SeiSei: Hello all! Thanks so much for your reviews; they mean so much to me! I'm so glad that you guys are interested and that you care about the characters. Now I hope to make this a nice long chapter—enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own CCS, but German (pronounced Herman) is actually my fencing coach!

Chapter 12

"Now, take six, and when I disengage, take six again and lunge."

Her arm was already so sore! Sakura bit her lip and continued her fencing lesson. After her kidnapping, her father insisted that she learn fencing in order to defend herself.

But haven't I already proven that I can take care of myself?

Not that she minded taking lessons with German, a very nice man from Spain (wherever that was), but, added to her duties to her house and her guests, it left her very little time to spend with her son.

Luckily, she managed a spectacular lie to cover up the time she went missing: many a suitor invited her for tea every day and while in private she refused all of them (well, not all…), her father believed her to be with them and was very proud to have a daughter so popular.

She thought of Touya her son, whom Touya her brother insisted on calling "Little T" so as to avoid confusion, his gurgling laugh, his eyes, which would soon change color. Yes, she resolved, she would go see him today.

"Thank you German, see you tomorrow!"

"Ah thank you Miss Sakura!"

His Japanese was thickly accented, but he was improving. Sakura rushed to her room and washed briefly. Pulling on a lovely pale yellow dress, she waited, barely containing her excitement as her maid put her shoes on at the door.

"Tell Father that I have gone to the Takashi's for tea!"

"Yes, Miss Sakura."

Sakura rushed off on foot—it would look suspicious if she went by coach when her suitors lived so near. She slipped down a little path and found, just where she'd left it in the tree trunk, her oldest, dirtiest, ugliest cloak. She slipped it on over her dress and pulled the hood up over her hair. No one would recognize her now.

She continued down the little path, the houses getting dingier as she went, their walls and windows neglected. She heard eerie music coming out from a window far ahead, an instrument she had never heard before. She continued on, faster now, she was almost to the open window—

"Syaoran?"

Sakura wished at once that she hadn't spoken and clamped a hand over her mouth. He was sitting in casual clothes on the window sill, playing a string instrument with a very long neck and a very round base.

"Sakura?"

He smiled devilishly and pushed back her hood. Sakura opened her mouth in protest but he only ruffled her hair and pinched her cheek. The nerve! She would give him a piece of her mind!

"What kind of instrument is that?" Oh nice Sakura, you really showed him.

"It's a sitar, I got it in India."

Syaoran grinned and played a scale. It gave her shivers. Maybe he mistook the reason for her shivering, or maybe he had been planning it all along, but he suddenly asked,

"Would like to come in for tea?"

"I—er—" No!

"Come on, you know you want to!"

No I don't! No I don't! No I don't! "Fine…"

Sakura blushed. Her mouth seemed to be acting of its own accord, completely independent of her brain. Fabulous.

His flat was quite small, but also very clean. They sat down on little poufs at a small wooden table. Syaoran poured her some tea, and Sakura, never taking her eyes off him, took a tentative sip.

"What? Why are you staring at me?"

"I—I was trying to make sure you weren't poisoning my tea!"

He looked hurt. Sakura didn't know why she said that. That wasn't why she was staring at him at all.

"Listen I know you are angry with me for leaving you with Meiling, but I couldn't let you—"

"—you couldn't let me decide for myself, because you refused to tell me anything—"

"—and for that I apologize, but I thought if I ignored my old life I could—"

"—Start over? So I'm part of your 'new life'? Is that it?"

Syaoran looked very annoyed, but gained his composure quickly. Sakura set her teeth, determined to interrupt him as often as possible.

"I'm sorry, alright? I was hoping—"

"—Where's Gatz? And the rest of the crew…?"

Now he looked truly irritated. Sakura didn't know why, but she was happy at his anger. She knew he was jealous.

"We parted on good terms."

The look in his eyes told her not to press further, and despite her desire to get a rise out of him, she backed off.

