Authors Notes: Hey guys! Thanks for your reviewing so much! You're getting me really close to 500 reviews! XD! Thanks a million!

Pinaygrrl: Well hello there, fellow Filipino! HAHA. Mystique smirked because she can sense a "vibe" going on between Syaoran and Sakura. Get it now? LOL. Thanks for your review!

SeleneNight904: I'm sorry you didn't like last chapter as much as the others. I'm hoping that this one will kind of lift your spirits! HAHA. I'm kind of glad Mystique creeped you out. You see, I really wanted her to be creepy! HAHA. Thanks for your review!

Lady-Cherry: NOO, It's okay that you didn't review. I really don't mind :-). LOL. School is always a problem, so please, take your time, and review when you can, or if you want! It doesn't really matter to me :-). Anyway, I'm glad you like my story! HAHA. I love your sign off signature. "Lady Cherry, the french but not french girl who speaks too much!" LOL. I'm exactly the same! -high five-! LOL. Thanks for your review!

nearinsane: YAY! You reviewed again! Major kudos for you! Keep it up! HAHA. You went to a fortuen teller? That's cool. You see, I'm a Catholic, so I can't really do that stuff, and I don't plan on doing so either. I just thought it'd be a cool twist to the story. LOL. Thanks for your review! I hope I see your pen name in the review spot a lot more often! XD!

Illusion Dragon: YES, cool cat! And you're one of the coolest feline's I know! HAHA! Thanks for your review!

DEVILZ CHIK: HEY YOU! You can't end your story at chapter nine either! PFF, you know what I'm talking about! "Fearless"! You have to, have to update! It's totally awesome! So...I'll make a deal with you? You don't have to agree or anything. I just want you to update, so, if I update on the story, will you update on "Fearless" also? PLEASE, PLEASE? Pretty please with a cherry on top? XD!

mystikalstarz: Is it okay if I write your pen name like that? It's too long. LOL. Anyway, that's funny, the way you found my chapter. HAHA. The library lady must've been angry! HAHA. Thanks for your review!

Kinagaki: OMG! OF COURSE! I would absolutely LOVE you for eternity x 10 if you drew fan art for this fan fiction! How could I say no? I bet you're an awesome drawer! Thanks SO much, Kinagaki!

Amanda: LOL, OMG, Yelan is SO totally OOC. If you don't know, which I think you do, OOC means Out Of Character. She would never do the stuff that she's doing in my story! LOL. Thanks for your review!

Just so we're clear, Sakura only THINKS Syaoran is in love, he COULD be, but I'm not telling you. XD! LOL, also, I do not believe in Palm Reading. I'm a Catholic, and the only reason I included that Palm Reading stuff is because I thought it'd be a cool twist to my story.

Disclaimer: How many times do I have to say it? I DON'T OWN CCS OR ANY OF THE STUPID CHARACTERS! Are you guys just trying to make me feel bad? CUZ DAMN, you sure are when you make me admit that I don't own anything! LMAO.

"..." - talking
italic font - thoughts
(A/N: ...) - my interruptions

Now...on with chapter twenty three!

You're Holding My Heart!

Sakura sighed as she walked along the crowded streets. The day had been filled with wedding planning. Dress measurements, tuxedo measurements, deciding for best men, maids of honour, bride's maid, which flowers there will be, which church, or if the wedding will be held outdoors, etc! Too much work and no play was just not good for Sakura. So there she was, walking along the streets, with so much wedding things on her mind...

The day had started out bright, with not a cloud in the sky. They were in the last few days of February, which meant it was still quite cold, but the golden sun's long rays made everything it touched turn warm. Sakura and Syaoran were one of them, and they were very thankful for that.

The minute Sakura risen from her silk covered bed, she had wanted to do something fun, like take a walk in the park, feed the pigeons, or maybe even visit the cottage! She'd only just sat down, and began eating her breakfast when Tomoyo and Yelan destroyed her plans for the day. They had forced her to change into a better dress, because they both thought that if she wore nice things, they'd impress the designer, and then they made at least half a dozen pit stops before they actually arrived at the designer's place. It was quite a day.

Sighing, Sakura came out of the dressing room with her wedding gown on. Unlike her Mother's, Sakura's wedding dress was traditional, just how she wanted it to be. Just the usual white, silky, beautiful designed gown by Tomoyo, hugging each and every part of her beautiful body. Her veil reached down just below her neck, covering her face, and beautiful flower patterns were scattered downward on the side of her dress.

