Chloe stared out of the window at the frozen snow that lay across the
gardens of the Li family residence. Nothing had changed. She could see that
though the snow. Yet there was a warmer feeling to the usually cold
Syaoran. It was almost as if the sun had come out and melted his defences
away. He seamed much more carefree and. she couldn't really tell, but knew
there was something else different about him.
The way he treated her now was different. Almost more caring, they had been best friends for years but no matter how hard she had prayed for his love she knew it belonged, and always would belong to someone else. Sakura. She looked down onto a packet of playing cards in front of her. She was so tempted. She knew something had gone wrong. No matter how Syaoran tried to hide it, he wasn't really with Sakura yet.
Earlier the family had persuaded her to go and visit, or at least turn up, at her foster parents Christmas party. They held one every year. She had been so reluctant to go they must have known something was wrong. She had informed a "friend" of hers that they would be there since she had already told that person to seek her out.
Chloe looked out of the window in disgust as she thought of her foster parents. She hated them, loathed them, and detested them. No matter what way she put it she basically wished she had never met them. And yet she would be going to see them in a few short hours.
"You're not changed" Came a quiet and soft voice from the doorway. And Chloe turned to face the boy whom she loved more than any other in the world. Syaoran looked tired in his eyes. As though he hadn't slept for a day. But ever so handsome in his tuxedo that his mother had brought him especially for the occasion.
"I have nothing to wear" she told him trying not to sound too much like a wet blanket. A Small smile appeared on the corner of Syaorans lips. He had been smiling much more recently. He had become so much less mysterious, but yet she still loved him all the same.
She was a year younger than Syaoran in age but it was easy to forget it. She had been moved up a year in school because her intellect wasn't being challenged enough in the year below, and she acted so much like she was older. He is now seventeen and she had turned sixteen. It was amazing how time would fly when you were alone.
"You can change when you get there. I'm sure one of your outfits will be at the manor." He told her and led her out of the room. They closed the front door behind them and the Li Family household was left silent. Nothing had changed. But after a minute a face stared into the house with a malicious glare through the window Chloe had looked out of, staring more particularly at where a pack of cards had lay, but now were no longer there.
* * * * *
Chloe looked apprehensively at the large manor house in front of her. Decorated with tinsel and lights. It looked so innocent. If only people knew what lay within. Mr and Mrs Elgin were her foster parents. Mainly because her really parents couldn't be found. They hadn't given her away to them, but she just couldn't find out where they were.
It was one of the reasons she had longed to be in England. So why did she come back to Hong Kong instead of keep looking? Meiling seamed to sense Chloes' nervousness about the place and squeezed her hand out of sight from the boys, to comfort Chloe.
Chloe breathed out heavily. She hated this place. It was torture to her just being here, but feeling Meilings hand squeeze hers made her feel better. But nobody knew how badly she hated the place, and the people within it.
Meiling had no idea really. She just thought Chloe was nervous because she hadn't seen her foster parents in ages. If only she knew the truth. Chloe cast a side-glance at Syaoran and Eriol. Syaoran was yet again scowling and Eriol was smiling. He's so cute when he scowls, Chloe thought, but so handsome when he smiles.
Slowly they began to walk toward the house, what ever would they say when they saw her again?
* * * * *
Mr and Mrs Elgin were pretty normal for rich people. They had a lovely big manor house intricately decorated with items from all over the world. The house was decorated every year especially for this event. No expense was paid on food and drink especially, for the guests.
The Li family usually attended, but only because of the girl they had fostered. Although she hadn't been seen for a year and a half. Mr Elgin was welcoming guests while Mrs Elgin was busy running round chatting and gossiping with them.
Mr Elgin raised his head to greet the next group of guests when someone amongst the group caught his eye and made his smile turn sour. The girl they had fostered was here. The thorn in their side was back.
"You" he muttered supposedly loud enough for only her to hear, although the Li boy looked as though he may have heard it too, and his blue eyed companion. The other girl however seamed completely unaware.
"Hi" she replied nervously.
"Welcome to the festivities" Mr Elgin said putting on his fake air of interest, "please go in and join the party. Except you." He finished looking at Chloe "I need a word with you" he saw her eyes open in fear, and so she should be afraid.
* * * * *
Chloe stumbled in the darkness. She could remember the light switch being somewhere around here. She tripped and fell onto her already injured arms and legs. Mr Elgin really hadn't been pleased to see her again. She'd always realised he hated her. he always injured her like this, but she hadn't realised he hated her this much.
