L-chan's notes: Thanks so much to everyone who has read and reviewed so far. I hope you all enjoy this new chapter and feel it was worth the wait.

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

Shadows

Chapter 16—A Rather Large Pest

There was so much racket coming from downstairs that Tomoyo wondered if the circus was being held in the living room. She left her bedroom and leaned over the balustrade to find out what the commotion was all about. In the foyer, her mother's black-suited escorts were carrying in Sonomi's expensive designer luggage and other assorted parcels, while Sonomi was simultaneously carrying on a heated business call and directing specific orders about where things needed to go as they were brought inside.

"Okaa-sama!"

Sonomi looked up to see her daughter excitedly skipping down the stairs, just like she used to do when she was a little girl, rather than descending in the demure fashion of a young lady just days away from her seventeenth birthday. "Tomoyo!" Sonomi abruptly hung up on her hapless subordinate and spread her arms to receive Tomoyo's enthusiastic hug. "I missed you, darling," she said softly as she held her daughter close.

"Me, too. You were gone forever," Tomoyo replied, stepping back and composing herself properly. She didn't usually greet her mother with such emotion. Sonomi was often away on business, and regularly worked long hours besides. It wasn't unusual for Tomoyo to go days without seeing her for more than a few minutes, or even simply sharing a meal together. Still, the house had seemed so lonely the past month, and there was something familiar and comforting about having her mother nearby. "So, what did you bring me?" she asked with a mischievous grin.

Sonomi rolled her violet eyes and huffed in annoyance. "Tomoyo, I was working. Not shopping. Honestly, all you ever think about are such frivolities." Her exasperated expression quickly faltered, and she flashed a grin of her own. "It's possible that I did find a few spare moments to check out some of the boutiques. But you'll just have to wait until your birthday to find out."

She was about to say something else when her cell phone rang again. She looked at the display and grumbled under her breath before tossing the phone to her assistant. "No more calls for the rest of the day. I mean it," she added emphatically when the younger woman hesitated. "I'm tired, and hungry, and I haven't seen my daughter in a month. Everything else can wait until I go into the office tomorrow. Right now, all I want is a hot bath and a cup of tea. Please bring a tray upstairs." This last order was directed at the maid, who nodded before heading to the kitchen.

Sonomi turned toward the stairs, gesturing for Tomoyo to follow her. "Now, you'll tell me all about your summer while I soak so I can forget about that horrible, horrible flight."

Once satisfyingly ensconced in a steaming bathtub with a cup of tea and honey in her hands and a cooling mask over her tired eyes, Sonomi let out a long sigh. "This is more like it." She blindly reached out to Tomoyo, who was sitting on a stool nearby. She found the girl's knee and gave it a squeeze. "Did you get much work done while I was away?"

Tomoyo had been daydreaming as she poured her own cup of tea, so her answer was one of confusion mixed with distraction. "What do you mean?"

"You said you were going to spend the summer studying, remember?"

Now I do. "Yes. There was the regular homework, of course. And I also worked on maths and English. I found some study guides for the exams at the library, but I haven't gotten around to those yet."

"Well, you still have plenty of time. But it's always good to be prepared. The business program doesn't accept just anybody, and being my daughter will only get you so far. The rest will be up to you."

Tomoyo flinched at the reminder that she was expected to follow in her mother's footsteps. She considered bringing up her own goals, but they would probably be disregarded with mild irritation. Touya had told her that she needed to be firmer with her mother and make her own plans known rather than meekly acquiescing, but it wasn't that easy. She'd have to give Sonomi a day or two to recover from her travels before bringing it up again. Plus, that would give her time to construct her argument.

So, she shelved that subject in the back of her mind for the time being. "Did I tell you that Sakura-chan went to Hong Kong for a week?" She knew her mother's mood could be greatly improved by any mention of Nadeshiko's daughter.

"She did?" There was more than a hint of passing interest in Sonomi's voice.

"With Li-kun and Meiling-chan," Tomoyo added, although that much was obvious. Sakura wouldn't just go on her own for no reason. "They had a really good time. And Li-kun's sisters kept trying to convince Sakura-chan to stay. His family just adores her."

That was the wrong thing to say. Sonomi huffed and turned her thawing eye mask over. "I hope she's not getting too serious. Sakura-chan shouldn't be thinking about such things. She's much too young to be planning a future around some boy. And wouldn't we all miss her if she moved away? No, I don't think that's a good idea at all."

Tomoyo silently stirred more milk into her cup of tea. She couldn't tell her mother the whole story. Of how Sakura and Syaoran were brought together in the first place, about how every prophecy pointed to their destinies being entwined.... "Well, she does love him," was all she could offer.

