AU PAIR

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Card Captor Sakura.

Chapter Twelve: When it Rains

Syaoran stared at the dark sky above, the clouds so thick you could disappear without a trace within them. A wind drafted around him, blowing east with a velocity that stung his cheeks and nose. They were the only exposed flesh, and the only skin that would make contact with the weather. They had two hours until the next wave of storm was going to hit. According to Major Yamazaki, the next wave was going to be a fierce one that might escalade past what satellites could pick up. Ignoring an itch in the back of his throat, he waved his comrade on, and walked slowly through the muck towards the rubble that was once a town. As requested, his team had separated to allow easy time to find survivors in the rundown villages. What they hadn't quite figured out were, where they were going to bring the survivors. In his mind, he couldn't imagine anyone living through the storm they saw on the screens in the briefing room. It looked bad, it sounded bad, and it just didn't seem likely; especially if the villages were uncivilized and unaware of such dangers lurking around them. According the Intelligence, no one spoke the same native language either, which meant they were going to have a field day if they found a survivor. Key word; if. The mud became difficult to track through as they got closer to their destination, making Syaoran stop a few times to get his boot unstuck from the center of the gooey mass. Only once did he hear through his ear piece a female voice, groaning as she too walked through the terrain. A smirk lifted on his lips, hidden beneath a dark bandana to keep the chill out. As unprofessional it was to complain, he didn't blame her for it.

Private Lea continued to groan through the ear piece, making him wonder if she was actually stuck in the depths of the mud. When Syaoran turned, he was shocked to see, not only was she stuck, but she was kneeling in the mud as she used her assault rifle to get her boots out from the terrain. He stared, until she looked up. If they were covering most of their faces up, he was sure he would see the crimson color of her cheeks beneath the red of the chill. Why didn't she state she was stuck? He wondered, using a new path to retreat for her. Unit 8, the alliances team, stopped their own tracks and watched as well. The two members from the group didn't bother helping, giving Syaoran the wrong impression immediately. They were even too far back, which made him wonder if they too were complaining about their mission of search and rescue. Shaking his head slightly, he grasped onto Lea's forearm, his hand going around her arm like a glove. He hadn't noticed before but the girl was far skinnier than most privates in the military. She was the female officer they had on his new team, and here she was, walking through the muck of mud and complaining not about being the substance keeping her intact to the ground, but about being stuck. Arching a brow, he heaved, yanking her free easily with a few tugs. If her face could get any redder than her shocking shade of hair, he would have been impressed. Nodding his welcome, they continued forward, finding a new path so as to not get stuck in the mud. It was going to be a long two hours, Syaoran though solemnly.

The long moment it took them to travel from the humvee to the village, he was sure they wouldn't have enough time to simply get back to the vehicle. Waving for Unit 8 to go in one direction, he and his own member Lea went in the other direction. She was far happier now than she was in the beginning, but they didn't keep her from mumbling her complaints in the ear piece. Head shaking, Syaoran used the end of his weapon to turn over a soak mass of building. Heat signals said there were survivors somewhere in the small village, either buried beneath buildings or hidden somewhere safe from the storm. Using his voice, he called out, wondering if these people at least knew what a voice sounded like if not the language. When nothing came back, he walked in a weird silence, boots squishing in the mud. Something about the way the village was torn down, empty and soaked like a waterfall had been dropped on it erred him. Deep in his gut, he felt unease. Private Lea walked ahead of him, searching intently for anything that showed someone was still alive there. The wind picked up, sending a new kind of chill through his body. Lea's shivers were visible as she leaped over a mass of farmer's tools, buried half in the mud and half out. It was then Syaoran realized what it was that bewildered him about the village. Their entire surroundings reminded him of a horror scene in a movie, with no one around but the people in search. The village was uncivilized, merely because it wasn't advanced with technology like the cities. The people who lived here still used the century-old tools and vehicles to get around; the mud he'd figured was from the rain was from the dirt paths that usually would have been cemented. With the buildings destroyed and soaked straight through the wood, Syaoran knew they were literally walking through a deserted horror movie.

"First officer Li, over here!" someone called, the echo carrying through the wind and through his ear piece. Syaoran turned, seeing one of Unit 8's men waving him from a distance. Turning only slightly, he made sure Lea was alright before he clomped through the mud and over the forgotten farmer's belongings. "There's a hidden cellar, but it's locked, we can't open it."