Her friends were downstairs yet he had still locked her in the attic. Like he always used to.
"Damn it where's that switch." She said out loud and then a light came on. Only she hadn't turned it on. She looked around the deserted room that was the attic, and lifted herself to her feet.
"You asked for light so I gave you light" a deep voice came from behind her. And she turned to face.
"You?" she said confused "How did you get here?"
"I'll be quite frank with you Miss Nonaka, I'm not a real person." The boy replied. His gorgeous amber eyes sparkling like Syaorans did sometimes. "I'm what people would call, a guardian angel."
"But you're the boy from the bar. Aren't you?"
"Yes I had kept an eye on you, but I obviously wasn't as inconspicuous as I had hoped." He told her smiling.
"With eyes like that how could you" she told him with a somewhat lop sided grin as she got to her feet.
"Like Li Syaorans I believe." He said and chloes head snapped up to look at him quicker than a lightning bolt. He just smiled at her took her hand and led her to some boxes that she could sit on. "I know all about you Chloe." He told her "There is no point in trying to cover it up."
He knelt by her side and started healing her wounds.
"Do you know how Syaoran feels for me? Just friendship right?"
"Depends" the boy replied moving to her other arm and shoulder to heal it.
"On what" she asked but only got that smile in return, "You know don't you? But aren't going to tell me."
"Life is about risks. This one is only a small one, others to come will be bigger. Do you know how you feel for him?"
"He's my friend I-"
"I meant in you heart." He said and Chloe stopped. She hadn't thought deeply enough about it recently. She had gone to England to 'discover herself' but what had she found out really. "You don't need to separate yourself from people to know how you feel. When the time comes you will know"
Chloe looked at the boy in front of her. He couldn't have been much older than she was. His raven black hair and amber eyes were quite a combination and looked more stunning than she would have believed when he was up close.
"What are you going to wear?" he asked her looking at her clothes. She was wearing jeans and a mandarin style top. Obviously not ball material. She looked at him her face showing a little anguish, but he just smiled and said, "follow me".
He led her around the attic until they came to a wall. It had been an area Mr Elgin had always wanted to go in but they couldn't. There was no door to be seen, and not even a sledgehammer had chipped it. Chloe had known that there was something magical about it but could never figure out what. The boy led her around to where a wall met the roof slant.
There was letters there. It was small but clear in the dim light. The letters were "JN". She didn't know why but she felt compelled to touch them and when her fingers touched the cool stone a bright light shone from the letters getting brighter and filling the room with warmth. Soon a doorway appeared. The boy led her into the room. It was a large room and filling the room was boxes.
"What is this place?" she asked as she watched the doorway close but was still visible from the inside. But the boy had gone. Leaving her to look around the boxes until one caught her eye and for one reason only. It was an old box. Just like all the others but something was written on it that made chloes heart skip a beat. The writing read;
"Chloe Nonaka"
* * * * *
"So have you told her why you and Sakura-San aren't together?" Eriol said looking at Syaoran from the corner of one eye. Syaoran didn't answer. He just stood there outside in the Elgin house looking over the snowy gardens.
"I don't trust that man. I mean you must have heard the tone of his voice when he saw Chloe." Syaoran stated trying to change the subject. Eriol wasn't fooled easily but just smiled and carried on with the subject in hand.
"Yes I know. He doesn't like Chloe. But then her feelings for him are mutual." Syaoran raised and eyebrow. "But you still haven't answered my question." Eriol stated turning the subject back, to Syaorans obvious dislike. Meiling, who was standing a few meters away, was looking up into the clear starry sky. Although she looked quite confused.
"What's that?" she called pointing at the roof.
* * * * *
It was certainly cold now outside. Chloe felt the freezing weather hit her as she climbed out of a gap in the ceiling of the roof and onto the tiles themselves.
Why did I decide to do this? Chloe thought, although she already knew the answer. Her hair blustered in the breeze, which further chilled her to the bone. She shuffled along the top of the drainage trying to grasp whatever she could to stop her from slipping. Not that it was working. She cast a glance to the courtyard down below. Which was a mistake.
"A five bloody storey house. I'll kill whoever decided to build upwards" she muttered and closed her eyes for a second. Sometimes she really hated being up high. She was sort of used to it though. She had had to take this root from the many times the Elgins had locked her in the attic.
