Chapter 11: Final Check


"ERGH!" Sakura grunted, frustrated as she plopped her head down on the Li's bar.

Wei raised an eyebrow at her as he examined the glass he had just wiped dry. "May I ask what is wrong, Miss Sakura?"

"It's too complicated and it'll only make your head hurt because it makes no sense whatsoever." Came Sakura's muffled response. She sat up straight and propped her head on her hands. "Where's Syaoran?"

"He was called away on business late last night and hasn't been home since." Wei responded as the door flew open. A flustered Tomoyo ran in and jumped on Sakura, hugging her.

Sakura looked at Eriol for an explanation as Tomoyo continued to soak her shirt but he gave none and looked away.

"Is someone gonna tell me what's going on?" Sakura asked, a little scared.

At the same moment Syaoran came in the door, briefcase in hand and loosened his tie. "Hello. Wei, could you make me a lunch? I want to take something homemade for Melanie today."

Syaoran paused as he heard Tomoyo's sobs get louder. Sakura pushed her away to arm's length and examined her closely.

"Tomoyo?"

Tomoyo looked up at her friend and cried again before hugging her tightly once more. Sakura looked over her shoulder and saw as the room began to fill up with the rest of their friends, all solemn or sobbing. Tomoyo quieted down enough to choke out, "I know you didn't. I know you didn't, you wouldn't."

"What hell is going on?" Syaoran demanded, upset that he was being left out. Shakily, Eriol lifted a note in Syaoran's direction. Syaoran snatched it away and opened it. "'We know your girl did it. She was the one who held a grudge.'? What does that mean?"

No one dared look him in the eye and everything started to click in Sakura's head. She looked around the room and asked quietly. "What's wrong with Melanie?"

Syaoran's head snapped in her direction before looking at the still silent room. Then Syaoran burst and he grabbed Eriol around the neck and slammed him against a wall. "Tell me." He growled and Eriol could have sworn he saw red in his eyes.

"Melanie was found dead this morning." Eriol whispered as quietly as possible but Syaoran and Sakura both heard it.

He let go of Eriol and stepped back, his eyes wide. His head bowed and he gripped the note harder. Then he started shaking and looked around the room furiously until his eyes fell on his target. Sakura.

He pried a crying Tomoyo off and literally threw her aside. Eriol ran over to her and looked up at Syaoran. "She didn't do anything."

But Syaoran didn't hear him.

Sakura was still in shock and didn't notice the infuriated teenager walking towards her until he had pinned her against the wall, one hand gripping her wrists together and the other around her neck.

"What the hell did you do?" He barked and Sakura looked him straight in the eye.

"I didn't do anything." She chocked out, her face turning red.

"STOP IT! YOU'RE CHOKING HER!" Tomoyo cried out, still sobbing.

Syaoran ignored her and only gripped harder.

Even in her situation Sakura decided to laugh which only made Syaoran more furious than before. "Did it...ever occur to you...why they would...even care?"

"Explain yourself." Syaoran demanded softly, tears brimming his eyes.

The anger is turning into sadness. Sakura noted mentally. She laughed the best she could with the amount of air she was getting. "It isn't your kid..."

Syaoran threw her aside before bolting out the door.

Sakura dropped to the ground and massaged her red and slightly purple neck. Tomoyo looked at her in wonder. "Sakura?"

"If he hates me, and they hate me, then they won't fight anymore right?" Sakura whispered, looking at the ground.

"Sakura, did you..." Tomoyo choked a bit. "Did you kill Melanie?"

Sakura paused for a bit then looked up at the room. "No."

"Then where were you last night?" Eriol asked, not looking at anyone.

Sakura didn't answer but grabbed her bag and left leaving the room in silence.

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Another chair flew across the room knocking down the door.

"Is this how a leader's supposed to behave? Get a grip! You have led us for the last three years. It was you who said you would end this!" Jiro yelled.

The figure in the corner dropped the paperweight in his hand, his shoulders rising and falling jerkily with his harsh breaths. "Who did it?" He rasped out.

Jiro looked sideways at his companions and smiled. "We think it was the girl."

"It wasn't her."

"H-how do you know?" Jiro stuttered. If he found out it was us...

"DID I ASK YOU TO QUESTION ME?" The leader roared, whirling around to face his companions.

"Sorry Caleb...no we didn't. There is only one other suspect..." Jiro apologized, looking down.

Caleb looked out the space where the door used to be and saw everyone waiting for his next words.

"WELL?"

Everyone jumped and one person stepped forward.

The girl was shaking and she kept her eyes downward. "S-sir, I heard Li and his friends talking. It was him who did it. He killed Melanie."

Caleb didn't want to hear anymore and was already storming out the door when...

"But there's something you should know..."

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Sakura didn't know how long she was on the swing for. All she could think of is how things had been changing fast. Too fast.