"Is this where the heat source is coming from?" he wondered, asking the question more to himself then to the man yanking on a wet piece of medal. Positioning his weapon so it hung on his back, he waved the soldier away, taking his position in front of the cellar. The rot iron grip was wet, making it slippery to grasp properly. Planting his boots so they dug into the mud securely, he leaned in and yanked. The large shoulder length cellar door groaned with his attempt but didn't move. Heart beating quickly, he tried again, feeling every muscle in his body contract. "If there are people down there, we need to get them out quickly."

"I've contacted headquarters to let them know we found something." Syaoran glanced at the approaching soldier, nodding his thanks.

"Private Lea we need your assistance!" he called then, using the mouth piece even as he shouted across the terrain. Lea lifted up from her crouch by a fallen object and stuck an arm out, hearing him loud and clear. Syaoran turned back to the two surrounding him, pointing at the mud his boots were stuck in. "Start digging, the cellar might be stuck because of this muck." They both nodded, their masks making it awkward as the both dropped to their knees in the mud. Yanking his left foot out first, he felt like some bizarre creature was grasped onto his shoe, keeping him down. With difficulty he was free, his foot falling to a new spot in the mud as he yanked his other boot out with the same amount of strain.

"Where do you suppose we're going to take them if there are people down below?" Private Lea asked voice calm as she approached the men. Syaoran shrugged his shoulder, staring in the distance at the two humvee's they came in. one vehicle alone could hold ten bodies at the most, but they didn't know just how many stood below us, if they're indeed survivors. They hadn't uncovered dead remains yet, which gave them a better percentile that the villagers were hidden.

"With us I imagine," he commented, getting down on his knees and digging through the mud. It took the four of them some time before they uncovered more of the cellar door, the mud now caking their uniforms and gloves like a second skin. Planting his feet once again, Syaoran began pulling at the door, putting all his strength into it. The door groaned from the effort, the wood planks creaking as they threatened to break from the strain set on it. Lea moved aside as he began to slip in the mud, watching with wide eyes as he managed to get the door lifted slightly. Immediately the two soldiers from Unit 8 dropped back to their knees, slipping through hands under the opening and pushing with their own strength.

The breeze picked up, whistling around the gaps of the cellar. Little by little the opening began to grow larger, revealing a dark depth of an underground hiding spot. Digging in her pockets, Lea brought out a flashlight and aimed it at the shadows. Absolute darkness returned her investigation, even as she got lower to the ground and shined the bright light in every direction. Shaking her head, she looked up at Syaoran with a look of confusion. With help from the other two, they got the door opened all the way, his body leaning far as he tried to keep from falling in the mud. Moving away from the opened cellar, he used his own flashlight and searched the darkness inside. The smell of decay and rain met his senses and he cringed, holding his breath. Lea called out for whoever might hear and they all waited silently for an answer. When none came, Syaoran got back to his feet. "I'm going down,"

"What…!? You're kidding right?" Lea seethed, teeth clattering as the wind picked up at that moment. Lifting her arm, she stared at the silver watch hidden beneath her sleeve then back at Syaoran as he prepared his descent downwards. "We have an hour to return back to the base and you want to investigate in an underground cellar, with no ladder, nonetheless?"

"Private Lea, if we return to base and find out that there were indeed people here, I would not forgive myself. The next wave is coming, if we don't hurry, we won't make it in time to get to safety." Eyes bugging out behind her goggles, she opened her mouth then closed it, placing the cloth over it to keep the cold from turning her lips an unruly color of blue. Her agitation obvious, she began her own preparations to help him out, making Syaoran grin. Red hair, short temper, just like any other red head in the world. He thought absently, accepting the help to tie a tight knot of rope around his waist then the other soldier's waist.

In moments, Unit 8 had a firm grip on the two SRT members, three ropes tying them together in case one let loose. Taking a deep breath, Syaoran shined the flashlight down, seeing the wall. If it wasn't a hiding spot, then it was something else entirely and he wanted to figure out what it was. The width of the cellar was enough to fit one body at a time and being the superior, he went first. Lea protested the entire time, making him laugh at her grumbles. A soldier was a soldier no matter how many complaints they had, she had the fighting spirit to protect and serve. It was obvious with her quick decision to help him investigate, and it was obvious with the way her complaints were mostly aimed at the lack of compassion males had to stupidity first whims. Blocking her out, Syaoran used the dark walls to descend down, feet walking slowly as he lowered himself bit by bit. Flashlight bouncing, he didn't take notice of the slip of mud or the rain drops that began to fall once again, all he noticed was the walk downwards was going to be a dark one.

