Are You Gonna Let Her Get Away?
Chapter Ten: Fumbling Towards a Happy Ending
"Sakura!" Syaoran immediately wrapped his arms around her as soon as she came out of the room where Yelan had spoken to her, and winced when the hilt of his sword banged into his elbow. He kissed her gently, and noticed her eyes were somewhat swollen and red. "What the hell did she say to you?" he asked angrily.
"I'm okay," and Sakura smiled. "Your mom just asked me a few questions, that's all. Nothing to worry about, Syaoran, really. Like you said, everything was all right."
"What did she ask?" Syaoran's eyes narrowed, and he glared at the door.
"She was just checking to see if I was sincere about you," Sakura said. "Oh, and I'm supposed to meet the rest of your clan on New Year's Day.
To her surprise, Syaoran turned pale. "God, no," he moaned. "I didn't want to have to subject you to that horror this soon. Sakura, I am so sorry."
"What horror?" Her bottle-green eyes were wide open. "Do…do you have ghosts where you live?" Sakura looked terrified at the thought, and Syaoran had to laugh. He squeezed her tightly, and said, "No, nothing of the sort, little blossom. Only, I have four sisters…"
"You do? That's so nice!"
"…and they are going to bug us. Big time," he finished in a defeated tone, and he hung his head. "They will pinch your cheeks, and giggle, and make innuendoes, and if we're not careful, they'll start doing wedding planning for us."
"Syaoran," Sakura's tone was firm, and compelled him to look at her. "As long as we're together, we can do or face anything. Don't you believe that?"
Syaoran slowly smiled. She is amazing, he thought. Looks like she stood up to my mother in there. He bent down and kissed her lovingly.
"What was that for?" she asked when he pulled away.
"I just love you so much," he said, his voice raw with emotion. "You're amazing."
"Who says you aren't?" Sakura smiled up at him, and returned the kiss happily. Syaoran had only been with her for a month or so, but he had made up for a lifetime of broken hearts, a bruised ego, and false promises in so short a time. She began to wonder—how happy will I be if he asks me to marry him? We're not getting any younger, after all. And she sighed, getting dreamy-eyed. Syaoran had released her from his embrace to adjust his sword. His brown hair brushed his eyebrows, and his cheeks were somewhat flushed after they kissed. His muscles, while not bulky, were lithe, and rippled with his movements. His fingers...his scent...she watched him, taking joy from the thought that she could be watching him do small things like that forever.
Sakura started. Idiot! Don't rush him! She was annoyed at having allowed herself to dream too much. Every time I expect too much it all goes to hell, she thought. I don't want Syaoran leaving me because I rushed into things!
"You're pouting, Sakura, little blossom," Syaoran's voice drifted into her ears. He was looking at her, his copper eyes concerned.
Sakura reached up to brush some of his bangs away from his eyes. "It's nothing, Syaoran." And she smiled as they held hands, and went back to the ballroom. At the door, Syaoran stopped, and turned to Sakura.
"I have to make sure you're ready to meet my family. I don't want any of them flustering you. Is it okay if I come over between now and New Year to explain them to you?"
Sakura was thrilled, and she smiled impishly. "Does that mean you'll be sleeping over? Because I think it means loooong explanations about, say, your weird uncle who likes to, mmm, juggle sake bottles, or a crazy aunt who argues with stray cats..." Her voice trailed off when Syaoran looked down at the floor.
"I...I don't know if I should sleep over later, Sakura. Is that all right?"
"Is everything okay?"
No it is not, Syaoran thought. If I spend more time alone with you at night, who knows how long I can hold off, given how I feel about you? And I swore to my mother I would never force you into anything you aren't ready for! I don't want it to look like I seduced you to force you into marrying me! He looked at her; Sakura's eyes were wide open and trusting, worried for him. He raised his hand to touch her cheek, and she closed her eyes when he touched her. He dropped his hand to his side, and sighed.
Sakura...I love you so much I don't know what to do sometimes, and I don't ever want to hurt you.
Just then, someone called out, "Syaoran?"
Syaoran and Sakura turned to face one of the most beautiful women Sakura had ever seen. She was only an inch or so shorter than Syaoran, and much taller than Sakura, with long, black curling hair, deep black eyes framed with impossibly long lashes, porcelain skin, and a magnificently proportioned body.
