A one-shot! ^ ^ its really angst-y so, remember that you were warned!

Before I start,

"this is talking,"

And

*this is the other person talking on the phone*

You'll figure it out when you read. ^ ^

~~~~~

One Chance

~~~~~

"And then, we can join these two into one, making it much more profitable, and gaining more money, and business."

Said a young man with chestnut brown hair, who was pointing to a board with a scale on it.

"So, if you accept my offer, you companies will without a shadow of a doubt, become great, maybe even better then mine! Haha no, I'm just joking."

The handsome man flashed a smile at the chuckling older ones sitting at the table.

"Thank you for your time! I hope you consider this and think of it as an advantage! Have a good day!"

Syaoran Li stepped down from the platform and jogged back to his seat.

The black haired girl sitting next to him turned and winked.

"Great jog Xiaolang! I'm positive that they'll accept your offer! Look at them smiling!"

"Hehe thanks Meiling, thanks a lot-"

*Beepbeepbeepbeep*

Syaoran snapped his cell open, excusing himself, and walked outside.

"Hello?"

*Syaoran?*

Syaoran paused.

This voice..

Could it be..?

*Syaoran? Are you there?*

"Y-Yes.. who is this?"

*.... It's Sakura! How've you been doing?*

Syaoran backed up against the wall and leaned upon it.

It was Sakura.

The girl of his dreams.

The girl who drove him on, who was the only reason he smiled, joked, laughed.

The girl who he hadn't even talked to for 7 years.

The girl who moved away from him, from Hong Kong to be with her father.

Sakura.

*Syaoran?! Are you there!??!!?*

"Huh? Oh.. Yea! I've been doing fine! How about you? Are you okay?"

*Mm Hmm! I've been doing great! Do you still have the tree we planted together?*

"Yea! It's growing big and beautiful! The most beautiful cherry blossom tree in the town!"

*That's great! Oh, and I called you cause I have great news!~*

"Yea? What is it!"

*I'm coming back to Hong Kong!*

"SHE IS?! I-I MEAN YOU ARE?! WOW THAT'S GREAT! WHEN?!"

*This Sunday, two days from now. Can you come to the airport to pick me up? I think its at terminal seven, at around 6 maybe?*

"Terminal Seven? 6 o' clock? Gotcha! I'll be waiting!"

*It was really great to talk to you Syaoran! I miss you, and see you soon! Bye!*

"Bye Sakura.."

=I love you Sakura.. =

*click*

Syaoran rested his head on the wall and sighed.

~ I miss you, and see you soon! Bye!~

=Oh gosh, I wish that voice could stay with me forever..=

Syaoran smiled. =But I'm going to hear it in real life really soon! Can't wait 'til Sunday!=

