Save Me

by Michiko-Sakura

He's a tough guy, heir to the prestigious Li family with secrets. She's a quiet, shy girl with dark secrets. He looks at girls but doesn't love. She vowed to never fall in love. But he fell for her. They cross paths and it changes them SxS

36. Save Me

SPECIAL MENTIONS AND THANKS TO:

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C2S: COMPLETLY AWESOME STORIES! ; SS and ET for eternity; Whirlpool of Emotions-Syaoran Dramatic CCS; D e s t i n e d: SakuraxSyaoran; Completed CCS Stories!

To those unnamed, who read this story or simply passed by, thank you too. I wish you left some thing, a review or a pm so that I could thank you properly. Anyway, thank you. You know who you are.

A/N: Gosh…the final chapter…after months of writing this fic…God, I never thought that this day would come…I was so happy to keep writing that I almost forgot that a story needed an end. Again…I got emotionally attached to the story I'm writing so…there. Anyway, when I started writing this, I never thought that it would be accepted the way it was. I never thought to get the feedback that I did. It was really awesome. I wasn't really serious when I started writing this fic. But as it went along, wow it was amazing! Thanks so much for reading up to the end! It wouldn't have been possible if you guys hadn't supported me. So I thank you from the bottom of my heart (alright I'm getting mushy…so I'll spare you and move on….) Let me present to you the final chapter of Save Me. I hope that you enjoy and review. Thanks.

Oh wait…before I forget…people were asking about the song from the previous chapter. It's not a real, real song. I made it up. Although, it is a song though not a recorded one…just something I did. Hehe. It might be a little lame but hehe I needed a song so there.

Michiko

Chapter 36 Save Me

Sakura entered her dark apartment. It seemed like forever since she was last back there. She turned on the lights and saw that everything was exactly how she had left them. She was rooted where she was standing by the doorway, unsure if she was doing the right thing. Her mind was racing with rationales at why she shouldn't be there. All the arguments from her brother, Tomoyo, and the others were weighing heavy inside her head. The only person who supported her decision to go back there was Shaoran. It surprised her at first but then came to realize that he understood her motives.

Shaoran stood there beside her, not saying anything. He was waiting for her to say something or move. He knew that she was having this inner battle that only she could solve.

"Shaoran," Sakura started. "Tell me that I'm being stupid."

"Huh? Why?"

"You're scaring me. Either you are not Shaoran or you have totally lost your mind. You're not usually this silent and so easy to go along with what I want. You usually are so stubborn and would jump at the opportunity to oppose me." Sakura answered.

She heard him chuckle. He held her chin and made her look at him. She saw a grin plastered on his face. "You are being you. Stupid, I don't think so. Stubborn, hell yeah. But I agree with you on this one. You can't live hiding. Your brother already told you to go on and live your life. I doubt that you could do that living under Tomoyo's roof." He then wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer, "Besides, when do you actually listen to what people tell you to do? I already told you. You can be so stubborn."

Sakura laughed making Shaoran ask her 'what?'. She simply answered back, "I'm relieved. I really thought that you had gone crazy or that I have to keep my senses up because it might not be you."

He held her tighter as he laughed with her. But soon, it died out and his expression grew serious. Sakura could see a burning question in his eyes. She had a feeling she knew what he was going to say. "There's something else you are not telling me…something that you want to say but you choose not to." It was a statement that Shaoran didn't know was dead on.

Sakura broke from his grasp and walked further into the apartment. She started making tea, not saying anything.

"Sakura," Shaoran said as he followed her.

Sakura would not turn to him. She was contemplating on what to say. Or how to say it. While the she started to boil the water, she took a calculated breath, hoping that it cleared her mind and brought her courage.

"I never told you guys…what exactly happened to me at the warehouse…you all just assumed to fill in the details…"

"Then are you going to tell me now?"

"I'm planning to but it's hard." Sakura replied as she turned back to him.

"You don't have to. Now I know how it sounds like. It doesn't sound like me but really you don't have to. I got the bottom line. Shinohara Yuiji was there and he almost killed you. Details don't matter that much because no matter how I will look at it, it all boils down to that truth." Shaoran said quickly, not giving her a chance to say anything or object.

"Fine." Sakura replied rather relieved. "But I promise I will tell you once this is all over. You will have to hear it anyway. I just need to sort things out. I don't understand some things myself."

"Fair enough." Shaoran answered.

Sakura was silent again. Shaoran looked at her, waiting patiently. He couldn't help but wonder what was going through her head. He knew that she was somehow contemplating on everything that had been happening and was trying to make sense of it but he wanted to know. It was frustrating him not to know. Although, he knew that he would be pushing her if he pressed her for answers. She would tell him when she was ready. She had already made that clear.

"So," Shaoran started. Sakura looked up to him. "You ready for the fashion show?" He grinned at her. He was trying to make the mood around them light and Sakura knew that.

"Don't remind me…" Sakura replied.

"What? It's not so bad, Sakura. In fact, I think you'll breeze right through it."

"I think you are a little biased upon saying that and you know it."

Shaoran smirked as he sat next to her and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Well you can't blame me for trying…not to mention telling the truth."

Sakura leaned against him, relishing his protective warmth. She wondered when she started to love being in his embrace. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh. "Well you're not the one who has to walk out there with high heels. Those shoes are killing me, having all those people staring at me, plus, having it recorded on tape isn't exactly going to help. I could even swear that you could kill someone with those shoes, me one of them."

She felt him laugh against her. Her own lips curved to a smile. She then felt him tighten his grip around her, holding her closer. "I honestly doubt that you are going to make a fool of yourself. She wouldn't have made you wear those shoes is she wasn't confident you can pull it off. Besides, even if you go barefoot, you will still be the most beautiful woman there."

"Now that is biased." She replied, looking back at him, still not moving away from his embrace. "You're two for two. Think of what you are going to say next or I'll just make Tomoyo put you in the line up too."

"You considering me as part of the fashion show…now that's something."

"Don't get carried away."

"Just admit it already. It's not like it's going to kill you, you know."

"I don't want to be responsible for that big head of yours. Besides, it's already so obvious. Don't act as if you don't notice."

"Jealous?"

"Hardly. I feel sorry for them actually. You don't seem to notice all their attempts at all."

"Well, you've got one thing right," He said, lifting her chin to meet her gaze. "I hardly notice any of it. Because-"

"You chose me…and I already occupy too much of your time by keeping me alive and making sure I'm not in trouble again. Yup. I've heard that before." She answered for him. There was no sarcasm in her voice even if she wanted to cover them with it. She closed her eyes and leaned against him.

Shaoran smirked and loved the way she had spoken the truth. He knew that she understood that he loved her. Hearing her say it…confirming it…it made his heart beat stronger. "Keeping you alive has become a full-time occupation but I really don't care. How about you, Sakura? Are you happy with me?"

Sakura looked up at him, quite surprised with the question. She could tell that even if his voice carried humor, his eyes were serious. "Are you seriously thinking that you don't make me happy?" She asked him.

"I always irritated you when we first met. Sure you trust me now with your life but it's not exactly synonymous to happiness."

Sakura closed her eyes and composed herself. She then opened them and held Shaoran's face with both of her hands. She made him face her fully before smiling. "If you want the truth…I will tell you. I was never irritated at you. I was afraid, Shaoran. I was afraid to get to know you…to be close to you…to anyone because of my past. I pushed you away…I tried to avoid you as much as I could not because I hated you or anything like that…I was so afraid to have things turn out great and suddenly ripped away from me. I'm not as strong as you give me credit for."

She held his gaze to hers. It was time that she showed him her true feelings…her true self. "As much as you chose me, I chose you, Shaoran. I choose to be with you. Is it still so unclear to you?"

Shaoran grinned. "No. I just wanted to hear it from you."

"You-you-you're such a- don't scare me like that. You should know by now that I'm not really good when it comes to this sort of things." Sakura replied as she turned away slightly to hide a blush.

He lifted her chin with a finger, guiding her gently to look back him. "Lovely," was all he said before capturing her lips. Somehow they felt something change inside of them. It had felt as if nothing could ever make them feel loved more than they were feeling. Somehow they felt that now…there was no holding back. All their feelings for each other were laid out in the open for the other.

Maybe that was why the others had agreed to let Sakura go back to the apartment. Maybe that was why, after so much arguing, they finally relented knowing that Shaoran was going to take her and he would not be leaving her side if he could help it. They had seen something in both of them…the bond that had formed between the two of them that made them at ease…made them believe that no matter what happened next, both of them…all of them were going to make it. It was the hope that solidified their faith in each other. If they had been going through things like what they experienced for a year in secret…without revealing anything to them…then anything was possible.