As the two continued slowly downwards one after the other, the rain began to fall harder. The second wave of the storm was nearing, even if it was only an hour away. An hour, Syaoran thought, shining his light so he could determine the distance of the dark passage. Not seeing an end just yet, he continued, head angled awkwardly. He wasn't as stupid to continue downward if there was no end, but he wasn't going to chance them missing a survivor merely because the cellar was too dark to see.

"Shit," Lea swore at that moment, getting his attention completely. Looking up, he saw her light bounce as her rope loosened to quickly. The man on the other side was losing one of the ties, making her loose her footing. Holding ground, he waited until she was safe before continuing their descent. "Li, do you see an end?" she suddenly asked, quiet and shaky.

"Not yet,"

"You sure you want to go down there?"

"I'm sure, if you want to go back up…" he paused, seeing a wall beneath him. "Hold on!" he called up, body tensing as he braced himself steady. Shifting the light, he aimed it at the ground, searching. The darkness became suffocating as he searched, letting the light shine on every corner of the tunnel. It was when it landed on a figure did his insides do a flip. It was hidden further from his lights reach and moved only slightly when the light was visible, but there was indeed a survivor. "I found someone!" he shouted, tugging the rope and slowly continued down. The rope let loose beneath his grip, sending a jolt of shock.

"First officer Li…the rain!"

The night sky looked far darker then it needed to be, the sky a threat to humanity. Sakura sat in Chiharu's window seat, head resting against the freezing glass window. Her breath fogging up the small space around her face, disappearing quickly to only to be replaced by another huff of breath she made. Midnight had come around without warning, leaving the two girls useless and occupied as they entertained Lyri. The rain had ceased, but the storm continued on outside. The evacuation hadn't reached their location and for that she was thankful, not sure if she had the strength to move on. After putting Lyri to sleep on a makeshift bed in Chiharu's room, Sakura had lost all energy but couldn't find the sleep she needed. An airplane's lights blinked within the dark clouds hanging over the city, going in the direction of the ocean. Her restless mind watched the blinking red lights before it disappeared from sight. She didn't know how long she'd been curled up against the window, the borrowed blanket tucked under her bare feet and chin, was soft against her skin. Her forehead was numb by time she changed positions, letting her head lean against the wall instead. Without the rain, the outside world looked spooky. The grounds were flooded; streetlights illuminating only so much of the dark and abandoned streets blow her. She could make out cars left unattended by people who couldn't drive any further. Pretty soon, the Marines would be scattered everywhere, making sure everyone was safe and there were no injuries.

It was storms like these that made Sakura wish she didn't live so close to the Atlantic Ocean. As broke as she was, she couldn't' be picky about where she lived. Not only did her friends live here, but a new obligation to be Lyri's babysitter had placed her in a predicament where she didn't want to move away. Feeling a chill, she tightened her hold on the blanket, making sure none of her body was exposed. It was storms like these that she also wished she had someone to cuddle up with, to keep the chill from shaking her body. Just the thought made her blush, forehead finding new rest on her drawn up knees. She couldn't think about being with someone, not when new priorities were at large. No one would understand it if she tried explaining her new job kept her from having a social life, merely because the father to the little girl she was taking care of had an unpredictable schedule. No one would ever understand if she even added that her environmental obsession would also get in the way. She loved life too much, that she wanted to protect it as much as she could. Remembering her last date, she mentally cringed. He had only wanted to date her because her name reminded him of a flower. Obviously, he was also a player, using cheesy lines to get laid. Bringing her head up, Sakura stared out the window searching the dark sky. It was so quiet, that it was eerie. Just once, she wished she could find the answer to everything she'd ever thought of. Find something in the starless, moonless night for some sign that she was going down the right path.

The long moment she sat staring at one spot, the foggy window clouding her vision slowly, she didn't see anything. Disappoint was high as she turned away, adjusting her eyes to the dimly lit studio apartment Chiharu owned. Chiharu Miharu was a well known underground artist who lived below her own studio. The warehouse that'd been handed down to her from her parents had once been a warehouse for mechanics and car parts. The moment her parents had passed away, Chiharu had found out she had the warehouse, and immediately turned it into her own private studio and home. Not one of the many greatest goals the brunette had ever made, but her artwork sold well during the times she held a show. Sakura briefly wondered if her friend was going to have a show soon, and if it would be in terms of the new artwork Chiharu had recently locked herself in a room to do. The storm had apparently brought on an inspiration to the girl. As magnificent as the storm that forced many from their homes in the past twenty-four hours, it wasn't one to be amazed by. That was the difference between the two girls. Chiharu found the oddest ways to be amazed and get inspiration, while Sakura saw the truth behind each milieu issue, each flaw in the works of true hazards. Two opposites always collide, yet they were always best together.