With that, he walked straight back into the building with a huge smile on his face.

~~~~~Two days later~~~~~

Syaoran checked his watch again. He wrapped the black leather jacket tight around himself, trying to keep warm.

=The plane is suppose to be here at 6, and its already 7:15!=

Syaoran smirked.

=I guess Sakura makes even the plane come late. Maybe her lateness effects everything around her..=

"Sure did effect me." He said out loud.

Then the loudspeaker came up.

*FLIGHT 727 IS LANDING IN 5 MINUTES. FLIGHT 727.*

=That's her flight!= Syaoran thought gleefully.

=Yes! I'm going to see her soon!=

He quickly strode to the place where the people on the plane were suppose to come out, and sure enough, about 10 minutes later, people began to file out of the entrance way.

=Where is she?= Syaoran thought frantically, as he pushed his way into the crowd.

Then... He saw her.

She was looking around; her emerald eyes glistened in the dim light.

Smiling, he ducked out of sight, crawling in and out between legs, never taking his eyes off of Sakura.

When he reached her, he slowly held out his hand, and tickled her leg, remembering that she was highly ticklish.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Sakura jumped 100 feet, scratching her legs and jiggling about.

Smirking, Syaoran got up, and caught her as she fell.

[AN: I know I know, it can't happen, but it's funny to think if you see it as an anime! ^ ^]

"Did you like that feeling?" He whispered into her ear.

She smiled and meaning to be playful, punched him in the arm.

"OW! That hurt!" He immediately dropped her and began to rub his arm.

Sakura pouted. "That doesn't even count as a punch." She said.

"Then you've become way stronger." Syaoran said with a glisten in his eye. "But lets see if MY strength exceeds yours, and I will prove it, milady, by carrying you all the way to the car!"

He sweeped her onto his shoulder, and easily began to stride out of the crowd, and into the street.

Walking into the parking lot, he opened his car, and swung Sakura in.

"Now THAT'S what I call strength." Syaoran said smirking.

"Whaaatever.." Sakura playfully gave him the 'hand.'

"Ohh, you've gained an attitude all these years. Well, we'll have to fix THAT."

Sakura laughed and made shivers go up and down Syaoran's spine.

"Then lets go!"

Syaoran started the engine, and off they went.

"So how have you been all these years Sakura? And why in the world didn't you call me or write?"

Sakura blushed.

"Well the truth is.. I had a boyfriend Syaoran.."

Syaoran froze.

"But! But, he wasn't you." Sakura said as her eyes softened. "He didn't let me call you, or write or anything! I tried to sneak a letter or a call, but he had everything I did under watch."

"So what happened.." Syaoran said with little emotion.

"So I broke up with him. And quick!" She said with a slightly nervous laugh. "He started out being nice.. but..

"But..?"

"But then, after about a week, he got mean. He started to abuse me, and I just broke up with him, and called you right away."

"Who is this bastard?! Abusing you? Why did you get with him anyway?!"

"Because Syaoran," Sakura turned to look at him in the eyes. "When he was nice to me, he was so much like you. He acted like you, he talked like you, why, he even smirked like you!"

Syaoran smiled a little.

"Do you have any bruises left?" He said softly.

Sakura turned back, and began to pull of her sweater, revealing her tank- top under.

Syaoran gasped, making the car swerve to the right.

Righting himself, he turned to take a closer look.

Dark purple bruises lined up from her wrist all the way up to her shoulder.

Gray scars were left behind from previous beatings.

Sakura smiled weakly.

"I got over it."

"Fine then, after you unpack, we're going straight to my mother, and ask her to heal these bruises. I don't want any remnants of this bastard on you."

Tears began to form in Sakura's eyes.

"Thank you so much.." And even softer, she said. "Aishitaru.."

Syaoran thought he didn't hear right. "What did you say?" He looked at her.

Sakura mentally hit herself.

=Baka Baka! Of course he heard that.. but he should already know.. I'M GOING TO TELL HIM! EVEN IF HE REJECTS ME.=

"I said" Sakura cleared her throat. "Aishitaru."

Syaoran stepped on the breaks and screeched to a stop at a curb.

"Did you just say aishitaru Sakura?" He pulled her chin up and looked into her eyes.

"Yes. I did." Sakura gulped. Rejection?

His eyes softened.

He didn't even have to say anything.

He pulled her into a kiss, drowning out all other thoughts.

He pulled back, when he felt something wet touch his cheeks, only to see Sakura crying.

"What's wrong Sakura? What's going on??" He cupped her face in his hands.

Sakura silently wiped a tear away.

"I'm just so happy Syaoran." She said softly. "You're the first guy to actually kiss me without force.. Without cussing while you kiss me.."

Syaoran felt himself well up with tears.

With a lump in his throat, he said

"Sakura.. I would never hurt you. Or cuss at you. Never ever. You're my cherry blossom."

He pulled her into a hug.

"And I'll never let you get hurt."

Sakura smiled, hiding unshed tears.

"Aishitaru Syaoran."

"Aishitaru Sa-"

That exact same moment, a huge truck, driven by a sleepy driver, pulled out of the interstate, and flipping off the ramp, crashed into the car that the emotional couple was in.

~~~~~

"SOMEONE GET AN AMBLULANCE! HEY YOU! DO YOU HAVE A PHONE?"

"YOU DON'T NEED IT! SOMEONE CALLED ALREADY, AND THEY SHOULD BE HERE ANY MIN- THERE THEY ARE NOW!"

The shrieking sirens of the ambulance cut into the air like a razor-sharp knife.

Quick movements were made, and almost immediately, the sirens wailed up again, rushing towards the grand hospital on the other side of town.

~~~~~

"Alright, we have two patients in the emergency room, in critical condition. I want all of you to calm down."

The doctor snapped his mask on.

"Okay; lets go."

