Disclaimer: I don't own any IPs that might appear in the story

The Council of Thirteen

Book Three: The First Lord

Restitching the Web of Love

Chapter 3: The Third Wheel Arrives

Beta:

"I really hope everything is okay," Tomoyo said worriedly for what felt like the thousandth time as she sat impatiently in front of her laptop in her room in the Daidouji mansion awaiting the video call she'd arranged with Sakura-chan.

She'd heard from Touya-san that something had happened to her best friend in Hong Kong, but since the other woman was refusing to answer calls no one knew the specifics. The Lis were unhelpful as well, simply informing them that Sakura-chan had left the house in the middle of the night yesterday and sounding just as confused about why that happened.

Fortunately, Tomoyo had previously scheduled a video chat with Sakura-chan and since her best friend hadn't canceled it on her end, the Daidouji heiress had hope that she would be able to learn more over the call.

"Hello Tomoyo-chan," Sakura-chan greeted as she came online at the appointed time.

Tomoyo could barely contain her worry at the sight of the other woman. Her best friend looked exhausted. Like she had very little, if any, sleep last night. Her hair, which she'd started keeping long in recent years, looked frazzled and in desperate need of a brush. And by the crumpled state of her clothes it looked like she had just got out of bed. All in all, she looked nothing like the poised young woman that her magical friend had grown into.

"Hi Sakura-chan," Tomoyo greeted hurriedly, unable to hold back her concern any further. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"I worried you, huh?" Sakura-chan replied with an apologetic smile.

Tomoyo just nodded.

"Well, don't worry about it. It was nothing. Syaoran and I just had a little bit of a fight, that's all."

"A fight? One serious enough for you to leave the house in the middle of the night? What happened!?"

"You heard about that bit too? I guess the Lis told you?"

Tomoyo nodded again and Sakura sighed before continuing.

"That's my fault, sorry. I really, really overreacted. It was a relatively minor thing. I probably should have just kicked Syaoran to a guest room or slept there myself last night or something, but I was just so mad that I stormed out."

That doesn't sound like Sakura-chan. Tomoyo thought with a frown. She has better self-control than that.

The conclusion seemed to hit the woman in question as well as a thoughtful frown spread across her face.

Neither woman noticed as a pair of stark white spiders hiding in the corners of their rooms twitched their webs at the same time.

"I guess I was more out of it than I thought," Sakura said dismissively and Tomoyo nodded. "Things have been stressful lately with the elders pushing for me to get pregnant. And that's on top of my duties as the First Lord. Did you know I had to fight off a band of Jiangshi and the necromancer who created them last week?"

"Don't change the topic Sakura-chan," Tomoyo told her best friend sternly. "Are you really okay with the situation with Syaoran-kun?"

"I'm fine. Really, Tomoyo-chan, I am."

Tomoyo was unconvinced and shot the other woman a look that said as much.

"Believe me, Tomoyo-chan, I'm al-"

"She totally isn't." Kero-chan said as he floated into view. "Sakura cried herself to sleep last night."

"Kero-chan! I did not!" Sakura-chan insisted, swatting at her familiar.

A muscle on the left side of her jaw twitched as she said so however and Tomoyo knew she was lying. It was a subtle tell but one that someone as familiar with the Cardmistress as Tomoyo was could see from a mile away. Whenever she was lying it would twitch just a bit. At least when she wasn't actively trying to suppress the reflex anyways and frazzled as she was, she wasn't or maybe it was best to say she couldn't. Either way, the tell told Tomoyo everything she needed to know.

"I'm flying over to Hong Kong on the next flight!"

"This is your fault, Kero-chan." Sakura scolded her Guardian Beast as they both waited inside the Chek Lap Kok International Airport for Tomoyo's arrival in Hong Kong.

"Hey, you know that she'd come if she knew how bad things really are." Kero-chan responded daringly thanks to the bubble of magic she'd cast to ensure their privacy in the busy airport.

"Which is why I didn't want to tell her," Sakura reminded him with a light glare.