"And that's very nice," Sonomi replied sincerely, if a bit skeptically. "But love is a fickle thing. You can't base important life decisions on it. It's simply not practical."

"Yes, Okaa-sama," Tomoyo answered with automatic respect, lowering her eyes guiltily, even though her mother couldn't see her. Is that true? Maybe life decisions shouldn't be based on love alone. It wasn't something you could count on always being there. But was life without love worth it? Was there anything more important? If she didn't have someone to love, whether that person felt the same way or not, then what would drive her? What good was success if it came with loneliness?

But she couldn't just ask her mother these things. It would open a locked box filled with resentment for the way things had gone, and she knew that Sonomi's success was what drove her. That, and the well-being of her daughter, were the two most important things in her life. If not for that, she would fall apart. Tomoyo wasn't sure if she alone would be enough to make her mother happy. Everyone has something different, something that makes their life complete. For her, it's work. For me, it's—

"I know there's not much time, but I'm sure I can pull a few strings and get everything ready by Saturday."

Saturday? "What for?"

Sonomi removed her eye mask and gave Tomoyo a pointed look. "Weren't you listening?"

"I'm sorry, Okaa-sama. I was thinking about something."

Sonomi reached out and took Tomoyo's hand. "I know I'm not around much, so I said I wanted to make it up to you by having a big birthday celebration on Saturday."

Tomoyo shook her head. "Oh, no, that's not necessary. And, besides—"

"I know I can get a caterer, because someone owes me a huge favor—don't ask. And you can invite whomever you want. We'll have it in the backyard, in the garden, and I may be able to—"

"Thank you, but that's just too much. I'd rather have a quiet dinner with a few friends."

"You're sure?" Tomoyo nodded, and Sonomi nodded in return. "That would be much easier, and, if it's what you want.... You'll be inviting Sakura-chan, of course."

"Of course," Tomoyo echoed. "And Meiling-chan and Li-kun, and Kinomoto-sensei and Touya-sensei."

Sonomi repeated the names, ticking them off on her fingers. "That's it?"

"Yes, that's it. Just the people closest to me. That's all I want."

"Well, okay." Tomoyo was surprised that her mother didn't protest the inclusion of Fujitaka or question her request that Touya be invited. As Sakura's family, and as their family, too, it made a certain kind of sense to invite them. Or maybe Sonomi was simply just too tired to think much about it right now. "So, make up a menu of what you'd like for dinner, and I'll take care of the rest, okay?"

"Okay," Tomoyo answered with a bright smile. That was much easier than she thought it would be.

-----

"Time's up. Make sure I have your lab sheets. And if I were you, I'd prepare for a quiz on Monday. That's the only warning you're likely to get, so heed it wisely. Class dismissed."

Most of the students filed out of the science lab, making their way back to Class 2-C's homeroom for history class. A couple of boys stayed behind to ask Touya about the lab assignment, and Tomoyo remained sitting at her table, pretending to make a note about Monday's quiz. She kept glancing up innocently until the boys finally got whatever answer they needed and left the lab.

Only the two of them were left in the room, and she knew that Touya's next hour was his free period, so no one else should be coming in. She casually walked up to his desk and waited patiently for him to notice her.

He finished shuffling through the lab sheets and stuffed them in a folder. "Did you need something, Daidouji?" he asked offhandedly, not looking up.

"You're still coming tonight, right?" she said quietly.

Now he looked at her, then quickly cast his brown eyes toward the open door. "Of course. Seven o'clock?"

"Or earlier," Tomoyo answered as the corners of her mouth twitched in a secret smile. He shook his head, feigning a stern expression, but she just giggled. "Fine. Seven. But not a minute later."

"Deal." Touya absently pushed up his glasses and flashed her a knowing grin. "Anything else?"

She tilted her head in thought before touching her index finger to her lips, a private signal that meant she owed him a kiss. His dark eyes focused on her lips briefly, and when he raised them to meet her violet gaze again, he held up two fingers. "Two?"

"You did that at the beginning of class, too."

"I didn't think you noticed."

"I always notice. Now, hurry and get to your next class. I'll see you tonight." She nodded, clutching her books to her chest as she turned to go. "Oh, and, Daidouji?" She stopped and regarded him expectantly. He gave her a wink, accompanied by a sexy smile that made her heart flip. "Happy birthday."

-----

Tomoyo had been more than a little worried about Touya coming to her house. Not that he hadn't been before, but that was before things had gotten serious between them. Being at school together was one thing. There was enough else going on to keep them focused on work, and the distance they had to maintain as student and teacher was easier when reinforced by the actual school environment. Now, the environment was going to be much smaller, and that could only magnify everything that was going on, right?