I did all I could to stay away from Syaoran so that Danielle wouldn't have to grow up without one of her parents like I did...funny how now she is in almost the same situation I'm in. Except...

"Mommy! I wanna go on the slide!" A little girl cried and tugged on her frantic mother's hand.

The mom smiled at the little girl while trying to hold onto all the toys in her hands. As the two passed by Sakura the older lady dropped something. Sakura got off the swing and picked it up. It was a stuffed duck, like the one Sakura used to have.

She smiled before jogging over to the slide where the mother was at the bottom waiting for her daughter.

"Um, you dropped this." Sakura muttered, smiling.

The lady turned to her and smiled brightly. "Thank you so much. This is her favorite toy, I don't know what I would have done if I lost it."

Sakura shrugged, her smile faltering. She trudged back onto the swing and watched the mother and daughter play around the playground until it got dark.

...except Danielle's mother loved her when she left.

It was a good few hours that Sakura enjoyed in the quiet before the ground vibrated.

Sakura looked down and saw a light flashing inside her bag. It was her phone. The ringing stopped but she took it out anyway.

17 missed calls.

16 new voice mails.

Sakura raised an eyebrow, confused. When had it rung? The phone beeped and she sweat dropped as the sixteen voicemails changed to seventeen.

Lazily pressing redial she waited for it to ring once before Tomoyo could be heard on the other side.

"Sakura, come to the hospital quickly."

And she hung up. Sakura pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it weirdly.

She called me a million times then just hangs up after a sentence? And for the first time in a couple days Sakura laughed. What a weirdo.

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"Sign here."

Sakura did as she was told by the doctor.

"Do you have a car seat?" He asked.

"Umm..." Sakura hesitated still not fully understanding what was going on.

"Yes." Eriol answered for her. "Tomoyo?"

Tomoyo walked in, car seat in one hand and a big bag in the other.

The doctor nodded. "Miss Kinomoto if you'll please accompany me..."

Sakura nodded and walked after him, taking the car seat from Tomoyo as she passed her.

Sakura watched as the Doctor entered the nursery and talk to the nurse in charge she nodded and took the car seat from him. She put it down on a table then walked over to Danielle's crib. After checking and verifying a few things she took Danielle and carefully placed her in the car seat. The Doctor then took the car seat and left the nursery where he handed it to another nurse.

The doctor turned to Sakura. "The nurse here will accompany you to your car and safely place the car seat down on the seat. We are sorry for your loss."

Sakura smiled sadly and followed the nurse out.

"Thank you." Sakura whispered as the nurse finished placing the car seat in the car. The nurse bowed and hurried back into the hospital. She looked over at the car behind her and nodded at Eriol's motion to follow him. Eriol's car left first and Sakura turned back to Danielle who was sleeping peacefully in the car seat.

She looked at the baby sadly and felt herself wanting to cry. "If only you knew…"

She closed the door quietly and rushed over to the driver's seat.

It was at a red light near the Li Estate that Danielle began to fuss a bit. Sakura sighed and pressed a few buttons on the dashboard and the music stopped and was replaced by a soft ringing.

"Moshi moshi."

"Daddy?" Sakura started. "I'm going to be staying at the Li's for a while."

There was a pause and Sakura could practically hear him thinking. "I'll take care I promise."

"Please Sakura…" Fujitaka pleaded. "Don't get into any more trouble."

Sakura raised an eyebrow at the kid in the backseat. "Can't be worse than it is now."

Another sigh from her father's end. Sakura smiled. "Thanks Daddy." She chirped before hanging up. "Bye."

The music resumed and Danielle started fussing again. Sakura whined quietly. "if I turn it any lower I won't be able to hear it at all." She shifted radio stations until she got to a classical music station and at that point Danielle was quiet and went back to sleep.

Sakura sighed at the music going through her speakers. "I guess…"

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Nothing made sense anymore when he opened his eyes. But if he closed them, the memories came back to him, the thoughts. So he kept his eyes opened and kept drinking because between the beer in his hand, and the occasional shots, and the distortion of the room, he didn't think.

And at the moment not thinking was better.

"Sir, I think I'm gonna have to cut you off." The bartender explained as Syaoran asked for another beer. "Even I've lost track of how many you've had."

Syaoran looked around and sighed as he saw that everyone was gone. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the first card he felt before placing on the counter. "Charge what you want."

He was about to leave when the bartender called after him. "Would you like me to call a taxi for you?"

Syaoran couldn't walk two steps before stumbling. He shook his head and soon realized the mistake he made as the nausea flew to him.

"I can't let you drive in that condition." He heard the bartender call again.

Syaoran smiled and waved him off. "As much as that would make things easier, I'm walking."

The bartender shrugged and continued cleaning. It wasn't until a bit later that he looked at the credit card and his eyes widened. 'Syaoran Li' the card read. He looked up; this kid wasn't going to make it home.