A soft noise broke through her thoughts, catching her attention across the room. Lyri, dressed in a much too big shirt that almost reached the floor stood at the doorway of Chiharu's room. Hand rubbing her eyes, she looked around the room until she found Sakura across. Like a lost child she was running until Sakura leaned down, blanket falling off her arms. Her too light weight was easily lifted to sit on the window seat with her, her hair a messy mass on top her head as she leaned into Sakura like the toddler she was. The silence that enveloped the two was calm, Lyri's soft breathing keeping Sakura warm as she fixed her position on her lap. Wrapping the blanket around them both, she rested her chin on Lyri's head and sighed. The dark night gave them no justice, no scenery to stare at and admire. The moonless, starless night creeping by as the storm continued to rage on in the distance. If one were to look closely, face pressed against the cold window, you'd be able to see trees bending the wind that circulated. Even if it wasn't raining any longer, it was still a horrifying typhoon to a three year old child without parents to comfort her. Finding her voice, Sakura leaned to the side, aiming to see the child's face.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" she sounded far more sympathetic then she needed to be, her mind screaming as she waited for an answer.

Lyri shook her head, eyes casted down to stare at the blanket wrapped around them. "I woke up and my daddy wasn't there."

"That's because your daddy is far away, working to help people." She stated breath hot against Lyri's cheek as she gave her a quick peck. Lyri nodded, snuggling up close.

"Miss Sakura wasn't either," something squeezed Sakura tight, her heart giving a third beat faster then the second beat. Lyri had warmed up to her far more then she had thought, breaking her heart ever slightly. Hugging Lyri, the blanket falling away from their bodies to pool on her lap, Sakura found herself biting on her lower lip to keep from crying. Depression was a key factor in the mood she was currently in, but thinking about the storm and her current responsibility sitting there in her lap, she knew it was a different kind of emotion close to it. "My mommy doesn't tell me stories anymore," Lyri continued, like Sakura wasn't about to break down behind her. "Tell me a story Miss Sakura."

Her mother doesn't tell her stories anymore, she thought, blinking back tears. "What kind of story would you like to hear?" she asked awkwardly, chocking on a lump in her throat. Coughing, she fixed the blanket, letting Lyri lean against her in a comfortable position. If she was going to fall asleep right here, she didn't want her to fall off the window seat. Even her eyes finally felt heavy with sleep. The cold window cool against her exposed skin as she leaned against it further.

"Umm…I don't know,"

Sakura smiled, arms loosely wrapped around the child as she began a story from the top of her head. Whether it was appropriate or not, she didn't think it mattered as her voice carried through the quiet apartment. Lyri shifted once, finding a new position, her head lying in the crook of Sakura's arm. Telling the story dragged on and on, letting the words fall from her lips as she smoothed out the tangled mass of black hair. Hair that reminded her of silk, the smooth texture easily unknotting itself through her fingers as she continued to pet Lyri. Soon the child was sleeping again, her head lolling backwards against Sakura's chest. Letting her voice trail off, she rested her own head against the window and stared at the ever darkening sky with scorn. Here was a child, lost, confused, and loved by a stranger. A child that could easily speak her mind with words she knew not to form correctly, and could let her emotions show through them. As Sakura's eyes drifted closed, she knew the path she was going to take now. All it took was a storm to drive them together; almost like fate. That was how Chiharu found them a few hours later, fast asleep on the window seat, bodies curled up in a blanket that threatened to fall off if it weren't for Sakura's tight grip on the end of it. Smiling, she went to grab her camera, coming back and snapping a quick one. In her mind, it was picture perfect. In her mind, she saw two lost individuals banded together by something that would eventually gain.

Going through the cameras features, Chiharu soon found a weak WIFI signal and sent the image to their close knit friends. An image of Sakura, holding onto a child she just barely met. Titling the image "This is the most peace, I've seen Sakura in a long time" she sent it, watching the weak signal threaten to fade away. Smiling at the sent mark, she went to her room, exhausted herself. Tomorrow was going to be another long day.