She'd been worried for nothing. Touya, either intentionally or not, had been the last to arrive, even though he'd made it a few minutes before seven. She didn't have to be alone with him and her mother, carefully measuring every word she said. Even so, as she watched him engage in a polite conversation with Sonomi and Fujitaka, she felt a guilty weight settle in her stomach, and she tried to ignore it. Someday, we're going to have to tell her. She's sure to catch on eventually, anyway, especially if we get married and have children. That thought came completely out of nowhere, and she felt a huge smile threaten to spread across her face. She hid the beginnings of it by pretending to take a sip from her drink.

"Dinner will be served at eight," Sonomi was saying to everyone now. "So, how about some gifts first?"

Tomoyo beamed again, although she wanted to appear modest before her guests. Of course, she liked presents, but simply having everyone here was what she wanted most. She didn't protest, though, when her mother pulled out several boxes professionally wrapped in designer paper and set them among the other packages.

"You all really didn't have to," Tomoyo said demurely, blushing at the attention.

"Oh, well, in that case...." Syaoran picked up the box he and Meiling had brought and made as if to leave. Everyone laughed, even Touya, and at that moment, Tomoyo's world was perfect. All the people she loved were here, and everyone was happy. That was the best present she could have received.

"Now, Syaoran, I don't know why you would want to keep that," Meiling chastised. She took the box from her cousin and handed it to Tomoyo. "From both of us," she explained.

Inside was a beautiful red blouse made from the finest Chinese silk, exquisitely embroidered at the collar and cuffs with tiny black flowers. "It's gorgeous," Tomoyo exclaimed breathlessly. "Thank you so much." She hugged both of them, giggling at Syaoran's obvious embarrassment.

Sakura handed Tomoyo a smaller, narrow box. "From me," she said cheerily. "And you-know-who," she added in a low whisper. Naturally, Sonomi didn't know about Kero, so he'd obediently stayed home after securing a promise from his mistress for an extra-large slice of birthday cake.

The box contained a necklace with a pale blue stone. At least, Tomoyo thought it was blue, until she held it up to her purple dress. Then the stone changed to a subtle amethyst color.

"That's quite extraordinary," Sonomi said, astonished. "How did it do that?"

A series of anxious glances passed around the room. "Um... magic?" Sakura answered with a nervous laugh.

"It's really beautiful," Tomoyo said quickly, before her mother could ask any more about it. "Thank you, and Kero-chan, too," she whispered, hugging her dear friend. Sakura nodded as she returned the hug.

The boxes from her mother did indeed come from a shopping trip to an expensive designer boutique, just as the wrapping gave away. Tomoyo had already received some smaller gifts at breakfast, so she wasn't expecting more. There was a simple yet sophisticated black dress, with matching high-heeled shoes and a beaded clutch purse, and perfect pearl-drop earrings.

"Oh, Okaa-sama!"

"Every woman needs a perfect black dress," Sonomi said. "But it's the accessories that make it."

"And now we know where Tomoyo-chan got her... remarkable fashion sense," Meiling joked as Tomoyo hugged her mother.

"You can never have too many accessories, right, Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura added with a teasing grin. It was obvious she was referring to the elaborate costumes Tomoyo used to make her wear.

"I'm never going to live that down, am I?" Tomoyo asked, blushing even as she giggled. "Give me a break. I was ten. I think my tastes have improved."

Syaoran shot a quick glance at Touya. "If you say so," he muttered. Sakura, misinterpreting his remark, gently elbowed him in the ribs. He made a big show of being injured, but she just rolled her green eyes at him.

Next, Fujitaka handed Tomoyo a flat box. She hadn't expected a gift from him, too. "You really shouldn't have," she said shyly.

"That's the point, though, isn't it?" he replied.

She hesitated only briefly before opening the package. Inside were two notebooks. As she flipped through the pages, she saw they were printed with musical staffs, and in many cases, the staffs were covered with notes, ranging from short phrases to full passages, sometimes with lyrics printed neatly underneath. The second book was similar, but most of the pages of staffs were still blank.

"They belonged to Nadeshiko-san," Fujitaka explained when Tomoyo looked up at him. "Songs she wrote. She didn't finish all of them, but...." His words trailed off as he seemed to get lost in a memory. Then he gave her a warm smile. "She'd want you to have them."

Tomoyo didn't know what to say. That he would trust her with such a treasure, something that had to hold such meaning for him.... She closed the notebook and ran her fingers along the spine, imagining how Nadeshiko might have hummed as she composed the melodies. "Thank you," she said softly. It didn't seem like enough, but he just nodded, still wearing that same serene smile.

