Chapter 3. Outside.

Hey, guys, I'm already back… He! He! He! I did tell you this story was almost done, right? ^_~ Anyways, enjoy.

Crystal Heart: Gomen. Gomen, I hope I didn't spell it wrong this time!

Thanks to all of you for your so kind reviews.

Standard Disclaimers Apply.

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He reached in his bag and carefully folded the old parchment in four. Then, straightening up, he was about to slide the paper inside her locker when she cleared her throat behind him, surprising him. Eriol blinked, not turning around and bent his head, closing his eyes in defeat. The silence grew heavy between them and he oddly found himself calm, as if he was expected this to happen.

"How could I not sense you?" He asked her, still not turning to face her. Now that he knew she was behind him, he could almost smell her perfume and feel her presence.

"Syaoran-kun put a spell on me." Tomoyo confessed, still not moving. She couldn't bring her feet to walk closer to him. All she could see was the paper in his right hand. "I had to promise him to stop Touya-kun from strangling him each time they see each other." But it didn't stop her from blabbering, she was feeling so nervous. It truly was Eriol. She had thought maybe it wasn't, maybe he hadn't really heard what she had said, maybe… But, after what she had just witness, she couldn't doubt anymore, Eriol was the one sending the poem to her.

But Eriol didn't hear it.

As she ran out of things to say, she tried once more to bring herself to walk closer to Eriol, but her feet wouldn't obey. All of the sudden, she felt scared. Frightened, she didn't even know why. Her world was shattering again and she didn't want it to change. She wanted things to stay as they were, she wanted him to stay her friend, she wanted no more than that, the rest was too complicated, the rest would bring her only tears and sorrow, she didn't want to see.

Eriol clutched the paper tightly in his right hand when, with a so small voice that he feared he had wounded her physically, she asked. "Why?"

Slowly, he brought his left hand to rest it against her locker and asked back. "Why does people send you letters, everyday?"
And Tomoyo rebelled. Why was he asking that? She started to yell. She had never yelled to him before. "These are just confessions and I…"

His sad smile swept her off her feet and she put hastily her hands on her mouth. Then her heart started to beat. Seeing his smile, so sad, almost pitiful, broke something inside her. It was like it was the first time in her life that her heart had ever beaten. Like a bird learning to fly for the first time, it beat its wings hastily, quicker and quicker then louder and louder, so much in fact that she started to feel pain. But… It was almost enjoyable.

Her whole body trembling, she watched him turn around, his long bangs over his eyes. She watched him, speechless, come nearer and nearer and she feared her heart would burst. But it stopped all of the sudden when he handed her the paper without looking at her. "Here, this is the last part."

Trembling, her eyes fell on his hand and she awkwardly reached out for it, but before she could close her fingers around it, Eriol vanished.

Tomoyo gasped and frantically looked around her. The old parchment laid on the floor unnoticed. "Eriol!" She called, once, then twice and realized that he had never used his magic so bluntly in front of her. Never ever. He could only be in one room, she thought and as she was about to head for the music room, a strong hand fell on her shoulder. Whirling around, Tomoyo met Nakuru's sad eyes.

"Nakuru-chan!" She exclaimed, surprised.

Nakuru hugged Tomoyo as if to protect her, as if to shield her and said. "Tomoyo-sama, it's better to leave him alone right now."

Tomoyo pulled out of her embrace and asked, hurriedly. She feared the Guardian had to come because… Because the Master was… The Master was doing something… Something… "What are you doing here?"

"Master forgot his lunch box home. Because… Because today was the deadline for him to win your heart. As himself, not the mysterious sender."

Tomoyo said nothing and looked down. At her feet, she found the old parchment. She gathered it and opened it, without noticing that Nakuru had left her and started to read. Nor did she notice the tears, which threatened to fall.

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Tomoyo was in the park, sitting alone on the swings, letting the cold biting winter wind harshly attack her black strands and the paper she held tightly between her gloved fingers. He had avoided her the whole day. Pretending to be sick, he had the teachers called upon Nakuru to pick him up back to his mansion, before the first class even started. Their first teacher had said that Eriol had really looked ill, as if his heart had been craved out.