She looked down at herself. She'd never done it in a long dress before, in fact she'd never been this dressed up before. She cursed herself for trying a stunt like this in a dress. But there was one thing that was really worrying her now. When she had looked down Syaoran, Eriol, and Meiling had been in the courtyard.
"Damn" she muttered and took another step, but slipped. She fell forward onto the tiles. She desperately flung her arms out for anything to hold herself up but and slid down and off the roof completely. She panicked, there was nothing now to grab hold of. She could see the ground getting closer and saw Syaoran rush out a ward paper.
A second later she hit something, something that wasn't elemental, it felt human. She looked down and could see the ground three storeys below her. Syaoran was standing bemused holding the ward paper up as if he had been about to use it, Eriol looked worried but a second later smiled and Meiling was now jumping up and down in excitement.
Chloe saw the ground slowly getting closer and looked up and looked into a pair of icy grey eyes, which she had never been so relieved to see in her life.
* * * * *
Syaoran stood there, ward paper half way into the air. He blinked a few times but never took his eyes off Chloe at the figure holding her close. A second later he felt Eriols hand on his arm gently pushing it back to his side.
The figure holding Chloe stopped hovering a few inches from the snowy ground, and he watched as the 'person' lowered her down to the floor. Seconds later tree pairs of other feet actually touched the soft snow. Chloe smiled at one of the other two figures then the 'person' that had caught her and lowered her to the floor. She bowed and then ran up to the girl and hugged her.
Syaoran blinked again. He couldn't believe how alike they looked. Both with green eyes only the other figure had short hair. He knew that if Chloe hadn't had dyes her hair they would have the same hair colour too. He knew this girl only too well. And the other two also.
"Sakura-Chan!" Chloe said as she pulled back from the hug. "So glad you could make it. You too, Cerberos. And Yue thank you so much for saving my life."
Syaoran just stayed on the spot in shock. Ward paper in his hand. So this was the friend Chloe had talked about, Sakura, Clow mistress, and for a time and maybe still the object of his affections.
* * * * *
The group wandered inside and settled in a room which the Elgins party was not occupying yet. Syaoran sat down in a chair and scowled at Chloe and Sakura who were talking with Meiling, Eriol, Yue and Cerberos were on the outside of the group talking between themselves and occasionally whispering.
After a minute people entered the room and began sitting down and talking amongst themselves, making it hard for him to pick out parts of the two groups conversations. Chloes gaze caught Syaorans and excused herself from the conversation, leaving Sakura and Meiling to watch and talk.
"Are you mad at me?" Chloe asked sitting down beside Syaoran on the Victorian style double chair. Syaoran didn't answer, thoughts were running around his head and he couldn't think straight. The last thing he wanted to do at the moment was say something to upset everyone.
He looked up and noticed both groups were watching them. Standing up, he grasped chloes hand and almost dragged her from the room back into the courtyard.
"Syaoran-Kun whatever is the matter?" Chloe said as they stopped "You are mad at me aren't you?" she then said and lowered her eyes. Syaorans heart dropped, he hated to see her upset like this. And almost without realising it stepped forward and raised her chin with his hand so her eyes looked into his. He smiled briefly and then shook his head.
"I'm not mad at you." He told her "I just, well I was a bit shocked I guess, with sakura being here, and I was worried."
"Worried?" Chloe asked looking a tad confused.
"You fell off the roof, and I thought that maybe I wouldn't be able to help, if Yue hadn't had caught you when he did I'm sure I would have been too late." This time Syaoran lowered his eyes to look at his feet, he could feel a slight blush starting to burn his face.
"You wouldn't have." Chloe told him and leaned her head in so he didn't have to look up again to see her. "You've never let anyone down, never let me down. You beat yourself up for the little things, what would your mother say?"
"She'd say I have been lazy and need to start training at three in the morning." Syaoran smiled and looked at her. Chloe giggled at him and smiled back, her green eyes sparkling in the moonlight that illuminated them.
"Count me out." she told him "I'm not getting up that early, I need my sleep"
The couple stood there in the garden for a few more minutes talking. Until they decided to head back. But when they were a few meters from the icy fountain that stood outside the manor Chloe stopped.
"What's wrong?" Syaoran asked reaching inside his coat for the string and ball that would soon become a sword if he needed it.
"Follow me." She whispered and then ran off in the opposite direction. Syaoran kept up the chase effortlessly, as he followed her through the maze that was Elgin manor gardens. After a minute he came out from the tall trees and saw the most beautiful sight his eyes had seen.
