oOoOo

Kurogane felt warm and comfortable. He hadn't slept so well for a long time. He did not want to move. Finally, he opened his eyes. He found himself face to face with a sleeping Fai. He studied the visage before him. It reminded him of a sleeping child. The skin was so smooth and fair compared to his own. Wisps of soft blonde hair fell across the black patch that covered his missing eye. His other eye remained still. The mage must have been sleeping too soundly to dream. Fai's eyelashes were unbelievably long and curled upward. Many a woman would kill for eyelashes like that, Kurogane thought. Kurogane's eyes fell to Fai's lips. They were thin and slightly parted. They looked so soft, Kurogane felt the urge to touch them.

It was this thought that snapped Kurogane fully awake. What was he thinking?! He rolled backward, and only his ninja skills kept him from falling out of the bed completely. He jumped to his feet next to the bed and looked down at Fai. The sudden movement must have disturbed the mage's slumber, because he moaned and rolled over, but stayed asleep. Kurogane quickly glanced over at the others. They were all still sleeping as well. He breathed a sigh of relief. If he had been caught sharing the bed with Fai, he would never live it down. He could almost hear Mokona singing Fai and Kurogane, sitting in a tree…He shuddered at the thought and stalked off to take a bath before the others woke up.

oOoOo

For the next few days, Kurogane and Sakura sat at the old woman's shack waiting for her to return, but she never did. There was evidence that she had been there at some point. Things had been moved around, and new junk had been added to the pile. It seemed as though she only returned at night, and no matter how early they arrived in the morning, she was always gone before they got there.

"Perhaps we could leave her a note," Syaoran suggested one evening after they had returned empty handed once again.

"Yeah, and who's going to write it?" asked Kurogane. "I can't figure out the scribbles they call writing in this place, can you?"

"I suppose not," conceded Syaoran. "And there is no guarantee that she could read it even if we could write it."

"Why don't we just go at night when she will be at home?" proposed Sakura.

"No, it's too dangerous," objected Syaoran. "It wouldn't be safe for you to go out so late at night."

"But Kurogane would be there. We'd be fine," she assured him.

"Out of the question!" Syaoran was not about to let Sakura wander the streets at night, even with Kurogane at her side. Not that he doubted Kurogane's skills, but if anything happened to her, he would never forgive himself.

Not wanting the conversation to escalate to a full blown argument, Fai spoke up. "Why don't Syaoran and Kurogane go at night and ask her to meet somewhere during the day? They were able to defeat the oni in Oto, they ought to be able to handle any ruffians they might find in this world."

Syaoran and Kurogane looked at one another. The solution was so simple they didn't know why they hadn't thought of it before.

"Alright, that sounds good, but not tonight," said Syaoran. "We should be fully rested before we head out."

And so it was agreed. Kurogane and Syaoran would go the following night and ask the old woman to meet up with them during the day so that Sakura could get her feather back.

oOoOo

The next day was rainy. Since there was no need to go out, they all stayed in together; eating, talking, laughing, and playing cards. Fai was feeling much better, and could be out of bed for longer periods of time before tiring. He was enjoying the day immensely. He imagined this must be what it was like to be part of a family.

Much to his dismay, Kurogane found himself frequently watching Fai. The mage seemed genuinely happy that day, and for whatever reason, Kurogane found this very satisfying. He didn't even mind so much when Fai teased and poked him. He would just grunt and do his best to ignore him, but somewhere inside, he enjoyed the attention.

By afternoon, the rain had tapered off. Syaoran suggested that he and Sakura go out to get something for dinner, discreetly giving Kurogane an opportunity to feed Fai. They left, taking Mokona with them and promising to be back soon.

Once the kids were gone, Kurogane wasted no time in offering Fai his meal. Fai had long since given up on resisting, and they settled themselves down on the bed for the feeding. Kurogane sat back and relaxed as Fai drank. When he had finished, he licked the wound clean and bandaged Kurogane's arm.