XxXxXx

Touya sat there, not able to move at first. Hearing the entire story from Xiao Fang…it left him utterly motionless. He knew that there were so much that went on when he was still in a coma but now…understanding everything…he wasn't prepared for what he heard. The reality was heavier and deeper than he originally thought it was. His mouth opened to speak but no words came out. With so much going through his mind, he failed to articulate any of it. A part of him didn't want to believe but what more could he need to be convinced? All the evidence, more than he could ever hope for, were laid out in front of him.

It was going to take awhile to crack all the codes and double meanings Tenaka made to make sure that the truth was protected. But even without those yet, there were already daunting things that could not overturn what they already know…the staggering bits of information made the entire picture clearer and scarier than it was first believed to be.

Xiao Fang watched the young man in front of him. He understood the impact of it. He had just recovered from a coma. He had still a lot of recovering to do. Telling him the entire truth was unavoidable but Xiao Fang wished it was simpler to swallow. He remained silent, waiting patiently for Touya to initiate something.

As much as he wanted to give Touya time, Xiao Fang's phone began to ring. He excused himself and got the call. Touya could see Xiao Fang's features turn from open to hard. He waited in silence for the phone call to end. When Xiao Fang ended the call, he didn't speak.

"You should go, Li-san. You must not stop living your life or neglect your responsibilities because of what is happening to me and my sister. I know this concerns your son too but it seems that you have other things to deal with." Touya offered. He knew that a man like Xiao Fang had more than his fair share of troubles.

Xiao Fang seemed to weight things for a while. "I will need to leave town for awhile. I will leave a body guard for you to be sure. I will be back soon. I will need to fix things first." He said as he stood and headed to the door.

"Shouldn't you be telling your son that?"

Xiao Fang stopped in his tracts. He knew that Touya was right. "I didn't mean to step over boundaries, Li-san, but I believe your son should have heard that instead of me."

"Shaoran understands."

"If I may…" Touya started as he angled his wheelchair to face Xiao Fang. The older man still had his back against him. "You should not blame yourself for what happened to Tenaka-san. You should not feel burdened to take over watching over me and Sakura for Tenaka-san and our parents."

Touya noticed Xiao Fang clench his fist. He knew that he was stepping over some boundaries but it was a necessary risk he had to take. Touya only knew the side that concerned him and Sakura. He didn't know the real extent of the problem inside the Li family. He knew that his sister was mixed up in it. Touya knew that he wouldn't be able to do much about that so he needed Xiao Fang to be on his right senses to be able to help. If he continued to be the way he was, he wouldn't be helping anyone, especially Shaoran.

It seemed Xiao Fang noticed that. He gave a sad smile. "Wisdom runs deep it seems," He commented turning slightly towards Touya. "Alright. I will leave and fix things. I will be back in few days. Watch yourselves."

Touya nodded and decided to go back to what he was doing. He would need to spend so much time and effort in trying to decrypt what Tenaka had left him with. He knew that it was better if he be the one to do it. Sakura had already way over her head. It was the least he could do.

He had transferred most of the files into a laptop that Xiao Fang had given him. It somehow made things easier to classify and organize but it still needed a lot of work. Looking at all the files, he wasn't sure where he should start. Everything seemed to be of equal importance. Sighing, he resigned himself to let the chips fall where it may. He didn't think of which one was better to start with. He knew he had to start so he resigned himself to simply start.

XxXxXx

"You seem awfully quiet. What's on your mind?" Chiharu commented, noticing her boyfriend's mood. Yamazaki's mind seemed to be far from reality. It seemed that he was deep in thought.

Once he heard Chiharu's voice, it was enough to bring him back. "Huh? What did you say?" He said.

Chiharu let out an exasperated breath. "You're impossible, you know that." She replied, standing up.

Slightly horrified, Yamazaki quickly stood and wrapped his arms around Chiharu's waist. "Come on. Won't you tell me what's bothering you?" He cooed in her ear.

Chiharu replied, slightly annoyed, "Won't you tell me what's bothering you?"

Yamazaki let out a stifled laugh. He held on to her tighter. "Promise I won't get into trouble if I told you?"

"As long as you are not lying," She answered. "You know I can always tell when you are not telling me the truth." She quickly added.

"Alright. Hypothetically speaking then,"

Chiharu only nodded in response to let him know that she was following what he was saying. "Let's say there is this guy who wants to ask this girl to marry him but something always comes up and he puts off the proposal in favor of handling the current situation. The girl loves him, obviously. But it seems that she misses his subtle cues on trying to ask her to marry him. What's your take on that?"

Chiharu thought for a minute. She looked at Yamazaki, initially thinking that he was pulling a fast one on her. She had never heard him talk about something like that. He was always talked differently when it came to her but it never geared towards the topic of 'marriage'.

"Well," She began. "I think he should ask her already, no matter what the circumstance. I mean, what if things don't always turn out the way he planned it? I don't think things will ever turn out like what we plan it to be so my take on it…he should really ask her already, especially since she doesn't notice his subtle cues."

Yamazaki nodded, seemingly thinking about Chiharu's answer. "Why the sudden thought? Don't tell me that you and your friends have graduated on thinking about those kind of stuff." She said.

"Does it matter?"

"I'm just curious. So will you answer my question?"

"Yes."

"Yes, what? Yes you will answer my question or yes because you and your friends are really thinking about that?"

Yamazaki grinned at her and answered, "Yes. Yes I will answer your question and yes, my friends and I are thinking about that kind of stuff."

"Ok? So who's planning on proposing?" Chiharu asked then went wide eyed. "Don't tell me Shaoran's planning on asking Sakura to marry him?"

Yamazaki grinned again and let her go. He then knelt in front of her. Chiharu was confused for a split second and blushed once she realized what it meant. Words failed her.

"T-tell me this is one of your 'not-so-funny' jokes." She said, chocking on her words. But she heard none of that from Yamazaki. He was looking at her intensely and only grinned when she made the statement. He held onto her hand gently but with much confidence, almost afraid to let her go.

"Come on, Takashi, this is so not funny. Get up already, I might just forgive you." Chiharu urged, trying to pull him up but he would not budge. She could feel goosebumps run through her body. She had dreamt for that moment but she found herself scared…not because of commitment issues…but she was afraid that it might not be true. She could feel blood rush through her cheeks at the prospect of what was happening.

"Who said anything about joking?" He replied.

Chiharu's eyes widened upon hearing those words. She felt herself stiffen with shock and she knew that he felt her reaction too as his grin widened.

"Chiharu," He started, his voice was gentle, the most serious tone Chiharu had heard him use. "You know I love you, right?" She was almost immobilized to answer but somehow she managed to nod. "Well, I've been thinking about it and as much as I want to- we are both not ready for this right now." He said and started laughing before getting up.

Chiharu's face flushed. She was angry, hurt, disappointed, everything. She couldn't imagine how Yamazaki could joke about something as special as that. "Oh I'm going to kill you!" She said. She wanted to slap him but then thought against it. She turned around and started to walk away. She felt physically ill. How could he have the nerve to trick her like that? How could he make that into a joke? Her heart wanted to scream.

As she was about to walk away, not wanting him to see her unshed tears, she felt his strong arms around her waist, not letting her go anywhere. "Hold on a second." He whispered tenderly in her ear. She opted to say nothing. It was still too painful.

Yamazaki fished something in his pocket and took Chiharu's hand. She wanted to fight back but she was too weak, still not fully recovered from the hurt. Her eyes flew wide open when she saw that he had placed a ring over her finger. She then heard him whisper, "Will you marry me right now, Chiharu?"

"A-are you-?"

"No. I'm dead serious. I almost died…I almost lost you. I won't make the same mistake. We can live, keep it a secret if you want but I don't think I will be able to go on without saying my vows to you." Yamazaki answered, finally turning her to face him. He looked straight into her eyes and continued, "You know how dangerous it is…what we are going to face. We might be going against hell itself. You know I cannot leave my best friend alone to fight but you also know that I cannot leave you behind. Will you do this? Will you accept me?"

"What are you planning to do, Takashi?"

He could only smirk. But the question was still burning in his eyes and Chiharu could tell. "Yes," She answered, her voice almost faltered. "I will marry you tonight. We are both eighteen so I don't see any problem. But please tell me what you and Shaoran are planning."

Yamazaki smiled and enveloped her in his arms. His heart contained so much happiness that he wasn't sure if he would be able to contain it. "Let's not talk about that just yet. I will tell you after I've made sure we are bound together."