"You mean lie to her." Kero-chan corrected her, causing his Mistress to wince. "You've never done that, better not start now."

"You know Cerberus is correct," Yue-san added.

Sakura sighed in defeat.

"You're right. It was silly of me to think of it, but I was really hoping to save Tomoyo-chan the trouble."

"It's really no trouble at all, Sakura-chan." Tomoyo-chan said with a smile as she walked over dragging a small wheeled suitcase.

"Tomoyo-chan!?" Sakura startled. "How did you find us? And isn't your flight supposed to land in another fifteen minutes?"

"I'll always be able to find you, Sakura-chan, you should know that by now." Tomoyo-chan said with a smile that radiated such happiness that despite her own unsettled state of mind Sakura couldn't help but smile as well. "As for my flight, it landed early. I'm sure they announced it. Didn't you hear it?"

Sakura glanced at the stream of passengers disembarking from the gate she was standing in front of and blinked in surprise. It seemed that she had missed the announcement.

Was I really so distracted? Sakura thought with a frown.

"You just noticed her as you came out of the gate." Kero-chan countered Tomoyo-chan's teasing statement. "Someone wanted to stand in a prominent spot so you wouldn't miss her but wasn't paying enough attention to notice when you arrived."

"Kero-chan, it's not nice to scold your Mistress in public." Tomoyo-chan chided, wagging her finger at the Guardian Beast.

"Che, thanks to Sakura's barrier no one will hear it. It's fine." The floating stuffed toy said with an unconcerned shrug.

"It's nice to see you by the way, Tomoyo-chan." Kero-chan greeted the new arrival with a wave.

"Likewise, Tomoyo-san." Yue-san said with a nod.

"It's good to see you both, Kero-chan, Yue-san." Tomoyo-chan offered both Guardians of the Sakura Cards a welcoming smile.

Suddenly remembering what they were here to do, Sakura pulled Tomoyo-chan into a hug.

"Tomoyo-chan~! 歡迎 (Fun1 Jing4/Welcome) to Hong Kong." Sakura greeted in a mix of both Japanese and Cantonese whilst spinning her best friend around.

It was a little childish for two grown women, but Tomoyo-chan didn't seem to mind as she returned the hug and giggled along as they spun.

"It's a pleasure to be here, Sakura-chan!' The violet haired beauty said as she tightened her returning hug for an instant. "It's always perfect when I'm with you."

Kero-chan rolled his eyes at the display but neither woman noticed. Nor would they have minded if they did. Nothing could spoil their reunion.

Giggling like schoolgirls the two women finally disentangled themselves after a few minutes of twirling.

"I am really glad you're here, Tomoyo-chan." Sakura confessed as she snapped up the handle of the other woman's luggage and began pulling it along, ignoring its owner's protests. "I don't like having to trouble you, especially having you fly all the way here. But-"

"Like I said, it's no trouble at all." Tomoyo-chan insisted.

Sakura just smiled at that and continued.

"-I really need my best friend's support right now. So I really, really appreciate you being here."

"I'll always be there when Sakura-chan needs me." Tomoyo-chan affirmed with conviction as the four of them made their way to the carpark where Sakura had parked her car.

"You're the best friend that a girl could have, Tomoyo-chan. Always have and always will be." Sakura replied with just as much conviction.

Tomoyo-chan blushed prettily at the compliment and Sakura couldn't help but smile. Her best friend was always beautiful but when her delicate, porcelain like skin glowed with the faint red of a blush, she was even more so.

What a strange direction my thoughts have suddenly taken. Sakura thought as she dismissed the completely true observation with a shake of her head, oblivious to the spider skittering along the ceiling at the same pace she and her companions were.

"So which hotel are you staying at, Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura asked, changing the topic to focus her wandering mind.

"Uh? I haven't booked a room yet?" Tomoyo-chan confessed with an uncharacteristic embarrassed blush, that just like any other blush added to her almost ethereal beauty. "I was in such a rush to fly over that I didn't make the arrangements."

Sakura giggled at the oversight.