"Isn't it wonderful?" she asked him "I used to come here every night. No one knew about it except me. I'd sit and look at the stars. And wonder where my parents were." Chloe smiled at him and beckoned him to stand next to her
"I'm sure you'll find them" Syaoran told her standing beside her. And looking up at the sky. But when he turned to look at Chloe he saw air.
"Down here silly" her voice came and he looked down where to see Chloe laying on her back on the snow. Syaoran sat down and then lay back. "It's much easier this way. You don't get neck ache." She said and turned her head to look at him and smiled. Syaoran looked at her. She was truly beautiful. Like an angel. She reminded him of Sakura in so many ways.
They lay in silence for a few minutes and then Chloe sat up, and started to rub her arms, shaking from the cold. She smiled weakly at him. "Forgot how could it can be in winter" she joked. Syaoran sat up and took off his coat wrapping it around her shoulders. Chloe stared into his eyes. There was something she wasn't telling him he was sure of it. But what could he do? He would just have to wait until she was willing to tell him.
Chloes lips had a faint tinge of blue to them and she shivered again.
"Do you want to go back?" Syaoran asked.
"No but I'm just so cold. You take your jacket and let's go back. Or you'll catch cold too." She told him and started to move, but stopped noticing Syaoran was still sitting there. Chloe pulled the coat closer. "Syaoran?"
"keep the jacket on, you'll be warmer, don't worry I'm fine. We'll sit here until your ready to go." He told her and held his hand out. She took his hand and sat back down. Syaoran didn't even seam to realise as her pulled her closer and put his arm round her. He did notice though that chloes cheeks were rather red, but put that down to the cold weather.
After a few minutes Chloe rested her head against Syaorans shoulder, and he seamed to realise that he had his arm round her. and Blushed furiously red. Maybe he had thought she was Sakura, maybe it was just that he was looking after her as one does a friend, or maybe it was something else, but Syaoran couldn't put down a reason as to why he was doing what he was.
They sat there for another hour, on top of the hill, trees just behind them, gazing at the moon and stars. Syaorans coat wrapped around Chloe and his arm across her shoulders and her head resting peacefully against his shoulders. Both blushing. Everything looked so harmless.
But the trees behind hid their stalker. Crimson eyes blazing like a hundred fires. Full of contempt, malice, and a hunger, for vengeance.
* * * * *
The way he treated her now was different. Almost more caring, they had been best friends for years but no matter how hard she had prayed for his love she knew it belonged, and always would belong to someone else. Sakura. She looked down onto a packet of playing cards in front of her. She was so tempted. She knew something had gone wrong. No matter how Syaoran tried to hide it, he wasn't really with Sakura yet.
Earlier the family had persuaded her to go and visit, or at least turn up, at her foster parents Christmas party. They held one every year. She had been so reluctant to go they must have known something was wrong. She had informed a "friend" of hers that they would be there since she had already told that person to seek her out.
Chloe looked out of the window in disgust as she thought of her foster parents. She hated them, loathed them, and detested them. No matter what way she put it she basically wished she had never met them. And yet she would be going to see them in a few short hours.
"You're not changed" Came a quiet and soft voice from the doorway. And Chloe turned to face the boy whom she loved more than any other in the world. Syaoran looked tired in his eyes. As though he hadn't slept for a day. But ever so handsome in his tuxedo that his mother had brought him especially for the occasion.
"I have nothing to wear" she told him trying not to sound too much like a wet blanket. A Small smile appeared on the corner of Syaorans lips. He had been smiling much more recently. He had become so much less mysterious, but yet she still loved him all the same.
She was a year younger than Syaoran in age but it was easy to forget it. She had been moved up a year in school because her intellect wasn't being challenged enough in the year below, and she acted so much like she was older. He is now seventeen and she had turned sixteen. It was amazing how time would fly when you were alone.
"You can change when you get there. I'm sure one of your outfits will be at the manor." He told her and led her out of the room. They closed the front door behind them and the Li Family household was left silent. Nothing had changed. But after a minute a face stared into the house with a malicious glare through the window Chloe had looked out of, staring more particularly at where a pack of cards had lay, but now were no longer there.
* * * * *
Chloe looked apprehensively at the large manor house in front of her. Decorated with tinsel and lights. It looked so innocent. If only people knew what lay within. Mr and Mrs Elgin were her foster parents. Mainly because her really parents couldn't be found. They hadn't given her away to them, but she just couldn't find out where they were.
