AN: OMG I am so sorry. I started writing this on Friday, and meant to finish it on Saturday, but then my friends dragged me out shopping. And I've been really ill since Saturday, and you would think, yey she can write more - WRONG. Work pulled me in Sunday - Tuesday, and I just haven't had the time to finish the chapter - so I am sooo sorry for the lateness of this update. Stupid work is well taking over all my time.
But the good news is there are about eight chapters left to go (presuming I keep to my plans - which I won't - so there will probably be more.) And this will so be finished before Christmas, unless work is determined to ruin my life.
I'll shut up now - cause you've waited long enough, and you want to read the chapter - not listen to me blabber on.

The Prophecy

Chapter 11 - The Unexpected Rescue


"Sakura" yelled Tomoyo into the dark swirly waters. "Sakura!" she yelled again her eyes welling up with tears.

She turned to Eriol, "Where is she, why hasn't she resurfaced?" she asked hysterically.

Eriol just looked at Tomoyo, sorrow in his eyes. This would surely send her over the edge. It was the second time in as many days that she had lost Sakura.

"Tom, Honey, I don't know, she'll surface soon" he said with false hope.

But they all knew the truth - Sakura wasn't that great of a swimmer - especially in waters like these.

Syaoran threw all caution to the wind, he had just got Sakura back as a friend, things where finally on the mend. He pulled of his shoes and jumped in the swollen river. The water was cold, and it hit him like a thousand daggers, making it difficult for him to breathe.

He fought against the current - looking for any signs of Sakura. Out of the corner of his eye he saw something, bobbing around in the waters. It was Sakura's black sweatshirt. He fought against the current and his dying hopes that she would be in that jumper. He reached out and grabbed the sleve, only to feel it crumple beneathe his grasp.

Sakura wasn't there - and he didn't know where to look.

On the bank Tomoyo collapsed. She had lost Sakura, again. She felt the silent tears roll down her face, and wondered if this was how Sakura had felt when she lost her brother.

~*~ Flashback ~*~

"Sakura" yelled a five-year-old Tomoyo "matte"

Sakura turned round, her hand in her big brothers. It was her best friend Tomoyo. She let go of Touya's hand, and ran towards her best friend.

"Ohayo Tomoyo" she greeted.

"Ohayo, you going to school now?" she asked.

Sakura nodded.

"Can I walk with you?" she asked looking at her feet

"Sure Tomoyo-chan" she said as she linked arms with her best friend and walked towards her brother.

It was a tradition that had carried on for the rest of their school lives.

And Tomoyo wouldn't have that anymore.

~*~ End Flashback ~*~

Tomoyo sat there in silence in Eriol's arms. Syaoran came up to her, sorrow filling his eyes. He had failed her, and he had failed Sakura as well.

"Tomoyo" he started," I'm so sorry that I couldn…"

"No Syaoran" sobbed Tomoyo, "you tried, don't blame yourself."

The trio set off towards home, with one last lingering glance at the river, in memory of a friend who had been.

~*~

Down river it was calmer. The waters were shallower, and the river widened out, causing the current to slow.

A man with dark hair was walking besides the river with his dog, enjoying the view and how quiet it was. He didn't notice the girl washed up on the shore.

But the next person did.

And that person just had to be Kenjii.

He scooped Sakura up, looking at her frail fragile features. She was breathing, but cold from being in the water. He walked off carrying his ex-girlfriend in his arms and made his way to his apartment.

~*~

Burning heat, Sakura felt as if she was on fire, that her lungs where still full of water, and that there was no way out.

She sat up suddenly, coughing as if the water was still in her lungs. Her throat felt red and raw, and it hurt to swallow.

She cast her eyes over her surroundings. This sure as hell wasn't home. She was lying on the sofa, a blanket placed over her. The curtains where drawn, leaving the room dark and hostile.

Sakura panicked slightly, she didn't know where she was, or how she had got there. Was this the work of the people who where after her? No it couldn't be, she had the necklace on, they couldn't harm her, or even touch her.

She relaxed a little, and looked for her cell phone. Only then did she realise she wasn't wearing any clothes. Only her underwear.

"OH SHIT" she yelled.

She heard a knock on the door, and told them to come in. The person who was apparently her rescuer was the last person she wanted to see.

"KENJII," she yelled outraged, "What the fuck happened and how the hell did I end up here."

Kenjii motioned for Sakura to sit down, and she did so, but only because her legs where shaky from the shock of seeing Kenjii, and realising he had probably saved her life.