"Oh, Tomoyo-chan!" She said with a shake of her head. "Honestly, like I said I really do appreciate your concern for me but you shouldn't let it get in the way of taking care of yourself."

"It's not that big of a deal. I can just get a room at the first hotel that comes to mind. I doubt any of them will turn away the heiress and vice-president of the Daidouji Toy Company."

Sakura wanted to make a comment on the latter point. About how Tomoyo-chan's sudden trip would affect her work, but she knew her best friend would just deflect her concern. Besides, Tomoyo-chan was so efficient that even if she hadn't done it yet, which considering her apparent rush she might not, she could likely make the necessary arrangements to compensate for her absence in short order.

"No need for that," Sakura said, offering the other woman a smile. "You can stay at my suite. It has more than enough space,"

The smile that Tomoyo-chan shot her at that made Sakura's day. Not even Kero-chan's snickering at the two best friend's byplay could dampen it.

"You've moved into a hotel?" Tomoyo finally worked up the courage to ask her best friend as they sat in the latter's Volkswagen Beetle as they drove through the streets of Hong Kong.

She had refrained from asking until now out of a worry that pushing Sakura-chan to answer before now would've caused the Cardmistress to calm up. So she'd waited until her best friend had relaxed a little thanks to their familiar camaraderie to dig for answers for what had caused the disagreement between Sakura-chan and her husband.

"That's proof that this fight is serious ain't it?" Kero-chan said in reply when all Sakura-chan did was tighten her hold on her steering wheel, even as the ever stoic Yue-san nodded.

"It really isn't." Sakura-chan insisted for the umpteenth time.

"Maybe I would believe it if you told me what exactly happened between you and Syaoran-kun?"

Sakura-chan breathed out a frustrated sigh at that but conceded.

"I guess I can't put it off any longer. Alright. This is what happened-"

Nervously, Li Syaoran followed a waitress as she guided him through a restaurant he and Sakura frequented to a private room where he would be meeting with his estranged wife for the first time in three days.

As he stepped into the room, he was at once surprised and not to find Sakura accompanied by none other than her best friend, Daidouji Tomoyo. Sakura shared everything with her second cousin.

Honestly, he was just relieved that Sakura had thought better of bringing along her Guardians. Having this conversation and the potential for violence, minute though it might be, with his already incredibly powerful wife's two powerful familiars present was a terrifying prospect.

"Hello Sakura, Tomoyo-san," he greeted as pleasantly as his mood allowed.

"Hello Syaoran," Sakura returned for both women as she gestured for him to take a seat. "Why don't we eat first before we talk? I've already ordered their famous ten-course banquet. I know you like it."

Syaoran nodded in agreement. Pleased that his wife was still being so thoughtful as to order his favourite.

"Thank you," he said as he took his seat.

As the meal dragged on however he regretted his easy acquiescence to Sakura's request. It was filled with an uncomfortable silence that ate away at his composure and made it impossible to enjoy the delicious food that he usually loved. Something not helped at all by how the two women on the opposite side of the table were seemingly oblivious to his growing discomfort as they happily enjoyed the meal. They had the decency not to chat but he knew both of them well enough to see the various non-verbal cues they were using to have a silent conversation with each other. One he simply could not follow.

It irritated him but he kept his cool and waited for his chance.

As the servers left the room with the remains of their dessert, it had finally arrived and he spoke up the moment the door closed.

"Sakura," he said with all the sincerity of a penitent man. "I'm sorry. I was being too aggressive that night."

"Yes, you were." Sakura said with an unreadable expression as she looked at him over the length of the dining table that separated them.

"I know it doesn't absolve me of blame but," Syaoran said, pausing to try to word what he had to say in a way that he hoped would make him sound more sincere. "But I think the increasing pressure from my family for us to have children got to me. It was what, I think, was fueling my growing aggression in the bedroom."

Sakura sighed in disappointment and Tomoyo-san gave her best friend's right arm a comforting squeeze.

What? Did I say something wrong?

"That's not what I am upset about Syaoran," Sakura said with a shake of her head. "And until you acknowledge what the real issue is, there is nothing to talk about."