It was one of the reasons she had longed to be in England. So why did she come back to Hong Kong instead of keep looking? Meiling seamed to sense Chloes' nervousness about the place and squeezed her hand out of sight from the boys, to comfort Chloe.
Chloe breathed out heavily. She hated this place. It was torture to her just being here, but feeling Meilings hand squeeze hers made her feel better. But nobody knew how badly she hated the place, and the people within it.
Meiling had no idea really. She just thought Chloe was nervous because she hadn't seen her foster parents in ages. If only she knew the truth. Chloe cast a side-glance at Syaoran and Eriol. Syaoran was yet again scowling and Eriol was smiling. He's so cute when he scowls, Chloe thought, but so handsome when he smiles.
Slowly they began to walk toward the house, what ever would they say when they saw her again?
* * * * *
Mr and Mrs Elgin were pretty normal for rich people. They had a lovely big manor house intricately decorated with items from all over the world. The house was decorated every year especially for this event. No expense was paid on food and drink especially, for the guests.
The Li family usually attended, but only because of the girl they had fostered. Although she hadn't been seen for a year and a half. Mr Elgin was welcoming guests while Mrs Elgin was busy running round chatting and gossiping with them.
Mr Elgin raised his head to greet the next group of guests when someone amongst the group caught his eye and made his smile turn sour. The girl they had fostered was here. The thorn in their side was back.
"You" he muttered supposedly loud enough for only her to hear, although the Li boy looked as though he may have heard it too, and his blue eyed companion. The other girl however seamed completely unaware.
"Hi" she replied nervously.
"Welcome to the festivities" Mr Elgin said putting on his fake air of interest, "please go in and join the party. Except you." He finished looking at Chloe "I need a word with you" he saw her eyes open in fear, and so she should be afraid.
* * * * *
Chloe stumbled in the darkness. She could remember the light switch being somewhere around here. She tripped and fell onto her already injured arms and legs. Mr Elgin really hadn't been pleased to see her again. She'd always realised he hated her. he always injured her like this, but she hadn't realised he hated her this much.
Her friends were downstairs yet he had still locked her in the attic. Like he always used to.
"Damn it where's that switch." She said out loud and then a light came on. Only she hadn't turned it on. She looked around the deserted room that was the attic, and lifted herself to her feet.
"You asked for light so I gave you light" a deep voice came from behind her. And she turned to face.
"You?" she said confused "How did you get here?"
"I'll be quite frank with you Miss Nonaka, I'm not a real person." The boy replied. His gorgeous amber eyes sparkling like Syaorans did sometimes. "I'm what people would call, a guardian angel."
"But you're the boy from the bar. Aren't you?"
"Yes I had kept an eye on you, but I obviously wasn't as inconspicuous as I had hoped." He told her smiling.
"With eyes like that how could you" she told him with a somewhat lop sided grin as she got to her feet.
"Like Li Syaorans I believe." He said and chloes head snapped up to look at him quicker than a lightning bolt. He just smiled at her took her hand and led her to some boxes that she could sit on. "I know all about you Chloe." He told her "There is no point in trying to cover it up."
He knelt by her side and started healing her wounds.
"Do you know how Syaoran feels for me? Just friendship right?"
"Depends" the boy replied moving to her other arm and shoulder to heal it.
"On what" she asked but only got that smile in return, "You know don't you? But aren't going to tell me."
"Life is about risks. This one is only a small one, others to come will be bigger. Do you know how you feel for him?"
"He's my friend I-"
"I meant in you heart." He said and Chloe stopped. She hadn't thought deeply enough about it recently. She had gone to England to 'discover herself' but what had she found out really. "You don't need to separate yourself from people to know how you feel. When the time comes you will know"
Chloe looked at the boy in front of her. He couldn't have been much older than she was. His raven black hair and amber eyes were quite a combination and looked more stunning than she would have believed when he was up close.
"What are you going to wear?" he asked her looking at her clothes. She was wearing jeans and a mandarin style top. Obviously not ball material. She looked at him her face showing a little anguish, but he just smiled and said, "follow me".
He led her around the attic until they came to a wall. It had been an area Mr Elgin had always wanted to go in but they couldn't. There was no door to be seen, and not even a sledgehammer had chipped it. Chloe had known that there was something magical about it but could never figure out what. The boy led her around to where a wall met the roof slant.
