*So, after some problems, I think FF.net is ready to let me upload new
chapters. I don't know what was happening, but my uploads were all screwy.
Anyway, it's Angel's baby shower, and Sakura's gone all out to make it
wonderful. Thanks for reading and reviewing, and enjoy the chapter!*
Fighting For My Family
October was a beautiful month in San Francisco. It wasn't hot anymore, but it also wasn't too chilly. Jack-o-lanterns sat on porches all around the neighborhood, and children played outside in the fresh air, dressed in long sleeves, but not bundled up. Inside Sakura and Syaoran's home, Sakura was bustling about, taking food out of the oven, stirring a pot of cider on the stove, and generally keeping the house spotless.
"Angel, are you awake yet?" Sakura called up the stairs. She looked at the clock, smiling as she thought about when she was Angel's age and slept in all the time.
"I'm coming!" Sakura heard Angel yell from her room. Her smile widened as she waited for the teen to walk down the stairs. Angel gasped and put her hand to her mouth when she saw what Sakura had been doing downstairs.
"Oh my God, Sakura. . . is this for me?" Angel asked, incredulous. Sakura nodded, and Angel squealed in delight. The living room was decorated with blue crepe paper. A sign emblazoned with 'It's a boy!' was hanging from the window, and a table was set up for gifts.
"Yes, today's your baby shower. I took the liberty of inviting some of the friends you've told me about. . . I hope that's alright." Sakura replied. Angel grinned and hugged Sakura, her eyes full of happiness.
"This is so awesome! I'm going to change and get ready!" Angel cried, making her way back up the stairs to her room. Sakura smiled and returned to her cooking. She only had a couple more hours until the guests would be arriving.
Soon Angel's shower was in full swing. Syaoran had managed to duck out of the house when Eriol dropped Tomoyo off, and the two said something about checking out an art gallery while the girls had their party. Tomoyo sat with Sakura in the living room along with Angel and her four friends. Gifts were piled on the table, and after the food was served and eaten, Angel began to open them.
"This is so adorable, Elaine! Thank you!" Angel mused, pulling out a small pair of blue overalls. A redhead with glasses grinned and hugged Angel gently. From her other friends, Angel received more clothes, bottles, and toys. Finally it was time to play some shower games, and as Sakura handed around paper for filling out answers, she noticed Angel walk out of the room suddenly.
"I'll be right back. Could you hand the rest of the paper out?" Sakura asked Tomoyo before walking out into the kitchen where Angel stood. Sakura touched the small girl's shoulder, and Angel turned around, her tear- stained face glistening.
"Oh Angel. . . I'm sorry." Sakura whispered, taking the girl into a hug. Angel hugged back, her body racked with silent sobs.
"It's alright. I've never thought about all the things that go along with having a baby. I just knew I couldn't kill him. I know I can't keep him, and that you and Syaoran will love him and nurture him. . . but it's so hard to do all these motherly things and know I will never get to be his mom." Angel whispered, her blue eyes red and puffy.
"I understand, Angel. I'm sorry I didn't take this into consideration. Do you forgive me for being so naïve?" Sakura asked. Angel nodded and sniffled slightly, drying her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. After she was calmed down, Sakura walked back into the living room with Angel, smiles on both their faces.
"Okay, who's ready to play a game?" Sakura said cheerily, sitting down and getting out directions.
Tomoyo watched as Angel stood on the porch, thanking her friends as they slowly began to file out. It had been a good day, and Cass was going to have plenty of clothes and toys to last his childhood a dozen times. Sakura put the last plate into the dishwasher and started it, then flopped down on the couch, exhausted.
"So when exactly is Angel's due date?" Tomoyo asked, sitting with Sakura.
"Doctor Eddington says it could be two weeks, at the most three. Tomorrow is Halloween, so I would guess the earliest Cass is going to get here is the 15th. That's a pretty good guess, in my opinion." Sakura replied, her excited face practically glowing. Angel waddled into where the two women were sitting and flopped down, her hand covering her face as she sighed heavily.