It had taken all Tomoyo's willpower and strength not to burst in tears, nor running away. Syaoran and Sakura had been of an incredible help, keeping the others away, letting her alone, nor asking stupid questions like how she was doing.

He had written the whole poem, this time both in French and in the translated version and she read and read, over and over again, as if it was the last thing for her left to do. Her heart in her chest painfully ached as each word passed by, like a grand waterfall, and her eyes roamed relentlessly over the words, eager to read the next, dreading to reach the end.

So she read the poem again. As if it could stop the hurt and the dread, like a shining barrier of happier times, merry souvenirs and sweet flavours of chocolate and cookies. She refused to move, she refused to let herself hear her cold body's pleas to mercy and heat as the wind grew stronger. Couldn't time hold on a moment? To let her get use to the idea of losing him. Forever. Because she had. She had lost him. But he had too, he had lost her by going away, he had crossed that line and she hadn't, like for Sakura, he had become something unreachable to the kinds like her. So she stayed where she was, her paper in her hands, her little nose turning red, her cheeks bitten by the cold and her heart aching.

Unknown to her, a young man, with messy dark hair was watching her for quite some time, now. He was tall and broad-shouldered with sometimes fiercer eyes than the blazing sun of the desert, sometimes so gentle eyes, which could cast away any worries or troubles. He once had a power, which allowed him to see the souls of the dead people, wandering, worrying about their loved ones, left living. Touya tightened his white scarf around his neck and walked in the playground, where his cousin was sitting.

His black-gloved hands itched for reaching out and hugging the frail figure sitting on the swings to his chest, as it was the first he had witnessed her in a so depressed state. He knew it wasn't the first time she suffered from heartache, but it was the first time someone of her family had seen her in such state. As Touya walked closer to her, he remembered the first time he had seen her, sitting with Sakura, laughing, her long black hair floating. The first time he had realized she was his cousin, the first time he had thought he was in deep trouble because he had now to watch not only over one but two extremely pretty girls.

The first time he had realized there was something different in Tomoyo's eyes than in Sakura's eyes, the first time he had understood that the first loved the second. He hadn't been able to help her that time, because he wasn't the right person to do so.

So, he had watched, like a passer-by, he had watched her face lit up, shadowed down, keeping her feelings inside, walking aside to let the place to another. But then, another had come back, bringing back the joy and smile and the same who had brought all this, was taking it away again from her.

"Tomoyo-chan, what's wrong?"

The voice surprised her and she snapped her head up to see her older cousin standing there. He had a white scarf wrapped around his nose and a heavy black jacket along with the black gloves she had offered him for last Christmas. He smiled over the scarf and sat on the swing, next to hers.

"Touya-kun." She titled her head on the side, trying to quickly shove her emotions inside the box and lock it, before his sharp eyes could notice.

"What's wrong, Tomoyo-chan?" He repeated, his eyes gentle.

Taken aback, Tomoyo realized for the first time she didn't want to lock her emotions away. She wanted to yell them, scream at Eriol how unfair of him it was and yet, she lied. "Hum… Nothing. I just wanted to dream a little by myself in the park."

"It's ugly for a such pretty lady to lie." Touya said, starting the swing slowly. It had snowed the day before and in the park an eerie silence was lingering, as if a faerie spirit was floating around, her fingers on her cherry lips, telling the trees and birds not to disturb the silence.

Only Touya could surprise her so and only him could see so easily through her lies. Eriol could, but only because they had spent so much time together. "Your mother's gone ballistic because you're missing." Touya smiled and explained.

"Oh." Tomoyo only managed to utter. Touya even knew why she was here. "I… I managed to sneak out of school before my bodyguards could catch me."

Touya let another smile escape him and kept on going back and forth on the swing while Tomoyo waited for him to speak. But after a while of watching him play, she realized he wouldn't speak first, he was waiting for her to break the silence, forcing her to say something.

Tomoyo chewed on her lower lip for a moment, while he kept on playing, before asking in a low voice, awkwardly. "How did you feel the first time you realized Yukito-san was… more than just a friend?"

Touya stopped playing all of the sudden and turned on the swing to take a better look at her. "So, he finally confessed." Touya smiled sadly and sighed, leaning on his elbows on his thighs.