The air that had been knocked out of Syaoran burned his lungs, the cold air far more freezing then the outside temperature. Opening his eyes he blinked in astonishment, seeing only white. Confusion crossed his mind, fingers rubbing the socket of his eyes. When his hands touched nothing, he was even more confused. The whiteness surrounding him continued to grow in light, coming at him with a rush of breeze. Where were his hands? Using what strength he could muster, he tried calling on a nerve to wiggle his fingers to no avail. Blinking, he turned his head, not moving. A wetness that was sticky to the senses, gathered around where he believed to be the back of his head. Once again he began to try his luck at wiggling his fingers, waiting for a tingling feeling that let him know he had his limbs still attached. He itched to find out what that weird liquid was coming from, and why everything was so white. It only got brighter as the time passed and it was starting to become a bother. Opening his mouth, no sound came out; not even a hint of his voice within his mind. The cold air that burned his lungs felt real, but he couldn't understand why he couldn't' feel anything else. Why couldn't he move his hands and investigate the weird feeling? A strange scent suddenly wafted up his nose, making him cough. Syaoran's vision, white and dotty, began to fade away with the smell. A stench so strong he automatically assumed it was some substance to wake the senses up. Bringing his eyes to the side, he caught sight of something that wasn't white. To his astonishment, it was moving. The closer it got, the more it grew in size. It wasn't getting closer, it was simply growing.

Syaoran, an unfamiliar voice called from somewhere else. Keeping his gaze on the growing mass of pink, he tried looking for the voice. A tingling feeling soared through his veins, tightening around his chest and head. Syaoran, the voice called again. The tightening feeling became intense, too much to bear. His body ached to grab at that feeling, to pull it off his chest and feel better. The tingling feeling only got worse as his thoughts did. Still unable to move his hands, he tried searching the whiteness of his surroundings and forgot immediately about the growing mass. It was turning colors, the mass. Syaoran, are you Syaoran? The strange question made his dark gaze turn again. The pinkness that filled his vision turned red; his throat catching as he tried to gasp out in shock. Who was calling him? Confusion gave way, letting him ignore the pain in his chest. His thoughts and emotions were working, yet he couldn't muster strength to use the sense to feel. He could see, but not touch. He could smell, but not feel. The bizarre realization brought about the feeling of suffocation, like something was pushing on him, constantly –over and over. He wanted it to stop. Closing his eyes in defeat, getting rid of the white surrounding that was no longer white, he gasped in sudden shock as the insides of his lids turned a bright red. Syaoran! That voice, he shot up in sudden recognition and shock. He knew that voice, but where had it come from? Dark brown eyes met with his own dark brown eyes and he blinked, seeing himself sitting before him, dressed in protocol military uniform muddy from head to toe, blood seeping from the side of his face and down his neck.

If one color could move, he saw it. The white surrounding rushing forward like clouds as he tried moving his hands. Little by little he managed it, his doppelganger doing the same. Bringing stiff fingers to his neck, he felt the wetness, but not feeling it. Tilting his head, he stared in confusion; Why was there a red stream flowing on him, but not himself? A pain so fierce he gasped, arms going around his chest as he cradled his heart. The pain came again, a jolt of shock coursing through his head down to his toes. Inch by inch the feeling of blood reached him. Bringing his head up, he saw his doppelganger disappear in a flash of light. Syaoran, wake up! The voice, so recognizable that he couldn't place whose it belonged to, broke through his thoughts. His head rang with his name calling, rang with the new rush of blood coursing fiercely through his body, burning him like ice to warm skin. Still cradling his body, trying to protect himself from the pain that throbbed considerably harsh, he strained to hear that voice. He wanted to remember whose voice it belonged to. All the white surrounding began to fade away, turning darker and clearer by the minute even as his twin faded to nothing. Syaoran, you need to wake up now. There, he turned, body going straight as he let the pain finish burning through him. Standing before him was the fading doppelganger, but the voice was coming from before him. Emotions high, he realized then he wasn't fading away but bringing about someone else. Someone he familiarized with. Helmet turned to brown hair, chocolate brown eyes turned to a rich green so startling, he reached forward. Syaoran it's time to wake up, she said, a smile plastered to her face. Syaoran brought up his arm, letting the throbbing pain find a new course. Head tilted, body fading, he tried to touch her face and failed.

Sakura…wait…"Sakura…!" he yelled, his voice coming through loudly. Ears ringing, he blinked, seeing only darkness. Blinking again, not sure if he saw correctly, a faint light caught his vision. Turning to it he saw flashlights all angled together to form one large light. Sitting against a wall was a soldier dressed down in a muddy uniform, head resting back as he watched with an expression that made Syaoran frown. "What…?"

"First Officer Li, are you okay?" that familiar voice he'd been hearing in his head spoke, his heart thrumming madly as he followed it. What he saw made him lose all sense. Private Lea sat too close, green eyes startling with sadness. Her bright red hair was out from her helmet, showing him the curly strands that had fallen from her hair tie.