"Thank you," Fai said when he was done. He sat up next to Kurogane on the bed.

"Yeah, whatever," grunted Kurogane, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Not just for the meal. I mean for everything. For coming to find me. For saving me…again," he added.

"The kids would have been upset if you hadn't returned," Kurogane explained.

"The first time you saved me, I wasn't sure it was for the best. I thought it would be better if I had died. I was angry after that, more at myself than at you. I still don't quite understand why you did it," Fai admitted.

"Don't look at me. I don't have a clue either," replied Kurogane. "It was just what needed to be done at the time, and you weren't in any position to argue about it."

"Don't get me wrong," countered Fai. "I may not understand it, and it did bother me at first, but now I am glad you did. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here with the kids. And with you," he added. He leaned against Kurogane's side, and surprisingly, the ninja did not pull away. "I really had fun with all of you today. I'm glad we're all together again."

Kurogane looked down at the mage, whose head was now laying against his shoulder. "Yeah, well, it got awfully quiet around here while you were gone. Everyone was so depressed. It was getting annoying. I couldn't stand it anymore, so I had to come find you."

Fai placed a hand on Kurogane's arm. "Thank you," he said again.

"We're home!" announced Mokona as they opened the door. Kurogane quickly leapt up and stepped away from the bed. Fai just smiled and chuckled to himself. It was fun to watch Kurogane try to hide his emotions.

"We brought pizza," said Sakura as she set the bag containing Mokona down on the table. Syaoran followed her through the door carrying two flat cardboard boxes.

"It smells delicious!" said Fai as he stood up from the bed. Now that he was feeling better, he was able to eat regular food again. Even though he had just fed, he couldn't resist joining the others for a family meal.

oOoOo

After they had eaten, it was growing dark, so Kurogane and Syaoran prepared to leave for the old woman's shack. It was decided that Mokona would go with them to make sure that there was no language barrier and so that Kurogane would have his sword handy, just in case. They felt it was dark enough for them to travel without the cumbersome bag for Mokona. If they did run into anyone, Mokona could easily duck under one of their cloaks to avoid being seen.

"Be sure to come home safely," Sakura ordered Syaoran as he slipped his boots on.

"I will, Princess," he promised.

Fai was helping Kurogane with his cloak. "You be safe too, Kuro-tan," he whispered into Kurogane's ear as he placed the cloak over his broad shoulders. Fai's warm breath caused goose bumps to form down Kurogane's arm, and he shivered. The ninja spun around and looked down, wide-eyed, at the mage. It was the first time he had used a nickname since Tokyo. Fai just grinned up at him.

"Umm….yeah," Kurogane stammered his flustered reply.

"You ready?" asked Syaoran, holding the door open for Kurogane.

Kurogane blinked and tore his gaze away from the still smiling mage. "Yeah…let's go." Kurogane turned and stepped out the door followed by Syaoran.

Fai closed the door behind them. "Don't worry," he assured Sakura. "They'll be home in no time, safe and sound."

"Yes, I'm sure you're right," she agreed, but continued to stare worriedly at the closed door.

"Come, let's have some tea." Fai took Sakura gently by the shoulders, turned her away from the door, and walked her over to the table. He poured her a cup of tea, then sat down to wait the return of their companions.

oOoOo

Though the rain had long since stopped, the ground remained slick with water. The street lights glistened on the wet pavement, and their footsteps echoed in the silence. Both Syaoran and Kurogane were fully alert as they walked down the dark street. It was almost too quiet. No vehicles were passing by, and no sounds could be heard in the distance either.

"You can sense them, can't you?" said Kurogane in a low voice, still staring straight ahead as they walked.

"Yes," Syaoran responded quietly. "Six behind us. Five on the other side of the street, and three more up ahead. They've been following us for the past two blocks."

"Mokona, get under my cloak," ordered Kurogane. "Have Sohi ready for me."