Tomoyo shrieked in delight at the sight of Sakura in the gorgeous gown she made, especially for her. She quickly ran up to her, and began making small adjustments here and there, just so Sakura could look her best. Sakura was kind of annoyed. It wasn't even her wedding day yet, and they were acting as if it was!

"I don't understand, Tomoyo," Sakura began, turning sideways to get a side view of her dress, "why don't you just design everything for me? Like the men's tuxedo's, the bride's maid dresses, and everything else? It would make things so much more easier for Syaoran and me," and she turned the other way.

Tomoyo stood behind Sakura, observing on how the dress stretched when Sakura turned this way and that. "Well," Tomoyo said, her gaze still glued onto the dress, "I would absolutely love to do that, Sakura, but unfortunately, I don't have that kind of time on my hands,"

Sakura turned to face her best friend, a shocked look on her face. "You don't have enough time on your hands? You're joking, right? This dress is beautiful, Tomoyo, and it must've taken so much time to design! Probably more than two tuxedo's, four bride's maid dresses, and the groom's outfit too!"

"That's not true. You're just angry that you have to spend your entire day with that mad designer. She's nothing like me! I could design much more beautiful things than that ugly hag." and she paused slightly, and shook her head. "No, that's not true. She's not an ugly hag. I'm just jealous that I can't make your wedding gowns and outfits. But I was telling the truth about that mad thing. The woman's bloody mad!"

"I know!" Sakura agreed, putting on the woman's voice, "No! Don't turn that way! Your breasts are much too small! Gain weight on them, young lady! Your waist is too small! How am I suppose to make a dress that fits that?" and they both burst out into a fit of laughter. Their laughter was so loud, that they didn't even notice the door open and close.

Syaoran stepped into the designer's place, ready for his appointment with her. He saw both Tomoyo and Sakura, just standing there and laughing. He raised an eyebrow, and began to speak, "Hello, ladies!" but they didn't seem to notice him. "Ladies?" he questioned, taking a step forward, his foot making contact with the wheel of a dressing rack. It made a noise, like a twig snapping, and Tomoyo's head suddenly snapped into the direction she'd heard it in, and she saw Syaoran, standing in the doorway.

She lunged at him, making him fall on his back, Tomoyo on top of him. "Get out!" she shrieked, hastily getting up, and dusting off her dress from any dirt that she may have gotten when she fell on the floor. "Don't you know it's bad luck to see the bride in her wedding dress before the actual wedding?" Tomoyo spat, glaring at Syaoran. "Are you trying to ruin everything?"

(A/N: Just so everyone knows, when Tomoyo landed on top of him, that was NOTHING romantic.)

"Sorry," Syaoran replied, sarcasm dripping from every letter, "I didn't know you were so superstitious!" and he got up also, not even bothering to do what Tomoyo did, because he didn't mind getting dirty or filthy. "I also didn't know that you two were in there! All I knew was that you two had an appointment with the designer, and that it ended at half past two. It's three quarters after two right now, and I thought you guys would be gone,"

Tomoyo looked down at the ground. He was right. They should've been gone fifteen minutes ago. "Did you see her wearing the dress?" Tomoyo asked.

"No," Syaorarn replied truthfully. He may have seen them laughing together, but that did not mean he actually saw Sakura wearing the dress. "All I saw was Sakura's head. You were kind of infront of her, blocking my view from the rest of her body, so don't get all angry at me, okay?" and he began to make his way into the room. Tomoyo stopped him.

"Wait!" she said, holding a hand for him to stop, "she might not be finished changing - "

" - Hey!" Sakura began, now in her former clothing, "What was that racket out here? Tomoyo, you ran out of the room so quickly I thought it was an emergency! So I got dressed and out of my wedding gown as fast as I could. What's the matter?"

All her blood filled Tomoyo's cheeks, making them look beet red. She felt really stupid for making such a big deal out of things. "Um...Nothing, Sakura. I'm going to go get our things, and the gowns from the crazy designer. I'll see you two in a minute," and she vamooshed as fast as she could into the room, hoping that if she got out of there quickly, she wouldn't feel so stupid.

"So," Syaoran began, "you were in your wedding gown, eh? I bet you looked totally ugly," and he smirked when he saw Sakura's face go red, and her lips go inward when she pouted. Her face grew angrier when she saw Syraoran smirk, only making Syaoran's smirk go wider.