"What do you mean?" Syaoran gasped, thoroughly baffled.

Tomoyo-san scoffed and shot him a disbelieving look before addressing him in a deprecating voice.

"How can you not know?"

Syaoran couldn't help but shoot this interloper into his marital troubles a glare even as he shook his head.

"I just don't."

"Then we have nothing to discuss," Sakura said as she stood, her best friend following her lead.

This is outrageous! How can Sakura expect me to apologize for something that I don't know that I did! Syaoran thought but was smart enough to not say.

"Sakura, please." He pleaded instead but despite hesitating for a moment, his wife eventually just shook her head and walked out.

Watching her leave, Syaoran could only feel that through no fault of his own, the gulf between his wife and him had just grown.

So preoccupied with his thoughts on the matter, he failed to notice the tiny white spider perched on the back of the seat that Sakura had occupied that was dancing in what could only be described as joy.

"Is this really a good idea?" Sakura asked Tomoyo-chan as the two women stepped onto the sandy shore of a Hong Kong beach.

"You have to give him a chance." Her best friend insisted. "He's your husband. He deserves that much."

Sakura frowned but nodded.

At Tomoyo-chan's urging, Sakura had invited Syaoran to join her for a day at the beach. Something they used to do as a couple and an activity that her best friend hoped would rekindle a spark in the couple's relationship.

Of course, Tomoyo-chan was there to offer Sakura emotional support and Kero-chan was there just in case she needed some muscle. Yue-san had wanted to come too, but Sakura had insisted he head home. She was not about to keep her brother from his lover for too long.

"Sakura, Tomoyo-san," Syaoran greeted them as they walked over. "I've set up a spot for us."

"Thank you Syaoran," Sakura offered with a grateful smile as she looked over the umbrella and blankets he'd prepared. That was all in addition to the set of wards around their area he'd set up to keep whatever mystical hijinks that might happen hidden. "You didn't have to go to the trouble."

"I wanted to," Syaoran deflected with a smile. One that used to have Sakura smiling back in a moment of shared affection but which she now found a lot less charming.

She nevertheless returned a polite grin of her own.

Perhaps seeing the building tension, Tomoyo-chan decided to cut in.

"Sakura-chan, Syaoran-kun, why don't we go for a swim?" She suggested with the enthusiasm only a master actress like her could manage. "The water looks so inviting!"

Despite the fact that Sakura knew Tomoyo-chan was acting, she wasn't wrong either. The water did look very inviting. With the sun shining down brightly but not too strongly as well, it was perfect weather for a swim.

"I agree," Syaoran added. "A swim sounds wonderful."

"Let's go change then." Sakura agreed. "Kero-chan watch our things."

"Leave it to me, Sakura!" Her Guardian Beast said, snapping a playful salute even as he transformed into his true form to lounge in the sun and enjoy the weather.

Offering the playful winged feline an amused grin at his antics, she looped an arm around one of Tomoyo-chan's, grabbed the bag containing their swimsuits and headed off to the nearest toilets to change.

As Sakura stepped back onto the beach dressed in a striped bandeau bikini top and matching bottoms she couldn't help but lift her arms skyward and stretch a little, letting the sun's rays play across her body and warm her up.

"Wow," she heard Syaoran gasp from nearby and she turned to see him admiring the display she'd put on earlier dressed in a pair of rather plain board shorts.

If he's trying to impress me, he could've at least worn some swimming briefs. Sakura thought with a pout. After all, she might know how ripped her husband was, but a chance to ogle it would not be remiss. Sure his tight abs were still on display, but she wanted more damnit!

Especially not when she'd gone out of her way to give him the chance to do so. She was generally more of a onepiece kind of girl but at Tomoyo-chan's advice, she'd chosen to wear something a little more daring than usual today.

Her disappointment didn't stop her from teasing her husband though.

"Like what you see?" Sakura asked, as she struck a pose.

"Very much so," Syaoran nodded, a hint of drool peeking from the corner of his mouth as he gulped.