Tomoyo blushed and bent her head, insisting. "How did you know you lo-… He was more?"

Touya eyed her a moment in silence, then started slowly, his eyes turning to survey the tranquil park. "It was weird the first days. First, because I knew Yuki wasn't human and wasn't aware of it and then, this doubt was sent away because I realized it wasn't important. But then, I started worrying of being rejected."

Touya stopped and looked up at the sky. It was a mix of orange, red, blue, purple and white, a sunset. "I was scared Yuki wouldn't accept me the way I am if I ever told him anything. So I decided to go on, pretend nothing had changed, but it didn't last long, as Yuki started to have troubles because Sakura couldn't support his life."

Touya looked down to find Tomoyo looking expectantly up at him, her eyes huge and somehow a little fearful. Touya only smiled at her concern for him and reached out to put his hand on her head, telling her in a gesture, he didn't mind bringing out old memories. "Yuki needed me, he needed my power. It didn't matter to me if my real feelings were revealed to Yuki, I just wanted him to be there. That's why I never hesitated when I understood all I needed to do was to give my power to Yuki. Even if Yuki would after think he was abusing of my feelings, I wanted him to be around."

"But, why?" Tomoyo asked weakly. She needed to understand how someone could sacrifice everything, even letting his feelings known to the one he wanted to be happy and so, causing him sadness.

"I wanted him to be around. I wanted to be around him." Tomoyo looked up at him, to see his smiling broadly. Then the smile wavered and his eyes turned sad. "Yuki… Yuki was feeling ashamed because he took my power but when I explained why I couldn't let go, he decided he wouldn't let go either. Yuki is now aware he's not human and so, he and Yue share the memories and when Yue is there, Yuki is too. Like Nakuru in fact. And Yue… Yue was in love with Clow. Yuki and I talked a lot about Clow. Clow was a lonely man because he needn't anyone to go on. Not even Kerberos or Yue, because he already knew what would happen, because he already knew they would find Sakura and Sakura find them. However, Eriol isn't Clow, even if he holds Clow's memories. He needs people to go on. He needs someone to support him and someone he would support, feeling needed and needing someone… Specially you."

Really confused at his words, Tomoyo couldn't help but ask. "Why?"

"Don't you know?" Touya blinked, his turn of being surprised.

Tomoyo earnestly shook her head, in a negative way. "No. I don't understand. Needing someone and being happy is not the same." She firmly said.

Touya's eyes softened and he asked, starting the swing again. "Really?"

"Yes." Tomoyo nodded, sure of herself. She knew happiness couldn't be that.

But his following question shook her, once more. "Are you happy?"

Tomoyo remained speechless for a couple of minutes before saying. "I… I guess." But her tone had wavered, failing to show the same firmness it had earlier displayed. She knew she was lying. She wasn't happy, otherwise why would she be there, sitting alone in a freezing park? She knew she was lying and he knew it too. Just like Eriol had always known when she was doing it.

"Guess?" Touya repeated. She was confused and lying to him, an automatic response to keep the others at bay, from worrying about her. He mused sadly, his cousin was too careful of not making others making worry about her sometimes.

"I know happiness when the one I love is be happy." She said, almost absent-mindedly.

Touya stopped the swing suddenly and turned to her. "But Sakura is happy with Syaoran. And you're not happy." He pointed out, shaking his head.

She tried to take control of the conversation, she didn't want someone to pry her feelings, she didn't want someone else to see and know. "I…"

But Touya didn't let her run away from his sharp eyes. "Don't you think it's about time you start being selfish for a while and take what's yours?" Tomoyo gave up. He had said the same thing too. Another day, shortly after she had confessed how hurt she had been when Syaoran had returned, how ugly she had felt to feel this way or how she felt too coward to tell Sakura her real feelings, he had said the same, while pushing his glasses up his nose.

Beaten, Tomoyo acknowledged the fact that another dark-haired man had seen right through her defences and honestly repeated. "I don't understand."

Touya stood up and stretched. Tomoyo followed his movements with her eyes and waited for him to speak when he extended a hand to her. "You will." Touya's face broke with a gentle smile. "Better call your mom, now. I'm afraid she's already killed my dad because she couldn't find you. She was already shaking him crazy when I left." Touya pulled her after him outside the freezing park, reaching inside his jacket for his cell phone, without letting go of her hand.

