Chapter Four:

Syaoran shivered as a cold gust of wind blew passed him once again. He had been waiting outside for nearly an hour and had lost the feeling in his fingers long ago. He laughed somberly as he blew warm air on to his frozen fingers. If he wasn't asking for a favor he would have to deck Eriol when he saw him. He was just about to turn around when he spotted him coming around the corner. He rode on horseback and didn't look as half as frozen as Syaoran wished he did. Actually he looked rather grim. How Syaoran wished he wasn't asking for a favor.

"Xiao Lang," Eriol said as he approached Syaoran.

"Eriol," he replied. He could see that he wasn't going to make it easy to ask either. "You look well."

"Xiao Lang, please save me the talk…I don't think you called me out in the dead of night, and asked for secrecy to inquiry about my well-being."

Syaoran bit back his curt reply that came to mind and quickly divulged in. "No, I did not." I want to ask a favor."

"A favor. Could it not have waited until a more reasonable hour? I daresay after dawn." He replied with all the practice haughtiness one could expect from Eriol these days. But this was worse…

"You are sourer than you usually are, what's wrong?"

"Tomoyo is on her courses."

Syaoran cringed. He had known Eriol and Tomoyo since his childhood and knew how deeply in love they were and how desperately they were trying to have a child. It had to be at least a couple of years now. He didn't want to speak the words that he knew was on his friend's mind, but it could be a possibility that Tomoyo could be barren.

"My greatest condolences…I could only imagine how hard this is for you," he said sincerely.

Eriol sighed deeply. "It's alright. I apologize I didn't mean to snap at you. What can I do for you Syaoran?"

There was no other way Syaoran could have asked so he just asked. "I need to know his whereabouts."

Eriol's eyes instantly lit. "Are you sure?" he asked quietly.

"Positive."

"I can't tell you…I swore I wouldn't. You made me give my oath, Xiao Lang."

"Damn the oath, I need to know."

"No." he said more fiercely.

"He showed himself Eriol. He attacked me last night. I need to know where he is."

"Chadwick's here," he said incredulously. "In London? How could he be? The last I heard—" he stopped himself from speaking any further. He couldn't say anymore. "Xiao Lang, if you asked anything other than this I would if I could help you, but not on this. Please don't ask me anymore on this subject."

Syaoran growled under his breathe. "Damn you Eriol. Well, could you at least keep an eye out for him?"

"Of course," Eriol said as Syaoran turned his horse and galloped back to the cottage. Syaoran gave him a wave in farewell before disappearing, leaving Eriol to his thoughts.

Syaoran didn't return directly to the cottage after leaving Eriol. He couldn't bear to see Sakura just yet. She was happy with her newly-found freedom; he couldn't press his sour mood onto her. He would only end up kicking himself in the ass for it later and then come up with some way to reconcile with her. But knowing the type of person Sakura was, in the short time he had known her, she would undoubtedly think that she had done something to upset him…and he was thinking too much again.

Something was irking, something that he had seemed to have missed, and it was something that he overlooked…he just couldn't put his finger on it. He shook his head; all this thinking was giving him a headache. He went as far as the pond near the cottage before turning back to the cottage. He braced himself for Sakura's upbeat attitude about life in general. Maybe she'll do more good for him than he thought…hopefully he'll remember that when he confronted his mother in the morning or it might be much later than that. He hoped much later. He looked up at the cottage before entering through the servants' entrance, the way he left after everyone had fallen asleep. He crept up the back stairs and has just slipped under the covers when the chambermaid had rapped on the door.

He bit back a groan. He underestimated the time he had spent out by the pond. He threw his legs over the bed and pulled on a robe that was on a chair nearby. He glanced quickly over his shoulder towards the window. It had to be just after daybreak. He rushed to the door and nearly pulled it off the hinges when he opened it.

"What do you want?" he growled at the young maid.

She bent her head in response, "Sorry, my lord, but Lord Bradley has asked for your attendance in his sitting room."

He resisted the overwhelming urge to rolls his eyes. "Tell him, I'll be there within the hour."

The maid nodded her head before turning. Syaoran slammed the door and heard a resounding click. He then threw the robe on the floor while walking across the room to his bed. Liam be damned, he was going to sleep.

'Knock, knock'

Syaoran was coming in and out of consciousness, but couldn't for the life him stop the incessant knocking. "Leave me alone," he called out. He heard a door faintly being opened and closed.

