Authors Note: Ok, so I only got half the reviews I wanted but I figure I'll give folks another chance because my story probably doesn't look very appealing, since it doesn't even have a title yet. I've been constantly revising the chapters I already had written and writing new ones. The creative juices have really been flowing. For this chapter I combinedbits of 2 chapters I had originally written to make one since a lot of people on this site seem to enjoy longer chapters. I can't say yet if all of the chapters will be this long or if this one should even be considered 'long'. We'll see.

Chapter 02 Updated On: 17, July 2005

Syaoran was shocked to see her of all people standing in front of him here and now. "Y-your Sakura. Sakura Kinomoto." His voice was unsteady with disbelief.. How could this be? Sakura's eyes widened as the familiarity in his eyes clicked. Syaoran Li, Eriol's best friend. "Syaoran..." she breathed. They hadn't seen each other since the funeral of their beloved friend. Taking a moment to absorb what had just happened they stood dumbfounded at the sight of one another. "I can't believe it's you..." they finally said together, and as if they read each others minds Sakura and Syaoran left Silver's with Chiharu and Takashi long forgotten.

Sakura quietly followed Syaoran down the narrow cobblestone streets of Tomoeda until they came to an apartment complex with cherry blossom trees on either side of the stoop. Sakura looked around her as they walked through the small lobby that had one old looking couch with a sleeping security guard upon it, a few rows of mail lockers next to the front desk, and a narrow set of wooden stairs leading up in a spiral to the apartments above. Syaoran stopped at the 10th floor apartment and unlocked the door allowing Sakura to enter before himself. It had been a long time since Sakura had been here but she remembered it well. Eriol had lived in the other 10th floor apartment from the time he graduated high school. He had taken her up to the small garden rooftop on a few occasions to watch the sun set or just do some star gazing in each others company.

She had only been in Syaoran's apartment once before a diner date with her love and it had been perfectly tidy. It was clear that he had let things go for she was taken aback by the mess that welcomed her. Syaoran wasn't phased one bit by the papers and empty bottles. She cleared off a chair in the small kitchen as he took a seat on the messy counter. "It's been..." "Two years..." Syaoran finished her sentence. There was a moment of silence as both remembered the day of Eriol's funeral. Each of them had sat with his family and had been asked to give a few words about the wonderful man that had been taken to soon. That day seemed like ages ago.

"So... how have you been...?" Sakura asked timidly.

"It's been a rough two years as you can probably tell." he around looking around the apartment.

"It was rough for me at first but I realized... Eriol wouldn't want to see the mess I'd turned into. I was a pretty sorry sight..." She rubbed her arm in embarrassment looking down.

"I realized that today with help from a friend of mine... So I cleaned myself up and went out... and then you bumped into me... so here we are." Sakura laughed a bit at this. Eriol must have been watching them from heaven... Suddenly something occurred to Sakura that she hadn't thought about before and it brought a clear look of worry and remorse to hear emerald eyes. She looked down before saying, "I... I know that you guys were friends long before I came into the picture... Eriol and I didn't even meet until college... but we fell in love... and I can't help but think that it could have hurt your friendship in some way... because he started spending more time with me... and I'm so sorry if it did... because you always seemed like a wonderful person... and you made him so so happy... Whenever he talked about you his face lit up. He'd smile and laugh telling me about things you two did... I know he made you happy too... And I feel like I took part of that away from you..." Sakura choked this out as some tears sprang to her eyes.

"Do you really feel like you took him away from me?" Syaoran questioned. Sakura slowly and shakily nodded her head and Syaoran started to laugh. She looked up at him with pain in her eyes.

"Why is that funny!" she shouted.

"Because you didn't do anything like that! You made his life better thus making mine better. Plus, I saw him every moment he wasn't with you. He practically lived here even though his apartment was across the hall." He laughed. A thoughtful smile touched Sakura's face, and for a moment their eyes met causing them to blush and quickly look away. They didn't know what but something was there between them. Sakura noticed how relaxing his eyes were when she looked into them. They were beautiful...

Standing up she gave him a thoughtful smile saying, "I should be going... my father is throwing one of his parties tonight..." Syaoran hopped off the counter and gave her a hug incase she was still feeling badly. After he pulled away he strode over to his desk where he grabbed a pen and a piece of paper to write his phone number down on.