Sakura felt Syaoran tense, and when she reached for his hand, she didn't find him meeting her halfway as he usually did.
"Kendra," Syaoran said, forcing a smile through his gritted teeth.
"It's good to see you again, Syaoran," and the woman smiled. She kissed him, a light smack on his lips, and Sakura went pale. Syaoran stood there, frozen.
"Who's your friend?" she asked curiously.
"This is Sakura Kinomoto," Syaoran said. Kendra smiled at Sakura, but before Syaoran could continue and add the fact that Sakura was his girlfriend, Eriol called out, "Hey Kendra!"
Sakura began to shrink into herself. Not only is she more beautiful than I can ever be, she even knows his friends! And the way she touches him...Sakura had never regretted her virginity more than she did at that moment.
"Eriol! Tomoyo!" Kendra gasped, and flew at them, enveloping both in a big hug. "I've missed you guys!"
Only Eriol noticed how Tomoyo's smile seemed a bit stilted, and only Tomoyo noticed that Sakura's smile looked like it had been pasted on her face.
"It certainly is a night for meetings and discoveries, isn't it?" Tomoyo said carefully. There was probably a full moon outside, she thought.
Kendra smiled up at Syaoran. "I came to see you," she said softly. "I've missed you, lover." She reached out a hand to stroke Syaoran's cheek, then slid it down to his collarbone; she clearly knew her way around his body.
Sakura stiffened, and Syaoran quickly pulled away from Kendra. "Kendra, Sakura is..."
He was cut off by Eriol, who had decided to jump into the conversation in a feeble attempt to break the tension. "You look lovely, as always, Sakura," Eriol said. "And, Syaoran, you look human. Congratulations," Eriol sniggered when Syaoran frowned, then nearly jumped when Tomoyo elbowed him painfully in the ribs, her death glare telling him to Shut Up Now!
"Hey, you guys won't mind if I borrow Syaoran for a while, will you?" And before Syaoran could say anything, Kendra had pulled him into one of the side rooms of the ballroom.
Tomoyo reached out and took Sakura's hand. Sakura was shaking.
"Is she...?"
"His ex," Tomoyo said quietly. "The one who broke his heart five years ago."
"She's beautiful, and she seems nice," Sakura's eyes were downcast.
In the room where Kendra had dragged him, Syaoran paced, careful to keep a distance from Kendra. But she threw herself into his arms, kissing his earlobes—his sensitive spot—and sliding her hand downwards seductively into his groin. He almost groaned before he remembered who he was with.
"No!" He pushed her hand away, and glared at her angrily.
"I felt you," Kendra gloated. "You still respond to me!"
"It's just the body," Syaoran shrugged. "My heart is no longer yours, and never will be again, not after what you did."
Outside, Eriol had made a decision. "Come on," Eriol said. "Syaoran needs a witness, in case something happens." He dragged both women to the door, and shamelessly cracked it open a bit. I'll be damned if I let someone from out of nowhere screw this up for Syaoran, he thought.
Just then they heard Syaoran raise his voice.
"Sakura is my girlfriend, and I would appreciate it if you remembered that," he said.
Kendra raised her eyebrows. "Syaoran, you know I made you happy in bed," she said, and Syaoran turned away from her, his expression dark and unreadable.
Tomoyo glanced at Eriol, who understood that it might not have been a good idea to have let Sakura hear this. Almost as one, they turned alarmed faces to Sakura, whose face was stony.
Kendra was still haranguing Syaoran. "Don't deny it, Syaoran! We made love almost every day when you weren't busy! Twice, thrice, even! You wanted me, you loved me then! That Sakura...she's a girl, clearly a virgin! You need someone to enjoy yourself with. You're twenty five, and you have your needs. That girl can't possibly give you the satisfaction you need. We're both free..."
"I'm not," Syaoran said fiercely. "And I love Sakura. You can't possibly understand how much I love Sakura."
Sakura gasped, and Tomoyo reached out a hand to comfort her, a hand which Sakura took in a tight, almost painful grip.