He broke off from her and cupped her cheeks. Chiharu smiled warmly as a single tear rolled down her cheek. Yamazaki wiped it away and kissed her, almost like it would be the last kiss he would be able to give. Both of them married…a simple ceremony that bound them forever…no friends or family…only the two of them and a pastor to bless their union. They decided to keep it secret, to make sure that the risks would be kept to a minimum. Yamazaki knew that if the enemy knew that he and Chiharu were married, they would not hesitate to take her, play her as a trump card. He would never let that happen.

A secret marriage appealed to him, keeping him motivated. It kept him focused. It kept him determined because he had someone very important to him to come back to. They were going to graduate in a few months and then there was college. They had their whole lives ahead of them and he wasn't going to miss any of it. But being Yamazaki, he could easily get paranoid and foreboding that he wanted to be sure that she wasn't going to lose him. He made sure of that. He was hers and she was his. That was all that mattered. Now, he could focus on helping Shaoran. It was going to be dangerous but hell, he was prepared to fight.

XxXxXx

"So, what's the plan?" Yuta said as he sat down. Shaoran had called a meeting while Sakura and the others were doing rehearsals.

Ryota and Yamazaki were already there too, waiting for Shaoran to answer. Shaoran turned towards them and sat at the table. He then said, "We need to move before the fashion show. Our deadline is that event. This thing is going to be big, media coverage since it will be a Daidouji Fashions promotion plus well known figures in the European fashion industry are going to be there."

"Like I said, what's the plan? This is going to be fun." Yuta replied.

"Figured you would say that," Yamazaki said. Their group was known to never back out from a challenge and this game of life and death where one of them was in trouble wasn't one they planned to turn their backs to. "We start with Shinohara Yuiji. It seems that he went missing after the incident a few days back."

"We're going to look for him then?" Ryota asked.

"No," Shaoran answered. "We are going to weed him out. There's a lead I happen to stumble upon and we are going in to verify that. This is very sensitive because as it turns out, he has some inside information at the department."

"So, you're saying that gathering police aid is out of the question," Yuta said. "Sounds more interesting." He added and smirked.

"Sakura's brother is currently deciphering evidence Tenaka-san left. He still has a long way to go and well, he doesn't want anyone to help him." Shaoran said.

"Stubborn, huh?" Yamazaki commented.

"Yeah. I'm not really that surprised." Shaoran answered.

"Anyway, so he knows about this?" Ryota asked.

"No. Sakura doesn't know either. Those two have been threatened all their lives. If they get involved in what we are planning now, it might put their lives in greater jeopardy."

"So let me get this straight," Ryota said, cutting Shaoran's explanation. "We are going to take down that son of a bitch before the fashion show?"

"Yes and no." Yamazaki answered, which left Yuta and Ryota confused.

"Yes, we will be taking him down by gathering fresh evidence rather than waiting for Touya to finish. But I wouldn't mind taking him down physically. It's been long overdue." Shaoran answered.

"And no, we do it tomorrow when the girls will be busy with the final prep for the show. It will keep them occupied for a day. So our limit is one day." Yamazaki said.

Ryota and Yuta both seemed stunned. That soon? They weren't expecting that. But after the initial shock sank in, both grinned and said, "Count me in."

XxXxXx

After the rehearsals, Sakura sat in a chair at a quiet corner and removed her shoes. She wasn't used to walking in three inched high heels. It almost took all her concentration to keep herself from falling. Tomoyo was still out there somewhere, making sure that other parts of the show were all ironed out. Having her part over, she opted a quiet corner for once.

Chiharu had already left to catch up with her work so Sakura was left there at their designated area alone. Sakura didn't mind. She welcomed it actually. It was different from the monotony of being afraid all the time. But it was something that she would never admit out aloud.

She decided to change back into her clothes so that she could wear flip flops on her way home. She wanted to give her feet as much break as possible. She really couldn't imagine how some women could wear those kinds of shoes for a living. It was hard enough to balance. And the stress to her toes, she finally understood what she had been hearing people say, beauty is pain. Oh well, since she was into this, might as well suck it up and quit complaining. It won't be all the time that she would be made to wear them. It was only for one go, one walk because it went well with the clothes.

Thinking about the clothes, Tomoyo really out did herself this time. The collection was exquisite. It wasn't like anything she had done before. Sakura couldn't help but smile at her best friend's talent. She always knew that Tomoyo would be going places with that talent of hers. It was really, really nice seeing her shine in her element. It took a long time and now she was getting there.

Sakura stood in front of the mirror again, fixing her hair up into a pony tail. Her phone then started to ring. She checked it and saw the caller ID. She couldn't help but smile. It had been months since she was able to have a decent talk with her other best friend.

"Hey Eriol," She greeted. "It's good to hear from you again."

"Yeah well Tomoyo called and told me everything that had happened. I'm sorry I only called now. Are you ok?"

Sakura couldn't help but smile. She felt nostalgic all of a sudden. "Yeah, it's fine Eriol, thank you. Honestly, I'm still coping with the new situation but I'm not really complaining. I'm feeling nostalgic at the moment. I really miss you. I miss talking with you and everything. How are you? How is everything back there in England?"

She heard his warm chuckle on the phone. "Who said anything about being in England?" He replied. Sakura's eyes flew wide open once the meaning of the words sank in. "Turn around." She heard him say. Slowly, Sakura turned around and saw him standing there, smiling his warm smile at her.

"Oh my God…" She barely whispered as she quickly stood and ran to hug Eriol. She felt tears welling up and threatening to spill.

Eriol stroked her back like he used to back in England. "Shh…It's nice to see you too, Sakura."

Sakura eventually had it in her to break off, finally convinced that she wasn't dreaming. She looked at him as he handed her a handkerchief. She took it gratefully. "How did you…when did you…God! Eriol, I missed you so much!"

He laughed again and said, "I'm only here for a few days. I can't get away from school for too long. My Father will kill me. But I came as soon as I learned what had happened. Nothing will keep my away knowing that my best friend needs me. I'm real so don't cry, ok?"

Sakura couldn't help but laugh. She gave Eriol another tight hug before replying, "I'm guessing Tomoyo is in this too. Anyway, even if it's only for a few days, I'm so glad you came. Although it's a pretty dangerous time to come."

"So what? You are in danger do you think I mind being part of it knowing that my best friend's life hangs in the balance? I think not."

"I had a feeling you would say that. That's why I didn't tell you everything a year back."

"I know. You wanted me to be safe. I get that." Eriol replied as Sakura looked away a little. He lifted her chin gently and made her look at him. He smiled at her and said in English, "I am here, Sakura. Don't ever forget that. As much as I know you want me to always be safe, it is what I want for you too, you know. It's time that I somehow help make sure that you are alright before I leave again."

"It's not that easy, Eriol."

"Nothing like this is easy. Hey, that is what best friends are for…being with you through your most trying moments. Now, enough about that. Tell me everything. I saw you during rehearsals, not that I doubted why Tomoyo chose you. For the record, you are a natural up there." He saw her blush at his comment. She still haven't changed in that department. "She also tells me that you now have a boy friend."

"I will introduce you, don't worry. He knows about you, my best friend across the globe."

"Well I'm not across the globe now. Will he be coming for you now?"

"Not really. Come on, even if he's my boy friend, he also has his own life to live. I don't expect him to be at my side 24-7. But I promise that I will introduce you. Where will you be staying, by the way?"

"At a hotel. I have another surprise for you. Remember when Tomoyo said something about a modeling contract?"

Sakura was stunned. Eriol could see it in her face. He knew that she could follow what he was saying. He knew that she understood what he was really telling her. "Don't tell me…you…"

Eriol grinned. "Well, I played my cards right, Sakura. I work for this company back in England who scouts for models. Like I said, I played my cards right and now I am here. I'm not just saying this as your best friend but potentially, your manager. I was looking for a way…an excuse to come here to Japan and now that I have one, well, I'm glad I played this card."

"God, my two best friends are in this…I should have known…"

Eriol couldn't help but laugh. He placed an arm around her shoulder and said, "You should know that we always have your back, Sakura."

"Yeah I know. Wait, does Tomoyo know you are here?"

"Of course. I told you I saw the rehearsal. She was the one who told me about it so I came earlier before the actual show. Plus, she told me where to find you."

Sakura could only smile broadly. She loved these people and would give anything in the world for them to be safe. She was so thankful that they were there in her life now.

XxXxXx

"Hey, Tomoyo," Shaoran said.

Tomoyo looked up to him from what she was doing. It was lunch break and also the day before the fashion show. She was making sure that everything was fine and that any problem was foreseen and anticipated. When she heard Shaoran call to her, she wondered why. He knew as well as she did that Sakura was with Eriol. He was treating her to lunch.