There was letters there. It was small but clear in the dim light. The letters were "JN". She didn't know why but she felt compelled to touch them and when her fingers touched the cool stone a bright light shone from the letters getting brighter and filling the room with warmth. Soon a doorway appeared. The boy led her into the room. It was a large room and filling the room was boxes.
"What is this place?" she asked as she watched the doorway close but was still visible from the inside. But the boy had gone. Leaving her to look around the boxes until one caught her eye and for one reason only. It was an old box. Just like all the others but something was written on it that made chloes heart skip a beat. The writing read;
"Chloe Nonaka"
* * * * *
"So have you told her why you and Sakura-San aren't together?" Eriol said looking at Syaoran from the corner of one eye. Syaoran didn't answer. He just stood there outside in the Elgin house looking over the snowy gardens.
"I don't trust that man. I mean you must have heard the tone of his voice when he saw Chloe." Syaoran stated trying to change the subject. Eriol wasn't fooled easily but just smiled and carried on with the subject in hand.
"Yes I know. He doesn't like Chloe. But then her feelings for him are mutual." Syaoran raised and eyebrow. "But you still haven't answered my question." Eriol stated turning the subject back, to Syaorans obvious dislike. Meiling, who was standing a few meters away, was looking up into the clear starry sky. Although she looked quite confused.
"What's that?" she called pointing at the roof.
* * * * *
It was certainly cold now outside. Chloe felt the freezing weather hit her as she climbed out of a gap in the ceiling of the roof and onto the tiles themselves.
Why did I decide to do this? Chloe thought, although she already knew the answer. Her hair blustered in the breeze, which further chilled her to the bone. She shuffled along the top of the drainage trying to grasp whatever she could to stop her from slipping. Not that it was working. She cast a glance to the courtyard down below. Which was a mistake.
"A five bloody storey house. I'll kill whoever decided to build upwards" she muttered and closed her eyes for a second. Sometimes she really hated being up high. She was sort of used to it though. She had had to take this root from the many times the Elgins had locked her in the attic.
She looked down at herself. She'd never done it in a long dress before, in fact she'd never been this dressed up before. She cursed herself for trying a stunt like this in a dress. But there was one thing that was really worrying her now. When she had looked down Syaoran, Eriol, and Meiling had been in the courtyard.
"Damn" she muttered and took another step, but slipped. She fell forward onto the tiles. She desperately flung her arms out for anything to hold herself up but and slid down and off the roof completely. She panicked, there was nothing now to grab hold of. She could see the ground getting closer and saw Syaoran rush out a ward paper.
A second later she hit something, something that wasn't elemental, it felt human. She looked down and could see the ground three storeys below her. Syaoran was standing bemused holding the ward paper up as if he had been about to use it, Eriol looked worried but a second later smiled and Meiling was now jumping up and down in excitement.
Chloe saw the ground slowly getting closer and looked up and looked into a pair of icy grey eyes, which she had never been so relieved to see in her life.
* * * * *
Syaoran stood there, ward paper half way into the air. He blinked a few times but never took his eyes off Chloe at the figure holding her close. A second later he felt Eriols hand on his arm gently pushing it back to his side.
The figure holding Chloe stopped hovering a few inches from the snowy ground, and he watched as the 'person' lowered her down to the floor. Seconds later tree pairs of other feet actually touched the soft snow. Chloe smiled at one of the other two figures then the 'person' that had caught her and lowered her to the floor. She bowed and then ran up to the girl and hugged her.
Syaoran blinked again. He couldn't believe how alike they looked. Both with green eyes only the other figure had short hair. He knew that if Chloe hadn't had dyes her hair they would have the same hair colour too. He knew this girl only too well. And the other two also.
"Sakura-Chan!" Chloe said as she pulled back from the hug. "So glad you could make it. You too, Cerberos. And Yue thank you so much for saving my life."
Syaoran just stayed on the spot in shock. Ward paper in his hand. So this was the friend Chloe had talked about, Sakura, Clow mistress, and for a time and maybe still the object of his affections.
* * * * *
The group wandered inside and settled in a room which the Elgins party was not occupying yet. Syaoran sat down in a chair and scowled at Chloe and Sakura who were talking with Meiling, Eriol, Yue and Cerberos were on the outside of the group talking between themselves and occasionally whispering.
After a minute people entered the room and began sitting down and talking amongst themselves, making it hard for him to pick out parts of the two groups conversations. Chloes gaze caught Syaorans and excused herself from the conversation, leaving Sakura and Meiling to watch and talk.