"So what? Your mother," and Kendra's voice was sarcastic, "probably lovesthat sweet, innocent, naïve little virgin," she spat the last word out. "Why don't you enjoy yourself with me while you wait for your mother to fix the wedding?"
"Yes, my mother likes her, the way she didn't like you," Syaoran said in a cold, cruel tone none of them had ever heard him use before. "And the difference between you and her is that I highly doubt she will cheat on me. I know I can trust her."
"You pushed me away!" Kendra's voice was getting louder. "You listened to your mother, and kept obeying her! I loved you once, believe it or not, but when you started avoiding me and pushing me away...you pushed me into that guy's arms! Why can't you acknowledge your part in it? Why couldn't you choose me then? Why are you choosing that girl over me?"
"I'm sorry," Syaoran said. "But that was the past. Don't think though that I am obligated to make up for it today. I owe you nothing. We enjoyed each other's company once, but that's all in the past."
"I'm going to make you want me," Kendra said in a low growl.
"I doubt it," Syaoran said softly. "The only woman I want is Sakura, and, do you know how much I want her? I'm waiting for her to want me."
Kendra burst into a loud raucous laugh. "You'll never last, Syaoran. You'll either have raped her within a few weeks or you'll be begging to make love to me again. Wanna bet?"
"No bet," Syaoran said. "I suggest you leave before I lose all respect for you."
She snorted, and swept towards the door. Eriol managed to pull Tomoyo and Sakura back into a recess before Kendra swept past and saw them.
The three peeked into the room. Syaoran had his fists clenched, and Eriol recognized his breathing; Syaoran was going through a calming ritual.
"Come on, back to where we were. I doubt he wants to know we heard what happened," Eriol said.
Tomoyo was watching Sakura, and was worried that Sakura was about to make a bad decision; she certainly had that determined look on her face.
"Sakura?"
"Hm, Tomoyo?"
"Believe in Syaoran," Tomoyo said simply. Sakura nodded quietly.
When Syaoran came out of the room, he smiled at Sakura, took her hand, and led her out to the dance floor, smiling to put her at ease. But from the look in her eyes, he knew she knew what he was doing, and felt even more guilty when she tiptoed up and kissed him gently. He returned the kiss, tenderly playing with a stray lock of her hair.
When Sakura pulled away, Syaoran saw Eriol, over Sakura's shoulder, enter the ballroom with Tomoyo; his arm was cinched around her waist possessively, and as he bent down to listen to something Tomoyo was saying, there was no mistaking the softness on his face. Syaoran started, then laughed; when Sakura looked up at him inquiringly, he turned her around and gestured to where the two were.
"Hoee!" Sakura's hand flew up to her mouth, and Syaoran was delighted to hear it from her again. He dropped a kiss on her smooth forehead, and said, "Looks like it's the night for lovers, ne?"
"He better not cheat on her," Sakura's voice was unexpectedly fierce. "She's become a good friend."
"You know what?" Syaoran pulled her closer, enjoying how she felt in his arms. "Give Eriol a chance. I think he might surprise us all."
She looked up at him again, then, "I really should wear heels or grow a few more inches. Looking up at you gives me a crick in the neck," she giggled.
"I can always bend down, since I doubt you've got any more growing to do," Syaoran teased her. She pouted, and he smiled, bending down to kiss her when they heard the crowd begin to murmur, and turned their heads towards the commotion.
Syaoran was not surprised to see it involved Mei Ling and two men, one tall, dark, and handsome, and the other tall, blond, and just as good-looking. When Mei Ling yelled at them to leave her alone, the blond quietly acceded to her wishes, and tried to guide the dark guy away. The dark guy suddenly hauled off and punched the blond on the chin. From the sound of it, Syaoran winced; it was a good, solid hit. But the blond seemed unhurt, oddly enough, and simply smiled.
Ah, this is where Mei Ling walks out and leaves the guys to sort things out on their own. My cousin always did love overly dramatic scenes,he smiled, and he pressed a kiss to the top of Sakura's head, loving her sweet scent, grateful she wasn't the type to stage a scene. She was transfixed by the tableau of Mei Ling and the two men, and never noticed.
But Syaoran was surprised when Mei Ling screamed at the dark guy to get out then turned to the blond to help him up. Since when has she given a damn about her suitors? Mei Ling took the blond's hand and they went towards the elevators.
