Final chapter, then the epilogue.
The trip to England was not what they had expected. Sakura looked to Syaoran who looked utterly exhausted.
They were still waiting to hear back from Akiho and her attendant, Yuna. It had been three days since they'd come to an agreement-Syaoran would teach Akiho about running a business, as well as how to craft well, in exchange for their help to secure the safety of his clan. Since then, they had been staying at their hotel while waiting for news.
"Syaoran?" Sakura murmured.
He looked up and smiled. "What's up?"
"Are you really okay with this arrangement?" she asked.
Syaoran relaxed. "I admit I have mixed feelings about it, but it could be beneficial for us, too. We could create a good business partnership."
Sakura smiled, "Akiho seems really sweet. I'd like it if we could be friends."
Syaoran returned her smile. "Yes. Me too."
The sound of his phone ringing distracted them, and he answered it. It was Eriol. Sakura waited as Syaoran spoke with him, and then looked at him expectantly when he ended the call.
"The paperwork is all signed. If any more assassination attempts are made, they can lose absolutely everything as we have all the evidence we need to have them thrown in prison." Syaoran said.
Sakura let out a heavy sigh. "Oh, thank goodness."
"Miss Shinomoto wants to meet with us tomorrow." He added, "Are you up for it?"
Sakura nodded. "Of course."
"Great." He smiled.
…
Akiho greeted the couple cheerfully when they arrived the next afternoon. They sat in the lounge where fresh tea was already waiting for them.
"I wanted to thank you and apologise before you returned home." Akiho confessed. "I wanted to apologise on behalf of my clan for the dreadful actions that took place in the past, and to thank you for resolving this issue in a peaceful manner. It means a lot to me."
Syaoran and Sakura smiled. "Of course. It was the right thing to do."
She nodded agreement. "As it is the last day of the year, I look forward to starting the new year off on the right foot."
"We'd love that." Sakura said.
"When will the two of you be leaving?" Yuna asked.
"We leave tonight." Syaoran answered, "I'll give you my contact information, so we can organise an arrangement."
"If you don't mind, I'd like to wait for things to settle down first. My clan is still in a bit of disarray due to what's just happened, so I want to make sure they're okay first." Akiho said.
"That's fine. It gives us time to settle back into a normal routine again." Syaoran replied.
"You really care about your clan." Sakura smiled. "Syaoran cares about his family the same way."
Akiho smiled. "I know they might think of me as useless since I can't use magic like they can, but I'll still keep them safe in my own way-I'll still do what I can."
"I'm sure they'll see that." Sakura said, "I'm positive they will."
Akiho blushed. "Thank you."
"I hope your journey back to Japan is safe." Yuna added.
"Yes, we hope so too." Syaoran replied.
...
The flight home was peaceful, and both Syaoran and Sakura were relieved to be home. As soon as they got into their house, they both headed for bed, only to be woken by the sound of the doorbell going off.
Irritable, Sakura stood from bed and made her way down stairs, leaving Syaoran to rest. She opened the door wearing a very unimpressed expression, and her former boss smiled.
"My, aren't you excited to see me." He said.
"We only just got home from our flight. Couldn't this have waited?" Sakura snapped.
"No, not really." He shrugged. "May I come in?"
She rolled her eyes and stepped to the side, letting him through.
"Happy New Year." He said, and when she didn't answer, he added, "You're in an awfully bad mood. Did something happen while you were away?" he asked.
"No... Everything went great, actually." She murmured.
He watched her for a long moment. "Yet, you're still unhappy."
"Everything is just catching up to me. I was shot at my wedding, moved to a safe house on some island with no contact with my friends or family, my best friend was kidnapped..." she listed, "That's a lot to happen in the span of three months."
The smile dropped from his face and he looked thoughtfully at Sakura. "You're right. It is."
"Why are you here?" Sakura asked.
"Sakura?" Syaoran's voice distracted her and she looked over to meet the gaze of her husband. He still looked exhausted, just like she was.
"Sorry to disturb you." The man apologised to Syaoran.
"It's fine. Are you here about something important?" Syaoran replied as he reached Sakura's side.
"I'm here to congratulate you on your success, and to let you know that agents will still be watching out for you two until things have settled."
"And how long might that be?" Syaoran asked.
"Could be anywhere from a few weeks to several months." He answered. "That's not the only reason I'm here though."
Sakura frowned. "Care to elaborate?"
He sighed heavily. "There is nothing I can do to erase the past. We have robbed you of your family, and for that, I am to blame. I wouldn't hold it against you if you were to try and kill me."
Sakura stared at him blankly. Syaoran looked at her with worry.
"You can live with the guilt hanging over your head. Killing you serves no purpose." She said coldly. "It won't bring them back."
He didn't say anything, just nodded.
"I do have one question though." Sakura said. "Why did he leave me alive?"
He grimaced. "I'm sorry. Not even I know that-he never explained his real reasoning."
Sakura hated that she'd never know why she was spared, but it was just something she had to accept.
She sighed heavily. "Okay. Is that all?"
"Yes, I believe so." He said, "I'll be leaving now. Take care, you two."
Once he was gone, Sakura sat down with Syaoran on the couch. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, "Welcome home."
She smiled. "You too."
They sat there for a while in the quiet until Sakura broke the silence. "What do we do now?" Sakura asked, "It's over, isn't it?"
Syaoran sighed softly. "I think so-for now, anyway. I guess we just continue to move on with our lives."
Sakura nodded. There were still so many things that could happen-that could go wrong-but for now they had dealt with the main issue. Now, they could live peacefully together, running the family business. Sakura looked forward to that very much, as well as the possibility of their own family in the future.
When? Perhaps it would be soon, perhaps not. As Syaoran had said once before, it would happen when it happened. But for now, they would take it one step at a time.