"Now," he leaned across the table until they were nose to nose. Sakura gazed back unflinchingly, although she was absolutely terrified.

"I know you must care for the father of your child, at least a little bit."

Sakura slapped him across the face.

"How dare you mention my son! What, did you think I would swoon into your arms and agree to marry you because you're the father?"

Now she was angry. She got up and made for the door, but Syaoran was too fast for her. He caught her hand and pulled her close to him. He held her as she shook with rage until she stopped struggling.

"Sakura…"

He cupped her cheek in his hand and looked in her eyes. She tried to make her expression stern, but could feel herself failing miserably.

"You can't tell me that none of those nights meant anything to you…"

He was playing dirty. Unbidden, memories of his caresses and moans surfaced and she couldn't help but feel longing for this warm body so close to hers. She stared up at him but didn't really see him as he stood there, she saw him from underneath him, from next to him, lying in the treacherous hammock with him on the ship. Although the sun was bright, she was sure she saw the room bathed in candle light.

"I can't deny it… But you must earn my trust back, Syaoran."

She whispered his name, and her lips remained parted as she looked up at him. Why was it so hard to breathe? Why was her heart pounding so as to break her ribs? Oh how traitorous the human body was…

"I hoped you would say that…"

He pressed his lips to hers, and she hungrily responded. She pressed her body to his, and he crushed her against him, but when he made to remove her cloak she stepped back, out of the circle of his arms.

It was suddenly day again, and she was in his little flat, not on board the ship. It was like waking from a dream.

"I cannot, Syaoran, I must go…"

She meant it to be more of a rejection than that. He merely nodded as she slipped out the door. She felt his eyes follow her through the window as she wound her way into a crowd around a vegetable stand and made for the slums.

Finally she arrived at Touya and Yukito's home, having taken the longest and most roundabout way possible to shake of whoever may have followed… Syaoran…

Stupid stupid girl! Don't let him play with you like that!

However, her frown disappeared when she saw Touya, holding "Little T" and laughing with him. The wet nurse sat knitting in the corner, and Yukito was cooking on a little stove against the back wall.

"Sakura! What a pleasant surprise!"

Yukito was always happy to see her. Sakura suspected he felt guilty over Touya's self-imposed exile from his family. He had done his best to make the two-room flat comfortable, but Sakura knew that Touya would be happy anywhere as long as he was with Yukito.

"He has your eyes, little sister!"

Sakura beamed proudly as Little Touya tried to grab her earring. His eyes were the same shape and brilliant green color as her own.

The next day Sakura got quite a shock as she received her daily guests, suitors and all, when the butler announced a name she had never heard before.

"Master Ryo Chang!"

Of course it was Syaoran who walked through the door. She wasn't stupid enough to think he wouldn't come after her. He looked suspiciously handsome and surprisingly well dressed. Sakura's eyes narrowed.

Introductions were made as she set about ordering midmorning tea and food for them all, frowning each time Syaoran spoke.

"So Chang, where are you from?"

"Oh, China, Miss Sakura. I believe I had the pleasure of meeting you at the ball."

He bent low over her hand and kissed it. Sakura felt goose bumps rise on her arm and knew he noticed. Why must every limb be so disloyal?

He sat next to her. Their thighs were almost touching, and Sakura felt a little shock every time he moved. The group chatted amiably, and Sakura turned to Syaoran and said, in a low voice,

"Where did you get those clothes?"

"Meiling had them… I can't believe they still fit."

"What, did you expect to gain weight while on the run from Eriol?"

She smirked at him, but it faded quickly as his eyes flew down to her waist and then up again.

"I'm surprised at you, actually. Most women put on some weight after childbirth, but," he raised his voice slightly, "You are so slender and beautiful, Miss Sakura, how do you do it?"

It was his turn to smirk as she blushed. However, Yamazaki Takashi came to her rescue, noticing that Syaoran was hogging her, and said for her,

"Oh, our Sakura is doing fencing. What a lovely way to exercise."