"What's up, Shaoran?" She asked.

"Listen, I won't be around for a couple of hours. Sakura already knows but I'm just making sure that it's covered." He started. "Listen, I need you to invite her to sleep over tonight. I don't want her to be alone in case something happens. Don't ask why because right now I can't tell you. Just do this for me. You can make up whatever reason you want as long as you don't tell her I asked you."

Tomoyo contemplated on what he was asking her. Something was up and she didn't need him to tell it to her up front. "Alright. Be careful. Remember what I made you promise. Don't get yourself in too much danger. It will hurt her. And if you hurt her, I will hurt you more."

Shaoran smirked and replied, "I don't plan on leaving her side any time soon. Besides, I won't miss the show."

Tomoyo nodded and watched him go. She wondered what his plan really was. She knew him well enough that it had something to do with the predicament they were in. She also knew him well enough that he was not one to back out from danger if it meant saving Sakura. She let out an exasperated breath. She watched as the boy she once knew and didn't trust turn into a man whom she trusted…whom she knew would be the only one capable of saving her best friend. Good luck, Shaoran. Be safe and come back to Sakura. It was the only thing she could say.

XxXxXx

As they watched Eriol's flight fly away, taking him back to England and with Tomoyo gone on ahead, Sakura opted to open a conversation that was long over due. She had waited for the right moment to open it. "So," She said. She was still looking at the disappearing airplane, not looking at Shaoran. "Are you planning to tell me what you and the guys did the day before the fashion show? Don't even think of lying. I know you guys did something. I just didn't say anything and went along with it."

"There is nothing to tell, Sakura. Trust me. If there was, I would have told you already."

"Then where did you go?" She asked.

"The guys and I took off to see if we could take care of any 'loose' ends but when we got there, every thing was clean. No evidence, no nothing."

"You went after Shinohara Yuiji." It wasn't a question but rather a statement.

Shaoran took her hand as they headed outside towards his car. "Yeah. But like I said, when we got there, there was nothing. We tried to look for any evidence that we could use or clues to where he disappeared to but we found nothing. We were even expecting to have to fight some of his men but there was nothing. It is as if he never existed, not that I am complaining but I would rather know where the hell he is."

Sakura let out an exasperated breath. It was like she hadn't expected that. A part of her wanted to be surprised too that they found nothing but based on her experience, it was never easy tracking the whereabouts of Shinohara Yuiji. The man was just a master at being elusive of the law that he even was able to conceal his identity for years, never once being suspected that he was responsible for the threats her family was getting.

"Shaoran," Sakura said once they were in the car, driving out of the airport area. "Trust me on this one. He's not someone easily apprehended. I mean, it took years to even determine that he is the one responsible for the threats my parents had been getting. If you had a lead about him and then you saw nothing, don't be surprised."

He seemed to reflect on what she had told him. It made sense. She was right. But his stubborn side was kicking in. He wanted to be sure that he was no longer capable of hurting her. He wanted to be absolutely sure that he would no longer be able to manipulate things that would even come close to Sakura.

"Don't be frustrated either." Sakura commented, as if reading what he was thinking. "We still have to watch our backs with regards to that step mother of yours. She can be so resilient, can't she?" Adding the last part sarcastically.

Shaoran couldn't help but smirk. "Yeah well one thing is for certain though," He replied as he turned a corner, bringing them back to Tomoeda city proper. "She no longer has the power or the resources to even try to hurt you. So don't worry about it. I've already dealt with that."

Sakura was silent. She knew that Shaoran had the power over her but she wasn't sure what he did that made sure that she could no longer do the things she was doing. Kaoru made an impression that screamed "I don't give up until you are dead" sort of thing.

Shaoran glanced at Sakura slightly then turning back on the road. "What are you thinking?" He asked.

"There are other ways in making other people miserable, even without the use of resources. You should know that. But I'd rather not think about that. If you don't mind, Kumiko is a big headache in itself. I don't want to start adding Kaoru in the picture. If you say that you've dealt with her, I'm going with you on that one."

"It should feel lighter, doesn't it? Instead, it feels like we are still in limbo."

"You've got that right." Sakura replied flatly.

There was silence between the two of them. It was a comfortable silence. Neither wanted to talk about their problems so it was really a welcome break.

Shaoran allowed his thoughts to drift back to the fashion show. It was an amazing, well organized event. He had to commend Tomoyo for that. She out did herself. Everything was well thought of. Aside from that, Sakura surprised him more than anything else by showing this inner confidence and fun personality that he hadn't seen before. It was like the emotions that he had seen through the past pictures of hers that Tomoyo had shown him before all her problems started.

Eriol had left Sakura with a choice to be a full time model or not. He knew that she didn't want that but instead of declining outright, Eriol and Tomoyo had ganged up on her, making her rethink her decision, making her think before answering right away. He remembered her giving out a breath and agreed to think it over. It was more than enough for her two best friends but somehow Shaoran knew Tomoyo well enough to advocate the plan and make sure that Sakura takes it.

"Have you thought about Eriol's proposal? He will need your answer soon so he can fix the papers after graduation." Shaoran started, hoping to somehow change the mood they were both in and to distract them a bit. Even if he wasn't looking directly at her, he knew that she was sporting a blush, which made him grin wider.

"I don't know how those two can talk me into this. I will still have to think about it. I want to weigh my options carefully. Hey, wipe that grin off your face. If you hadn't notice, it's not exactly my forte. I was hoping to enter another career instead of modeling."

"Hey I'm only saying, Sakura, that you are a natural. Why don't you take it? A side-line thing while you go to college and take up something you like?"

"Oh no, not you too! I was hoping you were at my side."

"Not a chance. Come on. It's not going to kill you to be one. Besides, you were the one who said you needed a break from the monotony of problems here and the fashion show only proves that the right venue for that is modeling. You don't have to be a model forever if you don't want to." Shaoran defended. He was pushing her and he knew it. But he wasn't going to feel guilty about this one. He saw first hand how her true personality came out the night of the fashion show. He wanted to see that personality again and hopefully, she would find her true personality again and would have that always.

"It's not that I don't want to, Shaoran. It's just well the business is cut-throat and I'm ok doing favors but I really don't want to be in that kind of business."

"Hate to break it to you, Sakura, but in any business or career, it is cut-throat."

Sakura let out a defeated sigh. She knew that Shaoran wasn't going to back down and so were her best friends. Call her a push over but she did see their point. She could quit anytime. It's not like she needed the fame or the money. It was a fun distraction. That was it. It wasn't her usual thing but it was fun. It's been a long time since she had fun and well, why not? She saw the contract. It was basically a two-year thing. She was ok with that. Two years was enough. Then she could focus on her academics and take it from there. Besides, it was what her mother did as a side-line while helping her father with the business.

"Alright, alright. I'll do it. I'll call Eriol tomorrow once he's settled back in England and tell him my answer. But it's only for two years and that's it. That's already a compromise." Sakura answered.

Shaoran grinned and said, "Sure. Got it. But if you change your mind in two-year's time, I don't mind."

"Don't push it too much, Shaoran."

XxXxXx

Sakura had accompanied Tomoyo at the music room. She didn't have any work that day, for the entire week for that matter. The owner of the flower shop decided to give everyone there a week off since it was going to be their final exams before graduation. Tomoyo asked for Sakura's help in her final selection for the graduation ceremony since she was asked to sing a piece in behalf of the graduating class.

"This is harder than I thought." Sakura commented as she slumped a little at the piano.

Tomoyo sat next to her and gave out a sigh. "Now you know why I asked you for help."

"Does this make me your accompanist during your solo then?"

"Do you want to?"

"No." Sakura answered so fast that it made Tomoyo laugh.

"Alright. Well in that case I will have to hold an audition for the part. And that will take a lot of work…and such a short time left…will I even be able to find one?"

"Oh no. You're not pulling that one off. I'm not a good pianist, Tomoyo. I can read notes fine but I've never played in front of people before. Do you want me to call Eriol and have him come all the way from England? That could be his graduation gift to both of us."

"Nah. Actually he was the one who insisted that I ask you. He said that it was time that you started playing in front of people. He said it was his way of testing you if you actually learned to play from him."

"Hey! Oh I'm going to kill him next time I see him. Scratch that. I'm going to give him a piece of my mind when he calls. He's due to call about the modeling thing. Aren't you guys satisfied pushing to be a model?"

"No." Tomoyo answered, laughing.

"Ha ha ha. That's funny." Sakura replied sarcastically while she rolled her eyes.