Syaoran continued to stumble along the streets muttering to himself. He passed an ad on a bus bench and he smiled when he barely made out that the model had green eyes.

"Haha." He said to himself. "Like Sakura. But Sakura's are prettier…"

He stopped dead in his tracks and his eyes widened. He felt sick. He didn't know if it was the alcohol, or the fact that he had been thinking of another woman a day after his fiancé had died, or…

…if it was because he felt that subconsciously, he liked the days when Melanie wasn't around and remembers thinking of how nice it would be if he went back to those days. And now, his wish came true.

She KILLED your wife.

I don't think she did. And she wasn't my wife.

What was she to you then? And what is Sakura?

Syaoran felt sick with himself both physically and emotionally. He ran into a nearby alley and threw up next to a trashcan. This didn't help the nausea one bit. He went to the opposite wall and sat down for a bit.

"Ew, gross." Melanie whined as Syaoran felt sick again. She ran into the bedroom and called into the bathroom. "I'm calling the doctor!"

And Syaoran was left alone in the bathroom, pale and sickly with severe food poisoning.

Syaoran frowned. She never helped me, she always ran away.

"I miss her…" Syaoran whined as he felt a washcloth to his head.

"She's not gonna wake up to an anorexic boyfriend." Sakura scolded, almost laughing.

"But…" Syaoran started but stopped as he turned to the toilet again.

"Well," Sakura said as she handed him a cup to rinse out his mouth. "Who told you to not eat for almost three days and then attempt to eat the world?"

And even in his desperate and sickly state, Syaoran almost laughed.

She helped me, Syaoran recalled, a ghost of a smile touching his lips.

"Look, a lost little rich kid."

Syaoran looked up and saw five men around him in a half circle.

"He's wasted." One commented and they all snickered.

"Only makes it easier for us." Another said and they laughed evilly.

The stopped when they heard a sixth laugh join in, Syaoran's.

Syaoran looked up at them and gave them the scariest smile ever. "I needed a few punching bags."

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The pounding rang through the house, waking up most of its inhabitants. Wei was the first one to the door with Sakura not too far behind.

Wei tapped the screen next to the door and an image of Syaoran leaning his cheek on the door popped up. Both Sakura and Wei shook their heads and unlocked the door.

The click was heard followed by Syaoran attempting to open the door. Wei quickly opened it as Syaoran stumbled in.

Sakura's eye widened at the sight of Syaoran, tattered, bloody, and swaggering. She rushed over to him and took him from Wei. "Wei, could you warm the shower water and get me something to calm his stomach?"

Wei nodded. "You know him well."

Sakura shrugged. "Yeah well…"

"You smell pretty." Syaoran slurred as Sakura helped him up the stairs.

"Ugh you don't." Sakura replied, wrinkling her nose. She finally got him into his bathroom where Wei was still testing the water.

"It's not warm yet." Wei commented as Sakura leaned Syaoran against the wall of the shower. She grabbed the extendable shower head and smiled.

"Doesn't matter." She smiled sweetly at Wei. "Could you bring up some lemon juice shots and some saltine crackers?"

Wei smiled knowingly. "Of course, miss."

Syaoran looked at Sakura and extended his arms as if asking for a hug.

Sakura scoffed. "I don't think so." She took a step outside and pressed the button on the shower head, spraying Syaoran with cold water.

Wei came in soon after with a tonic for his master and saw Sakura sitting down on the floor and Syaoran sprawled on the floor in front of her, muttering something into the carpet. He smiled warmly at the sight and decided to place the tray down quietly before leaving.

"But…I…I…"

Sakura sighed as he cut off unable to finish another sentence. "What is it?"

"I feel disgusted with myself." He groaned.

He lifted his head up and plopped another cracker into his mouth. Sakura looked at him curiously. "Why?"

"Because…because…" he stopped again and Sakura stared at him lay face down on the carpet.

"If we continue this we're never going to get anywhere." She remarked.

Syaoran stopped chewing and sat up staring straight at Sakura. "Because I don't hate you." He told her through half-lidded eyes.

Sakura froze. What did he-?

"It's because you're so nice. Why are you so nice?" He started again, reaching for her. Sakura stared at him in wonder. He was bathed, changed, had completely emptied out his stomach to the toilet, and brushed his teeth (four times, Sakura made sure of it) but he was still in the drunken mental state he had arrived in. "And…and pretty. I mean these past years I hated you but sometimes, just sometimes, I would think 'Wow, if only she wasn't such a bitch…' and then when we started talking again I realized that you haven't changed. You're still as nice, and polite and caring as you were when we were little. All your bad traits were all in my head."

Sakura went from sitting on the ground to her knees, making it easier for her to move back. What the hell is he on? "Umm…"

"And I felt like when we were friends before Melanie woke up again, it felt so like you know…" He continued, slurring his words together. "When she woke up and you started distancing yourself again I got mad I don't know why but I felt mad at Melanie and well…"

"Now you feel like this happened because of you." Sakura finished slowly. He nodded and got closer is hand touching her check gently.

