eyes. "Go on ahead," she told them and walked up to him.

After everyone left, Sakura spoke awkwardly. "I'm sorry about the other day..." she began.

"Don't think anything of it," Hatori assured her, "you were sick and very upset, I understand."

"You guys are still my best friends," she said quietly.

Something that could have been a smile flickered across Hatori's face. "I hope that it remains so," he said. "Come, Tohru's food will get cold."

Sakura trailed him out of the living room and into the dining room where everyone had already crowded around the table.