"What happened?" he asked, finding his voice. Why did I think Sakura was here? He wondered, his mind squishing the thought immediately. Lea sat back, her cold hands touching his head gingerly.

"The rain came down hard, Corporal Marques and Private Mace lost their hold on us and I fell." She explained, feeling the base of his skull and moving on to another bone. "I'm sorry sir; you hit the wall with my weight and fell unconscious." He tried to nod but stopped, her hands holding him still as he brought one of the flashlights to his face. Blinking from the bright light he swiftly grasped what it was he was seeing while comatose. As Lea finished examining him she sat back, body curling up tight against herself. She studied him from the close distance, letting her green eyes crawl over him in the shadowy flashlight. "By my calculations you were out for twenty minutes, that's a concussion if I know my work. I went to medical school before I joined the army, when we get out of here you need to have someone look at your skull."

"When we…?" he paused looking around the dark cellar. "The second wave," sighing in defeat he let his body rest back against the cold wall. "Thank you Private Lea,"

"It's my job, sir." Biting on her lower lip she continued to study him, making him uneasy. "Can I ask you…who is Sakura?" when he said nothing for a long moment she turned away, finding somewhere else to look. "Sorry, I'm out of line."

"No," he abruptly said, eyes closing as he thought of his comatose dream. "I…while I was unconscious I heard a voice, it sounded like this woman I know. Sakura is watching over my daughter right now." A faint blush rose on his cheeks, making him glad the cellar was dark. The silence ticked by, leaving his last statement an awkward feeling in his gut. Opening his eyes, he looked around the dimly lit cellar. The stench he smelled while unconscious must have been it, the bright light from the flashlights, and the change of colors were most likely his subordinates hair. Everything fit perfectly within his mind, but not why he heard Sakura's voice. "Where's Corporal Marques?" he then asked, seeing only one of Unit 8's soldiers.

"He went back to the humvee, sir." Private Mace stated his voice hollow from lack of emotion. Body straightening as he leaned against the cellar's wall, he gave Syaoran a look of defiance, but it lacked the efficiency when he spoke. "We don't have communication signals down here, Marques wanted to make sure base knew we were down here. And sir…" he grabbed a flashlight, shining it to the small hole Syaoran had seen earlier that hour. Two pair of eyes blinked back in freight, two children cradled each other as they tried to shy away from the light. Mace brought the light back, replacing it to the small balance they created.

"They're the only ones down here?"

"They don't speak our language, but it appears they came down here to hide from the storm. The rest of the village is MIA." Lea's voice was soft as she spoke, her emotions showing through. Syaoran nodded, relief washing through him. At least they didn't fall in the cellar for nothing.

Back at base, Takashi Yamazaki stared blankly at the satellite picture, trying to decipher the storm that circulated in shades of red and orange. The different highlights surrounding their current location as the typhoon above escaladed to a dangerous octave. The other soldiers surrounding him were doing the same, with different parts of the storm. Together they were figuring out just had bad it was going to end. With the three teams out, no one knew the outcome or the percentage of casualties. Hopefully, there will be no casualties. It was all up the teams to get back safely in the two hours they had been warned. Such a short amount of time would be a stressful decision, even for the soldiers that weren't out on the field. Checking radar for any enemy personnel, Takashi changed the picture on his screen. Heat signals lit up brightly, revealing human bodies in the center. Brows knitting together, he tried getting the satellite image to change to no avail. Most storms came from nature, this storm was both nature-based and outer space based. The satellite hanging in the depths of outer space couldn't give him any more pictures due to that storm brewing outside the ozone. Swearing, he called in Cole, knowing she needed to know that there were more heat sources in one of the locations of the villages. Waiting on his superior, Takashi began writing the coordinates down and got up quickly. Checking his neighbors screen, he deciphered the colors without so much as a blink.

"Major Yamazaki, what is it?" a female voice spoke, breaking him from his mind as he wrote down coordinates on a small paper.

"Ma'am, I have received satellite images from coordinates 23N'78NW." showing her the image on his screen, he waited as she calculated her own answer. Eyes wide, Lieutenant Major Cole swore under her breath. "First Officer Li, Private Lea, Corporal Marques, and Private Mace haven't reported back yet. Coordinates 56S'23SE have no heat signals, I believe the rest of the separated teams are…" he went silent as a phone rang, getting Cole's attention. Body erect, she answered with a harsh 'what' surprising the room of soldiers.