"Stay in touch. It was really nice seeing you again, Sakura. And... it... it'd be really great if you'd... ya know... come visit sometime." Syaoran's words came out shy and meek bringing a bright smile to Sakura's beautiful face as she took the paper he offered her.

"Definitely. Thank you." Sakura replied and was about to take her leave when there was a knock on the door.

"That's odd. Usually people just burst in here." Sakura giggled as Takashi walked in with, to her surprise, Chiharu. "Sakura, may I introduce my friend, Takashi Yamazaki. Takashi, this is Sakura Kinomoto." Syaoran introduced the two who shook hands. "Well, this is my friend- Chiharu, whom Takashi already seems to have met." she gave Chiharu a mischievous grin as she said this. Chiharu playfully hit Sakura in the arm in response.

Sakura found she loved being around Syaoran. He made her feel good though it was strange...When he hugged her it sent a shiver down her spine. There was no time to dwell on it though, for it was getting late. "It was great meeting you Takashi, and Syaoran it was wonderful to see you again but we really must be going." she said, with a bit of regret in her voice. She didn't want to leave.

Chiharu hit herself on the head. "That's right! We have to be at your father's party." she said.

"Thank you for having me here, Syaoran" Sakura said as Chiharu started back downstairs and Takashi went upstairs to his top floor apartment just above Syaoran's.

"Sakura?"

She turned. "Yea?"

"Uh... I'll see you soon?."

"Very soon. Goodnight, Syaoran." Her words came out so sincere that Syaoran knew she was telling the truth. He would see her again very soon. And with that, she was gone. Syaoran closed the door pressing his back against it. His eyebrows furrowed together as thoughts began to plague him.

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"Sakura, are you gonna be ok?" Chiharu noticed Sakura's apprehension as they neared the mansion.

"I don't know. God... I really don't wanna go to this stupid dinner party... I don't wanna meet Terada Yoshiyuki. I don't wanna see my father. Eriol and Touya always made these parties so much better and now Eriol is gone and I have no clue where Touya is... I still haven't heard from him." Unfortunately she never received a single letter or phone call from him. She never heard from him or saw him again. For all she knew he was married or dead. How she wished he would contact her and keep his promise to her.

"We're already late. What will you tell your father?"

"I can't tell him where I really was... He'd be so upset. You know how my father didn't like any of Eriol's friends and he hates any night spots... Chiharu, you know how he acts when he's angry..." she said ending in a whisper for they had reached the door and she just knew her brother was waiting on the other side. He opened the door just as she finished her sentence.

"Sakura, why are you late? Where have you been?" Wei, their butler, asked, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Where's father?"

"He's been telling Terada Yoshiyuki all about you. The man seems quite eager to meet you."

"Terada? Where are they?"

"Here is my lovely Sakura!" said her father. Beside him was a tall, thin man with short brownish hair.

"Terada, this my young daughter, Sakura. Sakura, darling, this is Terada Yoshiyuki." Fujitaka eyed his daughter in the way he did when he wanted to tell her there would be consequences for any wrong actions.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, my dear," Terada said, taking her hand to his lips and kissing it.

She put on a fake smile, "A pleasure, sir, but oh," she said putting her other hand on her stomach "I'm so sorry to say I'm not feeling all that well..." Sakura leaned against Chiharu nudging her discretely.

"Oh my... I think Sakura should go rest in her room, don't you sir?" Chihara asked innocently.

"Oh, yes, yes." Terada said with a bit of urgency in his voice.

"Oh, thank you, sir. You are to kind." Sakura said quickly as the two girls hurried upstairs.

Terada Yoshiyuki watched her go up the stairs before turning to Mr. Kinomoto. "I am pleased to inform you that I've found my bride."

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Sakura and Chiharu feel onto the bed laughing as soon as they were safe in her room.

"What a performance, Sakura!" Chiharu laughed. Sakura did a little curtsey making her friend continue to giggle.

"Yes, yes, well it wasn't terribly hard to fool a fool." Sakura replied in a mocking tone.

Sakura walked into her bathroom and changed into her pink silk pajamas. Chiharu continued to speak to her about Takashi but she couldn't honestly say she was listening all that carefully like she usually did. Her mind drifted off to Syaoran. Was he thinking of her? Had Eriol really sent her to him through her dream? She dismissed it as Chiharu poked her head into the bathroom.