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"I've decided to go back to England."

Spinel snapped out of his book and looked up at his master, curled in his chair. Nakuru had brought him back several hours ago, already and it was the first time Eriol had spoken since he was back from school. "Master?"  Spinel flew from the cushioned bench under the window to the arm of the red chair. With a little paw the winged-creature patted gently its master's cheek. He knew it was bound to happen. When Nakuru had been back from school, with Eriol, after she had told him what had happened, Spinel had known it was a matter of time before their master decided to leave. Eriol had spent the day in the chair, unmoving, like a frozen doll, he had just stared into nothing, even when Nakuru tried to shove food in his mouth.

A shrill answered his declaration coming from the kitchen. "What?" Nakuru burst in the living room. "Eriol-sama, Why?" She whined her long hair flying everywhere, as she shook her head vehemently in denial.

Eriol stared down at her for a long time. These were his guardians, the ones he created to achieve his dream. But, over the years, without him noticing, they changed from Guardians to companions. Somewhere, along the line, something went wrong and… But, was it truly wrong? That he didn't feel like their Master anymore but as their friend? He ought to explain. "I…" He started when a ringing stopped him. "The phone." He remarked.

Spinel flew over and peeked the number from the machine. "It's Syaoran-sama's cell phone."

Eriol felt a smile creep on his lips. "Hand it over." So the descendant is worried.

Syaoran didn't let him the chance to speak and as soon as Eriol placed the receiver against his ear, the Chinese boy in his best grumpy mood, with the voice and probably the scowl too, bluntly said. "I want to meet you now. Hurry up and bring your sorry ass to the park."

"No!" Eriol cheerfully said and hang up.

"That was pretty rude, Eriol-sama." Nakuru lectured him but he ignored beautifully.

"That's okay. Prepare a mug of hot chocolate for Syaoran." Eriol sat up in his chair and Spinel flew to his shoulder. Eriol smiled gently to him and scratched Spinel's chin, just like Spinel liked it while Nakuru disappeared once more in the kitchen.

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"Right on time, Syaoran-kun!" Nakuru said cheerfully as Syaoran kicked their front door open. Syaoran blinked at her, then scowled. So the jerk was expecting him.

"What do you want?" Syaoran growled as he walked past her.

Nakuru shook her head and moved to prevent Syaoran from going further in the house. But Syaoran would have none of this and tried to walk round her. "Just as Master said it would happen." Nakuru sighed heavily.

Syaoran stopped and pondered for a moment: Eriol had known he would come, he had known what would happen. "That guy…" He started but Nakuru stopped him.

"He didn't get his divinatory powers back. But, he knows you. Like you should know him." She added slowly and causing Syaoran to frown. If there was something on earth he couldn't figure out was Eriol Hiiragizawa. What did that freak mean? The freak in question only smiled at the scowl and frown and turned herself back in her true form but she made her wings disappeared, as they bothered her. 

"Ruby Moon." Syaoran finally greeted her and gave her his mantle when she extended her hand. Smiling, she nodded to him and told him.

"Master's waiting in the living-room." Finally stepping aside, Ruby Moon allowed him to go beat the crap out of her Master if Syaoran had a word in it.

He was angry, oh, so angry. That stupid guy had made Tomoyo's day miserable and in the extent, Sakura depressed. Aside from reading that shitty piece of parchment, Tomoyo did nothing but look like she was ready to burst in tears or shatter if somebody touched her. His anger flooded the mansion, causing Spinel to look up from his master's chair arm and the small black creature sighed when the Chinese boy came in.

Eriol was still sitting in his red chair, her head bent on his chest, Spinel on his right. His bangs were falling on his eyes and Syaoran couldn't see his expression.

Without waiting for Syaoran to start yelling, Spinel transformed back to his true form and settled at his master's feet, like a guarding dog. And Syaoran couldn't ignore the actual glare coming from the always-composed Spinel Sun.