Syaoran motioned to an assistant, and had to repeat the gesture because the assistant was gawping at the scene.
"Who's the blond?" Syaoran asked when the assistant came over.
"Master Syaoran, he's the watercolorist Fai Flourite."
"An artist?" Since when has Mei Ling been into the sensitive type? She liked her men rough or suave; she'd once told Syaoran those kinds of men "didn't bruise easy when you dumped them."
The artist, who looked oddly familiar to Syaoran, had been looking at Mei Ling in a strangely cheerful yet adoring way, as if they'd known each other for long. That didn't bode well for Syaoran; was Mei Ling going to toy with the young man who clearly cared for her?
"How about the dark guy?"
"Florian Rivera of Rivera Biochem, sir."
"Ah." And was startled when Sakura gasped. Syaoran thanked the assistant, and turned to Sakura.
"She told us she turned Florian Rivera down in college!" Sakura said.
"Did you see the guy with Mei Ling?" Syaoran asked Eriol, who had come up to them with Tomoyo in tow.
"Which one? There were two of them," Eriol shrugged, and Tomoyo giggled. Suddenly it struck Syaoran that Tomoyo had not even flinched when Mei Ling's scene had played out.
"Didn't you tape the scene?" Syaoran asked Tomoyo.
"There will be more, knowing Mei Ling," Tomoyo said cheerfully.
How soon, they would be surprised to find out.
Syaoran drove Sakura home after the ball, knowing they would have to talk about Kendra. He was sure Tomoyo and Eriol had filled her in as to who Kendra was, and he wanted her to hear it from him. At her porch, she turned to him and said, "You said you wanted to talk to me."
"I did." But he made no move to come inside.
"Come on in, then," and she smiled. Syaoran hesitated, then stepped into the house that was beginning to feel like home for him. She handed him a change of clothes, which he had taken to keeping in her house, and began to take off her makeup. Then, once Sakura had changed into her warm fleecy nightgown, she noticed Syaoran hadn't changed his clothes, although he had unstrapped the sword and laid it on her coffee table.
"You're worried about something, aren't you, Syaoran?" she asked gently.
"Several things, actually. First, my relatives," he began abruptly, "are the kind who will not let up on bugging you about marrying me. I'm sure my mother is, as I speak, having your Chinese horoscope done in order to see if you'll be a perfect mate for me. I'm sorry I had to subject you to all this."
Sakura smiled. "I don't care."
"Are you sure? Now that Mother knows...you should know that she's been pressuring me to get married. Along with the rest of the Clan. Everything has moved so fast for us, and," he gently touched her cheek, "we've moved fast as well. I said I would never force you into anything you didn't want. But there are other things—my duties, my work..."
"I. Don't. Care," she repeated clearly. "I know your position, and when I said I loved you, I meant all of you. Even your family, even your work. I can take anything for you."
Syaoran smiled, and stroked her cheeks. "I don't want to lose you," he said softly. "I don't want to drive you away. I'm just...scared, because my family drives even me away." He knew he was being weak, giving in to his emotions and telling Sakura exactly how he felt, but he didn't care anymore.
"And then there's Kendra. Sakura, she...she was my ex. Five years ago. I drove her away because I was so busy with school and work, into another guy's arms, because I wanted to please my mother. Mother disliked her and didn't make a secret of it."
"I heard," Sakura said softly.
"So you were the ones outside the door," Syaoran said softly.
"I'm sorry!" Sakura's hands flew to her face. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to listen in..."
"No, no..." Syaoran sighed. "It may be a good thing you heard it all from her. I did love her, I won't lie to you. But it's over and done with. I told her how I felt about you."
"I also heard what you said about me," she said shyly.
"You know I meant it," he said gently.
She guided him to the couch and wrapped her arms around him. "Syaoran, do you know that I'm also afraid to lose you?" she asked gently.
He met her eyes with his. Sakura plunged on. "I know we've moved fast; I knew it when I first hugged you in your office. It's because...no one has ever stayed this long with me. And the thought of losing you, when you're the most wonderful thing in my life..."
"Sakura," Syaoran found her lips with his. "You will never lose me. I promise."