"Xiao Lang," he heard in a scolding manner.

Syaoran rolled over and snuggled deeper into his covers. "One more hour, Wei…tell her I'll be up in an hour."

He heard a deep chuckle emit from Wei's throat. "Yes, my lord." He heard footsteps walk away from the bed before falling deeper into slumber. A few moments passed before the unthinkable happened, someone, not Wei, dumped freezing water onto his head.

Syaoran screamed bloody murder as he awoke with a start. "I'll have your bloody head—" He was cut short by feminine laughter and then a deeper, male laughter. He wiped the water from his face, only to whip angry eyes to the culprits.

There stood Sakura and Liam, trying to muffle their laughter. His eyes narrowed even more, in a most deadly manner. His focus wasn't on Sakura, but on Liam. His so called best friend. "What the hell was that?" he called out to his friend.

Liam looked at him innocently, "Why whatever do you mean?"

"Like you don't know."

"My, my, my…aren't we in a sour mood," he replied good-naturedly.

Fed up, Syaoran lifted his hand and pointed towards the door, "Get out!"

"Sorry," he replied bored.

"You heard me, get out!"

"I can't do that."

"And why the hell can't you." He was screaming on top of his voice now. He had never felt this way before, he had never been so angry…well, he has, but never at Liam.

Liam stopped laughing. "Watch your tone, Syaoran," he warned. His voice lowered to match Syaoran's own. "You're scaring the lady."

"The lady…" he started and then remembered Sakura. He flushed considerably. He slid his attention to her, where she was hiding behind Liam slightly. He gulped. What the hell did I do now? "Why are you hiding?"

She peered from behind Liam's back innocently. She looked from Liam to Syaoran to Liam again. Syaoran shook his head. Liam laughed and slid a glance over to Syaoran, "Sakura, his bark is worse than his bite. That ole softie didn't mean a thing by it."

Syaoran looked crossly at Liam. "I thought I told you to leave."

"Oh, my friend; you look like you need my assistance."

"Like hell I do," he whispered under his breathe.

"What was that?"

Syaoran smiled, "Nothing. Now get the hell out!" Still smiling, he pointed towards the door.

Liam held his hands up, retreating towards the door slowly. "I can take a hint, but I thought you would like to know that Auntie has been waiting for you for the last hour and a half."

The smile slid off of Syaoran's face slowly, but surely. It took a minute to register in his head. "Mother."

"Hai," he put his hand on the doorknob.

"Here?"

"Hai," he opened it and stepped out. "I had to make sure she didn't catch you in a state of undress. I'll give you another five minutes before she comes upstairs." He glanced at Sakura, "Are you coming?"

Sakura nodded quickly, slid Syaoran a sympathetic look and calmly walked out, but not before wishing him good luck.

Liam closed the door behind him.

Syaoran swallowed soundly. Sooner came before later it seems. As that registered in his mind he jumped out of bed and quickly dressed.

He appeared approximately four minutes later. He was reciting his already practiced speech in his mind. It was incredible to see how the mind works so crazily. It could come up with the craziest stories when provoked. At the moment, he was thinking about explaining to his mother that things weren't as the seemed. That Sakura and Mei were orphans left on the side of the road for dead, but how believable that story is still hard to decipher seeing as how would he explain he lack of propriety to hire a maid until he could return them to their rightful place or how exquisitely beautiful Sakura was.

See.

Crazy.

All thoughts fled his mind when he saw the look on his mother's face. It was enough to cause him to weep. Li men did not, however, weep so he did what any other respectable man about to receive a tongue lashing did. He cowered his head. "Mother?"

"Xiao Lang," she called haughtily. "Come in quickly."

He entered the drawing room completely. His mother was on the sofa looking at him lazily as she was trying to decipher how she was going to handle this situation. He was about to open his mouth in protest, but she raised her hand. "Stop. I do not want to hear anything you have to say. I have heard the story from Liam. I have already handled the situation and everything should be in order before evening."

Syaoran looked up surprised. "Hmm."

"Liam and Mei will reside in the dowager house until then wed by special license. Wei is locating this as we speak and as for Sakura. We need to speak about her situation. She will be staying with one of your sisters."

Author's Note:

It's finally out. I hope you enjoy it.

Midnight Passion