"I'm kidding. I'm kidding. Rika's going to be my accompanist on graduation so chill." Tomoyo replied. "But Eriol did ask me to ask you. He has faith in you, you know, not just being your other best friend but also because he taught you. The guy thinks highly of his musical skills if I may say so myself."

With this Sakura couldn't help but laugh. She knew what Tomoyo meant. Music was life when it came to Eriol. Having him as a teacher, well he was patient with her but he was a perfectionist. Sakura knew exactly what it meant when Tomoyo said that he had confidence in her skills. It simply means he did a good job in teaching and he knew that music came naturally now to Sakura.

"Well enough chit chat. Come on. We better figure out what you are going to sing on graduation. What other ideas do you have so we can at least narrow the selection more?" Sakura finally said, getting them back to work.

Tomoyo smiled and seemed thoughtful. She started to reflect on what she wanted to impart on graduation. It was like a graduation speech so she knew she had to think about it carefully. Sakura waited patiently for her. She let her eyes scan the music room. She couldn't help but smile. Tomoyo had spent most of her afternoons in that room, practicing, creating wonderful music with the magnificent voice she has. She then noticed Tomoyo's phone on the other side of the room. She knew she usually left it there to record everything that happened during a practice session so she could review it at home and check out the areas where she could still improve at.

Sakura hid her mirth. Tomoyo was talking about how seriously Eriol took his music. She wanted to say it back at her. Tomoyo also took her music very seriously. Aside from fashion designing, singing was a talent that easily flowed from her. She had such a wonderful voice. She could see her contemplating really hard. She wondered how much of a help she could be when she already had everything that she needed. Sakura just shrugged the thought and took one of the musical scores and started playing while Tomoyo was still thinking. Perhaps the silence was a little too much and it would make both their lives easier if they heard actually music from the piano.

It seemed to work. It calmed them somehow, forgetting the importance of the selection. Even if they didn't speak, they both knew what the other was thinking. They knew that it should be like that. Music was more on feeling than thinking. When the right music came along, they would know it because it will feel right. An unspoken understanding passed between them that they would continue the pace like that and see which one they actually agree on. That would then be the final selection.

They exchange minor conversations that reflected how they felt about the piece and small talks about other things when they were interrupted by a knock on the door. Both of them looked and saw a student there. She said that Tomoyo was being called to the faculty room for minor revisions about the musical selection. Tomoyo thanked the girl and told Sakura that she would be back in a couple of minutes.

While waiting for Tomoyo to return, Sakura started fooling around with the pieces Tomoyo left. Some of the musical scores were unfamiliar to her. It was her first time seeing and playing such music. The arrangement was different from the ones Eriol used to make her practice with. It was interesting. It had a more Japanese feel to it than anything she ever played before. She closed her eyes, savoring the sweet music. Leave it to Tomoyo to pick the sweetest music that has such power and depth in them that could easily take Sakura's mind off a few unwanted things.

Sakura was so absorbed with the music at hand that she failed to notice that the door to the music room opened and a man entered. The man looked at her with such craving and want that had been bottled up for a long time. His eyes clearly showed his desire, his intentions.

"Hello Sakura." He said alluringly.

Once she heard his voice, Sakura's eyes flew wide open and a chill ran down her spine. Damn. "N-Nakamura-sensei." Sakura stammered quickly getting up. Tomoyo. Shaoran. Anyone…where are you?

XxXxXx

Tomoyo walked through the deserted halls of their school towards the faculty room, wondering what revisions would still be needed to be done. Graduation wasn't that far off and having revisions now would be like doing an overhaul. She somehow felt so anxious but couldn't put her finger on what was wrong. She was agitated and she couldn't understand why.

When she reached the faculty room, Tomoyo knocked before opening the door. She was surprised and confused when she realized that the room was empty. There was no one there. It was already getting late and it was like what she had suspected it should be. But then why? Why would someone tell her that she needed to go to that room and check for revisions for the graduation solo?

As the realization coursed through her brain, Tomoyo could feel a strong chill run through her body. Sakura. Without another word, she turned and dashed back to the music room.

XxXxXx

Shaoran was hanging out on the roof top. He knew that Tomoyo had asked for Sakura's help with her music selection. The thought made him smirk. Those two were thick as thieves, easily reading what the other was having trouble saying or thinking. He took the time to take a step back and reflect on the things that had been happening lately. Somehow he felt content. It didn't matter what problems they had at the moment. All that mattered to him was that he was content because he knew that he wasn't alone. He had Sakura and much as she had him.

The situation they were in was something they had been experiencing for a long time alone. Now that they had each other, it didn't matter if it was still there since they knew that no matter what else happened, they would face it together. It was a comforting thought.

His thoughts were broken though when he heard the door open. He looked around and saw Kumiko standing there. His features immediately went dark. She wasn't someone he would ever want to be alone with. She was someone whom he wanted out of his life as much as he wanted Kaoru to be a mere speck of nothing.

"What do you want?" He asked darkly.

She seemed reserved, totally out of character. She stepped forward towards him. "I actually wanted to apologize."

"Ok what's the catch?" Shaoran snapped back.

She winced at his hostility towards her. She knew that talking to him would be next to impossible. She already knew that it was going to be hard. "Nothing. Like I said, I only wanted to apologize."

Shaoran eyed her. She seemed sincere but it would be the day when he would actually believe her. After everything she had done and said about Sakura, he wasn't going to be nice to her out of convenience. He didn't like her and he wasn't going to pretend to like her.

Kumiko saw him clench his teeth together. His jaw hard pressed. She knew that he was seething against her. "I know what I've done is unforgivable."

Shaoran laughed darkly. "That's the understatement of the year." He commented.

"But before I leave I just wanted to apologize for it. You love her. I can see that. It was wrong…" She continued to just get it out. Her voice faltered. She wasn't used to this but she had to do it. "It was wrong of me to interfere."

"Are you finished?" Shaoran said, without even considering anything she had said. He still loathed her. He wasn't in a forgiving mood. She should be apologizing to Sakura and not him. When she said nothing, he looked away from her and headed towards the door.

But before he could even reach the door, Kumiko stood next to him and pulled him into a kiss. Shaoran's eyes flew wide open, completely disgusted. He immediately pushed her off. When he saw her smirk, his eyes narrowed. He grabbed her forearm roughly and stated, "You are up to something."

She was playing all innocent but Shaoran could see right through that. Before she could even say anything else, everything clicked inside Shaoran's head and he immediately said, "If something bad happens to Sakura, I promise you I will make you suffer the way you have been making her suffer. I will not hold back. You can count on that." He pushed her roughly away, making her fall before he ran towards the door rushing to find Sakura.

He suddenly felt anxious. He wished this time he was wrong. He had to find her. He had to find her and fast. He felt like his gut was being turned into knots. He had a very, very bad feeling about it. Shaoran knew that Kumiko had something planned. He wasn't going to let the seconds pass by and do nothing to prevent it from happening.

XxXxXx

"N-Nakamura-sensei…" Sakura said quickly getting up, her voice almost failing her. She knew that this wasn't good. She shuddered to think of what he wanted. She could see it clearly in his eyes and movements. She wasn't going to stick around to verify that. She started moving towards the door, trying to keep a good distance from her English teacher.

Nakamura saw Sakura's attempt of withdrawing from the situation. He wasn't going to let that happen. He had been patient. This was his chance. He would not be stopped. It was his time. He wasn't going to let the opportunity pass. "You are very talented, you know. Beauty. Brains. Talents. You truly are one of a kind." He commented.

As he was uttering those words, Sakura could feel herself grow sick by the minute. She needed to get out of there and fast. She composed herself, trying hard not to show him her agitation…her fear. The less he knew about it, the better. "Thank you for the compliment, Nakamura-sensei but it was unnecessary. Now, if you will excuse me, I better be off." She replied, trying to keep her voice as even and calm as she could possible could.

Nakamura stepped in front of her when she tried to leave. He would not allow her to reach the door. Sakura was trapped by the piano. Her mind was racing on how to get herself out of there. She tried to recall what little knowledge she had on self defense. Her heart was pounding inside her chest as adrenalin was coursing through her veins. Through it, she still fought to keep calm to keep her head clear. She wasn't going to allow this man to get his way. Her thoughts then drifted to Shaoran. She would not allow this man to destroy her and hurt Shaoran.

Nakamura took another step forward and everything clicked in Sakura's head. She was out of there. She wasn't going to stick around anywhere near the infamous English teacher. She kicked his groin as hard as she could and sprang towards the door. But before she could leave, the now furious man held on to her tight and roughly pushed her back to the piano.