"Stay with me tonight, Syaoran."
"I...I can't."
"Why? But you've slept here before."
Syaoran looked into her eyes. "I said I didn't want to rush you into anything. I meant it."
"I trust you!" she said.
"That makes it worse," he sighed. "I don't trust me, that's the problem."
"I...I want to give myself to you..." Sakura blushed violently. "That way I won't just be 'the virgin' Kendra said."
"No, little blossom. You don't have to," Syaoran said gently. "Don't listen to her. I don't care about that."
Hurt and bewildered, Sakura stared at Syaoran, not understanding what he was trying to say. He doesn't want me that way? Her eyes filled with tears, and Syaoran realized that she had completely misunderstood him.
"Sakura, wait!" She fled past him into her bedroom, slammed the door, and locked it. "Sakura! Please, open up!"
Syaoran could hear her crying, and he knew she was sobbing into her favorite pillow. He knew she would brood over what he'd said, what he'd done, and he didn't want that at all. He tried the lock; it was an old-fashioned doorknob, and he knew he wouldn't be able to pick it, so he decided on a drastic course of action.
He stepped backwards, then kicked the door down.
Sakura looked up as Syaoran brought her bedroom door crashing down. His face was drawn, and he rushed to her side, enveloping her in his arms.
"Sakura, you don't understand." He kissed her urgently, almost desperately. She was still weeping, and Syaoran racked his brains to figure out how to explain what he meant.
He failed.
And so he decided to show her. Syaoran took her lower lip between his, and Sakura sensed the change in him. When his tongue came into her mouth, it wasn't with the usual sweetness; it was urgent, and demanding. He shifted so that he was above her, and his kisses strayed to her neck. She liked it, but when he planted a love bite on her shoulder, she gasped. What is he doing? And his hands were straying into new places, places that made her moan and feel that something wonderful was about to happen...but what?
She felt something stiff against her thighs, and opened her eyes wide. He was watching her, his eyes dark with passion, and he was breathing hard.
"Do you understand now?" he rasped.
Sakura shook her head. "No, not really...I kind of like it, but I also...I don't know. I'm sorry." She blushed.
"I figured," and he sat up, taking her with him. Syaoran held her tightly, feeling her relax into his embrace. Then he looked into her eyes again."It's not that I don't want you, little blossom; I want it to be only because we both want to. You're not yet ready; when you are, you'll let me know."
"I'm sorry." A tear escaped Sakura's eye.
"Never apologize, ever, little blossom. Not for something I did," he said fiercely. "The reason why I wanted to leave is because I'm afraid that I might not be able to control myself around you. Like I said, I don't want to force you into anything. I know we're old enough, yes, but that's not a reason."
"I wish I were as beautiful as she was," Sakura whispered miserably.
Syaoran couldn't believe his ears. "Sakura, come here." He stood up, and went before her full-length mirror. When Sakura came over, he placed her in front of him, and let her watch him watching her.
Sakura felt a thrill come all over her. Syaoran's eyes caressed her face, her body, all of her almost hungrily. And when he bent down to kiss her neck from behind, he kept his deep bronze eyes wide open, watching her jade-green eyes in the mirror, seeing how she responded to him, and how his eyes changed as he stroked her cheeks, trailed kisses down to her shoulders, and caressed her arms. And Sakura finally began to understand how much he loved her, adored her; she could see it in his eyes.
"Syaoran," she breathed.
"Can you see now?" he said softly. "You are the most beautiful woman in the world. Do you believe me?"
Sakura nodded, and she reached a hand behind her to stroke his chocolate colored hair, then his cheeks. She turned sideways, and ran a finger over his cheeks. He responded by running his lips from her temple to the hollow of her neck, slowly, savoring the way her skin tasted. She closed her eyes, and said, "I wish you could come home to me every day."
"If I have my way, assuming you agree to it, we'll have a lifetime of coming home to each other." Syaoran was smiling softly down at her.
Her green eyes opened wide.
"Do you mean..."
"I do." And he kissed the back of her hand. "But only if you want to," he stressed. "Sakura, when I look into my future, all I want to see is you," he said recklessly. "That's not fair to you, because I..."