Sakura couldn't help the satisfied smile that spread across her face at garnering such a response from the man. She might not be someone who actively sought validation from her appearance but knowing that she was considered beautiful was nevertheless a boost to her ego.

"She really is beautiful isn't she, Syaoran-kun?" Tomoyo-chan asked curiously as she walked out of the changing room behind her.

Curious at what swimsuit her best friend had picked out, the other woman having steadfastly insisted it was a surprise, Sakura spun around to have a look and was stunned speechless.

The swimsuit itself wasn't anything spectacular. It was a simple black and white color block one piece with some ruffled trim here and there, but it didn't need to be special to make the sight before Sakura incredible. Tomoyo-chan did that all on her own. Sakura had always known that her best friend had an incredible figure, but she'd forgotten, it seemed, just how incredible it was. She had an hourglass figure that supermodels almost killed themselves to attain and maintain, breasts that were just perfectly sized and shaped for her body type, and a carriage that screamed elegance and beauty.

Was it any surprise then that Sakura found herself imitating her husband's earlier reaction at the sight of her best friend?

"I'm a mayfly compared to the butterfly that you are, Tomoyo-chan." Sakura said in all honesty even as she internally cringed at what must've been the corniest thing she'd ever said.

Tomoyo-chan blushed at the praise but waved it away.

"You're too modest Sakura-chan," she said with a shake of her head. "Look, most people are ogling at you. Not me."

Sakura glanced at their surroundings and did in fact see quite a few men and women shooting both of them admiring looks. She wasn't quite sure that Tomoyo-chan's assessment was correct though, by her estimate just as many if not more eyes were glued on her best friend than herself.

"I agree with Tomoyo-san." Syaoran said as he covered the remaining distance to stand alongside the two women.

"You're biased, husband." Sakura said with a roll of her eyes.

"As is my right to be," he said with a cheeky grin.

Smiling happily at the couple's byplay, Tomoyo-chan took a step back.

"I'll go put our bag back at our spot." She said as she patted the bag which contained their street clothes that she had slung over her shoulder lightly. "Why don't you two go test out the waters first? I'll join you shortly."

Sakura knew full well what her best friend was doing but spending some time with Syaoran was the whole point of this trip anyways, so she didn't make a fuss and just nodded.

"Sure," Syaoran said, shooting the ravenette a grateful smile. "See you in a bit, Tomoyo-san."

Nodding, Tomoyo-chan walked away leaving the couple alone for the first time in days.

For a moment they both shifted uncomfortably, uncertain on what to say. At last though, Sakura decided it was time to break the ice.

"Race you to the water!" She shouted at her husband and broke out in a run.

"You're on!" He shouted back as he tried to catch up.

"I missed this," Sakura admitted some time later as she treaded water some distance away from the shore next to Syaoran. "Just the two of us having fun."

The two had raced each other up and down the length of the beach and some distance out to sea in playful competition for the last little while, increasing the distances of their races as they warmed up their bodies.

"Me too," Syaoran agreed. "Even before our fight we didn't get enough of a chance to just have fun."

"Yeah," Sakura said with a sigh. "We were always so busy. You with the family affairs and me with being First Lord."

"Maybe that's why we fought? We forgot how much fun we found the other?"

"Maybe," Sakura hedged.

Syaoran opened his mouth and Sakura guessed he was going to ask just what she was angry with him about. Again.

Unwilling to deal with that, she decided to change the topic.

"Race you back to the shore!" She shouted before making for the beach, her annoyed husband not far behind her.

"We missed you in the water," Sakura said, a short while later as she used a towel to dry off under the shade of their umbrella. "Where were you Tomoyo-chan?"

"Taking a lazy lap along the beach," Tomoyo-chan said with a grin. "By the time I hit the water, you two were racing each other. I'm nowhere as athletic as you two. There was no way I could keep up, so I decided to just sit out and do my own thing."

"I hope you had a good swim at least?" Syaoran asked politely from where he too was drying off.

"Yes, I did. It was very relaxing." Tomoyo-chan replied with a grin. "So did you two have fun?"

"We did," Sakura reassured her. "Syaoran lost 16-12. Again."

