Summary: AU-She was kind and too forgiving. Everyone picked on her, beat her. She never seemed to hear them, but it was a heavy burden. What happens when she meets Syaoran, a seemingly ordinary bully? Will she forget the past, and move on? S/S

AN: I'm writing this at 10:23 PM on the 15th. Let's see where that takes me…ne? Sorry for not updating on time. My friend's been going through troubled times since…Monday night. I want to be there for her. Not neglect her to write a story that isn't as important as she is. Sorry everyone.

Oh, but I DO want to thank everyone for reviewing, it makes me feel so happy and fluffy inside, even if I don't give individual thanks. I do appreciate them.


"talking"

'thinking'

written/typed

flashback


Crystal Dropplets

By Dream4luv

Chapter 11-Visits


Syaoran couldn't keep himself from glancing at the desk in front of him. He was distracted. Before he left for lunch, he had seen the teacher marking Sakura absent and muttering angrily about her ditching class.

For a moment, Syaoran had considered telling her that Sakura was sick and in the hospital. But he decided it was best not to. During lunch, Tomoyo hadn't mentioned her latest plans about ruining Sakura Kinomoto's life. In fact, she seemed troubled about something. Then again, Syaoran wouldn't know. He wasn't too observant when it came to feelings.

It was only a few more minutes until school got out. Then he could go home and take his mind off all that was happening.


As the bell rang, everyone ran out of the room in a rush. Syaoran left slowly, on his way out, he ran into a tall young man with messy black hair and a sharp angular face. The man ignored the fact that he had run into him and pushed past him.

Syaoran rolled his eyes.

"Sorry, Dahiki-san?" The man said, as he spoke hurriedly, "My sister, Kinomoto Sakura couldn't make it today to school because she was really sick-"

The teacher, being annoyed that this handsome young man was actually related to such a clutz like Sakura, frowned, "That's no excuse to skip school." She cut in rudely.

The young man got angry as his brow furrowed. "Look, ma'am." He said quite forcefully. "My sister is sick. And she only landed in the hospital because she didn't take a day off from school to rest, or else she'd be fine! And she's not a slacker. You play her off as some bad student, but she works harder than all of the stupid teenagers in this fucking school! Look here, our family's on a tight budget, and she works to help pay the bill. She refused to buy medicine when she was sick. What more are you asking for!" The man's fist connected with her desk as she looked at him in astonishment, feeling quite guilty for accusing her of skipping and picking on her.

"Look, Kinomoto-san, there's no need to be angry." She reasoned. "I'll send her partner in her volunteer group to the hospital to give her the homework tomorrow. That is if she won't be returning by tomorrow."

"Don't you forget, Dahiki-san, she is a good student." The man straightened himself a bit, regaining his composure as he stomped out of the room.

Syaoran listened to the whole conversation. So Sakura worked to pay the bills……not to buy clothes and fashion accessories as he had harshly assumed about a week ago? The guilt tore at his guts, knowing that he had accused her unfairly without knowing anything about her life. He knew what he wanted to do.


"Why, Li-kun, I didn't expect you to be here." The nurse at the front desk said as she saw Syaoran approaching the counter.

"Well, since my partner's sick, I decided to come and make up her time." Syaoran shrugged. It wasn't really why he was there, but good enough excuse, right?

"You realize that you're still expected in room 511?"

"Yeah, I know. Oh, and…uh…" Syaoran looked away, "Do you know which room Kinomoto's in?"

"Yes, she should be on the last floor in room 614. Are you visiting?"

"Who wants to know?" Syaoran shot back.

"The hospital needs to record every visit to a patient's room. It's hospital policy, no log, no visitor's pass to get in the room."

"But, shouldn't I be counted as an employee since I work here?" he asked, getting annoyed at all the stupid rules.

"Not really. As soon as all your hours are done, you'll be out of here like lightning." The nurse responded evenly.

"Fine. I am visiting her. Don't I have a right to know when she'll be out of here?"

"Of course." The nurse smiled kindly as if she implied something more. Syaoran quirked an eyebrow at her as if asking her what she was smiling about. She giggled lightly at his silent inquiry and signed him on the log and the volunteer list. She took out a visitor's pass from her drawer and passed it to him with a smile.

Syaoran passed quietly up the stairs, heading to the familiar room. He then changed his mind about it and decided to go see Sakura first. He walked up another flight of stairs up to the overnight stay ward. He strolled down the familiar looking passage ways and glanced at the numbers on each door until he reached 614. He showed his visitor's card to the nurse on hall duty. She nodded her consent and he twisted Sakura's door open enough to look inside.

The bed was empty.

But Syaoran was surprised to see someone else occupying the chair next to the bed "Daidouji?"

"Li-kun? What are you doing here today? I thought you didn't come here on Wednesdays?"

"I don't." I respond simply. "But, it's not like I have assigned times or anything. I can come work when I have the time. What brings you here?"

"Well…I don't know. I guess you could call it a gut feeling. Somehow, it felt like something bad happened, to Sakura-chan."

It took Syaoran by surprise that Tomoyo had called Sakura by first name. She never did that. "I thought you didn't care? Don't you enjoy torturing her, anyways?"