He was suddenly cut off when Sakura pounced on him, knocking him to the floor, and kissed him. Her tongue slid into his mouth, and after some shock, he accepted, and began to kiss her back. When she pulled away, she was grinning.
"What?" His eyes were hazed over, Sakura noticed, and she laughed.
"You're silly." And she laughed again. "We're silly. We're adults, you're right. And if your intentions are like that..."
"Sakura, I am ready to ask for your hand anytime," Syaoran declared quietly. "Formally, I might add."
"Your mother will have a heart attack," Sakura teased, and remembered what Yelan had said to her earlier.
Yelan had leaned forward, and said softly, "When Syaoran makes up his mind about something, he doesn't hesitate. He presses forward, and commits to seeing it through all the way. I know he loves you, child, and he may ask you to marry him soon. Don't be afraid of him."
And now she knew what he'd been holding back and why. Again she thought back to Tomoyo's words: that Syaoran was good in that department. She blushed, and looked at him, blushing even harder, but giggling. Will I enjoy myself if we did...?
"Let her have one," Syaoran said. "She's the one who nagged me about getting married."
"I've heard of long engagements," Sakura smiled. "That way we can take our time..."
Syaoran's eyes widened this time. "Do...do you mean that?"
"I never say anything I don't mean," and Sakura pulled him back on top of her. "So. I believe this moment calls for some serious kissing," and she kissed him.
"No," Syaoran said. "I have to ask you properly, and meet your family as well."
"You'd hate my brother, Touya," Sakura chuckled. "I know he'll hate you on sight."
"He can beat me up so long as you say yes," Syaoran said slyly.
Sakura laughed. "Then again you might beat him up; he never got beyond the yellow belt in taekwondo."
"Sakura, I would never hurt anyone you loved. Not intentionally, that is," Syaoran laughed. "Especially if he's going to be my brother-in-law."
She turned serious, and placed her hands on his cheeks. "Are you sure about this, Syaoran?"
"So sure, that..." Syaoran began to fish inside his pockets, then he gasped, stood up, and almost turned his pockets inside out. "Oh my god...it's not here!"
"Hoee?"
"I...Oh no...I am an idiot!" Syaoran slapped his forehead with his palms, and kept searching his pockets. "God, where could that box be?"
"What?" Sakura stood up, and began to search his pockets as well, stopping only when she noticed that Syaoran had turned red all the way to his neck.
"Hoeee...Oh, sorry, Syaoran!" She hastily pulled her hands out of his pockets.
They stood there, both blushing, then Syaoran began to search Sakura's dresser.
"Have you got any yarn?"
"Hoee?" Syaoran had to smile; three "Hoeee"s in less than a minute had to be a record of sorts.
"Any color is fine; I just need some yarn," Syaoran grinned.
Sakura rummaged through her sewing kit and handed him some red yarn and a pair of scissors. He cut a short length, looped it, then dropped to one knee. He looked for all the world like a true prince, bending on one knee...before a pink-nightgowned princess.
"Hoee?"
He took Sakura's hand, and kissed it gently.
"I know we haven't known each other very long, Sakura. But I want to spend the rest of my life getting to know you. Will you marry me, even if all I have is this yarn ring?"
Sakura laughed. "Of course! But on one condition..."
"Name it, Sakura!"
"You fix my bedroom door," she giggled, and Syaoran blushed as he turned to survey the damage he'd done.
"Gladly. I'd say it was necessary damage, though. Otherwise, you'd be sleeping alone tonight," Syaoran grinned. He slid the yarn ring on Sakura's ring finger, then kissed her passionately.
"I wish I could give you something in return," Sakura said when she pulled away.
"You already gave me your heart," Syaoran said happily. "That's a Christmas present to last a lifetime, little blossom."
When they finally fell asleep in each other's arms, Syaoran no longer wore his tunic, though he still had his pants on, and Sakura had a satisfied smile on her face...along with a few love bites on her neck and shoulders that matched Syaoran's.
Outside the ballroom, an assistant handed a green and silver box to Yelan Li. Yelan opened the box, and gasped; it was the gold and diamond Li Clan engagement ring, handed down from eldest son to eldest son.
"Where did you find this?"
"In the hall, Madam Li."