"Not that that's a surprise." Her husband conceded easily. "You were always a better swimmer. Now if it were a footrace-"

"You'd trounce me." Sakura agreed as she finished drying off and folded the towel before setting it aside. "You were always fast on your feet."

"Thank you for the praise, wife." Syaoran said with an exaggerated air that had both women giggling and Kero-chan rolling his eyes.

"Now that you're dry, mind going to get us some drinks?" Sakura asked. "Green tea for me. Tomoyo-chan? Kero-chan?"

"I'm fine." Kero-chan said with a shake of his head.

"I'd go for some green tea and some snacks too." Tomoyo-chan said after a moment of thought. "But shouldn't someone go with Syaoran-kun?"

"Do you need the help, husband?" Sakura said with a raised eyebrow as she quickly looked between Tomoyo-chan and the bottle of sunscreen she'd retrieved from their bag whilst putting away her towel, having to shoo away a curious albino spider in the process.

Syaoran nodded in understanding even as he replied, "No, it's fine. See you all in a little while."

With that he walked off.

"What was that about?" Tomoyo-chan asked, confused.

"Would you rather Syaoran be around when I help you reapply your sunscreen?" Sakura asked teasingly with a raised eyebrow. "He might accidentally catch a glimpse of something he shouldn't."

"Oh," Tomoyo-chan said with a light blush. "If it's an accident-"

"Let's just eliminate the chance shall we?" Sakura said with a shake of her head. "Now lay down please. And Kero-chan-"

"Yeah, I know. No peeking." The Guardian Beast said with a huff as he turned his head away.

"Good boy," Sakura replied teasingly as she kneeled down next to her prone best friend and began to help her with her sunscreen.

Kero-chan huffed in indignation at the playful accusation that he was anything but and Sakura giggled at his antics.

"I could probably do this on my own." Tomoyo-chan said as Sakura began gently spreading the sunscreen over her exposed shoulders.

"Probably," Sakura agreed. "But your skin always did burn easily, so it's a good idea to have a good spread. And the best way to ensure that is if someone helped you spread it out. So stop complaining."

"Fine," Tomoyo-chan allowed. "Oh, and before you ask, yes, you have permission to spread it inside the edges of my swimsuit."

"Thank you," Sakura said as she did just that for her back, maximizing coverage of the protective cream over all of her best friend's delicate skin.

Her back was done in short order and Tomoyo-chan flipped over so she was lying on her back.

"I can do this part on my own," she insisted.

But Sakura was having none of that.

"Just let me pamper you a little, Tomoyo-chan." Sakura teased as her hands spread the sunscreen over the heiress' skin.

Everything was normal. Just a friend helping a friend. That all changed when suddenly Sakura's hands touched her best friend's breasts. Suddenly, the Cardmistress became hyper aware of where they were. For a moment she froze and her hands lingered inappropriately. She was jolted out of her stupor though when suddenly thanks to Tomoyo-chan's increasingly heavy breathing, she felt her hands brush against her best friend's bosom.

She expected Tomoyo-chan to protest, but the red-faced heiress simply caught Sakura's offending hands and guided them into cupping her breasts, before applying pressure causing the Cardmistress to give them a gentle squeeze.

Tomoyo-chan let out a soft, happy gasp in response and Sakura felt her heart race and her body fill up with a surge of want stronger than anything she could recall ever feeling. Delirious at the feeling, she couldn't stop herself as she gave her best friend's breasts another squeeze this time without the other woman's prompting and eliciting a mewl of pleasure that had Sakura smirking like the cat that ate the canary.

The two women likely would have gone further than that but they were interrupted.

"I'm back!" Syaoran called out as he neared. "Sakura, Tomoyo-san, you done?"

"Just about!" Sakura shouted back as she pulled her hands back as if scalded, mouthing an apology to Tomoyo-chan.

Though whether she was apologizing for them having to stop or that she'd even done what she had, she honestly could not say.

"It's okay," Tomoyo-chan whispered back as she hastily finished applying the sunscreen on her upper body before raising her voice to address Syaoran. "We've done all my naughty bits, you can come back."