He held her firmly and tightly as she continued to fight him off. He then started to kiss her and touch her. Sakura felt the fear double and even triple. She fought with all her strength to get him off her. She knew what he wanted. She felt the tears well up in her eyes.

It felt like time suddenly so slow that Sakura's mind was working overtime to get him off her and to stop this awful nightmare. But before long, the most wonderful sound she heard was when the door flew open and strong arms pulled the man off her.

Sakura fell to her knees as she was breathing heavily, trying to bring herself to calm down. Her eyes were still wide open but not seeing anything. She involuntary pulled on her clothes, trying to cover herself more. She was shaking. Then she realized her savior was no other than Shaoran.

He was beating up the man who dared to touch her. She wanted to call out to him but her voice failed her. She couldn't comprehend what was happening but the next thing she knew was Shaoran was there by her side wrapping his jacket around her…kneeling beside her. He gently held her arm asking her if she was alright.

She looked at him. "Shaoran…" She started but her voice broke. "Bring me home…please…bring me home." She said. Without another word, Shaoran helped her up and led her away, keeping his protective arms around her tightly. She leaned onto him, closing her eyes.

XxXxXx

By the time Tomoyo had gotten back to the music room, it was empty. There were no signs of anyone there, most especially Sakura. She feared for her best friend. She quickly went over to where she left her phone with the intention to call her. But then she realized that it was still filming.

For a split second, she didn't know what to do. Her hands were trembling, afraid of what she might see. But she had to know. She started replaying the video and skipped the parts to when she left the room. Her eyes flew wide open when she saw what happened next. She froze in her spot.

XxXxXx

Shaoran drove Sakura home to her apartment. She was silent and so was he. He could feel the fury still in his veins on what that man almost did to her and Kumiko. Sakura could tell the murderous rage he had in his eyes. She honestly didn't know what to say. She also didn't know what to feel. She felt tainted. She felt dirty. She clenched her teeth tighter together, to keep her from crying.

Once they've reached her apartment, neither of them still spoke. She noted that his eyes had grown softer a little bit. She knew that pretty soon they would have to talk about what happened. She feared the inevitable. She simply sat in front of the table, at the tatami floor, keeping her hands at her lap. She closed her eyes.

Shaoran, noticing Sakura's reaction, decided to make chamomile tea for her…to help relax her a bit. He went to boil water and prepare things.

Sakura didn't seem to mind or notice what he was doing. Recalling what had happened, it sent chills down her spine. She held up her hand in front of her, palms down, fingers slightly apart. Her hand was shaking. She continued to look at it, saying nothing as her vision started to cloud with her unshed tears.

Suddenly, she felt a gentle hand over her shaking one and intertwining it in a reassuring grasp. Shaoran laid the cup in front of her but upon realizing that she was shaking, gently held her hand before holding her tight. He sat behind her, hoping to make her feel protected. He said nothing as he simply held on to her.

She was still shaking, her head bowed. The moment she found herself in his arms, a dam broke inside of her. She could no longer hold back the tears. He said nothing, only tightened his embrace, fitting his body perfectly with hers to let her know that he was there and she was safe. He hated seeing her in pain.

"I'm sorry, Shaoran…I'm so, so sorry…" Sakura whispered. Shaoran's head shot up upon realizing that she was blaming herself.

"Sakura-"

"I tried to get away…I tried to fight him…he's…God…"

"He's not going to hurt you anymore, Sakura. I should be the one to apologize…for not being there to prevent it from happening."

Sakura moved to look at him. "Don't, Shaoran. You didn't know. Don't blame yourself please."

"I promised to protect you from him from the first day you started school here. I took care of it. He's not going to get anywhere near you again. Don't blame yourself."

Sakura closed her eyes as a slow, bitter tear ran down her cheek. "I feel so…so…dirty…so…tainted…he touched me…" She shuddered involuntarily as she closed her eyes and fresh tears spilled over. "…he…even…" She shook her head. "…kissed me…"

Shaoran looked at her, not quite sure how to get to her. He knew that Nakamura had almost broken her spirit. It was enough to traumatize someone as sensitive as Sakura. He touched her dampened face, held her. "Look at me." He urged her, speaking softly. She opened her eyes and looked directly into his. He would not allow her to look away. "You are still you, Sakura. You are not dirty…nor tainted. I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I wish I can take all those memories from you."

"I was thinking of you, Shaoran. My thoughts were only of you." Sakura confessed. "You should know by now that I love you. I was so afraid…afraid to become unworthy of you…he tried to do something that only a love should do…I can't…live with myself knowing something like that happened to me…I can't look at you…touch you…or love you if he was successful…"

Without saying another word, Shaoran pulled her in his arms and buried his face in her hair. She seemed shocked at first but then relaxed in his warm embrace and allowed herself to be held. She allowed her fear flow through her tears. She would not stop it as long as her beloved held her tight. He broke off from her only to claim her lips, telling her that he wasn't going to let her go even if something like that almost happened.

XxXxXx

Sakura didn't want to go to school the next day. Shaoran understood why. He could not blame her. He had stayed over the night upon her request. She didn't want to be alone or tell anyone else about what had happened. She wasn't ready to share that horrible experience especially with the problems that they were facing. Shaoran did his best to comfort her and make her feel that she wasn't alone.

But then, she told him that they needed to be in school. People might suspect or the message might be taken in a misconstrued way, knowing that Kumiko was somehow behind it too. Shaoran could only reassure her that he would not be leaving her side throughout the day.

Upon arriving in school, both of them had a shock of their lives. It seemed that their worst fear of having people misunderstand what happened actually happened. They knew who was responsible for that…the fast dissemination of false information.

They were immediately called into the office. As they walked there, people were looking at their direction. Sakura tightened her hold on Shaoran's hand. She wasn't in the mood nor was she strong enough to deal with their stares or criticisms. She wished that they would just all go away. Judging by the look on Sakura's face, Shaoran knew what she was thinking.

"Don't mind them, love." He said in a low voice so only she could hear. "They are nobody to us. They can't do anything." Sakura looked up to him and gave him a small smile. He kissed her hand softly as they continued on their way.

Once they entered the Principal's office, Sakura froze when she saw Nakamura standing there slightly bruised and all. Shaoran felt her freeze next to him. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and kept his expression firm. He led her across the room to stand in front of the Principal and what seemed to be the disciplinary committee. Their expressions were harsh and unforgiving.

"You are both here because of two very serious offenses. You, Li-san, for beating up a teacher and you, Kinomoto-san, for having sexual affairs with a teacher. Would you two like to explain your side before we deliver the verdict?" The principal said.

Sakura flinched when she learned what she was accused with. Shaoran was about to speak when they heard the door open from behind. All turned and saw Tomoyo walking in with Yuta following close by, pushing a VCR and a TV.

"Pardon my rude entrance but I believe that you have the wrong victim here." Tomoyo said, addressing those present. Sakura stepped forward but then stopped. Tomoyo smiled at her, touching her face as she passed by her. Tomoyo headed towards the front of the Principal's table and continued, "If you listen to what that man said, then you have it all wrong. He is not the victim here. Sakura is."

"Now see here Daidouji-san, you can't come in here and accuse without evidence!" Nakamura said.

"Yuta, do you mind playing the tape for me?" Tomoyo simply said over her shoulder as she gave Nakamura a death glare.

Yuta did what he was told. The tape started playing and it showed exactly what had happened inside the music room. Sakura felt herself nearing her breaking point. She wanted to shut it all out. She didn't want to hear any of it. She wanted to get out of there. When she felt, Shaoran's warm hand, somehow she was reminded that he could no longer hurt her because Shaoran was there.

When the tape stopped playing, the room was filled with an eerie silence that was so thick that everybody could feel the tension around them. Sakura clung to Shaoran's arm for support. She could feel her knees almost giving way again. He wrapped an arm around her waist and allowed her to lean against him. He knew that the tape refreshed the bitter memory that she was trying to forget and she was having trouble keeping it together.

"He should pay for this! I will turn this evidence to the police if you are not! I will not allow that rapist enjoy the privilege of being treated as a victim while my best friend and her boy friend are treated like some scoundrels!" Tomoyo said with much conviction and seriousness that it seemed to have snapped the disciplinary board back to their senses. Watching the tape was disgusting and to think that it was one of them who did it! It was unforgivable. Simply unforgivable.

The committee seemed to reconsider and began to look at Nakamura like the criminal that he was. The Principal stood and addressed Nakamura darkly, "How dare you call yourself a teacher? And to have fabricated pictures? You are a disgrace!" He threw the pictures that were taken during that time back to Nakamura.