"And I just can't help myself…" He whispered leaning in. Sakura on instinct moved back but stopped, waiting to see what he would do. Her mind flashed back to a couple days earlier when she kissed him in the hallway and before she realized what she was doing she had leaned in.

A loud wail broke through the silence in the house and Sakura's eyes flew open and she shoved Syaoran back harshly before running out and down the hall to Danielle's room.

Inside the wailing got louder so she picked up the baby gently and rocked her softly. Come on Danielle you just went to sleep. Sakura looked around the room. Why had she woken up?

Danielle opened her eyes as best she could and looked up at Sakura. She cooed softly and snuggled back to sleep.

Tomoyo came in soon after rubbing her eyes. "Is she okay?" She yawned.

Sakura nodded. "Can you take her?"

Tomoyo shook her head violently. "For the past two weeks we've tried that Kura. The only person she doesn't cry with is you."

"But she's asleep." Sakura whined quietly "and Syaoran came home today and isn't in the best condition."

"He's here?" Tomoyo asked, amazed.

Sakura nodded making her best friend sigh and extend her arms. Sakura smiled and gently handed Danielle over to Tomoyo. It only took a second before Danielle woke up and cried out at the top of her lungs. Sakura quickly carried her again and worked on making her go back to sleep.

"It seems she only likes Sakura." A voice said from the doorway and both girls turned to see Syaoran leaning against the doorframe.

Tomoyo rushed over to him and hugged him tightly. Syaoran half smiled and hugged her back. When she pulled back her face changed and she slapped him hard. The noise reached Danielle who shifted a bit in Sakura's arms.

Syaoran looked down at the ground and whispered. "I know."

Tomoyo looked from Syaoran to Sakura and sighed. "We'll talk in the morning when everyone's awake."

Syaoran nodded and went over to Sakura after Tomoyo went back to her room. He looked won at Danielle who was trying to make out the new face. "She's bigger."

Sakura shifted the baby and nodded. "It's been two weeks."

"Is she asleep?" Syaoran asked as Danielle's hand wrapped around his finger. Sakura looked down and nodded.

He looked back up at the grown teenager in front of him and half smiled again. "We really do need to talk in the morning."

"I know." Sakura replied, placing the sleeping baby back in her crib.

"Well I'm going to bed you should-" Syaoran stopped when a loud bang followed by a gunshot was heard downstairs. Sakura made a move to go to the door when Syaoran stopped her. Stay here, protect Danielle."

Sakura didn't have time to reply before he ran out and locked the door from the outside. Sakura ran to it and banged her fists hard while yelling out. "You're barely sober, you idiot! You'll be killed."

Sakura stepped back as the door clicked open. It opened enough for Tomoyo to be thrown in before it was locked once more. Sakura gave out a frustrated cry before rushing over to Danielle who had woken up in the mess. She rocked the baby gently to calm her down. Another gunshot was heard followed by a series of loud yells. Danielle cried harder so Sakura held her closer to her chest.

"Do you think it's them?" Tomoyo asked worriedly, rubbing her arms. Sakura nodded and Tomoyo started pacing. "Why are they here, now?"

Sakura stopped her rocking and looked down at Danielle who was trying to suck her thumb through her mitten. "I think I know." She looked around and here eyes stopped at the window. "Where's Meiling?"

Tomoyo looked out the window too. "Eriol called everyone as soon as we heard the first noise. He sent Meiling down to meet them and attack from behind."

Sakura placed Danielle down in her crib and opened the doors to the balcony. She looked over the second story edge and out to the gardens. She looked around below her where the night's flurry had not disturbed the Li's backyard. She turned back to Tomoyo. "Let's go."

"Go where?" Tomoyo asked, scared.

"To the castle the Li's have in the backyard." Sakura said, picking Danielle up again.

Tomoyo looked at her best friend as if she had grown two heads. "Are you completely insane?"

Sakura whirled on her testily. "Look, they came for Danielle, it won't take long before they come up here and find all three of us with no protection what so ever. The last place they'll look is in a playground castle in the backyard."

"And what if they do?" Tomoyo challenged already at the balcony's edge.

"The castle is made of cement remember? It's small but it'll do until we can come up with something else." Sakura called down softly as Tomoyo descended down the wall, barely grabbing onto the brick of the house.

Sakura stared at the bricks and then looked down at the child she had wrapped to her front using a blanket.

"Can you do it? The bricks are hard to grab onto." Tomoyo asked from below. Sakura nodded as she climbed over the balcony's edge and grabbed onto the first brick. "If I fall, I'll fall on my back, that way Danielle won't be too hurt."