"Be quiet! I think I looked quite good in it, it's just too bad I can't say the same thing for you and your tuxedo!" she snapped. She wasn't exactly telling the truth, however. She had seen him wearing a rough design of it, and even though the tuxedo wasn't ready, he still looked really good. Oh well, she had thought. Seeing the groom in his outfit before the wedding wasn't bad luck, was it?

"Well, look what the cat dragged out," said a sudden feminine voice, coming from behind Syaoran. Syaoran jerked around, Sakura moved her head, and before them, stood the brunette, disgusting hazel eyed, snobbish daughter of the second richest man in the kingdom. Leah Bourne, number one on Sakura's most hated list (not that she had one). Syaoran noticed Sakura's face grew solemn and stiff. He never really understood why the two hated each other so much.

"Yes," Sakura replied, gaining composure, "look what the cat dragged out. I knew I smelled something gross. Leah, you might want to take a bath," Sakura finished, satisfied with her insult. She smirked as she saw the frown being plastered onto Leah's pale, tanned face. Sakura grew confused. Leah never had a tan.

Leah felt Sakura's eyes scan her entire body. She smiled, and thought up another quick comeback, "You probably see that I got a tan. Daddy took me to another tropical island so I wouldn't have to spend another horrible, snow filled Christmas here. Ugh. But, I heard that you got to spend some time...in a cottage," she said, and tried to hold in a fit of giggles, which she didn't mind letting out, "What now, Kinomoto? Daddy can't afford the best for you anymore?"

Sakura took a step towards Leah, as if to strike, and Leah's lips, which were once a wicked smile, turned flat, into a frightened frown. Sakura never let anyone insult her Father. "Oh, yes. My father. The king," Sakura began, glaring a whole through her body, "Don't you worry about what my father can or cannot afford. We're doing just fine, but thanks for your concern," she finished, sarcasm dripping on every word.

Leah scowled at her, and turned to Syaoran. She smiled her wicked smile once more, and wrapped her arms around Syaoran's waist. She had always wanted Syaoran, since the first day she'd met him. He was rich, good looking, and exactly what she wanted. She reminded Sakura of Sophie. "Syaoran, honey," she said, "I was thinking you could take me to the ball that my Daddy is holding on the first day of May! Very few people are going. Only people who I think deserve to go," and she jerked backwards, to give Sakura a look, and turned back to face Syaoran, "And you definitely deserve to go. So, what do you say?"

Sakura stood behind the both of them, and glowed a disgusting shade of green. Green for jealousy. She watched as she tried to coax him into going into the stupid ball with her, and Syaoran and his weak attempts to get her filthy arms off of him. She didn't deserve to hold him like that. Only his...fiance. Sakura walked towards the two, and shoved Leah off, and linked her arms with Syaoran, and smiled a sarcastic smile. "Sorry, Leah, but Syaoran and I have lots of things to do on the first day of May. We have lots of wedding planning,"

Leah's jaw dropped. "You two are...are..."

"Engaged? Yes, we are. Obviously, when you went to that tropical island, no one bothered to tell you that Syaoran and I spent our summer in the cottage. Yes, it wasn't just me like you thought. I was with the man of whom I love very much. We got engaged after we came back. We just couldn't stay away from each other, could we, Syaoran honey?" Sakura said, giving Syaoran a pleading look to agree with everything she had just said.

"Uh...She's right. That's right. I'm sorry, but I can't go with you. Lots of wedding planning to do. Lots! Isn't that right, honey bunch, snooky, wooky, wooky!" and they nuzzled noses, swinging their heads left and right. They put on a disgusting act of how an engaged couple acted.

"I...I see," Leah managed to choke out. "I...I have to go. I'll see the both of you some other time," and she sped off away from Syaoran and Sakura, as fast as she possibly could, hoping that her embarassment wouldn't last very long.

Syaoran and Sakura watched until she was out of sight. They both glanced at each other, and just the sudden look into each other's eyes, triggered the sound of noisy laughter. They began to pound the ground with their feet, and hold their hands with their stomachs. They had never acted in such a disgusting way.

"Thanks for going along with the story," Syaoran thanked, after he belted out the last few giggles he had in his system, "I really didn't want to go to that thing with her,"

"No problem," Sakura replied, "Besides, you're my fiance. I don't want you going out with other women, now do I?" and she kissed him on the cheek. Syaoran stood, frozen with shock. Had she really done that? Sakura noticed how he had gone stiff, and laughed. "Don't be so surprised, Syaoran. I've done worse," and she punched him playfully on the arm. Soon, they were joined by Tomoyo, who told them that they had to get going, otherwise they'd be late for their next appointment.