Interesting.Only Syaoran had access to the ring, Yelan knew. And for him to have been carrying it tonight...
To the assistant's surprise, Yelan threw her head back and laughed. Oh, poor Syaoran! You can't propose without the ring!
Little did she know he had already found another way entirely.
To be continued in the new story, "The Getaway Girls"
Apologies for the mush. This continues in chapter 1 of "The Getaway Girls" which I hope to have up in a few days. Syaoran and Sakura's story will continue there, but Eriol and Tomoyo, and Mei Ling and (whoever) will take center stage. (Yay!)
I update when I can, which may probably be only once a week from now on due to my new job (whee!). Please don't kill me! Just put me on alert. Also, I try to review my work before uploading so that I don't embarrass myself too badly (like I wrote in Chapter 1 of this fic that it was November when I meant October, and the New Year Ball when I meant Christmas Ball—cringe).
I place my replies to reviews here because I can't reply to them one by one. I'm sorry if it bugs anyone, but this is, after all, at the end of the story. Sorry if anyone objects to that.
So, blatant hugs and love to the following, and to all reviewers, favoriters, and alerters. I love you people! Thank you, thank you! I hope you will join me for the next installment in "The Getaway Girls" up within the week!
SakuraLover (Nope, but someone else WILL remember him, haha); winterkaguya (Feel even more sorry for Syaoran now that Yelan has the ring, heh heh); Lolalaie89Hououza (Thanks, that means a lot to me :D and thank you for noticing what I did with Fai as a foil for Mei Ling); Admiral Godunov (OHMYGOD you read my work, yay! I still prefer your ending/s, and ACoF is a story I think all CCS and TRC fanfic-ers should read. Am going to revise "Intersections" as pure fluff instead, since there is way too much angst in TRC right now. By the way, do I have this right: there are 2 Syaorans, and three (!) Sakuras—the real Princess, the clone Princess, and Real Syaoran's Sakura? 0.o ARGH!);Riley S (Haha, "Boyfriending for Dummies!" I promise, Fai isn't a stalker); Akane Naomi (OOOH, Mokona plushie! Squeezes life out of it, haha); ffgirl-07icyblossom3 (Fai comes from TRC, and is from Mei Ling's past XD); Pipi-chan (Amen to Yelan fanclub! And the new movie blew me away!);DiamondRose3 (oh don't worry about it, just enjoy!); Sakura to Hoshi (bow- aw, thanks! I figured Mei Ling's temper made her like a female Kurogane, haha!); Lily887787iNuQTpIe (Just what I intended! Momiji/Mei Ling to be posted soon as well!);lhaine07 (You are not baka! Please cheer up!); Ngoc1231 (Amen to that! Sequel up soon, within the week); Nightmares of Love (Yes, I did; I hope it's OK, and thank you so much!); Adelaide MacGregor (AAAH, so many books, I would love that!); euphoria.bebe (sorry I made you search, but doesn't Syaoran look HAWT there?);bruhareviewerAngelEmCuti(That's because there are NO hot guys where I work, wah! XD); infiniteternity (Giggle, thanks! I'm so happy you like it!); hearts-stars(Date in chapter 1 of "Getaway Girls" sorry for the delay!); ccsy -litle wolf- (coming right up!); harmony (glad you liked it!); jeong (but, but, don't you like competition? XD and here's your answer re Syaoran!); fma34 (Thanks! Please bear with me; I try to put the chapters up as soon as I can:D); KibumiWong (You can kill me now with all the mush I poured into the ending of this story!); x-Melodyz-x (Ask Syaoran!); parma-violets(I intend to redo one of my fics, "Intersections", a CCS/TRC crossover, to make it all cuteness, since there is an overload of angst in TRC and I can't bear it anymore! Thanks for the vote of confidence!); rosedreamer101 (No you wouldn't! XD); and jennycuenca (I lurv him, too bad he belongs to Kuro-tango now!).
A note to another reviewer: I never have threatened anyone with "No review no update". Please don't pin that on me; it's unfair. And there are men and boys who can wait, believe it or not; they're my friends, and one is my boyfriend. Neither am I afraid of writing about lovemaking, as my other fic shows; I just prefer to have it fit the story. I like replying to reviewers, so please just bear with me. Thanks.