"You listening?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow. Sakura grinned and walked out, hopping up onto her large bed. Chiharu hopped on next to her and Sakura rested her head on the pillow, fully intending to listen to everything Chiharu had to say. Unfortunately that didn't happen. Sakura slipped off into a dream world shortly after her head hit the pillow. Chiharu left laughing at her friend who's mind was clearly on other things.

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For two weeks after the party, Sakura noticed Terada making many trips to the Kinomoto estate and after he came to a dinner with she and her father, her final descision was this: Terada Yoshiyuki was absolutely revolting. Though with that though, a happy one came to her. The pain of her loss had lessened a bit every time she spoke with Syaoran. The two had shared phone calls every few evenings but it didn't help her longing to see him again. There was something about Syaoran- maybe something in his eyes that took her breath away. At night she would go to her balcony and look up at the starry heavens, as Syaoran would grace her thoughts. But how could it be? Sakura felt unfaithful to Eriol but she knew she was falling for his best friend... Did he feel the same way?

Chiharu looked at her friend shaking her head from her perch on the window seat. Sakura lay upon her bed looking up at the ceiling. Chiharu could tell that Sakura wanted to see Syaoran and truth be told she wanted to see Takashi as well. She had so enjoyed his company at the bar and had to admit that he was quite a story teller. He really made her laugh.

"Sakura, just go see him! Please, stop tormenting yourself."

"I will...maybe today...but..." Sakura trailed off thinking of her father's disapproval and the confusion she felt over Eriol.

"I've never seen you like this. It's like he has you under a spell."

"Anything is possible... I felt almost entranced by his eyes... and what a smile."

"Interesting..."

"You like his friend... Takashi is it? I could see it." She looked to her friend giving a sweet smile as Chiharu blushed.

"Please. Don't be silly, Sakura. I don't feel for Takashi but you and Syaoran could be another story." Chiharu threw a pillow at her friend and Sakura caught it before it hit her directly in the face. She rolled over onto her stomach and rolled her eyes knowing full well that she was lying about that Takashi. "You're just in denial." she laughed causing Chiharu to throw another small pink pillow at her. "Fine, fine, I...just might have some feelings for him. Thus, I'll just have to see him, won't I? And while we're at it, you have to see Syaoran."

"Yeah..." she sighed. 'But Eriol...'

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Syaoran has changed since he saw Sakura again. It was like before Eriol had passed. Takashi welcome the transformation. His friend was finally back after so long.

Syaoran couldn't stop thinking about Sakura. Her face, creamy skin, emerald eyes, melodic voice, and a smile that could probably light up any room she entered. His heart raced at the thought of her back in his apartment. Then he stopped, and took a deep breath. "Syaoran, what's wrong with you? You can't do this... She is Eriol's and he is your best friend. He's gone but it... It just wouldn't be right..." He walked to his window. It had been two weeks, two whole weeks, since they had been reunited. He missed her and desperately longed to see her again.

'This...This is wrong...'

Syaoran wanted to hold her, kiss her, and...some things he was ashamed for wanting from her. The things he would do to see her again... "Syaoran, are you in love?" Takashi asked with a hint of remorse. He knew what Syaoran was thinking about Sakura and Eriol. Syaoran felt his face heat up at the question. "Am I that transparent?" he asked, turning his head from the window.

"Not one soul can hide love in their eyes... Not even you." he stated very matter of factly. "I've never seen you like this before. It must be love." Syaoran turned back to the window. Eriol was his best friend, but Sakura... Could Eriol have sent Sakura to him, or was he just kidding himself? "I can't get her out of my head." he said turning back to his friend. "What's the matter with me..." He said in a low voice followed by a deep sigh.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the new and improved second chapter. Please, i'm asking for at least 10 reviews of this chapter before I repost the new and improved next chapter. I really don't want to be wasting my time writing when nobody is reading. It makes me feel kinda stupid. If people are liking it then I'll try and finish the story this time around. Thanks to dbzgtfan2004, silver-angel-sakura, Black Wolf Chics, silent-moments, and Pink Babie for reviewing the first chapter. Thanks to blazinggirl, Geneveive, and silver-angel-sakura for putting this story on their favorites lists as well as internal demon and silent-moments for putting this story on their alerts.