AN: Merry Christmas! It's almost 2005! Here's Chapter7, for those still reading this the ever-faithful. I salute you, and am eternally grateful for your patience and loyalty. I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: The usual of course.

Chapter 7 - Of Bus Rides and Ice Skates

No matter how hard Tomoyo tried, Sakura was inconsolable. She was in a state of semi-hysteria, fresh tears soaking Eriol's already dripping handkerchief.

Takashi spent the entire bus ride in the corner of the seat, having been banished there by Chiharu. Eriol stayed silent, looking out the window occasionally.

When the bus finally rolled into the parking lot of the skating rink, Eriol sighed in relief. It had been the longest bus ride ever and he didn't care to repeat that experience again. He stood up and stretched his legs.

"Takashi. Carry this." Tomoyo dropped Sakura's bag into Takashi's arms before leading Sakura off the bus. Takashi just stared after them, not used to Tomoyo giving orders in such a cold fashion.

Eriol smirked at Takashi. "I would have been a little more tactful," he said before following the girls.

Takashi scrunched his nose. "That's right, damn it, blame the messenger."

"Watch your language!" Chiharu hit him in the back of the head.

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"Alright, Syaoran. Looks like everything's fine now. You'll be able to leave after I fill out your charts." The doctor smiled at Syaoran before scribbling something down onto his clipboard.

"So what was wrong with me?"

"Nothing, actually. You had a case of severe stress." The doctor shrugged. "Could have happened to anyone. You're just that lucky."

"It was just stress?" Syaoran was incredulous. He fainted, landed in a hospital just because of stress?

"Whatever you were stressed about must have been big." The doctor finished writing and snapped the lid onto his pen. "Okay. You're free to go."

Syaoran nodded and swung his legs over the edge of the hospital bed.

"Now take it easy for a few days, and drink plenty of fluids. You'll be fine."

"Thanks."

"You welcome." The doctor left.

Syaoran dressed and signed out.

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Eriol checked the lace of his skate before offering his hand to Tomoyo. She took it and he pulled her up from her seat next to Sakura. "Are you ready?"

"I think I'll sit out for a bit." Sakura fiddled with her glove.

"Are you sure?" Tomoyo held out a hand. "Eriol and I will skate with you. It'll be fun."

"It's okay." Sakura waved them off. "Go. I'll skate later."

Tomoyo gave Sakura another stare before walking onto the ice with Eriol.

"Do you think she's going be okay?" Eriol turned so he was facing Tomoyo. Her face was tinged pink from the cold and she kept on adjusting her scarf around her neck.

Tomoyo shrugged. "I honestly don't know. She was never like this and then Syaoran came and look at her. She's an utter wreck right now." She sighed. "She'll be fine if Syaoran's fine."

Eriol looked pointedly at Sakura on the sidelines. "She doesn't look very fine right now."

"What?" Tomoyo whipped her head around. Sakura sat hunched over on the bench, gloved hands linked together.

Tomoyo skated off the ice and knelt in front of the downcast Sakura. "Sakura? What's wrong?" Sakura stared forlornly at the ice.

"He promised to skate with me." Sakura's lower lip trembled as she struggled not to cry.

"Oh Sakura." She hugged Sakura. "He'll be alright. How could he not?"

Sakura only pressed her head into Tomoyo's shoulder.

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Syaoran was wandering the streets. He distinctly remembered having a certain distaste for those odd folk who wandered the street aimlessly, but now he saw the appeal. He didn't have to think about where he was going, or what he was doing, or anything at all. He was just wandering. It was oddly comforting. And it had started to snow. He figured that if he wasn't sick before, he'd probably catch pneumonia or something along those lines. He was still without a present for Sakura, but that wasn't the problem now. The problem now was figuring out how to show Sakura that, yes he does love her.

So here he was, wandering the streets all by himself after being discharged from the hospital. It was snowing, it was cold and he was pretty lost. Scratch the pretty part. He was lost, damnit, and had no idea how to show Sakura that she meant the world to him.

And then it hit him. Actually a snowball hit him, but the idea hurt way less. He looked around for the offender, and swore under his breath before marching off to carry out his idea.

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Syaoran: I still look like a wuss. Why am I the wuss?

Takashi: And why do I get picked on so much in this chapter? Those are major grounds for mental, emotional and physical abus-

Chiharu: Shut up. You deserve it. You have no tact.

Takashi: sputters WhaT?! No tact? You're blunter than a blunt…uh…blunt…

Merry Christmas…