The conversation was cut short as she hung up, immediately bringing the phone back to her ear as she dialed a number. "We have four civilians needed attention, get the medic up there." slamming the phone down she gave Yamazaki a look that made his blood run cold. "Find out where Marques went and what happened to Sergeant Li's team."

"Yes Ma'am!" a chorus of voices cried, Takashi in the middle of it all as he saluted. Cole disappeared before he put his arm down, confused by what just happened. Her anger had escaladed the emotion unsuitable for a high ranking officer. Sitting in his chair, Takashi let out a shaky breath, going beyond his limits to get the satellite to give him the answer he wanted.

…..

A glow from candlelight was far more interesting to stare at then the different art stuff strewn around them. The orange-yellow light gave off moving shadows as someone moved their hands, head, making Lyri laugh in excitement. The bed sheet, in which the candles flame, lit up with its strange glow, waved at the slightest touch. Sakura and Chiharu gave the three year old a shadow puppet show, using fingers and dolls created by the mess of paper. The storm raging outside had been forgotten as the afternoon continued on without a simple thought. Chiharu had gotten the idea to make their own dolls, simply because she had no toys for a little girl to play with. Sakura had gotten the idea to make a hut with everything she could find in Chiharu's home, in order to keep the sound of the storm at bay. It didn't matter much to Lyri; she was enjoying the time spent with the two older women. A rare chance to have considering most of her family was enlisted in the military. Currently telling the story "Three Bunny Foo-foos," Sakura used her fingers as the bunnies while Chiharu used paper made dolls as the creature that got in trouble and wouldn't listen to the fairy princess. Knees drawn up to her chest, Lyri watched with awe, her laughter a sweet tune as it became muffled in the entrapment made by sheets and blankets.

The two candles scents, rosemary and lavender began drifting up Sakura's nose, making her head begin to throb. Ignoring the feeling, she let the story continued, one eye on the laughing audience. She was glad Lyri was having such an amazing time; she was sure she didn't know what to do if she wasn't. As the third day watching her charge went by, her worries as a babysitter had become nil, leaving her only with a warm heart and better confidence. With help from Chiharu, they had even managed to get past the second day of the typhoon. One finger fell as Chiharu hit it rather roughly with her paper doll, glitter falling to the floor. It sparkled with the candle light, a few landing on the flame and turning a blue color. Lyri was intrigued by the science of color, eyes large as the other "bunnies" began to get hit on the head. The glitter that continued to fall glowed into oblivion. Once the story ended, Lyri's laughter was high pitched, her feet up in the air as she let it out. Shaking her head, Sakura grinned, amused by the girl herself. She had such an interesting personality; she wondered where it had come from.

"Sakura, I wonder if Lyrianna is ticklish, do you think she is?" Chiharu asked, making Lyri leap to her butt and scoot back quickly.

"You know what, I think she is." Sakura laughed, watching as Chiharu blew out the candles then began crawling into the depths of the blanket hut, following after Lyri until the toddler couldn't go any further.

"No, no, I'm not ticklish, no, no." she squealed, laughing as fingers found sensitive spots on her skin.

Legs crossed, Sakura watched in a mute fascination as the two began a tickle war. The art strewn on the floor moving as Chiharu's feet hit them every other second. Hearing a ringing noise, she turned, staring at the gray sheet next to her head. When it continued, her eyes squinted at it, wondering if she could see through the sheet instead of leaving the warmth of the hut. The moment it stopped, she was up off her butt and crawling through the small opening and half running across the room to her phone. It was such a foreign noise; she didn't think it was possible to be ringing at that moment. The two days it was not working, due to the storm, she forgotten all about it. Not noticing the two heads poking out from beneath the man-made hut behind her, she rummaged through the bag of clothing they'd bought in desperation. Her phone was like salvation even if she didn't need it at the moment. For some reason, her phone ringing brought about thoughts of Lyri's father returning. Anxiety soon took over, her stomach doing flip-flops around in her stomach as she began taking items out of the bag. Her phone wasn't in there, but she was sure it had been. "I think she's gone crazy," a whisper was said behind her, making her whip her head around, glaring at Chiharu. Lyri giggled, watching her babysitter with a mute stare. Ignoring the two, she glanced about the room hoping her phone would ring again. It was a call, not a message, so someone was trying to contact her in this storm.

