The carriage was beautiful, but Eriol was completely distracted. Tomoyo watched him check his phone for the third time as they passed through an overlay of glittering, twinkle-lit trees.

"He'll be alright," Tomoyo tried to reassure, but Eriol's frown grew deeper.

"He wouldn't have left her. He was having a good time. You saw them, right? They were having such a good time…"

"Staring at your phone won't help," Tomoyo said patiently. "He'll call you if he needs you."

Releasing a breath, Eriol reluctantly put his phone in his front pocket and glanced at her. "I'm sorry I've been ignoring you."

'Don't be sorry. Li left without telling anyone. I would be worried."

"Miss Kinomoto basically did the same thing."

Tomoyo smiled. "They are two peas."

Eriol's worried look had yet to leave. "She's angry at him though."

"Oh, Sakura doesn't stay mad long. After a lifetime of knowing her, one thing I can count on is Sakura's optimism. She'll realize soon enough that Li didn't mean anything by it. She forgives to a fault."

His expression relaxed and Tomoyo felt a warmth in her stomach. Leaning close, she wrapped her arm around his and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Shame I missed that picture of him dipping her."

"We were so close, weren't we?" Eriol was beginning to smile now. "You did get a good one of them laughing though."

"See? You get it now. I have to take her picture."

"I'll admit it's pretty fun."

Tomoyo turned to him with a laugh before she was cut off by Eriol's lips pressing against hers. Her hand automatically reached for the back of his neck as his tongue opened her mouth. His glasses pressing uncomfortably into her cheek, she giggled against his lips and he backed away with a worried look.

"Here, let me help you." She smiled as she plucked his glasses off his face. Without them, he looked different - younger, and almost… roguish.

"I can see why she was interested in Li," Tomoyo stated simply. "That renegade look is quite a turn on."

"I look like a renegade?" he asked confused.

"No…" she reached up and tossed his thick dark hair in her fingers before he could figure out what was going on.

"Hey!" He shouted as he gently batted her hands away. She laughed loudly at his fruitless attempts to smooth it back down. Rising up, she gave him a quick kiss on the lips while his hands were busy straightening his messy locks. His fingers froze as she grinned into his surprised eyes.

"Now you do."

"Meiling!" Syaoran shouted as he haphazardly parked the car sideways in the street. Three police cars, red and blue lights dancing, were parked outside his house. His heart leaped in his throat. His cousin, wrapped in a thick blanket and sipping hot tea, glanced up as he ran towards her.

"Syaoran!" She dropped her cup, the blanket flying off her shoulders, and rushed into his arms. The pajama shorts and t-shirt she was wearing earlier were wrinkled, but she looked otherwise unhurt.

"Are you alright?"

Her entire body trembled against him and he pet the back of her head comfortingly. "Meiling, I'm so sorry."

"H-He tried to… tried to…"

"It's alright, Meiling, You don't have to tell me. You're not hurt, right?"

"N-No, I ran before he could grab me. The police have taken him away. Syaoran, he had-had been stalking the house. Waiting for you to leave tonight. He waited."

Eyes closing, trying to keep his anger in check, he hugged Meiling tightly.

"They need me to come in for a statement," she mumbled into his chest. "I… I don't want to go alone."

"I'll come with you. There's no way I'd leave you."

"B-but your date. You left your date, right?"

Syaoran's mind, within the span of a second, flashed back to all that had happened at the masquerade. Kinomoto smiling in his arms. The conversations. The laughter.

The closeness of her lips…

He hadn't told her he'd left.

She probably hated him.

"I'll come with you," he repeated firmly. "Family takes care of family, remember?"

Meiling's breath evened slightly at his declaration.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Sakura heard from Tomoyo the next day and she felt terrible.

Syaoran had called Eriol back a few hours later to say his cousin had been attacked. He'd had to go to the police with her for her statement. She had been terribly shaken, but, thankfully, unhurt. The man who'd attacked her was currently in jail and a restraining order was being written.

She had spent the entire Sunday planning what to say to him when she saw him. So, that Monday morning, she had a solid plan. She'd apologize. She'd ask him if he wanted to do something later. Coffee, tea, maybe even something stronger?

She just knew she had to see him again.

Entering the office early, she was surprised to see Mr. Tsukishiro already in. His desk behind the glass once looked like a barrier between her and her feelings. But now - from what had happened on Saturday, she was thankful for the glass. She was thankful she had minimal contact with him. Her fingers flexed where he'd grabbed her and pulled her off the stage.

Setting her purse down, she was surprised to see a folded note waiting for her on her keyboard. Picking up the paper, she was just about to open it when her office phone rang.

Mr. Tsukishiro.

"Yes, sir," she said, dropping the note back on her desk. Green eyes locking on silver, she watched him say: "Please come in here."

With a nod, Sakura felt a terrible nervous twist in her stomach as she put the phone back on the receiver and headed around her desk. Opening the glass door, he motioned her to come in and she closed the door behind her.

"I have some unfortunate news, but as you know, we are needing to cut back costs. It has been decided that you are to be let go effective immediately-"

"What?" she gasped, taking a step back and colliding with the door handle painfully. "What are you-?"

"-That being said, I need you to collect your things and go as soon as possible."

"But-But Mr. Tsukishiro! Why?"

He turned his chair away from her, his silver eyes clipping to the skyscrapers around their building. "I've already told you. Cut backs."

Her mouth, which she hadn't realized was open, closed with a snap and she backed away in shock. Opening the door, the burn in her eyes grew intense, but she pushed them away. Grabbing an old letter box underneath her desk, she packed her things in a state of blurred disbelief. Two years.

Two years of practically being his slave and this was all she got.

She emptied each drawer, reaching the one with the folded notes and tossing them blindly into the box. She grabbed her plant, her pictures, and, unknowingly, snatched up the unread note and threw it in with the others. Her desk was empty within the span of ten minutes. Her green eyes glanced up at her boss for only a few seconds – his black chair had turned away from her – and she picked up her purse, her box, and left.

Sorry I didn't post the right part! Oops. It's Monday.

Word Count: 1,291