"I found you washed up on the river bank, and regardless of the past behind us - I couldn't just leave you there. So I brought you here, dried your clothes and left you to sleep - but Sakura - what were you doing in the river in the first place?" he asked.

"I fell in" she stated, shocked at what Kenjii had done for her - even though she hated him.

Kenjii just nodded and left the room. He returned shortly with Sakura's clothes - which where now dry. He left again while she got changed. And came back a few minutes later with some tea.

Sakura sat there, the mug in her hands slowly warming her. She was slightly confused to why Kenjii had saved her - infact she was really confused, it made no sense. She finished her tea and stood up.

"Thank you Kenjii, but I have to go now, my friends will be really worried about me" she said.

"Okay, I understand - perhaps we can be friends?" he asked.

"I don't know Kenjii, you may have saved my life, and I'm grateful for that - but I don't think I can ever forgive you for what you did to me." She said.

Kenjii just nodded and walked her to the door. He opened it and watched Sakura walked away. He closed the front door, and his fist connected with the wall, going straight through.

~*~

Tomoyo was sat on the sofa, with Eriol by her side. She was crying softly, loosing Sakura really hurt. She didn't know what she was going to do. Eriol just sat next to her, trying to give her support.

"Shh, Tomoyo, it will be all right" he soothed.

"NO IT WONT" she yelled, " you haven't just lost your childhood friend, I have, how can you even understand how I feel. First my dad and now Sakura. I'm jinxed. Stay away from me" she said, scooting over to the other side of the sofa. "It's not safe to be near me"

Eriol looked at Tomoyo in shock, she had never reacted so violently to anything this way. He knew that loosing her father had hurt her, even though he hadn't played much of an important role in her life. He moved next to her, and held him in his arms, stopping her futile attempts to get away.

"Eriol let go," she whimpered. "I don't want you to get hurt as well"

"Tomoyo listen to me" he said holding her chin up so she had to look him straight in the eyes. "I don't care if you are jinxed, I love you too damn much to let you go. And we will work through this I promise - please don't give up on me, cause I'm not ready to give up on you."

Tomoyo just looked at him, and her face crumpled. She clung to his shirt and sobbed as a fresh wave of tears hit her.

~*~

Syaoran was in the shower - trying to get warm after jumping in the river. But he felt cold inside - and no amount of hot water would warm him up. Just when he and Sakura were getting to be friends again, she was snatched away from him - and not by the evil forces but by the elements.

"It's just not fair," he muttered to himself.

He climbed out the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist; he watched the steam as it condensed off of his body. He looked in the mirror - and hated his reflection - he couldn't save Sakura, and now everything was lost.

He heard a knock at the door, and presumed it was no one, until he heard Tomoyo scream and sob hysterically - then he knew it had to be someone.

He rushed out of the bathroom, only to see Sakura at the front door. Alive. Sakura was alive. Tomoyo was leaning against the wall looking pale and relieved at the same time. Eriol was just stood there - his jaw on the floor.

After all it's not everyday that your friend who got swept down a river turns up is it.

Tomoyo fainted from the excitement, and Eriol was there to catch her. He scooped her up into his arms and carried her into her bedroom. Leaving Sakura and Syaoran in the hallway.

Alone.

"Hey" muttered Sakura - unsure of how to react around him.

"Hey" he replied wondering how the hell she had gotten out alive. "How come, how did you get out" he asked.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you" she said jokingly.

Syaoran realised he was only wearing a towel - and so did Sakura. Syaoran had filled out nicely over the years, and was no longer the scrawny kid he used to be. Instead of stick like arms, there where muscles, and instead of a skinny belly there was a six-pack. Sakura realised she was staring and looked away - what was she thinking - looking at Syaoran like that.

Syaoran excused himself, and went to change. His clothes where in the bathroom, so he disappeared into there. He sat down on the edge of the bath, thinking - how come he was so happy to see her alive, why had he been so depressed when he thought he had lost her….again. Why the hell was he talking to himself? He shook his head of these thoughts, and got dressed. He hung the towel up and went to join Sakura and Eriol in the living room.

"So Sakura?" asked Eriol, "what happened?"

"Well I remember falling in, and the water being really cold. Then I think I fell unconscious. The next thing I knew I was in someone's apartment, lying on a sofa in a dark room. But here's the weird thing," she paused "The person who rescued me was Kenjii."