"That's incredibly generous of you, sensei," Sonomi said sincerely, taking the notebooks from Tomoyo and looking through them with a wistful expression. It was clear she'd been just as touched by his gesture.

Touya stood up and reached into his suit pocket. "I guess that leaves me," he said, breaking the quiet that had settled over the room.

"Oh, no, you didn't—" Tomoyo started to protest, but he held an envelope out to her anyway.

"I know. I didn't have to. I shouldn't have. I think we all get the point by now, Daidouji," he joked. "So, take it."

She slit open the seal and found two tickets inside. Sakura leaned close to Tomoyo for a better look, incredibly curious about what sort of gift her brother would give her friend. "Wow, box seats," Sakura breathed. "Those must have been really expensive."

"Not really," Touya said dismissively. "Besides, you mentioned once that you liked the symphony, so, I just thought...."

But Sakura was right. Seats like these were very expensive, and Tomoyo felt a little uncomfortable taking such a gift from him. He gave her so much as it was, things that she couldn't put a price on. He didn't need to spend all this money on her, too. "I do," she answered, "but, really, these are too much."

"Actually, Yamura-sensei knows someone on the board, so she got me a good deal," Touya said. "Don't worry about it. Take someone with you and have a good time, okay?"

Both of them were trying to treat this as a casual thing. It wasn't a secret that they had been spending time together in the form of innocent piano lessons or group outings, but only Meiling and Fujitaka knew that there was more to it than that.

Tomoyo handed one of the tickets back to Touya. "The only way I can accept these is if you go with me," she said. Her voice was steady, her tone formal, but the look in her eyes said that she knew he'd planned it this way. It had taken her a moment to figure it out, that this was a way for them to have a real date without arousing suspicion. "Please? I insist."

"If it's all right with your mother," he answered, looking now at Sonomi.

Sonomi's violet eyes blinked as she glanced back and forth between the two of them. She understood that they'd formed a sort of friendship over the past few months, so there wasn't really anything to object to. "Yes, it's fine," she finally answered.

"Well, okay, then," Touya said, grinning as he tucked the ticket back inside his jacket. "Thanks." Tomoyo smiled sweetly at him in return, then ducked her head quickly before anyone could read more into her expression.

There were still a few more minutes before dinner would be served, so everyone fell back into conversation again. Sakura brought out a photo album from her trip to Hong Kong, and Tomoyo relinquished her place on the sofa so that her mother could see the pictures better. Sakura and Meiling kept correcting each other when telling stories about the trip, and Syaoran broke in occasionally to correct both of them. Sonomi asked plenty of questions and laughed at Sakura's enthusiastic explanations.

Tomoyo had seen the pictures and heard the stories before, so her attention wandered to the other side of the room, where Touya and his father were discussing something quietly. She saw Touya glance in her direction briefly as he spoke, and then Fujitaka did the same, nodding in response to whatever Touya had said. A heated blush spread over her cheeks, since they were obviously talking about her, and she tried to look away casually, but it was too late.

Touya approached her chair and bent down beside her. "Do you think I could talk to you for a minute?" he whispered, so close to her ear that it made her shiver. "Alone?"

Her violet eyes immediately slid over to her mother, who was still focused on the pictures, and then to Fujitaka, who waved his hand almost imperceptibly, signaling that he would cover for them. "All right," Tomoyo answered softly.

She led him down the hall to her mother's office where they wouldn't be disturbed. She closed the heavy door behind them and engaged the lock. "What is it?" she asked, still whispering, even though no one could hear.

"I have something else for you," he said, reaching into his pocket again. "But I thought it would be best to give it to you privately."

In his hand was a small, square box. Tomoyo stared at it, feeling her heart thump wildly as she realized what it had to be. I'm not ready for this. What am I going to say? She took the box from him with trembling hands, not daring to look at him as she slowly removed the lid.

Inside was a ring. A large, gold-toned, split ring, with a large, gold-toned, piano-shaped pendant dangling from it.

A keyring.

"Oh," she said, her voice laced with disappointment. She hated how ungrateful she sounded, and she tried to give him a bright smile. "It's cute. Thank you."

"You were expecting something else."

"No," she answered quickly. "No, of course not." But I was. For a minute, I was, and I was excited about it.

"Yes, you were," Touya teased. "But don't you think it's a little soon for that sort of thing?"

Just for that, she took the keyring from the box and slid it onto her finger. It hung heavily, weighing down her hand. "It must be, if you don't even know what my ring size is," she teased back.