Shaoran, Sakura, Tomoyo and Yuta saw the pictures and felt sick. Someone was taking pictures while that vile man was attacking Sakura! Then it dawned on them who could be that cruel as to plan something like that…Oji Kumiko. Shaoran clenched his free hand, vowing to make sure that Kumiko paid for this.

Nakamura smirked and then said, "She promised that I could have her. She promised me. I will not let you go!" He then produced a gun and aimed directly at Sakura and started shooting.

Everything happened so fast. No one had time to react. The next thing Sakura knew was that she was on the ground and someone was lying on top of her. She opened her eyes and was shocked to see Shaoran lying there, seemingly unconscious. Her uniform was becoming wet so she touched Shaoran and saw blood in her hands.

"Oh my God! Shaoran! Shaoran! Someone help him! Shaoran!" Sakura exclaimed as she got out from under him and tried to help him. She was frantic. She didn't know what to do. Everything was a blur. Everyone was scrambling, some were making sure that Nakamura wasn't going anywhere and that he was restrained while others were calling for help. Through the panic, Sakura hardly noticed that she too was shot. All she saw was Shaoran lying there fighting for his life.

XxXxXx

A few days passed, Touya was still with Xiao Fang sorting out the evidence that Tenaka had left them. Xiao Fang had come back after a day and then left again. Touya had remained in contact with Sakura, telling her about what he had uncovered from Tenaka's documents. Sakura knew that it wouldn't be long before her brother had figured things out. Touya worked day and night trying to figure things out, put two and two together. That day, he was cracking the final documents with Xiao Fang when Tenaka's phone started to ring. Touya picked it up. His eyes flew wide open with the news Tomoyo brought him.

"Kinomoto-san! Shaoran was shot! Another bullet passed through Sakura's arm! They are on their way to the hospital!"

The news came in quite a shock at it took a moment for it to sink in. Touya, coming to his senses immediately said, "I will be there. I don't know how I will be able to but I will be there. Keep me informed Tomoyo." He then wheeled his wheel chair towards the door, not really able to think clearly.

XxXxXx

Sakura sat at a gurney, while a doctor was finishing bandaging her arm up after he had examined and cleaned the wound. Shaoran was still in surgery. There still wasn't any word about him yet. Tomoyo was there by her side while they waited for the doctor to finish on her and to hear word about how Shaoran was doing. From beyond the curtain, the others, Yamazaki, Yuta, Ryota, and Chiharu, were there.

"Alright, Kinomoto-san. You are all bandaged up. You will be fine now. If you have other questions, please feel free to approach me." The doctor said before leaving.

Sakura closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Tomoyo," She started. "The tape. It was from your phone wasn't it?"

"Yes. It was."

"Destroy that tape after we've made sure that he is behind bars. I do not want to see or hear about it ever again."

"I know. That's why I already destroyed it. I already handed it over to the police. They are handling it already. As for Kumiko, I made sure that she didn't get away with it."

"Good." Sakura said as she finally opened her eyes. Tomoyo handed her a clean set of clothes. Sakura took it and only looked at it in her hands.

"He's going to be fine, Sakura. Shaoran is strong so he will pull through." Tomoyo commented.

"Yes. I know. He promised me that he won't leave me. I'm holding on to that promise. Besides, he is a survivor. He will survive. I just know it." Sakura said, trying to be strong.

Tomoyo placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Tomoyo, I need a favor." Sakura said. Tomoyo seemed confused on what she would be needing from her. Sakura looked up to her best friend and told her the plan she had in making sure that Shaoran would never be hurt again.

XxXxXx

A couple of hours passed and Shaoran was brought to a private room to recover. As it turned out, it was a minor surgery. The shot was a through and through, missing vital organs. Only stitching was done. If he hadn't reacted so fast…if he had been a split second too late, he wouldn't have survived the shot. The moment he saw that Nakamura was getting something from his coat, he knew and immediately shielded Sakura.

Sakura was sitting in a chair next to Shaoran's bed. She held his hand, waiting patiently until he would open his eyes again. The others had gone home for the evening, even her brother. When Touya saw the look that Sakura had, he knew he had to give her space.

Shaoran stirred and instantly Sakura was alert. Slowly he opened his eyes. Sakura smiled at him, quite relieved that he had opened his eyes. "Hey," She said in a soft voice.

"Hey," Shaoran answered. He tried to move but Sakura place a gentle hand on his shoulder, preventing him from getting up.

"Shh…don't. Just lay down and rest. You've been through a lot so rest for me, love. I will be here." Sakura whispered softly, smiling at him.

Shaoran smiled and complied, satisfied that she was holding his hand and she was at his side. "How are you?' He asked.

"I'm fine so you don't have to worry. You saved my life yet again, so thank you. Now, all I want you to worry about is getting better, ok?" She replied.

Before Shaoran could answer, the door to the room opened roughly and Kaoru's voice echoed through the quiet room. Sakura immediately stood and faced the older woman, wearing an expression of strength and determination.

"What are you doing here? The nerve of you being in my son's room!" Kaoru said.

"Shaoran, don't get up. You'll just make your condition a little worse." Sakura told him, not once looking away from Kaoru. She looked back at the woman coolly. "I should be the one asking you that and since when has Shaoran been your son? You never treated him as such. You just call him that to put on a show." She finally addressed Kaoru.

Kaoru seemed stunned. She never expected Sakura to answer her, much less fight her. "Do not treat me like I'm an idiot. I'm not stupid as to not see or understand what you have been doing for years." Sakura added. Shaoran seemed a little surprised too. He knew she could be quick with the wit and she wasn't one to keep what she really thought about others. It was like the first time they met.

"Why you little b-" Kaoru started as she grabbed Sakura's injured arm.

"The bitch here is you, Kaoru. You are so insecure about yourself that you make others miserable on a whim. Well, it's time that you pay up for all the negative things you have been doing, especially to Shaoran. Do you really think we would simply stand aside while you continue to threaten our lives?" Sakura said not breaking eye contact even as Kaoru dug her nails deeper into her flesh. Sakura didn't mind the pain in her arm as she would not allow Kaoru to regain a higher ground. She pushed Kaoru away from her.

Kaoru smirked smugly. "Who would believe you? You are a nobody. I have power. Who do you think the people would believe? I may have done things to that bastard like make his life a living hell or even hired men to have you both killed, but who would believe you? My word will always weigh more than you." She answered.

Sakura smiled. Kaoru looked back at her darkly. "Perhaps you are right. They would believe you more especially since you just confessed."

"So what? Even if you go to the police right now, they still would not believe you."

"Probably. Probably not. But they would believe you and your confession because you were not coerced into saying anything. You said it under your free will. And now I've made sure of your down fall." Sakura replied, revealing a small microphone on her collar, which was cover by her hair. It was white which blended quite easily on her white jacket.

"Do not treat me like I have been born yesterday. I will never let you hurt Shaoran ever again." Sakura added.

Kaoru was so angry that she motioned to slap Sakura. While Sakura closed her eyes to anticipate the hit, it never came. She quickly opened her eyes and was shocked at who she saw.

"You will not hurt this girl ever again. You will not be able to even come near her or my son for as long as you live." Xiao Fang said as he caught Kaoru's arm and roughly pushed her back, standing in front of Sakura. Both Sakura and Shaoran were surprised with the sudden turn of events.

"You will go to prison and pay for everything that you have done. You are no longer my wife. You never were." Xiao Fang said. Before Kaoru could say anything or even move, Xiao Fang said in a louder voice, "Take her away." Two men entered the room.

Sakura's eyes flew wide open when she realized who they were. She stepped back involuntarily. "I will take her now." Yue said as he held Kaoru's arm firmly and took her away.

"We will take care of things from here." Yukito said and took a step towards Sakura. She seemed to freeze. He smiled at her and said, "I'm sorry about last time but it had to happen that way. You can trust me, I promise you. May I have the confession you recorded?"

Sakura looked up at Xiao Fang, who only smiled at her reassuringly. She unzipped her jacket and removed her wired recorder, something she asked Tomoyo to help her with, and handed it over to Yukito. He smiled at her again and bowed before leaving.

"Ask a nurse to come and tend to her wounds before you leave, Tsukishiro-san." Xiao Fang asked. Yukito only nodded as he disappeared beyond the door.

"Thank you, Sakura, for everything you have done for my son, especially for loving him." Xiao Fang said as he turned to Sakura.

She blushed and smiled. "There is no need for that, Sir. In fact, I don't think what I did can compare to everything he has done for me, especially saving my life countless times, never giving up on me and of course loving me for me."