It actually managed to calm Syaoran down a little, therefore, all he did was yelling. "What did you do to Tomoyo, stupid jackass? She was all depressed because of you! I told you not to play with her!" He accused and Syaoran would have go on for hours like that, when Eriol suddenly started laughing, just when Ruby Moon entered the room. Madly, the English boy started to laugh and Syaoran couldn't believe his eyes or his ears. Meanwhile, someone rang at their door except that none but Spinel heard it, between Syaoran's curses in both Chinese and Japanese, Ruby Moon's yells and Eriol's hysteric laughter. Knowing there was really little he could do, Spinel got to open the door. Maybe, it was the sole person his master wanted to see.

Barely containing his anger, Syaoran walked to Eriol, ready to beat the other man up: was he laughing because he had managed to pull a good stunt? Under the rage, Syaoran gathered his power and slowly released it, creating a barrier that engulfed only Eriol's house naturally.

Panicked, Ruby Moon ran before her master, extending her arms to protect him. Ruby Moon was going her best against Syaoran but her shield wouldn't last very long. When the two of them had first met, she could have easily beaten him, but he had grown up, so had his power and his physical strength, she no longer was a match for him, but it didn't stop her from doing her best in restraining him to touch her master. "Syaoran-kun!" She yelled. "Don't! Stop!" If Syaoran used stronger attacks, she knew she wouldn't be able to hold him back, but she had to try, her master was more than worth it.

"Move!" Syaoran yelled at Ruby Moon then threw another insult at Eriol, still chuckling behind Ruby Moon. "You asshole! Move, Ruby Moon!" He warned Ruby Moon one more time, before strengthening his attack. But the Guardian was stubborn and only yelled back.

"Never! Look at his eyes!" Her outburst surprised Syaoran. Why would she want him to look at Eriol's eyes? Syaoran naturally threw a glance at the other's eyes to see tears glistening and running down the English boy face. Syaoran stopped all of the sudden and withdrawn his powers. Tears.

"What the hell is going on down here?" A dry voice resonated from behind him, a voice he dreaded to hear whenever he was walking his love home, making Syaoran turn around. His personal nemesis, his archenemy, Touya, was there. Followed by Yukito and Spinel Sun, Sakura's older brother came in, glaring at Syaoran. Spinel Sun and Yukito hurried to Ruby Moon's side to see if she was all right. And Ruby Moon tackled Yukito to the ground, her arms around his neck.

A small voice, which belonged to someone ignored in the room suddenly rose and froze the others with its lack of life. "I'm going back to England." Eriol said.

Touya snorted rudely. "Are you running away again?" Eriol's head snapped up and eyes wide behind his glasses, he watched the tall young man walk to one of the chairs and installed himself.

Yukito smiled at Touya's rudeness and sat up, on the floor, Ruby Moon gently, but firmly removed from his lap. "She's worth another try, isn't she?" Eriol turned his eyes down at him.

"Yue." He called, sorrowfully.

"Yue's heart and Yukito's heart are now one." The silver-haired man said. "We are no longer different so I know more than anyone else that Clow had always been alone and miserable, even with me and Kerberos. I believe it's about time to make thing change a little, don't you think?" He then said quietly, almost shyly, looking at his hands. "Maybe, like for me, it may end up really well."

But only Eriol heard his small confession, as Syaoran yelled at Touya. "What the hell are you going here?"

Which earned him an answer as dry. "What about you, brat?"

Yukito shook his head and raised his hands. "Maa, Touya-kun… Let's not start fighting, we're not here for that, if I recall." Yukito held Touya's gaze for a few minutes, smiling gently and Touya backed away, to Syaoran's wonder.

Turning his head aside, Touya swore. "Che. Do I have to have a reason?" He asked Syaoran, standing up and looming over the other boy. Much to Syaoran's chagrin, Touya was still taller than he was.

"Tomoyo is my cousin and the only child of her family, so someone has to take care of her." At this point, Touya crossed his arms on his chest, as if daring Syaoran to deny him that right.

"Even if she's intelligent enough to take care of herself most of the time, she still needs someone to push her in the right direction." Touya slowly turned from Syaoran to Eriol, catching the other dark-haired eyes. "After all, as gifted that she is, she's still only a human." He said, watching Eriol in the eyes. Only Touya could shock him so, his own son in a strange way. Eriol thought, bending his head, as he no longer was able to hold Touya's fierce stare, a wry smile on his lips.

