Tiran: okay here's Chapter 1.

Tale: I guess you don't have much to say?

Tiran: nope, nothing but the disclaimer.

Disclaimer: I don't own Cardcaptors, Tomoyo, Sonomi, or Sakura. None of it is mine.

Tiran: and it's Alternate Universe… and if there's stuff between "" marks, it's a flashback or a dream.

Guardian Angel- Chapter 1

"Sakura, are you feeling okay?" asks Tomoyo, looking at Sakura from the front seat of the car. Her mother, Sonomi, is driving. There is a worried expression on Tomoyo's face.

"I'm fine, Tomoyo… I just feel a little sick…" replies Sakura, who is sitting in the back seat, her eyes closed. She makes little moaning noises. "Just feel a little sick…"

"Okay, Sakura… but I want you to lay in bed when we get home." Sonomi says. Sakura has been living with Sonomi and Tomoyo for four years, ever since her father had been murdered. Sakura hasn't had an easy life. Her mother died soon after she was born, Her father murdered. And to top it all off, her brother Toya was nowhere to be found.

With a sigh, Sakura begins to fall asleep. But before she actually gets asleep, the car slows to a stop. "C'mon Sakura, We're home." Tomoyo says, getting out of the car.

"ah… my stomach…" moans Sakura, standing up. She clutches her stomach, cringing. "I must have a bad bruise or something…" she says, walking into the house. "I'm gonna take a shower, okay?"

"Okay, Sakura, but then get some rest. I mean it." Replies Sonomi, walking upstairs, straight to her room.

Tomoyo helps Sakura upstairs, to the room they share, and closes the door. "Sakura, are you really okay?" she asks, with a worried expression on her face.

"Yes, I'm fine. My stomach just feels all…queasy…" Sakura replies, slowly walking into the bathroom that is connected to their room. Sakura shuts the bathroom door behind her.

After Sakura shuts the door, she starts the shower. Slipping out of her clothes, Sakura looks over her body. She feels a tear run down her cheek as she looks. Her body is covered in scratches and bruises.

"oh, why did it have to happen to me?" she wonders, getting into the shower. Feeling the warm water run down her body calms her, and soothes the remaining pain in her body. Even her queasiness subsides. Sakura washes her hair, the soapy water running down her back, chest, belly, and legs.

"This feels good…" she sighs, rinsing her hair and body off. Stepping out of the shower, she sees a set of clothing on the counter. "Tomoyo really cares about me…" she sighs.

Pulling on the black long-sleeve shirt, Sakura flinches as she touches a bruise. Sakura carefully pulls on the rest of the clothes, hoping the scratches and bruises will go away quickly.

Five years pass. Now 19, Sakura and Tomoyo have moved into a smaller house, to leave unpleasant memories behind.

"Sakura? Where are you?" asks Tomoyo, carrying grocery bags in and putting them on the table. "Sakura…?"

Tomoyo hears muffled sobs coming from the bathroom. "Sakura! I'm coming!"

Tomoyo swings the bathroom door open, and she rushes to the shower, the water running. She pulls back the curtain, and sees Sakura, curled up in the corner of the shower, water plastering her hair to her face. "Sakura… oh, Sakura…"

Sakura looks up, her emerald eyes swollen, face red. She had obviously been crying for a long time. Tomoyo leans in, and turns off the shower."T-T-T-Tomoyo… don't ever leave me…ever again."

Tomoyo leans in, and Sakura embraces her with wet arms. They stand up, and Tomoyo drapes a warm towel over her shoulders. "Sakura… I will never leave you."

Sakura utters one last phrase, before collapsing against Tomoyo's shoulder. "Thank you…"

The next morning, Sakura wakes up, and realizes she's not alone in her bed. "Tomoyo…?"

Tomoyo's eyes flutter open, and she makes contented sighs before sitting up. "Mmmhh… Oh, Sakura! You're awake!" she exclaims, greatly overjoyed. "I hoped you'd wake up. You passed out and wouldn't wake up."

Sakura sits up in bed next to Tomoyo. "Thank you for staying by my side. I don't know what I'd do without you…"

Sakura is about to get up, when she realizes that she's naked. Tomoyo smiles sweetly. "I wasn't able to get you into any clothing… I was barely able to get you in here… sorry."

Sakura blushes, draping a robe over her shoulders. She slips her arms through and ties the sash. "Thank you… I didn't mean to give you so much trouble…"

Tomoyo smiles, shaking her head. "It's no problem… I just wanted to make sure you were okay." Sakura embraces Tomoyo in a warm hug, and then the two girls walk downstairs.

Tomoyo opens the fridge, and calls out to Sakura. "I'm gonna make some breakfast. You better eat it."

Sakura nods, then gasps. "I should get dressed… I don't want to walk around in nothing but a robe all day…" Tomoyo laughs, agreeing.

Sakura quickly climbs the stairs into the bedroom, stripping out of the robe. She pulls on her underwear, and dresses in a denim miniskirt, and a halter top. She sighs, and walks downstairs, where Tomoyo waits with the breakfast, a pile of French Toast. "Oh, I love French Toast!"