"I can't wait to have this little guy out of me. He's so freakin' heavy!" Angel complained.
"Doctor Eddington says it'll be another couple weeks. After that, you're a free woman." Sakura piped. Angel didn't say anything, she just laid on the couch with her hand over her head. Syaoran and Eriol returned to the house as the sun was setting.
"I'll call you when we head to the hospital." Sakura told Tomoyo as she walked to her car with Eriol. Tomoyo nodded, then hugged Sakura.
"I'm so glad this is happening for you, Sakura. You two deserve it." Tomoyo whispered, getting into her car and putting on her seatbelt. Sakura smiled and let Syaoran wrap his arms around her to hug her from behind. They watched until the car was out of sight, then walked leisurely back to the house.
"Can it get any better than this?" Syaoran asked as they got into bed later that night. Sakura shook her head and kissed Syaoran's lips.
"Never." Sakura replied, closing her eyes and falling asleep in her husband's arms.
Angel walked down the stairs, trying not to make a sound as she moved. She walked to the refrigerator and pulled out some juice, pouring herself a glass. Her eyes focused on the table of gifts in the other room, and her heart sank slightly.
'Those should be for me, not Sakura. I could. . . I could take it all back, keep Cass for myself. . . no! I promised Syaoran and Sakura I'd give him to them. Besides, I can't give him a life as good as this all by myself.' Angel thought to herself, putting her hand on her stomach. In a matter of weeks, Cass would be born, and the Li's would want nothing more to do with her. She'd be moved into her new apartment, then forgotten.
'I'll never see your first steps. . . hear your first words. . . ' Angel thought as the baby inside her kicked suddenly. She felt the urge to cry, but refused to do it. She wasn't about to cry over something out of her control.
'This is the way it has to be, my baby.' Angel thought as she returned up the stairs and into her room, falling into a dreamless sleep.
*Sorry this chapter's a little short, but I didn't want to include the whole labor thing in this one, but give it its own chapter. Next chapter: Angel goes into labor, and Cass is born into the world! Until then, don't forget to review! I love reviews! Thanks!*
Fighting For My Family
October was a beautiful month in San Francisco. It wasn't hot anymore, but it also wasn't too chilly. Jack-o-lanterns sat on porches all around the neighborhood, and children played outside in the fresh air, dressed in long sleeves, but not bundled up. Inside Sakura and Syaoran's home, Sakura was bustling about, taking food out of the oven, stirring a pot of cider on the stove, and generally keeping the house spotless.
"Angel, are you awake yet?" Sakura called up the stairs. She looked at the clock, smiling as she thought about when she was Angel's age and slept in all the time.
"I'm coming!" Sakura heard Angel yell from her room. Her smile widened as she waited for the teen to walk down the stairs. Angel gasped and put her hand to her mouth when she saw what Sakura had been doing downstairs.
"Oh my God, Sakura. . . is this for me?" Angel asked, incredulous. Sakura nodded, and Angel squealed in delight. The living room was decorated with blue crepe paper. A sign emblazoned with 'It's a boy!' was hanging from the window, and a table was set up for gifts.
"Yes, today's your baby shower. I took the liberty of inviting some of the friends you've told me about. . . I hope that's alright." Sakura replied. Angel grinned and hugged Sakura, her eyes full of happiness.
"This is so awesome! I'm going to change and get ready!" Angel cried, making her way back up the stairs to her room. Sakura smiled and returned to her cooking. She only had a couple more hours until the guests would be arriving.
Soon Angel's shower was in full swing. Syaoran had managed to duck out of the house when Eriol dropped Tomoyo off, and the two said something about checking out an art gallery while the girls had their party. Tomoyo sat with Sakura in the living room along with Angel and her four friends. Gifts were piled on the table, and after the food was served and eaten, Angel began to open them.