"Alright then," Syaoran said as he walked the remaining distance and eyeing Tomoyo-chan skeptically as she began spreading sunscreen on her legs. How she wasn't blushing up a storm was beyond Sakura, then again she wasn't either which was even more of a surprise. "I guess I was a little too quick?"

"A little," Sakura agreed, changing the topic to hopefully hide what had happened. "We barely finished her top. What did you do? Sprint back?"

"No, there was just no queue at the shop." Syaoran said as he put the bag of drinks and snacks he'd purchased down. "So you haven't had a chance to get started on your own sunscreen, Sakura?"

"Not yet," Sakura said as an idea entered into her head. "Help me?"

If I let him touch me like I touched Tomoyo-chan then maybe I won't feel guilty.

Not that she felt guilty. If anything she felt guilty for not feeling guilty if that even made sense.

"Of course," her husband said, unaware of her thoughts as Tomoyo-chan helpfully passed over the bottle.

Lying down on one of their blankets expectantly, Sakura shot Syaoran a come hither look.

"I need to go to, uh, the bathroom." Tomoyo-chan said as she hastily made her retreat.

Sakura pouted at that and quickly turned her head away from Syaoran to hide it, this put her face to face with Kero-chan who shot her a knowing look but did not comment. Sakura wanted to say something. To deny what had happened. But she found herself unable to open her mouth to say the words. So she kept silent as she allowed her husband to touch her body with his sunscreen lathered hands.

A couple hours later, Kero-chan watched as the Li brat drove off from the beach and felt an uncharacteristic burst of sympathy for the man. Sure, he'd wronged his Mistress and deserved the cold shoulder she was giving him. But seeing her fall in love with another woman right in front of his eyes, even as he tried to salvage their marriage? That was too much. Yet it was happening. And Kero wouldn't, and realistically couldn't, do anything about it. His loyalty was and always would be to his Mistress and he would side with whatever choice she made even if he somewhat disagreed with it. Besides, all parties involved were adults so who was he to judge? They were old enough to make their own decisions and live with the consequences.

He was pulled from his thoughts when his Mistress and her girlfriend, he was calling a spade a spade, called out to him.

"Kero-chan, we're almost ready to go." Sakura said as having finished changing out of their swimwear, she and Tomoyo were now putting away the last of their beach things into Sakura's car.

"Okay," he said in his usual boisterous way and without a hint of the somewhat unpleasant direction his earlier thoughts had taken, flew into the vehicle for the ride back to their hotel.

Shortly thereafter, the two women joined him and they were driving back into the city.

"What were you thinking about earlier, Kero-chan?" Tomoyo asked curiously. "You rarely get lost in thought like that."

"Oh, it was nothing. I was just thinking about what cake I want for dessert tonight."

"You and your sweet tooth." Sakura said with a tired sigh. "You are utterly incorrigible, you know that, Kero-chan?"

"He's not that bad, Sakura-chan." Tomoyo countered in his defense. "Besides as your loyal Guardian he deserves to be pampered. Isn't that right, Kero-chan?"

"Definitely," Kero said puffing up his chest proudly.

"So feel free to order whatever you want tonight, Kero-chan." Tomoyo said, patting him on the head even as Sakura rolled her eyes. "You deserve it."

"Wah~! Tomoyo is the best!" Kero cheered.

Sympathetic to the Li brat's plight or not, he genuinely preferred his Mistress hooking up with Tomoyo. She was generous with the sweets.

And that's another chapter done.

Whilst, in my personal opinion, all the missteps that Sakura and Syaoran are making that are destroying their marriage are entirely plausible things they would do - Misunderstandings, overreactions and unreasonableness are all things that happen in relationships after all. - I included a little potential outside interference to make it more acceptable to those who think their pairing is somehow sacrosanct. Whether the spiders did interfere and how much is deliberately left ambiguous. But in my mind, they are not the sole cause for the breakdown of this marriage.

Hope that satisfies anyone with doubts of the direction that I am taking things.

Well till next time 再見!