"You may not know it, but Sakura and I go way back elementary school. We used to be best friends, actually. But then…we got into a fight at the beginning of sixth grade. It was one of those silent fights that consist of not talking to each other. I held the grudge for a long time. And I guess it was me who started the fight." Tomoyo smile twisted on her lips as she frowned. "I don't know. But after that, I held her responsible for all the bad things that happened. And when I started to become more popular for joining clubs and making other friends, I got angry at her. And because I had the power to do it, I turned all the people I knew against her. It was wrong. I know it was. But, I did it anyway."

Tomoyo sighed. "Yesterday, in the bathroom, she didn't look to good, but I pushed everyone against her anyway. I didn't think too much about it until today, when I didn't see her."

"I came to see her too." Syaoran admitted. "She passed out yesterday from a fever when we came here."

"Are you worried for her?"

"Ye-wait, what! Of course I'm not worried, s-stupid!" Syaoran spluttered.

"Why are you here?" Tomoyo asked.

"I don't know." It was the guilt. He felt guilty for assuming things. Bad things that were probably completely opposite from what she stood for. And naturally, he was worried about her. But he'd rather eat dirt then admit it. "But. I'm not going to wait around here especially since I don't know when she'll be in. I'm going downstairs. I'll be in 511 if you need me."

Syaoran turned to leave, but Tomoyo caught up with him, "No, I'll go with you."

The two left together descending the flight of stairs before reaching Fuji's room. Syaoran was just about to push the door open, when he heard Sakura's voice.

'What is she doing here?'

He pushed his ear next to the door.


"U-um. Dad? It's me. Sakura." Sakura said nervously as she spoke to the sleeping man in front of her. She clasped her hands tightly as they lay in her lap. "I-I know you're probably angry at me for not visiting…no. You probably hate me for not visiting. You think I'm a bad person. A-and I am. I'm a bad person. I wanted to visit, but I got scared. And I don't know why. But I thought that…that if I visited you, something bad would happen, and I didn't want anything bad to happen."

She was crying.

"Sakura-san? I wasn't expecting you today." Her father said lightly as he opened his eyes and sat up in bed. "What are the tears for?"

Sakura looked up shakily to her dad, "B-because I let you down. I'm sorry."

"Sakura-san. You don't let me down. I am very proud of you. I know you work hard at school. Touya always tells me how busy you are."

"Not busy enough to have a reason to not visit." Sakura said quietly, looking ashamed of herself. "I didn't mean to do it. I'm sorry."

"I know you are, Sakura-san. It's ok. I forgive you."

"Really?"

"Really."

Sakura sniffled a bit and gave him a watery smile. But there was still a nervous and awkward tension in the air. Sakura didn't know what to say and her dad seem to either.


Tomoyo and Syaoran's ears were pressed firmly against the door.

Syaoran's mind was jumbled. Fuji was Sakura's…dad? But hadn't Fuji-san been hospitalized three years ago? But he was sure she had called him her dad…Was she living with just her mother and brother? Ok…well, now he felt REALLY guilty. For one thing, staying in the hospital must have cost her family a fortune. Her dad was always sick, and her mom was probably working all the time to earn the money for the bills.

"…Look here, our family's on a tight budget, and she works to help pay the bill. She refused to buy medicine when she was sick." Her brother's words rang in his head. He unconsciously gripped the door handle tightly as he made the connection.

Tomoyo's heart pounded. Sakura…She hadn't known about her father being hospitalized! How long had this gone on without her knowing…? She pressed her ear harder against the door, straining to hear more of the conversation. She knew it was eavesdropping, but she wanted, needed, to know.

Suddenly the door flew forward as she realized that Syaoran had twisted the handle enough for her weight to push it open. She fell into the room on her stomach as Syaoran tripped in after her with no more grace than she had.

"Li-kun! D-Daidouji-san?" Sakura asked, surprised by the interruption.

Syaoran expected her to get angry. After all, it was obvious that they had listened in on quite a personal conversation. But she didn't.

She gave them a pleasant smile and asked, "Li-kun, Daidouji-san, what are you two doing here?"

Tears fell down Tomoyo's face as she looked at Sakura's passive and accepting features. She was too forgiving. She wanted Sakura to hate her. Because of what she had done to her…without listening to Sakura's side of the story. She wanted Sakura to get angry or scream her about what a horrible friend she had been. She wanted her to yell and tell her that she would never forgive her. But inside her heart, Tomoyo knew Sakura wouldn't do that because she had always been like that. It made her sob even harder as she stood up meekly from the ground, her hands hanging lifelessly at her sides. She looked at Sakura as droplets fell from her pale porcelain cheeks. And suddenly, she burst into hysterics as she ran and hugged Sakura tightly.

"Sakura-chan, I-I'm sorry. I-" Tomoyo couldn't finish what she wanted to say as her body shook with sobs.

Sakura stiffened for a moment, not in contempt and loathing, but merely from surprise. As she realized what had happened, Sakura put her arms around Tomoyo's shaking shoulders and smiled, "It's ok, Tomoyo-chan. It's ok. I forgive you."

During this whole exchange, Syaoran looked at Sakura in awe. How could she forgive people so easily? How could she allow someone who had been so cruel to her, who played on her feelings, how could she forgive them?

It was a mystery to him.

And he smiled.

Because there was one thing he knew for sure. Only Sakura Kinomoto could be like that.


AN: Done! Finally! Please review! Pretty please with sugar on top?