Another gun shot was heard, this one sounded like it was in the kitchen, getting closer to the stairs. Sakura touched the ground softly before she and Tomoyo took off running to the castle. Sakura ran for five minutes, careful not to shake Danielle too much, before they arrived at the castle. "Go in, Moyo."

"It's too small." Tomoyo commented as she crawled in. Even with her small frame, Tomoyo alone took up almost all the space in the castle. The only way her feet didn't stick out was by bending her knees so that they almost touched her chest. "They're no way we'll both fit in here."

"Doesn't matter." Sakura replied as she took Danielle out of her makeshift sling. "We only need room for her."

Sakura held Danielle in her arms and the baby gurgles before reaching up to grab Sakura's necklace. Sakura looked down at her heart shaped necklace and smiled. She took it off with one hand and handed it to Tomoyo. "Put it on."

Tomoyo did as she was told and looked up to see Sakura handing her Danielle. "No way. She'll start crying and then they'll find her."

Sakura shook her head. "She won't trust me."

Tomoyo took Danielle in her arms gently and the baby didn't cry but reached up for the necklace.

"See?" Sakura smiled. "She can't see you, it's way too dark in there, all she sees is the glint of the necklace."

Tomoyo smiled. "But what about you?"

"I'm going back." Sakura replied taking off her "sling" and draping it over both Danielle and Tomoyo.

"What?" Tomoyo whispered angrily.

"I have to." Sakura replied and winked. "It's the best attack opportunity."

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Syaoran locked the door behind him; he couldn't let anything happen to Sakura or Danielle. He ignored Sakura's yelling and was about to run when he saw Eriol running down the hall dragging Tomoyo behind. He threw him the keys. "Lock it."

Eriol nodded and Syaoran took that as his cue to leave. At the top of the stairs he grabbed a gun from a coffee table and waited. He looked through the railing to see eight guys on the first floor. He turned a bit when he felt Eriol crouch down next to him. When Syaoran looked back, he saw a ninth guy, stealthily approaching the other group.

Wei. Syaoran mused. Wei managed to knock out three guys quietly but the last one had made a chocking noise when he fell. The rest of the group was about to turn around when Syaoran stood up and shot right at the leader's feet. The group turned in the opposite direction of Wei, up at Syaoran and Eriol at the top of the stairs. Wei took this opportunity to take out another guy before being discreetly waved off by Syaoran.

The remaining three guys looked around shocked that most of their group had already been taken out. Syaoran clicked a switch behind him and the lights in the massive foyer turned on with a quiet hum.

"You again?" Syaoran smirked as he saw the head of the group. "Think you're all bad now Caleb? Sorry but Sakura's not here to save your ass this time. How sad that your leader got taken out first."

Eriol and Syaoran smirked as they noticed Jiro on the ground, unconscious.

"How sad that after almost four years, you still haven't figure out who the real leader is." Caleb replied, his remaining men snickering.

"What?" Syaoran asked, confused.

"You heard me Li." Caleb said as the other two made a dash for the stairs. Syaoran looked at the two coming up the stairs sharply before looked back to where Caleb had been. Where did he go? Syaoran looked behind him into the second floor hallway. It doesn't matter as long as they don't come up the stairs.

Both he and Eriol rushed half way down the stairs to meet the other two guys. As Syaoran kicked round the other guy he sighed. Caleb's the only one with a gun. He saw from the corner of his eye how both Eriol and the other guy fell unconscious. Luckily, the other guy rolled down the stairs while Eriol stayed sprawled in his position.

With one last swift kick to the head, he knocked his guy down. Running down the last part of the stairs he ran towards the kitchen where he heard another gun shot. On his way past the group that Wei had knocked down, he failed to notice that one of its members had been replaced on the floor by Wei himself.

Syaoran ran into the kitchen loudly, making Caleb turn furiously. "Where is she?"

Syaoran looked at him oddly. She? Then it struck him. "Danielle."

"Danielle?" Caleb inquired. Syaoran missed the sudden confusion. "My daughter…"

"What?" Syaoran asked quietly looking up.

Caleb smirked. "You really are a freaking idiot. Do you honestly think that Melanie, who hated kids, would volunteer at an elementary school? Sorry wolf, she was with me. The whole time." He laughed cynically. "Besides, you and her were only together a few times. You're not that good, Li."

Syaoran's eyes widened. It was true, it had always been true. Syaoran looked up to examine the smirking teenager in front of him. It made sense. Sakura was right.

In his state of confusion he didn't hear Jiro sneak up behind him. But he felt when the large wok pan slammed over the back for his head. And he heard the sickening crunch it made upon impact. And he felt the whoosh of the air pass by his ears as he fell to the floor, everything blackening for a moment.

"They're upstairs. I've checked the first floor already." He heard Caleb tell Jiro. Their shoes made a loud noise as they walked by him, the noise vibrating through his cracked skull. A few moments later Syaoran, who was struggling to stay conscious, staggered up. The combination of the blow and the previous' night's alcohol consumption made it difficult for him to walk but he stuck his hand in his pocket, fishing out the gun.