"As for me, I remember my time as Yue, now." Yukito explained quietly. "I've found my memories of the time we lived with Clow."

Almost like a sob, or a crack in the wooden box, something snapped open in Eriol's chest. Thousands of thoughts went flying restlessly in Eriol's mind. First, her picture, always her, first. Then his heart and his foolish actions, he should have known better, he had known from the very beginning he was fighting a lost battle, so why did he go on? Another mystery to add under the category 'Human Heart Matter'.

Then, something else was surprising him. Eriol raised his head and met Touya's gaze. Why do you care? I'm just the other half of your father, a stranger you've met maybe twice. Someone who disrupted your lives. "Why?" He finally forced himself to ask, weakly.

Weakly, and Syaoran stared. He had never seen Eriol look weak and somehow, it didn't please him, no it frightened him. After all, Eriol was technically family and a relative's problems were his problems since he was the Head Clan. Strengthening his resolve, Syaoran nodded to himself and tightened his fists. It was going to be a long night, with Eriol's thick head.

Touya only shrugged, his hands shoved in his pockets. "You were once one with my father, so you're a part of the family and someone has to do something. If not friends, why not family?"

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She was crying. Her baby was crying her heart out on her bed in the dark, her sheets clasped tightly in her hands, her head buried on her white pillows, her so dark hair spilled on them, looking like blood. In the pale light of the fading day, on this winter afternoon, Tomoyo was still locked up in her own room. Sonomi had finally found the spare key to her daughter's room and after a multitudes of call unanswered, pleas ignored and worries looked over, she had decided, as a mother, to step in her daughter's intimacy without her consent.

Tomoyo had gone missing, after the school, the day before and had spent the whole Saturday bed ridden. She had refused to eat or drink, or speak. She had refused to share her feelings, or cry. But, then, one of the maids had found an old letter, a strange message in a foreign tone and thinking it would please Tomoyo as she had been seen several times with it, had given it to her. Then something had snapped. And torrents of tears had flowed since then.

So, there she was, in Tomoyo's doorway, watching her daughter and her torn heart, sobbing on her bed.

Sonomi rushed to Tomoyo's side and put her arms around her frail form.

"Tomoyo, Tomoyo dear…" Sonomi whispered urgently, each sobs Tomoyo let go was breaking her heart. How could she, her own mother, make her stop crying? How could she dry her tears? How could she stop whatever was hurting her baby? "Tell mother what happened. Sweetheart, stop crying… Shh, mother is here… Tell me…" She rocked Tomoyo in her arms, back and forth, back and forth, but nothing, apart sobs from Tomoyo answered her. So Sonomi repeated her pleas again, and again, till her daughter's weak voice, on the verge of breaking finally said.

"He… He says he's in… The letters, it was him… His confession to me and I… I don't know what to do… I don't want to lose him… But I…"

Sonomi sighed. A guy problem. She hugged Tomoyo tighter to her chest and asked her again. "Dearest, why are you crying?"

Tomoyo buried her head in her mother's chest, letting her familiar warmth engulfed her, making her feel safe. "Because I… I… He…" Tomoyo hiccupped and her mother finished for her.

"Because Eriol-kun loves you?" Sonomi asked gently. Brushing Tomoyo's bangs off her eyes, Sonomi cupped her daughter's face, smiling gently down at her. And you don't know how you feel about him?" At Tomoyo's surprised stare of her mother already knowing what was going on, Sonomi smiled proudly and whispered, before dropping a kiss in Tomoyo's hair. "Touya-kun. Well, what do you think?"

Tomoyo pulled gently out of her mother's arms and kneeled on the covers of her bed, sniffling. Slowly, she started. "I… I like Eriol a lot. But I still don't know if it's…"

"Love?" Sonomi proposed and Tomoyo nodded, without looking at her.

"Hum."

Sonomi smiled ruefully and thought of kissing Touya right now. Sonomi had called him, demanding him to come over to explain exactly what he did to her daughter or what had happened the night he found her alone in the park, because she had locked herself up. Touya had rushed over, worried for Tomoyo and had explained with few words what had occurred. Actually, he was still sitting downstairs, in the living room. Then, nodding to herself, knowing it was the best way for Tomoyo, she proposed. "Dearest, what you need right now is a bowl of fresh air."

