Author's Note: On a bus to Virginia, Li decides to tell Meilin that he loves Sakura…and she can't do anything about it. So how does she respond? And Sakura and Li's Cardcaptoring in the White House doesn't go unnoticed.


Cards captured so far: Vision, Heat, Vine, Bell, and Sleep


CCS: The American Cards: Part 8


Li looked out the window again. He saw the view of the fields passing by as the bus moved on towards its destination of the Virginia Piedmont. He knew what was coming. Li had to come clean sooner or later and there would be no better opportunity, now that he was alone with Meilin.

"Li?"

Li was caught by surprise. He must've been out of it, because he nearly kicked the seat in front of him when Meilin called him.

Meilin looked concerned. "You haven't said anything. Are you ok?"

Li took a deep breath. He had to say something and he had to say it now. But how should he start?

"Meilin…are you still jealous of Sakura?"

There was only silence. Li couldn't believe this. This wasn't the way he wanted to start.

"What do you mean?" Meilin finally asked. "Why do you ask?"

"I ask because you two are always at each other's throats. Especially whenever Sakura tries to get close to me. It's been a long time, Meilin. Can't you two just bury the hatchet?"

Meilin didn't answer, but asked another question. "Do you love her, Li?"

Li almost cringed. This was what he was trying to build up to, but Meilin just came right out and asked the big question. He didn't want to have to hurt her, but it had to be said.

"Yes."

Li was expecting to see devastation. He was expecting to see Meilin practically in tears. But she wasn't. Her expression hadn't changed.

"I realize that," she finally said.

"You do?" Li asked.

"I just had to hear it from you," Meilin continued. "I have to ask you, though. Is she really worth it?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Look at all that's happened, Li," Meilin elaborated. "It's been almost five years and you haven't gone back to Hong Kong even once. You left your home and spent your first year in Japan hiding from Madison Taylor's security guards. You left all your friends back home and I don't even think I need to remind what happened between you and the rest of the family."

"I don't want to talk about that!" Li snapped.

Meilin held Li's hand. "Li…I know it still hurts to talk about it. It wasn't easy to just…turn your back on your family for Sakura. But if it makes you feel any better…I'm still on your side."

"That's what I don't understand," Li said. "Everyone in the family wants me and Sakura to break up. Nobody would have more to gain from that than you. So why take my side?"

"Because I know they're wrong," Meilin answered. "They were wrong to put you in the position where you would be forced to choose between your family and Sakura. And they were wrong to actually kick you out of the family."

"They DIDN'T kick me out!" Li said angrily. "I left the family! I didn't want to be part of a family that wouldn't let me be with Sakura!"

Li tried to compose himself. He knew he couldn't let Sakura hear any of this. She and Madison were sitting a few rows behind him.

"I agree with you, Li," Meilin said sympathetically. "Your family was wrong to do what they did. That's why I've stood by you and Sakura. Sakura's my friend. You're my friend. But I also believe this, Li. I know that you and Sakura aren't meant for each other."

"What do you mean?" Li asked curiously.

"C'mon, Li," Meilin continued. "I can't explain it, but I can feel that you two are wrong for each other. It doesn't seem right. I can't explain it any further than a gut instinct. You may not see it now, but you'll see it someday."

"You're wrong, Meilin," Li said firmly. "I love Sakura…and I know she loves me."

"You're so sure of yourself, aren't you?" Meilin shot back. "Has it ever occurred to you that things won't always be the way things are now? How do you know there won't some argument or fight that you two won't be able to get through? How do you know there won't be something that leads to you two breaking up? Then where does that leave you? You won't have a family. They're too stubborn to forgive you and you're too stubborn to apologize. What happens if you and Sakura ever break up?"

Li looked over at Meilin unwaveringly. "We won't."

Meilin sighed deeply. "I don't know, Li. No one can tell the future. All I can say is that if you two do end up breaking up…I'd hate to have to pick up the pieces. For your sake, Li…I hope I'm wrong."

Somehow, this conversation took a lot of different turns…turns that Li didn't expect to take. So apparently, Meilin had let him go. She wasn't being jealous. She was being protective. Meilin didn't want to see Li get hurt…because she believed a breakup was inevitable. But Li knew she was wrong. He loved Sakura. They would never break up. They were meant for each other.

Weren't they?

It wasn't just another day at the office. Yesterday, something had gone down at the White House. Surveillance tapes found Secret Service agents asleep on the job throughout the White House and people asleep throughout Washington D.C. But this was of no concern to Agent Kevin Carter or the rest of the FBI. This would be handled by Secret Service for now.

Still, it sounded very unusual. Carter couldn't help but think about that. So he went around, talking to everyone there about what happened. Even though he didn't expect to get an answer. Carter wasn't told much around FBI, being the most inexperienced agent…and the youngest.

"They find anything?"

One of his colleagues and his best friend, Chris Jordan, looked at the Washington Post again. "Besides what we already know? Same thing. A busted window in the Oval Office and dozens of Secret Service agents asleep at the switch. Had the President been there, it could have been really bad. I hear that the FBI's still looking over the tape."

"Yeah, but I don't get that, though," Carter said. "How do all those agents fall asleep at once?"

"Gas?" Chris guessed.

"That's probably it, you know. That sounds good. But how do you explain practically all of DC falling asleep?"

Chris grinned. "I don't know. Magic?"

"Ha, ha," Carter expressed sarcastically. "Magic. Where do you get that?"

"Don't worry about it," Chris moaned. "If we have to come in, they'll let us know."

Just as he said that, though, someone else walked into the office. Like everyone else, he was in a black suit and tie and wore dark sunglasses. He was a moderately tall man, standing at about 6'6, and looked very imposing. Carter couldn't put his finger on who it was.