"Right!" whispered Mokona as it ducked beneath the dark fabric.

They continued onward, always mindful of their surroundings. When they got to the next corner, three young men stepped out in front of them.

The man in the middle spoke. "I've been looking for you. We've got a score to settle."

"Do I know you?" asked Kurogane, glaring at the trio in the darkness. "Oh yeah, now I remember. You're that smart mouthed kid that thinks he owns everything. Ryan-chan was it? As I recall, the score was settled in my favor the last time we met."

"That's Ryanban! And no, the score was not settled. I owe you a beating, and you're going to pay up right now. You think you're so tough. I've got twice as many guys with me this time. We'll show you who's in charge around here!" He pulled a long knife out from his belt and brandished it in front of him. The other gang members stepped out from the shadows and surrounded Kurogane and Syaoran.

"I hate people who don't learn from their mistakes," said Kurogane, shaking his head. "As you can see, I've got twice as many this time as well. I think you should count yourself lucky that we have better things to do than play games with a bunch of punks, and go home so we can get on with our business."

"You think that little kid is going to help you? He's no match for us, so we'll be nice and let him run away before he gets hurt," sneered the Ryanban.

"That 'little kid' could probably take the lot of you on his own, but then I'd get bored, so I think I'll help out. Shall we get this over with?" Kurogane asked Syaoran.

"Yeah," agreed Syaoran. "It's taken too much time already." He clapped his hands together, and they began to glow. As he pulled them apart, his sword slowly appeared. Kurogane too, drew his sword out from beneath his cloak and assumed a fighting stance.

The gang members stared at them with wide eyes and opened mouths. For a moment, Kurogane thought they would just give up and bolt, but no such luck. The Ryanban lunged forward and attacked Kurogane while the two behind him went after Syaoran. Now back to his full strength, Kurogane easily fended off the Ryanban, as well as those who came at him from behind. He tried his best to use only the flat of his blade. Granted, they were a just bunch of idiots who were asking for it, and it was self defense, but he didn't see the need to kill them. For every one he knocked back, another thug would step up and take his place, but their numbers were dwindling.

"How's it going over there, Syaoran?" Kurogane called.

"Just fine. Four down, three to go," he replied between blows. "No, wait. One just ran off. I should be done in no time."

"Good, I'm on my last one over here," he said as he brought his elbow down on the back of one attacker's neck causing him to crumple to the ground. When they had finished, they stood back and surveyed the area. About five of the gang were lying on the ground unconscious. A few more were trying to slink away unnoticed. Two others were attempting to help their leader up off the ground. His nose was bleeding, and he was going to have one hell of a black eye, but otherwise he was relatively unharmed.

Kurogane walked over to them. "So are we settled?" he asked.

"Yeah, we're settled," the Ryanban grunted reluctantly.

"Don't worry. If things go well tonight, we shouldn't be around much longer," Kurogane assured him. "But in the future, I suggest that you take more care in choosing your enemies."

"Screw you," mumbled the Ryanban before turning and stumbling off.

Kurogane and Syaoran put away their swords and continued on their way.

OOoOo

They reached the riverside without any further trouble. It was dark beneath the bridge. They could not tell if the old woman was there. As they approached, a cat hissed at them and took off, knocking over a trash can as it ran.

"Who's out there?" a voice called from inside the shack.

Syaoran and Kurogane looked at one another. Neither was sure what to say. They didn't want to scare the poor woman. Finally Kurogane spoke up. "Umm…hello…ma'am. I was here last week. I picked up my friend. Do you remember? Can we speak to you for a minute?"

The old woman poked her head out of the shack and squinted at the two of them. "That's not your friend," she pointed out.

"No, you're right. This is a different friend. Can we talk to you?" Kurogane asked again.

"How is your friend doing? Feeling better?" she inquired.

"Yes, much better, thank you," replied Kurogane as politely as he could. They had wasted enough time already. "We need to ask a favor of you."