"This is so adorable, Elaine! Thank you!" Angel mused, pulling out a small pair of blue overalls. A redhead with glasses grinned and hugged Angel gently. From her other friends, Angel received more clothes, bottles, and toys. Finally it was time to play some shower games, and as Sakura handed around paper for filling out answers, she noticed Angel walk out of the room suddenly.
"I'll be right back. Could you hand the rest of the paper out?" Sakura asked Tomoyo before walking out into the kitchen where Angel stood. Sakura touched the small girl's shoulder, and Angel turned around, her tear- stained face glistening.
"Oh Angel. . . I'm sorry." Sakura whispered, taking the girl into a hug. Angel hugged back, her body racked with silent sobs.
"It's alright. I've never thought about all the things that go along with having a baby. I just knew I couldn't kill him. I know I can't keep him, and that you and Syaoran will love him and nurture him. . . but it's so hard to do all these motherly things and know I will never get to be his mom." Angel whispered, her blue eyes red and puffy.
"I understand, Angel. I'm sorry I didn't take this into consideration. Do you forgive me for being so naïve?" Sakura asked. Angel nodded and sniffled slightly, drying her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. After she was calmed down, Sakura walked back into the living room with Angel, smiles on both their faces.
"Okay, who's ready to play a game?" Sakura said cheerily, sitting down and getting out directions.
Tomoyo watched as Angel stood on the porch, thanking her friends as they slowly began to file out. It had been a good day, and Cass was going to have plenty of clothes and toys to last his childhood a dozen times. Sakura put the last plate into the dishwasher and started it, then flopped down on the couch, exhausted.
"So when exactly is Angel's due date?" Tomoyo asked, sitting with Sakura.
"Doctor Eddington says it could be two weeks, at the most three. Tomorrow is Halloween, so I would guess the earliest Cass is going to get here is the 15th. That's a pretty good guess, in my opinion." Sakura replied, her excited face practically glowing. Angel waddled into where the two women were sitting and flopped down, her hand covering her face as she sighed heavily.
"I can't wait to have this little guy out of me. He's so freakin' heavy!" Angel complained.
"Doctor Eddington says it'll be another couple weeks. After that, you're a free woman." Sakura piped. Angel didn't say anything, she just laid on the couch with her hand over her head. Syaoran and Eriol returned to the house as the sun was setting.
"I'll call you when we head to the hospital." Sakura told Tomoyo as she walked to her car with Eriol. Tomoyo nodded, then hugged Sakura.
"I'm so glad this is happening for you, Sakura. You two deserve it." Tomoyo whispered, getting into her car and putting on her seatbelt. Sakura smiled and let Syaoran wrap his arms around her to hug her from behind. They watched until the car was out of sight, then walked leisurely back to the house.
"Can it get any better than this?" Syaoran asked as they got into bed later that night. Sakura shook her head and kissed Syaoran's lips.
"Never." Sakura replied, closing her eyes and falling asleep in her husband's arms.
Angel walked down the stairs, trying not to make a sound as she moved. She walked to the refrigerator and pulled out some juice, pouring herself a glass. Her eyes focused on the table of gifts in the other room, and her heart sank slightly.
'Those should be for me, not Sakura. I could. . . I could take it all back, keep Cass for myself. . . no! I promised Syaoran and Sakura I'd give him to them. Besides, I can't give him a life as good as this all by myself.' Angel thought to herself, putting her hand on her stomach. In a matter of weeks, Cass would be born, and the Li's would want nothing more to do with her. She'd be moved into her new apartment, then forgotten.
'I'll never see your first steps. . . hear your first words. . . ' Angel thought as the baby inside her kicked suddenly. She felt the urge to cry, but refused to do it. She wasn't about to cry over something out of her control.
'This is the way it has to be, my baby.' Angel thought as she returned up the stairs and into her room, falling into a dreamless sleep.
*Sorry this chapter's a little short, but I didn't want to include the whole labor thing in this one, but give it its own chapter. Next chapter: Angel goes into labor, and Cass is born into the world! Until then, don't forget to review! I love reviews! Thanks!*