"Are you mad at me?" Chloe asked sitting down beside Syaoran on the Victorian style double chair. Syaoran didn't answer, thoughts were running around his head and he couldn't think straight. The last thing he wanted to do at the moment was say something to upset everyone.
He looked up and noticed both groups were watching them. Standing up, he grasped chloes hand and almost dragged her from the room back into the courtyard.
"Syaoran-Kun whatever is the matter?" Chloe said as they stopped "You are mad at me aren't you?" she then said and lowered her eyes. Syaorans heart dropped, he hated to see her upset like this. And almost without realising it stepped forward and raised her chin with his hand so her eyes looked into his. He smiled briefly and then shook his head.
"I'm not mad at you." He told her "I just, well I was a bit shocked I guess, with sakura being here, and I was worried."
"Worried?" Chloe asked looking a tad confused.
"You fell off the roof, and I thought that maybe I wouldn't be able to help, if Yue hadn't had caught you when he did I'm sure I would have been too late." This time Syaoran lowered his eyes to look at his feet, he could feel a slight blush starting to burn his face.
"You wouldn't have." Chloe told him and leaned her head in so he didn't have to look up again to see her. "You've never let anyone down, never let me down. You beat yourself up for the little things, what would your mother say?"
"She'd say I have been lazy and need to start training at three in the morning." Syaoran smiled and looked at her. Chloe giggled at him and smiled back, her green eyes sparkling in the moonlight that illuminated them.
"Count me out." she told him "I'm not getting up that early, I need my sleep"
The couple stood there in the garden for a few more minutes talking. Until they decided to head back. But when they were a few meters from the icy fountain that stood outside the manor Chloe stopped.
"What's wrong?" Syaoran asked reaching inside his coat for the string and ball that would soon become a sword if he needed it.
"Follow me." She whispered and then ran off in the opposite direction. Syaoran kept up the chase effortlessly, as he followed her through the maze that was Elgin manor gardens. After a minute he came out from the tall trees and saw the most beautiful sight his eyes had seen.
"Isn't it wonderful?" she asked him "I used to come here every night. No one knew about it except me. I'd sit and look at the stars. And wonder where my parents were." Chloe smiled at him and beckoned him to stand next to her
"I'm sure you'll find them" Syaoran told her standing beside her. And looking up at the sky. But when he turned to look at Chloe he saw air.
"Down here silly" her voice came and he looked down where to see Chloe laying on her back on the snow. Syaoran sat down and then lay back. "It's much easier this way. You don't get neck ache." She said and turned her head to look at him and smiled. Syaoran looked at her. She was truly beautiful. Like an angel. She reminded him of Sakura in so many ways.
They lay in silence for a few minutes and then Chloe sat up, and started to rub her arms, shaking from the cold. She smiled weakly at him. "Forgot how could it can be in winter" she joked. Syaoran sat up and took off his coat wrapping it around her shoulders. Chloe stared into his eyes. There was something she wasn't telling him he was sure of it. But what could he do? He would just have to wait until she was willing to tell him.
Chloes lips had a faint tinge of blue to them and she shivered again.
"Do you want to go back?" Syaoran asked.
"No but I'm just so cold. You take your jacket and let's go back. Or you'll catch cold too." She told him and started to move, but stopped noticing Syaoran was still sitting there. Chloe pulled the coat closer. "Syaoran?"
"keep the jacket on, you'll be warmer, don't worry I'm fine. We'll sit here until your ready to go." He told her and held his hand out. She took his hand and sat back down. Syaoran didn't even seam to realise as her pulled her closer and put his arm round her. He did notice though that chloes cheeks were rather red, but put that down to the cold weather.
After a few minutes Chloe rested her head against Syaorans shoulder, and he seamed to realise that he had his arm round her. and Blushed furiously red. Maybe he had thought she was Sakura, maybe it was just that he was looking after her as one does a friend, or maybe it was something else, but Syaoran couldn't put down a reason as to why he was doing what he was.
They sat there for another hour, on top of the hill, trees just behind them, gazing at the moon and stars. Syaorans coat wrapped around Chloe and his arm across her shoulders and her head resting peacefully against his shoulders. Both blushing. Everything looked so harmless.
But the trees behind hid their stalker. Crimson eyes blazing like a hundred fires. Full of contempt, malice, and a hunger, for vengeance.
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