They're not touching Sakura or Danielle. He fumed as he struggled up the stairs, the edges of his vision slowly blackening.

He managed to walk into the hallway with his vision completely blurred and almost totally black. He caught sight of movement ahead of him and only heard his gun go off before falling to the floor.

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The gunshot right outside the door disturbed the quiet peace of the nursery. The door shook a couple times before it was quiet again. Not a second later it came crashing down.

Caleb entered the room, alone. Jiro had been shot in the gut and was not getting up anytime soon but it didn't matter to Caleb as he looked around the nursery. Li and his two helpers were down and now no one could stop him from taking his baby girl.

He spotted the brightly colored crib and noticed the origin of the soft music was coming from the toys above it. He was only a few steps from the crib when something flew at his hand. A knife made contact with the top of his hand, going through with a series of crunching sounds. The gun he had been holding fell as he pulled the knife out but when he reached down, the gun was gone.

He looked up and smirked. "Hello there, Sakura."

Sakura held up the gun without wavering. "What are you doing here Caleb?"

Caleb smiled despite the massive amounts of blood pouring from his hand. "I'm here to pick up my daughter."

He waited for the same look of shock that had crossed Syaoran's face to cross Sakura's but it never did. Sakura still didn't falter. "I figured someone else had been behind everything. Jiro never was the sharpest tool in the shed."

"Neither was Syaoran. We're two of the same." Caleb commented getting closer.

Sakura pulled the trigger back but the gun just gave a soft click. Caleb laughed and held up a small box. "I should have told you it was out of bullets. Need some ammunition?"

Sakura looked down at the gun for a second before throwing it out the window. Meanwhile, Jiro had staggered up once more. He made a move towards the now defenseless Sakura who looked around furiously for anything to defend herself with. She found nothing in the baby proofed room and managed to block a hit from Caleb.

Caleb grabbed both her hands and Sakura smirked as she brought her knee up hard. Caleb double over but didn't let go over her. "It looks like you don't have anything either."

Caleb gave a painful smile. "I don't. But he does."

Sakura didn't have time to show her confusion as one of the Li's kitchen knives plunged into her back. She gasped for breath as she fell, certain that the knife had punctured a lung. Jiro made a move forward but Caleb stopped him. "Let's leave; we don't want to get caught here when their reinforcement arrives."

Caleb and Jiro both left running and it wasn't long before Meiling came rushing in. "Sakura? Oh god, someone help me get her to the car with Syaoran."

Sakura felt herself being picked up but she shot out to grab Meiling's hand. Meiling looked from the crib to Sakura. "They took her?"

Sakura nodded. "With Moyo…castle…"

And that was all Meiling needed.

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"Okay. Bye, love you." Tomoyo said hanging up the phone.

She went over to Syaoran who was once again trying to quiet a screaming Danielle. "That was Sakura's mom; she said Sakura's doing better."

Eriol looked over at Syaoran's attempts to quiet his "daughter". "It's been a week dude I say we beg Nadeshiko to let Sakura come back."

"I agree." Meiling chimed in. "the only time she's quiet is when she gets tired and falls asleep. I'm surprised she hasn't lost her voice or strained something."

Syaoran sighed, adjusting his head bandage with one hand. Eriol looked at him. "Still can't figure it out?"

Syaoran shook his head as he handed Danielle over to Tomoyo who left with Meiling. As the cries faded away he shook his hair. "It would have only taken a second to take Danielle when they left but the cameras show that they never even looked in the crib."

Eriol nodded as he looked out to the darkening sky. "They knew everything from Sakura and Melanie. Who knows what else they knew. Maybe, somehow they knew Danielle wasn't in the crib."

Syaoran listened to the faraway cries of the baby and looked back at Eriol. 'Then why did they stay there for so long? They were looking for something else."

Then it clicked in their heads but only Eriol was able to put it into words.

"They weren't looking for Danielle."

Syaoran cursed and looked at the phone. "They were looking for Sakura."

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It was raining.

It had been raining since Sakura arrived at her mother's villa three days prior. She shut her eyes tightly as another flash shone through the massive windows, ready for the thunder to follow.

She hated thunder. It was as if the Earth was mad and venting its anger, ready to take revenge.

The constant jabbering coming from her step father was enough to annoy Sakura enough so that the thunder didn't scare her as much. Pretty soon I'm going to start venting my anger out too. She thought as the talking got louder.

"See you in a bit." She turned to hear him say. He was already walking out the door, the butler next to him holding an umbrella. Nadeshiko walked into the living room after seeing him off and sat in a chair opposite to Sakura.

Sakura turned back to the window, uninterested.

"Sweetie, we have to talk."

Sakura raised an eyebrow but didn't turn.