Syaoran's jaw hit the floor - what was that low scheming snake like bastard doing near his Sakura.

'Did I just say MY Sakura' he asked himself.

He shook his head - that was not the point - the point was Kenjii had succeeded where he failed, and that Sakura now owed him her life.

Sakura looked at Syaoran and noticed he was having some kind of mental battle. She was having the same battle - why did Kenjii save her - why did it have to be Kenjii that saved her?

"Wait a sec," said Eriol, obviously pondering something. "How come he didn't take you to a hospital?"

"I…don't know," said Sakura, confused by Eriol's statement. He was right though - why hadn't Kenjii taken her to a hospital?

The three sat in silence - each pondering his or her own thoughts, finally Sakura asked a question she had been dying to know the answer to.

"What's wrong with Tomoyo?"

"Nothing really, she was just all stressed over losing you again, and seeing you was just a huge shock. She just needs to rest, she'll be ok" replied Eriol.

~*~

Eriol had long since gone to bed to keep an eye on Tomoyo and be there when she woke up, once again leaving Syaoran and Sakura alone. But this time they didn't notice as much, as both of them where trying to decipher the prophecy and seeing what light they could shed on their present situation.

Sakura could feel herself growing more and more frustrated - bits of this prophecy made sense, but the rest of it was double Dutch, and the bits they understood made no sense anyway.

She threw her book across the room and watched with satisfaction as it hit the wall. She crumpled onto the floor - too tired to go on. She could feel tears of frustration coming, but blinked them back. She couldn't be weak when a time like this demanded her to be strong.

"Hey Kinomoto - you ok?" asked Syaoran with concern.

At that Sakura just burst into tears - the reaction Syaoran had least expected. He moved closer to her and put his hand on her shoulder trying to calm her down, but as the crying continued, he moved close. He took her into his arms and rocked her gently, making soothing soft noises trying to calm her down. Sakura just lay there sobbing into his shirt, not sure where all this emotion was coming from, and not sure why she was letting Syaoran comfort her.

Eventually the sobbing quietened slightly, but Syaoran didn't let go. Sakura was glad she felt so warm and safe in his arms, as if she belonged there. Once she had practically stopped crying Syaoran moved away slightly.

"So Saku, want to tell me what's wrong."

Sakura's eyes widened - he hadn't called her Saku since before they had fallen out….when they where still the best of friends.

~*~ Flashback ~*~

(2 years ago)

"So Saku what you doing tonight?" asked Syaoran.

"Hmm, don't know yet, think me and Tomoyo are going to go see the matrix - you want to come. I think she's dragging Eriol along," replied Sakura absently chewing on the straw that was in her milkshake.

"You mean I get to spend the next three hours of my life watching Eriol stare at Tomoyo and annoy me?" he asked.

"More or less" she replied cheekily.

Syaoran pondered this thought for a second.

"Ok as long as I don't have to sit next to the lovesick puppy" he joked.

"Okies - I'll give you a ring later, think Tomoyo is giving us all a ride." She replied.

"Sure - speak to you later Saku" said Syaoran as he started off across campus, waving as he left.

~*~ End Flashback ~*~

"Hey - Sakura, you ok?" asked Syaoran, noticing the far away look in her eyes.

The memory of her and Syaoran once being friends and then Kenjii coming along and ruining it all set her off on a fresh wave of crying. Syaoran was at a loss of what to do. There where to things he couldn't deal with, his mother, and women crying.

He held her again, and waited till she was ready to talk.

"I'm sorry Syaoran" she said quietly. "I should be strong now - when I need to be, but all I am is frustrated and sad. I've tried to hold my emotions in over everything. But I just can't help it anymore."

"It's not right for people to hold their emotions in Sakura, everyone has the right to cry, whenever they need to. Maybe that's why you're so upset now, you can't bottle everything up." He said gently, wondering how many times he had ignored that advice himself - too many to count probably.

"Thank you Syaoran - I'm sorry it's just all of a sudden I have this huge responsibility that I don't think I'm ready for. I haven't even had the time to mourn my brothers death. I just don't know if I can keep going like this" she sniffled, and then started crying again.

Syaoran just sat there rocking her, letting her cry and release her anguish. She eventually stopped crying, and turned back to her work, as did he. Neither noticed the slight blush on each other's cheeks.

~*~ End chapter 11 ~*~

AN: Hope you guys enjoyed - once again sorry for the lateness of the update. Don't know when the next chapter will be up - hopefully soon.
Don't forget to review!!
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