"Wait. That's not the whole present," he said, pulling something else from his apparently bottomless pocket. She wouldn't be surprised if he started pulling rabbits out of his sleeves next. "Here."

"The key to your heart?" Tomoyo joked as he slid it onto the ring for her.

"No. To my place." Touya gave the ring a little shake so that the silver key jangled against the charm. "So you can come over whenever you want, or if you beat me there from school, you can let yourself in. I don't want you to have any excuse not to see me."

"So, basically, it's a present for you."

"Well, yeah. Happy birthday." She laughed, and as his smiling eyes stayed on hers, she automatically touched her index finger to her lips. "That's three now, you know," he reminded her.

"Then I should probably pay up before I get any further into debt," she answered as the space between them disappeared. She stood on her toes and placed her hands on his broad shoulders. "One," she said, lightly brushing her lips over his. "Two," she whispered, her lips lingering a little longer this time, and her tongue flicking over his upper lip. "Thr—" His arms closed around her, and she let him turn her teasing pecks into a soul-stirring kiss.

The keyring hit the carpet with a soft plink, but neither of them noticed.

-----

All through dinner, Touya became more and more uncomfortable. The evening had been perfectly pleasant, and everyone had gotten along better than usual. He couldn't even find the desire to torment Syaoran. It was Tomoyo's day, and he didn't want to do anything to spoil her happiness.

Which makes my decision that much more difficult.

He needed to tell Sonomi what was going on between him and Tomoyo. The longer it went on, the more it would feel like he was betraying her trust. He'd had an excuse before. While she was overseas, he didn't have to worry about her. Even though he knew she'd be back eventually, that he'd have to face her, he'd been lulled into a false sense of security. Now, that was gone, and he was left with reality.

Maybe after cake and coffee.

But then the cake and coffee were served, and time seemed to fly by as if in a race, and he was losing. He remained quiet as everyone else talked, observing them all cautiously as his mind debated the wisdom of doing this tonight. At one end of the table, his father was discussing business with Sonomi, and she didn't display any of the hostility he knew she once held, and maybe still did, to some small degree. Over the past few years, she'd started to let herself actually like his family. It had taken time, but it was still progress. That could only work in his favor, right?

Sakura, Syaoran, Meiling, and Tomoyo all sat in the middle of the table, talking about a school assignment of some kind. Touya tried to act like he was paying attention, but he didn't hear a word any of them said. He needlessly stirred his black coffee, tapping his spoon restlessly against the rim before immersing it in the liquid again for another spin around the cup. Tomoyo looked over at him, and he wondered if she'd noticed his odd behavior. He flashed her a careless smile, which she returned as she took a bite of chocolate cake before answering whatever it was that Sakura had asked her.

Everyone was almost finished. Cake plates were nearly empty, and coffee cups were receiving a final refill. Eventually, it would be time to go home. If he was going to say anything, he needed to do it soon.

"Sonomi-san?"

The room suddenly became very quiet. Touya was aware of everyone looking at him, and he realized that he was the one who had spoken.

"Yes?"

"May I speak with you for a moment, please?" They were all still looking at him as if he'd sprouted a third arm.

Sonomi pushed her chair back and stood up from the table. "Certainly," she said, but there was confusion in her voice.

He followed her to her office, the same room where he'd kissed her daughter less than two hours ago. I have to do this, he reminded himself. I can't lie to her. If he wanted a future with Tomoyo, it couldn't start with them keeping secrets from her mother. He had her trust, and he needed to keep it. Maybe she'd even respect him for his honesty. Yeah, and maybe the ground will just open up and swallow me before I can say anything stupid. There's never an earthquake when you really need one.

Sonomi closed the office door, but she didn't lock it as Tomoyo had. "Well?" she said, spreading her arms in an expectant gesture.

This now seemed like a very bad, bad idea. "I need to tell you something," he stalled.

"Yes, what is it?" she asked impatiently, crossing her arms in front of her.

Don't do this. Come up with something else, anything else. But his mind went blank. Even the words he had rehearsed for the past month left him. "You asked me to tell you if any 'pests' started getting close to Tomoyo," he said in a somewhat stilted manner. The words were out. There would be no turning back now. He hoped he was prepared for her reaction as he continued. "So, that's what I'm doing. I need you to know that she's caught the attention of a rather large pest."

Sonomi's expression changed to show that she recalled their conversation, and her violet eyes flashed angrily before narrowing at him. "Who is it?" She looked ready to kill.

Bracing himself for the worst, Touya took a deep breath and answered. "Me."

-----

I'm sorry... was that evil?