Nadeshiko sighed. "Sometimes, you think you love someone but then someone else comes along and you realize that there is a love greater than the one you already felt and you blame yourself because if you want to follow what you think is right, you'll hurt many people in the process." Sakura finally turned, the story sounding very familiar. "But sometimes fate twists in your favor and other times you have to take it into your own hands to twist fate instead."

Sakura looked sideways at her mother's gray eyes finding nothing but guilt and sadness. She turned back to the window with a different expression.

"Because I don't hate you."

Sakura nearly laughed. If what Syaoran told her was true, it was as if the relationship that always caused her so much pain was repeating itself.

"Do you ever regret it?" Sakura asked, watching the rain pellet at the windows.

"I didn't." Nadeshiko replied and paused for a moment. "I only regret not being able to see you and your older brothers grow up."

Sakura turned completely towards her mother but kept her eyes downcast. "I never had a mother growing up…just like Danielle won't."

Nadeshiko nodded, remembering the name from when she went to go pick Sakura up from the hospital. She sat next to Sakura on the loveseat and hugged her softly. "I'm sorry. Every time I would go to a photo shoot or do a movie where I had to work with someone as my daughter, I would cry myself to sleep because I wished that I had that kind of life with you. I wanted to see you grow up, make mistakes, talk about boys." Sakura laughed a bit, her mother obviously not realizing that boys were never Sakura's main point of interest. Nadeshiko gave a soft laugh too realizing what she said. "I know what you're thinking, your father told me."

"I always wished…that someone would be there as a motherly figure." Sakura whispered as her mother held her tighter. "Maybe things would have been different."

She looked up to see tear cascading down her mother's heavenly face. Before she knew it she too felt warm wet tears falling. Nadeshiko laughed and wiped the tears off her daughter's face. "See that? Some things don't change. Even as a child, when ever you saw someone crying you would burst into tears as well." Sakura smiled acknowledging her weakness. "And I don't think I could have raised you to be any more caring or compassionate as your father has taught you to be."

Sakura pulled away form her mother and wiped her face on her blazer. "Geez mom, way to make me all emotional."

And Nadeshiko burst into a full out cry. Sakura looked at her oddly. "What's wrong?"

Her mother looked up smiling. "You have no idea how many times I imagined and dreamed of the next time, if ever, that you would call me your mother."

The teenager just smiled and shook her head. "That's enough crying for today. I'm tired."

Nadeshiko got up and nodded. "We should get to sleep and then tomorrow we can catch up."

Sakura made a face. "We can go shopping but none of your makeovers, I hate them."

Nadeshiko smiled and nodded, heading up the stairs. Sakura smiled and headed to the kitchen for her customary pre-sleep glass of milk.

She was halfway through her gulp before her phone rang. She pulled it out of her shorts pocket and placed it on the table turning the speaker on. "Yes?"

"Sakura we just landed in Japan and we're about twenty minutes from your house." Tomoyo rushed out.

Sakura gulped down the milk and yawned. "Why?"

"Turn here! Turn here! Because we found out that we misinterpreted the attack a week ago. They weren't after Danielle-"

But Sakura didn't hear the rest as thunder roared throughout the house and Tomoyo's voice was cut off. The phone beeped twice and Sakura looked at the screen and groaned. Call failed.

Crappy cell phone. She thought, tossing it back in her pocket.

Sakura was at the foot of the stairs when another flash of lightning illuminated the house and seconds later all the electronics shut off, shrouding Sakura in total darkness.

I hate the dark. I hate the dark. Sakura repeated to herself as she groped around to find the banister. When finally got hold of it and was about to step on the first step when she slipped. She gripped the banister tightly and landed sitting down on the fourth step. They probably didn't finish mopping ear-" Sakura froze. The liquid she slipped on was too thick to be water. She held her breath as she heard some footsteps coming from the kitchen. A lighting bolt shone through the house and Sakura nearly screamed, her shoe was covered in blood.

She looked down shakily at her phone. They're on their way. They'll be here any minute, right? The footsteps grew closer, she had to stall. She looked in the opposite direction of the kitchen towards the ball room where there were doors leading around the house to the front. She could get out, easy. But Sakura stopped mid thought and glanced up the stairs. Mom. Hell, no.

Without hesitation she got up and climbed the stairs as quickly and quietly as she could.

Sakura turned the corner of the hallway on the second floor and cried out in frustration, she couldn't find Nadeshiko anywhere.

She went back towards the staircase and waited at the top as a shot was hear upstairs on the top floor. She's not up there.

There was a soft hum and all around lights started flickering on. It was then that Sakura looked down the stairs and saw bloody footsteps going up, hers. At the bottom of the stairs was a pool of blood with a trail and three pairs of different footsteps leading out, Sakura swallowed, not hers. There was another shot and Sakura jumped, it was closer.