The man held up a videotape and began to speak. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am Agent Arnold Cole of the CIA. We have a dire situation on our hands."

"What's CIA doing here?" Carter asked Chris.

"Don't know," Chris whispered back. "If he's CIA, then it must be bad."

Cole walked over to the nearby VCR. "As you know by now, there was a broken window found in the Oval Office yesterday. This tape I hold in my hand is the surveillance tape that caught every moment to the point where that window was broken. You'll find the results quite startling."

Cole inserted the tape and it started playing. The first thing Carter noticed was someone sitting in the President's chair, facing the window. But it wasn't the President, though. He was in Israel. Then Carter noticed something about who was sitting in the chair and put in his thought.

"That…that don't look…human. That thing ain't human."

Indeed, Carter had noticed that a…walking anteater was sitting in the President's chair. That was definitely…unusual. This must have been the startling discovery that Cole spoke of.

"Wait for it," Cole went on. Then he pointed at the screen. "There…right there."

Carter then saw what he meant. Two other people just walked into the Oval Office. One of them was a Japanese boy, couldn't have been older than 17 or 18. The other was a Japanese girl about the same age, and she was holding some kind of wand. Then the anteater got to its feet and jumped through the window. The boy and the girl went after it.

Cole stopped the tape. "There is reason to believe that these two have something to do with this anteater's break-in. Eyewitnesses also point out other such unusual occurrences in other parts of the country. A strange being was sighted in the steeple of Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Vines were seen coming out of the giant Christmas tree in New York City. And a strange looking imp, clearly not human, was seen in an archaeological area in Salem, Massachusetts. Each instance, these two have been sighted nearby."

Carter was a bit skeptical. "These two? They look like they're just kids."

"Look at them, though," Cole continued. "What do you notice about them?"

Carter just repeated himself. "They're kids?"

"They're foreigners," Cole pointed out. "I do not believe they are from this country. And apparently, neither does the Director of Central Intelligence. He has instructed me to find these two, for they may very well be a threat to national security."

Carter still felt skeptical. "These two? Kids? Threat to national security? They kinda looked like they were chasing that thing out, you know what I mean?"

"They shouldn't have been in there in the first place," Cole growled. "We're not even sure if those two didn't send that thing in the Oval Office. To be sure, we must find them and bring them in for questioning. Then we'll determine if they're a threat to national security.

"But the Director has insisted that I not embark on this covert mission alone. He's insisted I bring along a partner from the FBI, as the rest of CIA has other matters." Cole walked over to Carter. "Since you seem to be the most social person here, why don't you be my partner? And we'll just see how much of a threat these 'kids' are?"

"Man, how hard could it be to find two kids?" Carter scoffed.

"Very," Cole answered. "Especially if they've moved on. Remember Agent…"

"Carter."

"…Carter. They've been sighted in Salem, Philadelphia, and New York. They might still be on the move. Those towns might not be their only targets. So we should go. I'll wait for you outside…and remember, this is a covert operation."

Cole walked out, while Carter remained with his stern expression. Something didn't seem right about this. Was there something he didn't know about these kids? Were they really a threat to national security? It sounded farfetched, but stranger things had happened.

"CIA and FBI?" Chris muttered. "Don't see that everyday."

"I'll bet you don't," Carter mumbled back. "There go my vacation plans. Call me if you hear anything, man. You got my cell phone number, don't you?"

Chris held up his own cell phone. "Speed Dial 3. Got it."

Carter walked out of the office to meet up with Agent Cole. He knew that he might have to involve himself in this sooner or later, but he had no idea he'd end up chasing two kids. But if it was for national security, then he wouldn't argue it.

"Could you make out what they were saying?"

Sakura knew there was an argument ensuing between Li and Meilin. She could hear Li trying to keep his voice in check, but he definitely wasn't happy about something.

Madison shook her head. "I can't hear them. I thought I heard your name, though."

"Really?" Sakura mumbled. "What could they be saying?"

"Do you really want to ask?" Madison responded.

"Why shouldn't I?" Sakura asked. "I know Meilin and I are friends, but I'm starting to get just a little sick of her trying to get between me and Li."

"I don't think that's it," Madison thought.

"What else could it be?" Sakura asked cynically.

"Maybe Li's telling her not to get between you two," Madison tried answering. "Don't you think he's a little tired of this, too?"

"Maybe," Sakura nodded.

She didn't know what to think. Maybe Madison was right. Hopefully, Li was putting a stop to this. But then again, would Meilin be able to take that? Sakura didn't have to think about that for too much longer. Just then, the bus stopped.

"Looks like we're here," Sakura heard Kero say. "And it couldn't have come too soon. I'm hungry!"

Sakura and Madison got up. Usually, Sakura and Madison would walk out side-by-side and meet up with Li and Meilin. But Sakura couldn't wait this time. She ran straight towards Li…making sure to wedge herself between him and Meilin.

"Can I talk to you privately?"

Sakura took Li's arm and let him outside of the bus. She took him through the crowd of people, until she reached an empty spot near the parking lot.

"What were you arguing about?" Sakura asked.

Li seemed to be a bit nervous. He looked like he was a little…edgy.

"You love me, don't you?" Li finally asked.

Sakura nodded. "Of course I do. You know I do."

"Nothing will ever come between us, right?"

Sakura nodded again. "I'll always love you, Li. Nothing will ever change that."

Li breathed a sigh of relief and gave Sakura a romantic kiss. Sakura wrapped her arms around Li and savored this moment. But in the back of her mind, she wondered why Li would ask such a question.

Hopefully, she would eventually find out. In the mean time, Sakura would just treasure this moment. Then she would get around to finding the next American Card.


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below.