He beamed at her. Sakura watched with satisfaction as Syaoran's eyes narrowed. The word "our" implied that Syaoran was an outsider. Sakura wondered if he would rise to Takashi's bait, but he turned to her instead.

"Oh, what weapon?"

"Foil."

She said it with slight disappointment. Foil was not so exciting compared to sabre and epee, but her father had deemed it the only weapon befitting a lady.

"Oh you seem more the type for epee to me," Syaoran smiled evilly.

"A lady shouldn't fence such a brutal weapon."

Fujitaka had joined the circle, and smiled at Syaoran and Sakura. He then turned to Takashi and Syaoran whispered into Sakura's ear,

"It suits you—epees touch all over."

He exhaled and his warm breath against her ear sent a shiver down her spine. Oh how cruel he was! But she would not give in.

"Do you fence, Chang?"

"Oh yes, all weapons."

This question opened the door and Fujitaka began questioning Syaoran ruthlessly (though he didn't realize it was that way) about his background. Sakura smirked, satisfied, and began a conversation with Takashi about oil painting.

"Advance, double retreat, advance lunge, recover."

Sakura was practicing against the target in the fencing studio. She didn't have a lesson, but she needed to blow off some steam.

Syaoran came over almost everyday and was wooing her father, the last obstacle she hoped to place between them. She continued to practice, not caring that her arm was getting sore, plotting ways to make him look like a fool in front of her father and suitors.

"I could put sake in his tea…"

"Trust me, the combination is far from delicious."

Sakura's foil fell to the floor with a clatter. She felt warm breath on her neck as Syaoran spoke again.

"Would you like to fence me? Epee, not foil."

As much as she would have loved to fence epee, she was wary about being alone with him. What if he kissed her again? What would she do as her body fell easily to his advances, leaving her heart defenseless?

"Ok. One quick bout."

One bout turned into three or four. Epee was so fun! Granted, Syaoran was going easy on her, but still… she mastered the contra-attack, something totally against the rules in foil, in a matter of minutes!

She saluted him and sighed happily as she removed her mask. Fencing was so demanding. She looked at him and saw he was sweating too. Without thinking the two began removing their heavy jackets. Sakura looked him up and down and noticed that he was thinner than she remembered.

"I knew you'd like to touch me all over."

He grinned. Sakura blushed—he had noticed her looking! She quickly buried her face in a towel, but the damage was done. This was the opening he had been looking for.

"You're quite good for someone who just took up the sport."

"Thank you…"

"You are so beautiful when you're sweaty."

Sakura rolled her eyes playfully at him. She knew she was far from beautiful at that particular moment. The mask had frizzed her hair as usual, she noted, glancing at the far wall, which was covered by a mirror.

"I'm happy just to spend this time with you."

"I am happy too. But what will you do when you are ready to go home? My father thinks you are Ryo Chang."

Sakura saw hope and triumph blaze in his eyes, and realized that she had said "when" and not "if". He placed a warm hand on her shoulder.

"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."

His smile was so warm and genuine, Sakura's arms threw themselves around his neck of their own accord. She kissed him full on the mouth. She knew, she understood how much he had given up for her—his crew, his comfort, his happiness. When they broke apart, Syaoran, elated, spoke up at once.

"So when can I see our son?"

Sakura's smile faded, and a sudden chill passed over her, despite the stifling heat of the fencing studio. She had to keep her brother's secret, and what if Syaoran took their son and left? Sakura felt her heart would break if he did that…he had yet to tell her he loved her, and she would refuse to show him their son until he did.

I just can't tell him until he tells me first.

"Well, see you tomorrow!"

With a false grin plastered on her face, so hard that it hurt, Sakura left the studio, leaving Syaoran to ponder the mysteries of the feminine mind by himself.

SeiSei: So how did you guys like it? Sorry there was so much fencing in there—I'm at fencing camp right now! Please review and let me know what you think! You guys are the best!