Hands in fists, she placed them on either side of her hip, body straight as she tried to remember where it was she placed the phone in question. It was almost like a game of hide and seek only with her cell phone and not a human body. The ringing began again, muffled by an object she couldn't see. Straining her hearing she whirled around in a circle in hopes to pin pointing the location. Chiharu laughed, head resting against the carpet as she watched her friend make a fool of herself searching. The desperation written across her face wasn't as funny, but she knew sooner or later they'd have a talk about what was running through that head of hers. Sakura all but leaped over the couch, remembering what had happened to her phone. Foot catching on the coffee table, she landed on the back painfully, her body going over athletically with a thump to follow. Hands going for beneath the couch, she ignored the pain rising in her shoulder as she snatched the ringing device before it ended. Reliefs, anxiety, nausea, all of those feelings were not a great mixture for the way she felt staring at the screen at the unknown number calling. Pressing on, she brought it to her ear and gasped out a greeting before they hung up on her. static was the only thing that could be heard, static and a whistling noise that made her think of the storm just outside the walls safety.

"Sakura….Sakura are you there?" a female voice spoke loudly covered up by the noise. Brows arching, she tried to remember who the voice belonged to.

"Yeah I'm here, can you hear me?" she found herself asking, hoping they continued to talk until she figured out who was talking.

"Yes, I'm sorry….storm…hold on!" the voice spoke, a loud noise, almost like a boom made her cringe, pulling the phone away from her ear. Chiharu came out from beneath the hut, curious to the phone call as well. Getting to her feet, Sakura leaned awkwardly on the back of the couch as she waited. The noise continued on the other end, bringing her headache to a more fierce feeling between her eyes. "…Sakura where are you?" this time the voice was clearer, making her sigh in angst. Meilin sounded desperate on the other end and she wondered if it had anything to do with what was going on, on the other end of the connection.

"We had to evacuate so I took Lyri to my friends studio."

"Good…" more static, followed by thunder. Meilin was outside from the sound of the deafening roar of weather. Turning her head, she noticed the two coming over to her and decided to place the phone on speaker. The noise could be heard well through the loud speaker, the storm raging outside and in her phone. Lyri's large teal eyes grew to bug size as she stared at the cell. "I'm sorry for…but I…damnit!"

"What's going on?" Sakura asked, knowing Meilin wasn't just cutting out but she was distracted.

"I'm losing you…my boyfriend Kyle…glad you're safe." The two older women frowned at the half answer, confused by her words. With most of the wording missing, they couldn't figure out what it was Meilin was saying. "Marine's and Coast Guards are…people that didn't make it out, I'm glad you're…that entire area is flooded…tell Lyrianna I love…guys when this is over!"

"Bye…" the phone went died before she even said anything, the silence awkward. "Damn," she swore, quickly covering her mouth as she turned to face Lyri. The two girls were staring in shock; Chiharu understanding it far more then Lyri, but both had the same look on their faces. A sudden loss made her frozen in place, thinking of the words Meilin just spewed out. The entire area is flooded, I'm glad you're safe…repeated in her head over and over again. Sakura couldn't believe it; they could have stayed at Li's house and not make it. Her choice to leave as soon as possible was the correct one, but she did have a thought to hide within the walls of their home. They could have died.

"Who isn't in the military?" Chiharu asked, letting the child down as she laughed half-heartedly. Seeing Sakura's look she stopped from saying something inappropriate and sighed. "Sakura, don't think too much about it. You're here, not there, that's all that matters."

"I know," she forced a smile, not looking at her best friend. But what if we didn't?

…..

When it rains, it pours; when it pours, it's a downfall. Most people would say that the storm of a lifetime is someone crying out their anguish, influencing the water that falls from the thick clouds of mist. Once it stops, it stops, there's no more sign that a storm had even come from above. The only evidence to a storm is the destruction the high powered winds bring about, the lack of slopes letting the water raise up to five or eight feet in height, sometimes more than that. The only evidence to a storm is the dampness of housings and cars, the clogging of sewage and high-tides of oceans. When it rains, it pours; when it pours, it's a downfall for the entire earth. That's all that Syaoran could think about as he stared up at the gray sky, waiting for their rescue to commence. The hours they spent in the cellar had gone silently, with only a few conversations here and there. It felt like a life time before the storm finally came to a stop, the silence that fell in those minutes was like a birth to a new day. In that time, no one wanted to say a word as the cellar opened up to a team of specialists, dressed down in uniforms and rain coats. The smiling faces of his comrades had been far more refreshing to see then the gray sky of dispersing storm clouds. It was finally over, they could finally go home. Home, a place he wondered was still in tact after their half of the destruction. The only way to find out was to return to it, fully intact and prepared for the worse.

To be continued…

Phew, I got that out. Finals are coming next week, so I might take a short break but knowing me I'm determined to keep up my writing. That said who's excited about Sakura and Syaoran's connection already? I am! XD