Tomoyo stared blankly at her mother. Her hair was a mess, her eyes were surely all red and blurry, all swollen. There were some women who could cry prettily… Tomoyo wasn't among them.  "I… I really don't feel like going out." She said, suddenly feeling al conscious of herself. But, Sonomi would have none of this.

"Oh? Even with a nice gentleman with glasses, who happens to be waiting for you downstairs? He proposes a nice cup of tea and maybe few cakes at the new teahouse." Tomoyo stopped breathing. And jumped out of bed, ran out of her bedroom, flew down the stairs, her heart beating loudly and between each of the beats, a name was repeated. Could it be? Could he? Had he? Really? Was he going to tell her again? Could she ask him for forgiveness?

Eriol. Eriol. Eriol. Eriol. Eriol. Eriol. Eriol. Eriol. Eriol. Eriol.

The questions whirled, the doubts plagued but neither slowed her course, she needed to see if her hopes were… But, it was another young man, who was standing down the stairs, Tomoyo's coat under his arm. Yukito smiled gently down at her, when she stopped in the entrance of the living room, her eyes huge and the disappointment obvious on her features.

"I will not take offence of this air of huge disappointment, only if you would accept my invitation for a cup of tea and maybe a cake or two."

Tomoyo blushed, embarrassed, and nodded. Sighing, she turned upon her heels to get ready, but her mother was right behind her, a hairbrush in her right hand and before Tomoyo could blink twice, her hair had been brushed, her face wiped from tears, her purse shoved in her hands, her dress changed to a none wrinkled one and she and Yukito were standing in front of Tomoyo's mansion front door.

"Maa," Yukito remarked. "Your mother is quite efficient when she wants something."

And Tomoyo could only agree.

End Chapter 3.

Tada! Here's the end of chapter 3.

Review Time:

Ranka: Thank you! I hope I won't disappoint you too much! Watch out the next few days, the next (and last) part is about to come out!!

GoldenRed Phoenixia: Heheheheheh! *Blush*  thanks!!

Sweetblossom: well, two chapters in less than 3 days, it's not that bad, right? ^_~

Psych: Wait!! Just a few days! Maybe even tomorrow for the next part!! (written on the 9/12/02)

June: Heh, sorry I made her confront him immediately. But, I really hope you didn't mind!

Crystal Heart: I'm sorry! I'm so ashamed! I hate it too when people misspelled my name or a manga character name's, it just ticks me off! I can't believe I did that in my own story!! Yah! Sorry!!

Summer Rain: Thank you! In fact, after the chapter 2, I was bone tired, so as soon as I finished it I updated it and went to bed… That's why I didn't let any comments at the end… -_-;

Space Ranger: Hehehehe, Tomoyo's pretty intelligent, after all. At least, she's not dumb enough not to look by herself for the mysterious guy identity! Anyway, we're nearing the end, hold on with me!

Polgara-C: BLUSH. Embarrassed… Thanks…

Sachi-chan: Yeah! I'm glad! I was scared Syaoran would be too much out of character… Bouh, I'm glad you think he isn't!

Nasia: Yay! I'm French and I love Paul Eluard's poem. And it's an excellent way to approach a girl!! Well, in my point of view.

Kalyani: Close! You almost found out! (When I read your review the first time, I freaked out, thinking, my god, that girl almost got it right! Am I that obvious?)

Chrisie B.: Thanks for your support!

KasumiDestruction: Spin the Spinel… Poor Spinel Sun… I found that, looking at a picture of Spinel (you know, one when he's in his real form, on a tree branch, by night) and his tail could be seen, and it's all rolled, spun at the end of it… So, the "Spin the Spinel" part…

Tomoyo&Eriol4ever: I'm so sorry it took me forever to update! I just hope it was worth your time!

KyteAura: Ah! This part wasn't exactly quite funny for Tomoyo, was it? But who knows, maybe it can all turn well, in the end… ^_~

BlueBerrieAngel: I'm so sooooooorrrry! I made you guys wait forever! Wah! Gomen! But, I promise the next part will be up tomorrow or the day after, not after! I swear it!!

Well, please, leave me a review and see you on the next chapter!

Mikim