"That's good to hear," she said, ignoring Kurogane's request as she stepped out of the shack. "He wasn't doing very well when he left here."

Sensing Kurogane's frustration building, Syaoran stepped forward. "We believe you have something that belongs our friend. A feather, we would like to get it back."

"Nope, I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head. "As I already told your friend, the feather does not belong to him. I can't give it to him, or to either of you for that matter. Now, it's getting late and you two should be leaving. Goodnight." She turned to head back into her hut.

"No, wait, please," begged Syaoran. He quickly stepped closer and grabbed her coat sleeve before she could disappear inside. "Not that friend, another one. She's a princess. It's her feather, and it's very important to her."

The old woman tugged her sleeve out of his grasp with a huff. She looked up at Syaoran with a scowl on her face. It was clear she was not pleased with his rude behavior. Then she looked at him closer and her expression softened. "Wait a minute," she said, wagging a finger in his face. "I recognize you. You're the boy from the bushes. I thought I had found the feather's owner. But it was just you in there."

"That's right!" exclaimed Syaoran as he remembered their prior meeting. "That day in the park. You poked your head through the bushes looking for someone. You were looking for Sakura weren't you? She had been there with me a moment earlier. She went to get ice cream for Mokona just before you showed up."

"You mean to tell me," interrupted Kurogane, "if it weren't for that damned fur ball wanting ice cream, this could have all been taken care of over a week ago!" Kurogane searched the folds of his cloak looking for the culprit, but Mokona wisely stayed hidden.

"Well, if she wants that feather so badly, why doesn't she just come and get it?" asked the Lost and Found Lady.

"She's tried," Syaoran explained. "They've come here every day, but you weren't here."

"I'm a busy woman," the old lady argued. "I don't have time to sit around home all day. She should stop by in the evening."

"It's too dangerous for her to be out walking around at night," argued Syaoran.

"I suppose you have a point there, young man," she conceded. "Young folks these days seem to have nothing better to do than wander the streets, causing trouble."

"Can we arrange to meet with you during the day tomorrow, to get the feather back?" asked Syaoran.

"Will the girl be with you then?" the old woman asked.

"Of course," confirmed Syaoran.

"Hang on a moment. Let me see if I am available." The old woman went back into the shack. They could hear her rummaging through the piles of junk inside. A few moments later, she stepped back out holding what looked like a date book. She flipped through the pages, mumbling to herself. It was so dark, Syaoran didn't know how she could possibly read anything that might have been written in it. Finally she spoke. "It looks like I am free in the afternoon. I can meet you at 2:00 in the park, near the bushes where we first met." She fished a pencil stub out of her coat pocket, and scribbled something into the book, then put both the book and the pencil back in her pocket.

"That sounds fine," said Syaoran. "Thank you so much. Sakura will be so happy." He bowed to the old woman in gratitude.

"Yes, well, just make sure you're there on time. I have a busy schedule you know," she said.

"Of course, we'll be there. Good night!" Syaoran nudged Kurogane, who was still preoccupied looking for Mokona.

"Oh, um…yes, good night." Kurogane bowed to the old woman as she went back into her hut.

Kurogane turned to follow Syaoran, who had already begun to walk away, when he noticed Mokona peeking out from the hood on Syaoran's cloak.

"Hey, get back here you mangy fuzz ball!" called Kurogane, lengthening his stride to catch up to them.

They managed to walk safely back to the apartment to find Sakura and Fai both sleeping peacefully upon their return. They came in as quietly as they could, so as not to awaken their companions, and soon, they too, had settled down to sleep.

oOoOo

A/N: Please forgive me for taking so long to update this story. When I started, I was able to update every few weeks, and now it seems to be every few months. I think my muse has been on vacation. I had hoped that this would be the last chapter, but it didn't work out that way. I think the next will be the last. Thank you for bearing with me, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review if you feel so inclined.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Tsubasa characters. They're all Clamp's.