She looked behind her into the second floor hallway and glanced around frantically. Her mother was not on the second or third floor but there were many butlers and maids who were. She glanced at the door, not to mention her step father was due home soon.

Sakura bit her lip and almost flew down the stairs following the trail of blood into the ballroom. The ballroom, now lit up once more, faintly reminded her of her childhood despite the situation she was in. Then Sakura's hand flew to her mouth. In the middle of the gorgeous ballroom, directly below the chandelier, was a maid. A bloody, dead maid.

Someone's coming down the stairs. Sakura panicked. She looked around and ran towards the kitchen hoping to get out through the door in the back. She was two steps from the door when a hand shot out from behind a cabinet and threw her down.

She cried out in pain as she met with the cold tile.

"Shh." Someone whispered.

Sakura looked at her 'assaulter' and sighed as she stood up. "Syaoran."

"Get down." He yelled and pushed her down as he turned into a brighter room and three shots flew through the air. In a flash he had grabbed her and was dragging her to another room. The next room was brighter and Sakura vaguely recognized the room. It was a large fairytale ballroom, except for the dead person on the floor a couple feet from her.

"Are you okay?" Syaoran asked as they ran into a closet.

"I don't know." Sakura replied shaking.

Syaoran gave her a weird look then peeked outside. Are we clear on floor one?" He whispered into his phone. Eriol's voice responded from the other end.

"Syaoran quick we managed to round almost all of them up but we still don't know where he is."

"Caleb." It wasn't a question and Syaoran nodded at her.

He glanced at her briefly. "You look different."

Sakura looked at him, bewildered. We're getting hunted down and he's making comments about my looks. Her voice became sarcastic. "Yeah well being locked up here for three days hasn't been doing wonders to me complexion."

The amber eyed boy sent her a warm smile. "But you haven't changed."

There was another shot in the foyer by the front door. Both of them turned quickly. By instinct, Syaoran grabbed Sakura's hand as they ran into the foyer but as soon as they arrived both teenagers regretted it. Slumped against the wall was Avery Avalon. His face covered in the blood oozing from his forehead but all Sakura saw were his eyes, staring up at the ceiling, lifeless.

She took a step forward, not letting go of Syaoran's hand, when she head a loud hit. She turned around to have Syaoran collapse on top of her, unconscious. She reacted instantly when she saw Caleb there, holding up a gun. The shot missed and hit her leg making a loud crunching noise. She fell back, crying out from the pain and Syaoran rolled a good distance away.

Fearfully she looked up at Caleb who still had the gun pointed at her, shaking. On his face was a crazed grin his eyes wide. "It ends tonight. After you die, we can all go back to normal and just live."

"You're going to kill me for something our freaking grandfathers did to each other?" Sakura chocked out, clutching her shin.

"It didn't stop you from killing Melanie, did it?" He yelled, the gun shaking even more.

Sakura looked at him oddly. "What? I didn't kill Melanie and you know that."

"Shut up! You can't lie to me!" He yelled, his eyes widening even more. "You met up with me that night in order to throw me off. After you left you went and killed her I KNOW YOU DID!"

Sakura couldn't react and froze as she saw Caleb slouch forward as w woman jumped on his back. "Mother!"

Sakura tried to stand up but when she finally did her leg crunch again and gave out just as her mother was flung off Caleb's back. There were two shots and Sakura cried out as they made impact on the woman who had given birth to her. In anger, she tackled Caleb down and took his gun while he was still in shock.

The gun gave one last shot, into Caleb's heart. She punched him a few more times, frustrated and angry tears rolling down her face. She looked up the ceiling and gave a yell, not noticing the crowd at the top of the stairs who had witnesses this.

She crawled over to her mother's lifeless body, not noticing the boy who was waking up next to her.

She clutched her mother tightly; not bothering to quiet her sobs, and didn't hear the sirens approaching. It wasn't until a minute later when they tried to take her mother from her did she notice her surroundings.

People were being carried out in stretchers, some covered and others barely holding on. Others were being taken out in handcuffs, unable to bear the sight of so much blood.

Sakura cried harder, refusing to accept her mother being dead. Nadeshiko was finally pried from her as she felt another pair of arms hold her from behind and keep her down as she watched her mother being taken away.

She sat there, with a barely conscious, bleeding Syaoran and cried.

She cried for Melanie who died for no reason but revenge and for Danielle who will grow up confused because of her parent's stupid ways.

She cried for her father who will die with a broken heart from everything she was involved in and her mother and Avery who died because of Sakura herself.

She cried for everyone who died because of a useless quarrel.

Everything she felt had been bottled up inside her, thinking that if she were to cry and show weakness, someone would act on it but now…there was no one to take advantage of a vulnerable Sakura.

So she cried her heart out, because it was finally over.

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The End

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Thank you :)

Thanks to everyone who followed me on this story.

(and sorry for the choppy and slow updating!)

So…what do you guys wanna read next?