Tomoyo smiles. "I know. That's why I made it. I wanted to cheer you up."

Sakura brushes a tear out of her eye, and inhales. "Yes… it's working too."

The two girls sit down at the table, and Tomoyo helps herself, while Sakura just sits there. Tomoyo looks up absently. "Sakura-chan? What's wrong?" Sakura says nothing in reply, and tears fall to the table.

"Sakura?"

Tomoyo stands up, and puts her arms around Sakura. She whispers something to Sakura. "Sakura, talk to me… You can tell me."

Sakura looks up, sniffling. "o-oh, T-Tomoyo…. I j-just can't forget that night. I still remember it, just like it happened yesterday…"

Sakura, age 14, looks up at her brother, her emerald green eyes glittering. She smiles, and Toya smiles back at her "Big brother, are we going to see Yukito?."

"Yes, Sakura, that's where we're going. Now, twerp, you better behave."

The two of them walk on, and Sakura looks around, gaze fixing on a woman, saying to herself, "She's pretty…"The woman is joined by a man, who was equally handsome. He whispers something into the woman's ear, and they both walk back into the trees.

"Hey, squirt. We're here."

Sakura, Toya, and Yukito share a great dinner, thanks to Yukito's marvelous cooking skill. Sakura and Toya bid farewell to Yukito, and walk back down the street to their house.

Toya shepards Sakura to her room, and grins.. "Sakura, I'm gonna take a shower. I'll be at Yukito's afterwards. Go to sleep."

"M'kay Toya… g'night…"

Sakura falls asleep to the running water from Toya's bath, quietly dreaming of another life, where she captured magical cards. She is soon woken up though, by some unknown feeling, like a emptiness in her belly.

She walks to the phone downstairs, and dials Yukito's number. "Hello, Yukito-san? It's Sakura. Did my brother leave yet? What?! He never got there?! How can that be?!"

Yukito suddenly thinks of something. "Sakura! stay inside. I'll go look for him."

He hangs up the phone, grabs a flashlight and his jacket, and bolts out the door, locking it behind him.

He searches for three hours, not finding Toya anywhere. Yukito decides to go and get Sakura, to try and keep her calm. As he reaches her house, he notices the window is shattered, and the front door is wide open. "Oh, no… Sakura… oh no oh no oh no…"

Yukito dashes inside, and almost leaps to the top of the stairs, only to find Sakura's room in a state of total destruction. Books are scattered all over, and blankets are strewn throughout the room. There was clearly a struggle.

Yukito's eyes finally rest on a small yellow object.

It was Kero, Sakura's favorite stuffed animal.

And he was ripped to shreds.

"no… oh, Sakura… you're both missing…"

Sakura stops telling her story and Tomoyo looks on in shock. "I had no idea… Did Yukito-san tell you this?"

Sakura brushes a tear from her eye. "Yes. And that's not all. I remember this much…"

Toya looks on, seeing Sakura stir. "Sakura!!!!"

A man steps out, followed by a woman. They were the same two Sakura had seen earlier.

The woman reaches out, and slaps Toya, leaving a red imprint of her hand on his cheek. "Be quiet, boy."

The man waves her away, and he begins to speak.

"Boy, this is your sister, correct?"

Toya nods.

"well, if you leave, and never come back, and promise not to call the cops or tell anyone about this night, we will not kill her. Break any of these rules, and she is dead. Just like we killed your father."

Toya's eyes widen, and he stands up, his fists shaking with rage. "You… bastard… I'll kill you!!!"

The man punches Toya in the gut as he stands up, and Toya collapses to the ground.

Hearing all this, Sakura whimpers, but the woman places a hand on her chest, quieting her. "shhh… quiet, girl… we won't kill him."

Sakura makes another noise, and she feels herself lifted up. Her arms were bound behind her back, she was blindfolded, and her mouth was taped shut. She is carried outside, and the person carrying her roughly tosses her into the padded trunk, and shuts it.

Tomoyo leaps up, embracing Sakura in a tight hug. "Oh, Sakura… why didn't you tell anyone?"

"I did. The cops who handled the case know."

"I mean, other than the cops."

Sakura lowers her head. "Because I still haven't found Toya."

"Sakura… don't worry. He'll come back."

Sakura finishes her breakfast, and Tomoyo takes her plate. "So, Sakura. what would you like to do today? Your birthday is coming up soon. I'll let you pick what to do."

Sakura brightens up a little. "How about… we stay in the house, have a private party, and just hang out. We can invite Yukito-san, too. I haven't seen him in a while."

Tomoyo nods. "I'll go rent some movies. Wanna come with me?"

Sakura smiles. "Sure. Let me get my coat."

The two girls step outside, and notice it's snowing. "Wow, Sakura… look…Sakura?"

Sakura has stopped moving, and is standing just outside the door. She is shaking, whether from the cold, or fear, Tomoyo doesn't know. "Oh, Sakura… this is around the same time it happened, isn't it?"

Sakura shakes her head. "No… that's not what's wrong. Let me tell you what's wrong."

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Chapter 1 end

Tiran: Well. That's as good a place as any to put this up.

Tale: Yeah… I guess…

Tiran: I think… this story might do great.