The three tired Ronins plopped down on the couch that night when they got home.
"Where have you been all day?" Alanna asked Sage, putting her hands on her hips in mock fury.
"Just hanging out with Ryo and Rowen." Sage answered with a shrug as he threw himself on the couch.
"You mean to tell me that you, Ryo and Rowen have just been outside all day "hanging out"?" she asked incredulous as she stood in front of him.
"Yep." Sage answered propping his feet up on the coffee table.
"Why do I get the feeling that there is something that you aren't telling me?" Alanna questioned as she sat next to him with a pout.
"Would I hide something from you?" Sage asked sweetly putting his arm around her shoulders.
"Yes." She answered giving him a look. Sage put his hand on his heart and made a hurt expression.
"I'm hurt,"
Alanna rolled her eyes.
"Hey, where is Sakura?" Ryo questioned noticing her absence.
"I think she is upstairs." Cale answered pointing to the stairs. Ryo nodded his thanks as he got up off the couch and headed for the second story. He looked in all the rooms until he found her folding clothes in their room with Kero and White Blaze lying on the bed asleep. He smiled as he quietly sneaked up behind her. Sakura was absentmindedly singing quietly to herself, folding clothes, unaware that her husband was right behind her. Ryo put his arms around her waist causing Sakura to give a squeal of surprise. She whirled around to look into the smiling face of Ryo. Sakura scowled as she lightly hit him with the shirt she had been folding.
"Ryo, you scared me!" she replied indignantly.
"I know, but you look so cute when you're scared." He answered giving her a quick kiss on the forehead, then letting her go.
"So what did Sage need your help with?" Sakura asked returning to folding the clothes.
"He made me promise not to tell." Ryo answered. Sakura turned to look at him.
"It's not like I'm going to go tell Alanna." Sakura pouted.
"I know, but a promise is a promise. Besides, once Alanna finds out, I'm sure she'll tell you and Mia all the details."
Sakura nodded at this statement. It was true. The girls told each other everything.
"But, I have a surprise for you." Ryo mentioned.
"Really?" Sakura asked interested. Ryo nodded as he proudly produced the silver necklace he had found next to the pavilion. Sakura's expression changed dramatically when she saw the locket.
"I can't really get any use out of it." Ryo said not noticing the stunned expression on Sakura's face as he studied the locket again. "And well there's really no way to tell who it belongs to, so I figured that you might like it." He finished as he turned his attention from the locket to Sakura. "Sakura, what's wrong?"
"Where did you find that?" Sakura asked in a trembling voice.
"I found it out in the forest. Why?" Ryo asked worried over Sakura's reaction. Sakura reached out to touch the locket as Ryo handed it to her. Sakura ran her fingers over the delicate chain and familiar intricate designs on the front cover of the heart.
"Do you know whose it is?" Ryo guessed wondering why she was acting so strangely.
"It was mine." Sakura said quietly. So quietly Ryo had to strain to hear her. "It was mine…before I…" Sakura dropped off mid sentance as she continued to stare at the necklace.
"Before you what?" Ryo prodded. Sakura didn't answer for a moment as she continued to stare at the locket, lost in thought.
'No, this couldn't be my locket. It just couldn't be…could it?'
"Sakura, what's wrong?" Ryo asked worried as he sat next to her, concerned.
Sakura snapped out of her thoughts as she looked at the worried expression of her husband. "Oh, nothing." Sakura lied shaking her head.
Ryo raised an eyebrow, not quite convinced.
"Really, it's nothing." Sakura assured him as she gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Come on, I bet dinner is ready downstairs." She said as she stood up and turned to him. Ryo stared at her from his position on the side of the bed as he stood up as well.
"Your sure your ok?"
"Positive." She answered. "Now, come on, lets go." She said as she grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the stairs. Ryo allowed himself to be dragged downstairs as he pushed Sakura's reaction out of his mind. He knew her well enough to know that something about that necklace bothered her, but she apparently didn't want to talk about it right now. But this subject wasn't over. He would just ask her about it later tonight.