Xiao Fang smiled as he motioned Sakura to the empty chair. She obeyed. Her gaze met Shaoran's. It was like he was teasing her or something. She wanted to say something but chose not to since his father was there in the room.

"Um, I think I should leave you two alone. I believe you have some things to talk about." Sakura opted to say.

"No, please stay. I believe that you have to hear this too." Xiao Fang said.

Sakura and Shaoran looked at each other but said nothing. A nurse entered the room so they had to hold off with the conversation. Sakura removed her white jacket and revealed her white camisole. She hadn't realized that Kaoru had made her wound bleed so much. She knew that she couldn't wear her jacket again until she had washed the blood off.

"Why didn't you tell me so got injured?" Shaoran asked.

"This is nothing. I'm not going to die from it. Besides, you are already under a lot of stress as it is." Sakura simply answered.

Shaoran shook his head. Xiao Fang couldn't help but be amused at what he was witnessing. He then noticed the Li crest on Sakura's finger. Shaoran seemed to notice what his father was looking at. He said, "I gave it to her to protect her."

"I figured you might." Xiao Fang answered. Sakura looked at father and son, wondering what they were talking about. But when she saw Shaoran's expression and Xiao Fang's, she decided it was better not to ask. The nurse then finished tending to her wound. She smiled and left the room.

"Sakura, I know you went through a lot. You both did. I have known for a long time the things you two have been dealing with in secret." Xiao Fang started.

"I had a feeling about that since you were there to save my brother and know things that couldn't be possibly be known not unless the person is involved." She commented, giving a smile.

"I sent Tsukishiro Yukito as your body guard, Sakura, also to gather information about Shinohara Yuiji that would put him in jail. While Aki commissioned Tsukishiro-san's cousin, Yue, to watch over Shaoran and gather enough information about Kaoru's plans upon your request, Sakura." Xiao Fang explained. Sakura looked at him in shock. She didn't expect that. She didn't know how to respond to that.

"That day, Yukito played his double agent part not to put you in danger, Sakura, but to apprehend Shinohara Yuiji. Didn't you ever wonder where the knife came from? The one stuck at the back of the seat you were tied in? Yukito made sure you had a way to get out of there. In the meantime, Yue shadowed Shaoran and when things got rough, he assisted you, son, and told you where Yukito brought Sakura so that you two could get away. All the while, playing the game Shinohara and Kaoru came up with to let them not suspect a thing."

The two listened. They couldn't quite put their sudden realizations into words. All this time, there were more people working with them that they had no idea about. Xiao Fang explained everything from the beginning. All the plans he and Tenaka had made. All the measures they observed to make sure that two were safe. They listened and suddenly everything was clear. They couldn't help but feel relieved.

XxXxXx

'It's so bright…what's this light blinding me? I feel like I'm floating. I've never felt so free before.' Sakura said to herself. She found herself in what seemed to be pure light. She couldn't feel anything but being happy and satisfied with life. It was just like before…before that. She felt the freedom seep into the depths of her heart, beyond the clutches of her secrets and the awful reality that she found herself in.

Sakura couldn't see anything though. She could only see herself and nothing more. She seemed to be a drift amidst this bright light though she didn't feel alone. She was calm and collected. She didn't mind where she was. A part of her welcomed it. But then as if suddenly ripped out of a beautiful dream, Sakura felt herself drowning. Suddenly, the light that had been so gentle before has immediately vanished and she found herself in the dark, seeing the light above her.

She tried to swim up but something was holding her back. She wanted to get back to the light. She reached out her arm as far as she could but the more she reached, the farther it seemed to be. Sakura could feel the breath inside of her slowly vanishing as she struggled to breathe. Her body ached, wanting to breathe. As excruciating minutes passed, her entire being was carving for air. She was about to give in into temptation to breathe in the water that surrounded her as she continued to reach out to the light…no one was there…no one could hear her scream or cry for help…no one was coming…

'Save me…'

'I will save you, Sakura.' An angelic voice came and a hand touched her outstretched hand. Suddenly she could breathe again. She looked up…up into the face of her savior…to her beloved Shaoran.

It was no longer a nightmare but a sweet dream of hope and love. Even through the roughness of life, she knew that someone was there to save her. He was there by her side all along. He was right. No matter what happened, he could hear her. He saved her.

XxXxXx

Shaoran could see himself as he was when he was just a boy. He could tell because he knew the feeling of being alone and scared all too well. He knew that feeling. He knew that fear. Even though so much had changed throughout the years, he still couldn't break free from its clutches. The truth…the past still haunted him like a plague. It was something he couldn't escape from. It was something that just had to be there.

Even if Shaoran had already reinvented himself as someone strong, he still couldn't escape from his reality. It wasn't public knowledge. No one knew about it, not even his closest friends. He chose to carry the burden alone. Being tough was somehow just a façade, a mask he had taught himself to wear to cloak the truth from the world. It was his way of coping but he never was successful in moving on. Basically, no one needed to know that part of him, no one. It was his problem, his problem alone.

He could see himself back in that room, crying as a small kid, fresh bruises on his back and thighs. No one knew because he was always made to wear clothes that would conceal the awful truth. No one knew…not even his own father. He was too scared to tell him. He feared that his father would not believe him even though he knew that his father loved him greatly.

All those nights of crying himself to sleep was simply excruciating, especially the times when sleep would not take hold of him easily. New wounds. Old wounds. It didn't matter. Nothing could mask the pain etched deep within him cursing him to stay awake longer than he would have wanted.

'Stop! Stop! I didn't do anything! Why am I being punished?' His younger self screamed. It usually fell on deft ears. No one heard him…or rather, either they choose not to hear him or they heard him but couldn't come near. It was like that for years until he started to fight back. But the pain was still there…fresh as always…without anyone even knowing…

'Save me…' His inner self pleaded.

Suddenly, he was engulfed in a warm embrace. His young self looked up and saw an angel smiling down at him. Her green eyes penetrating through the coldness around him, showing him love and happiness that he never thought he would feel. Her smile melted away all the ice around his cage.

"You are safe now, love."

With her words, he becomes the man he was, no longer the scared child hiding in the darkness.

He still dreamt of it at night but it no longer haunted him, no longer his nightmare. Through the beauty and heart of his beloved, he was saved.

XxXxXx

The morning rays entered the room and touched Sakura's eyes. It woke her up gently. She smiled at the new day. She turned next to her and saw her husband of a year and a half still asleep. She didn't want to wake him so she slowly tried to get out of bed. But as she did, his arms around her tightened and pulled her back.

"It's a Sunday, love. You can sleep in, especially since you look a little pale for a couple of days now." He said.

She smiled and touched his face. "Did I wake you up?"

"No. Now why don't you rest?" He said, pulling her closer to him.

She took a deep breath, taking his scent. She loved his smell and his protective warmth. She always felt safe and perfect with him. "I will. I just need to go to the bathroom. I still can do that right?"

Shaoran grinned at her and kissed her forehead before seizing her lips. Even after years of loving her as a boyfriend and now a husband, she still could insight butterflies in his stomach. It was like he fell in love with her more every morning. "I love you." He whispered.

She smiled back at him and took his hand. "I love you too." She then placed in on top of her stomach. "We both do."

Shaoran sat up a little, hovering at her side at the possible meaning of her words. She only smiled back at him. "Sakura, are you…?"

Her smile only widened as she let go and got something from the drawer at the side of their bed. She handed it to him. He opened it and it was an ultrasound. "That's the first picture of our baby. I got it yesterday. And that is why I've been looking a little pale lately, not to mention being a little sick." She explained.

He looked at the image in his hand and then at his wife. Without another word, he crashed his lips on hers and embraced her. He never thought he would be happier. But it seemed that spending his life with his beloved Sakura, everyday was happier than yesterday.

"Now may I go to the bathroom? I don't want to vomit on the bed or on you." Sakura said as she got up and dashed to the bathroom. Shaoran followed smiling, holding her hair back.

THE END

A/N: Since it is the last chapter and my last fic for awhile…I haven't got any idea what to write next…actually…I do but…there…I've leave that hanging…anyway, like I was saying, since it is the last chapter, I made it long and as detailed as possible to cover any loose ends. I also purposely updated late so that I could give some of you guys a chance (last chance) to review and I could acknowledge as you've seen at the very beginning of this chapter.

Thank you for reading this humble fic of mine. I never thought it would be accepted the way it was. Thank you so much for that. I know that my writing skills still need improvement but hey I did give you my best. I hope when the next inspiration comes along, I would get to see you guys again. I won't stop writing but I will be taking a break…I think…I need to really think about what I want to write next.

Anyway, thank you and for the last time, please send in what you think. It was real. Peace guys.

Michiko