~~~~~In one surgery room~~~~~

"Can you start his breathing?!"

"Yea! His heart is beginning to beat.. yes! Its beats! Just a few broken bones and he'll be fine."

"Oh thank you Lord.. Thank you.."

~~~~~In another surgery room~~~~~

"Her heart isn't beating!"

"WHAT?! CODE BLUE! CODE BLUE!"

"ALRIGHT! START DOING THIS! HURRY UP!"

[AN: I dunno how they pump the heart, but lets pretend they already shocked her okay? Okay. ^ ^]

"She's not breathing.. "

"Try again!"

"We cant.. "

"She's gone.. "

"No.. "

~~~~~2 hours later~~~~~

Syaoran cracked his eyes open.

=What's going on here? Where am I? WHERE'S SAKURA?!=

He tried to jump out of the unfamiliar bed, onto to receive an unbelievably painful jolt.

He looked down, and his entire left leg was in a cast, and his head was wrapped in bloodstained bandages.

Plopping back down on the bed, he heard a sound next to him.

"Xiaolang.. "

".... Mother?"

"Xiaolang.. "

Syaoran looked up and his mom. Her eyes were puffy, her face tearstained, and her clothes crumpled. This was the first time his mother looked so tired and bedraggled!

"What's wrong mother.. Is it Sakura?! Tell me!"

"Oh Xiaolang.. " Yelan pulled Syaoran into a loving hug. Her tears dropping onto his neck.

"Sakura.. S-She.."

"SHE WHAT? SHE WHAT MOTHER?!"

Yelan looked up at him.

"She.. She didn't make it."

Syaoran released his hug.

His energy disappeared, and he slid back into the bed, staring at nothing.

Yelan looked at him for a few minutes, then silently got up and left the room.

~~~~~

=Seven years. Seven damn years, and the first time I see her, she leaves me.=

Syaoran didn't even wipe the crystal tears that streamed down his face.

= But its my fault.. Its all my fault.. I didn't keep my promise.. I promised I would never let her get hurt. AND LOOK WHAT I'VE DONE!=

He punched the pillow.

= I hate my life. I Hate it.=

He turned his face toward the sky, and gripped the sheets.

=I hate it.=

~~~~~2 years later~~~~~

Yelan quietly stepps into the huge room.

In the middle is a mammoth bed, and on the middle of that, is a young man staring at the ceiling, not speaking. In his hand is a sweet scented flower; a beautiful flower that he is twirling slowly around in his hand.

The older woman silently, nimbly walks forward.

"Xiaolang.. I know that you're still sad, but you have to think about marriage now.. its been two year-"

She stops. Syaoran's expression is unbelievable.

Turning, he gets up, and growls, squashing the stem of the delicate flower.

She immediately turns back, shaking her head sadly, while tears begin to form in her eyes.

=Xiaolang..=

Syaoran sits back down, still twirling the flower as a single crystal tear slowly crawls down his cheek.

~~~~~35 years later~~~~~

I pulled myself over an old gray rock that blocked my path.

Slowly raising my aching back, I tried to massage it myself, but it only hurt more.

"Stupid ol' leg." I muttered. "Wont even let you walk a few good miles. Wont even heal after all these years.."

I looked up. Yes. A few good miles. Miles that would take me to her, To see her one more time.

Determination returned, I stomped up the old worn out path, grumbling and mumbling as I went.

Using my crutch to stamp out the bugs and bristles, I cleared my way to and old tree.

It was beautiful. All the beauty in the world seemed to rushed into the tree for this one moment.

In it were the engravings 'S+S'.

I smiled as I remembered Sakura and I planting it when we were young.

I touched the old knurly tree with my wrinkled hands and smiled. Water already forming in my eyes.

I reached into my pocket, and took out a petal. A crumpled petal that was crusted and brown, appeared in my hand.

I brought it up to my nose, taking in the amazing scent, as a tear dropped onto its delicate surface.

I took that old petal, and lightly pressed it against the tree, and it broke into a million pieces, falling to the ground of the cherry blossom tree like ashes.

Slowly kneeling down, I placed my hand on the trunk, right over the heart of it, where the engravings still told an old story.

As another tear fell.
"Aishitaru Sakura-chan.. "

~~~~~