"So..." Tomoyo began, once inside the carriage, "I saw you and Syaoran's romantic moment out there," she finished, as she nudged and winked at her best friend.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "I don't know what you're talking about," and she stuck her nose in the air. She heard Tomoyo laugh, as the carriage trotted along the cobbled hard road, which made a path to their next destination.

xxxxxx

All the tiring appointments with the designers, all of the measurements taken, and the decision making, Sakura was oficially worn out. The soles of her feet were beginning to get sore from walking too much, she was afraid her arms were going to fall off because she had been holding them apart to take measurements, and she thought her brain would explode because she still had so many more choices to make for the wedding. Why wasn't Syaoran doing anything?

As she made her way across the street, she arrived at the old playground, where she found few children on it. Just like all the kids at five-years-old, which they seemed to be, they were laughing and running around, totally oblivious as to their surroundings. Not caring where they were, or what they did, just as long as they were all having fun.

Sakura smiled, remembering the time when she had been like that. She walked over to the playground, and took a seat on the splintered wood surrounding it. She smiled, as the kids whined and laughed, pushing and shoving each other around just for fun. Suddenly, a familiar sight began to form infront of her, and she couldn't help but watch the scene from the corner of her eye.

"Give it back!" the little girl screamed. The little girl had raven dark hair, which reached up to her waist. She couldn't have been more than five-years-old, which would explain why she was whining so much for her doll back.

Sakura watched as a little boy, just a few inches taller than her, laughed and sneered as he held the doll high above his head, out of her reach. She pouted, and folded her arms across her chest, and a shade of red began to form on the edges of her cheeks. "Give it back, you baffoon! Just because I won the game doesn't mean you have to steal my dolly! You cheated, anyway!" and she made a lunge for her doll, but failed to grab it.

The boy let his arms fall to his side, and Sakura watched as the little girl's eyes followed the doll. The boy now had a stuck-up look on his face, and his nose was held up high in the air. "I was not cheating!" he replied, the doll still firmly in his tiny hand, "Cheating is for peasants who can't defend themselves!" and he raised the doll back above his head.

Sakura smiled, half amused, half angry. She remembered a time when she had been treated like that by a certain boy. It seemed like deja vu all over again. She walked towards the little boy, from behind so that he wouldn't see her, and snatched the doll from his hands. "Now, is that true?" Sakura asked, handing the doll back to the little girl, "Cheating is only for peasants? I don't seem to think so," and she smiled at the little boy, so not to scare him.

The boy ran beside the girl, and they began taking a few steps backwards. Obviously they were taught by their parents never to talk to strangers. "No, no, it's alright," Sakura said, easing herself towards them, "I'm a good person. I'm the Princess!" and she was shocked to see the little girl and little boy bow down to her.

"Oh mighty Princess!" the little boy said animatedly, "We gravel at your feet!"

The little girl snorted. "It's grovel, you baffoon!" at that sentence, Sakura began to laugh her head off. She bent down on her knees, and helped the two children to their feet.

"You don't have to bow down to me," she said, "I'm just an everyday kind of girl. Go on and run along. I suspect that your mommy and daddy are waiting for you," and she began to push them lightly into the direction away from the playground. She was confused when they both turned around, and looked at her with grave faces.

"We're not brother and sister," the boy said disgustedly. The girl nodded. Sakura muttered her apology, and corrected her sentence. By doing so, Sakura only made their faces go an even greyer colour than it had been when she had said her first sentence. "We don't have mommy's or daddy's," the little boy continued. "We're here with our orphanage. Our friends are playing on the playground right now, and we can't leave until Mrs. Roe says we can,"

Sakura suddenly felt really stupid. She had mentioned parents twice infront of the orphan kids, and only figured out now that she told them that they were orphans. She should've known so when they're faces turned all sad. So then she wouldn't have to make the same mistake and mention parents again. But she did. Words couldn't explain how utterly stupid she felt.

"O - Oh..." Sakura breathed, "I'm...I'm so sorry."

The little boy and little girl shook their heads. "There's nothing to be sorry about. Good day to you, Princess! I think I'm going to go and play some more," and the little boy began to sprint off towards a group of boys playing with rocks. To Sakura's surprise, the little girl stayed behind, and held her hands behind her back, her gaze downward, and her foot tracing the ground.

Sakura bent down on her knees once more. "What's your name?" she asked softly, so not to scare her. The little girl kept her gaze away from Sakura, so she decided to tilt her head downwards more, so the girl could get a glimpse into her eyes. Sakura smiled. "You know, I was just as shy as you were when I was your age, and I had a bully, just like that little boy over there just like you!" Sakura said, and beckoned towards the little boy she was just recently talking to.

The girl snorted. "He's not my bully. It's just a great, big, stupid, dumb head." Sakura laughed at the child's immaturity, and picked her up. The little girl let her arms wrap around Sakura's neck, and was no longer scared to look at Sakura.

"What's your name?" Sakura asked, and the raven haired little girl proceeded to tell her name.

xxxxxx

Syaoran walked by himself, on the lonely cobbled streets. It was nearly six o'clock, and most people were inside their houses, eating dinner. The only thing that could be heard was the slight rumble of hooves as horse-drawn carriages trotted past, and children being shooed into the house by their parents.

Syaoran sighed deeply, and was shocked to find a little girl run out of a shop, all giggly and smiling. She looked up, and made contact with Syaoran's amber eyes. Slowly and cautiously, she walked towards him, and looked up at the giant before her.

"Hello," she said.

Syaoran smiled. "Why hello there, young lady. Where's your Mother?"

The little girl frowned. "I don't have a mommy. I was just in the shop with a friend! She's still buying me candy, though," and she jumped up towards Syaoran, and he caught her in his arms. He hoisted her up, so that her legs were wrapped around his stomach, yes, his stomach (her legs weren't long enough to be wrapped around his waist), and the little girl let her hands rest on his chest.

Syaoran was surprised that the girl blossomed up to him so quickly. Most girls her age would be shy, and timid. He could've been a bad person for all she knew, and yet, she let him carry her anyway. There must've been someone out there that taught her to be so trustful of people.

Suddenly, Sakura stepped out of the shop, with a tiny bag in her hand. She didn't notice Syaoran at first, because she was too busy scanning the empty street for something, or rather, someone. Her head flicked from side to side, and finally, she looked into Syaoran's direction. Her first, stiff shoulders suddenly softened, as she walked towards him, calmly and cautiously. Once she stopped, she just stared at both the little girl in Syaoran's arms, and himself.

"You're holding my Heart," Sakura said, out of the blue.

Syaoran's eyes went wide, and he almost dropped the fragile little girl. Did he just hear what he thought he heard? Did Sakura confess her love for him? He must've been correct. Syaoran wasn't exactly the age to be losing his ears.

"...Excuse me?" Syaoran replied, just to make sure.

"I said," Sakura repeated, "You're holding my Heart!" and she closed the gap in between them, and grabbed the little girl in his arms. The girl giggled, and reached for the tiny bag in Sakura's hands. Sakura sweeped it away, and put on a stern look. "Nuh, uh, uh," she said, as if she were a Mother, "What do you say first?" the little girl pouted, and forced out a "please". Sakura smiled, and gladly handed the candy filled bag to her.

"Oh, hi, Syaoran!" she said, as if she just noticed him then, "I'd like you to meet Heart Puso. She's an orphan that I just met today. Isn't she adorable?" Sakura asked.

Syaoran now understood. She wasn't actually confessing her love for him, but stating that he was holding Heart, the little girl she'd met that afternoon. His shoulders lowered, as if letting out a huge sigh that he'd been holding in, and mustered up the best smile he could. "Hello, Heart," he greeted, patting the little girl's back. "I'm Prince Syaoran, and it's a pleasure to meet you,"

Together, the three walked down the road, Sakura on Heart's left, Syaoran on her right. They each had one of her hands in theirs. It was a beautiful sight to see. Just the three of them, walking off towards the beautiful sun. It was as if Heart was the beloved child, and Syaoran and Sakura were the loving parents, more in love with each other than any other couple that existed in the world.

Authors Notes: YAY! I'm finished!

I hope you liked Heart. She's a new character, which I'm hoping to keep in for the next few chapters. LOL, also, if some of you don't know, her last name, Puso, is HEART in tagalog. LOL, YUP, I'm a proud Filipina! HAHA.

EXCUSE ANY TYPOS!

Read and Review!

Signing Off,
Azn-blossom08