AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry it took so long! Here's the next chappie! I hope you enjoy! Please R&R!

CHAPTER 6:

"Sakura, I can't come back with you tonight…" Shuichi sighed.

"And why not?" Sakura whined.

"The passport! I think mine expired!" Shuichi lied.

"I don't care! You're coming with me to Tokyo Uncle Shuichi! And I won't hear any ands, ifs, or buts about it!" Sakura demanded.

"I don't know if I can do it…" Shuichi sighed.

"You can, believe me when I say this Uncle Shuichi. He wants you back! He needs you right now at a time like this!" Sakura said.

"I knew before you came here…" Shuichi muttered.

"But- wait a second! How did you know?" Sakura asked.

"I got the call from Hiro a few days ago…" Shuichi explained, "he said that he wanted me to come back but I told him no. Then, Mrs. Frisby said that a young girl with brown hair and green eyes came looking for me."

"So you knew all along?" Sakura shouted.

"Yes…" Shuichi sighed.

"Then why did you try and run away?" Sakura demanded.

"I was afraid of my past… Don't you know what happened?" Shuichi asked, now starting to raise his voice.

"Uncle Shuichi." Sakura said as she got down on her knees as she grabbed his hand, "please come back! I need you! But most of all Eiri needs you!"

"I-I-I…" Shuichi stammered.

He then began to run away. Sakura scrambled up and ran after him as she pushed people out of the way. Her chase leads her into the park. By the time she got there she was sweating and her hair was in tangles. Brushing the fly away hair from her eyes Sakura scanned the park benches. She found Shuichi crying into his knees there.

"Uncle Shuichi!" Sakura cried as she panted.

"Just go away! Why do you persist? Eiri just wanted me out of his life. He doesn't want me, or you, or even Mika or Touma in his life anymore…" Shuichi shouted.

"Baka!" Sakura screamed as she began to cry. She shook her head and said, "He wants you back in his life! He misses me and mom and even my dad! Shuichi he needs you!"

"No, you need me to keep him alive. Otherwise he would die…" Shuichi trembled.

"How could you say such cruel and heartless things? I should have known some of my uncle rubbed off on you! You're not Uncle Shuichi! What happened? The Shuichi I knew was fun and kind! He would never act this way! What happened?" Sakura screamed as she picked him up by his shirt, "what did you do to Uncle Shuichi? Bring that pink haired baka everyone loved so much back to me!"

"Face the music kiddo I'm not the guy I used to be. It would be better off if you forgot we ever met."

"I should have known… I should have known! My uncle is going to die and it's your entire fault! Just because you're acting like a selfish bastard like him!" Sakura shouted clenching her fists as he walked away.

"You don't know anything kid."

"Well, maybe I would if you just told me what was wrong!"

"You'd never understand… No one understands…"

"You're the one who abandoned him! What the hell are you talking about?"

"I did it because I loved him so much. If Yuki wanted to leave then it was best I let him go. A young, foolish, little, girl would never understand…"

"Why didn't you persist like you always did then?" Sakura asked, "What stopped you?"

"I-I- was threatened. I didn't want Yuki to get hurt so I left." Shuichi repeated.

"Uncle Shuichi…" Sakura said as she hugged his shoulders, "I want to understand. I want us to eat meals together, and talk together, I want us all to go to picnics together and I just want us to be together…"

: FLASHBACK:

"We'll always be together right?" a seven-year-old Sakura asked.

"I promise. Now go run along and play." Eiri Yuki told his niece.

"Okay!" she laughed and ran off.

"She really is a sweet kid." Shuichi told Eiri, "I hope that she stays that way for a long time because it would really suck if she wound up-" Shuichi tried to say but was cut off when Eiri Yuki kissed him.

Eiri's heated tongue met Shuichi's in a passionate, hungry kiss. Yuki's tongue won the battle for dominance. Shuichi could feel Yuki exploring the hot, heated, depths of his mouth. Shuichi didn't mind at all. All he could think about was the touch of Yuki's tongue against his. He could still remember his closed eyes and the bittersweet scent of summer and freshly cut grass underneath him. He could still remember Yuki's body on top of him. He could still feel Yuki's hands on his body every time he thought of all the times they made love. And he could still remember Yuki's words… The ones that made him leave for ten years… And they pierced his heart like a dagger.

Dear god, just rip my heart out and leave me here to bleed. I can't live without his love anymore… I can't live without him, Shuichi thought.

: END FLASHBACK:

All Suichi Shindo could do at that moment was just cry and cry and cry. It felt like the first time in his life he was accepted and as if he were forgiven… He could feel Sakura's arms around his thin, aging body.

"All right, I'll go back to Tokyo with you." Shuichi stammered as he calmed down, "on one condition."

"Anything." Sakura smiled.

"You buy me strawberry pocky when we get there." He said as he licked his lips.

"If you're talking about lubricant then no…" Sakura joked.

"I've been dieing for strawberry pocky since I came here. It's my favorite thing in the whole world." Shuichi smiled.

"It's a deal… Uncle!" Sakura laughed as she extended out her hand.

He took it and shook it sealing their bargain.

"But first, I'll need to go and pack…" Shuichi laughed as he stuck his pointer finger up indicating his point.

Sakura nodded as they walked back towards the street slowly. You know how when you cry and then you feel so tired afterwards? That was how both were feeling, neither one willing to admit it.

Shuichi then whistled for a taxi. A yellow taxi pulled up after Shuichi whistled as Sakura muttered, "You have to teach me how to do that sometime."

Shuichi smiled at the young woman standing next to him. She was so innocent, untainted and pure. Sakura had an understanding that Shuichi never expected to be there. Sakura felt she was being stared at as they entered the taxi. She looked back at him and asked, "Is there something wrong?"

"No, everything is fine now that you're here." Shuichi assured her.

Sakura gave a small smile as the taxi driver sighed, "Young love. Are you two planning on getting hitched soon?"

They both sweet dropped and laughed Sakura saying, "He's my uncle!" And Shuichi saying, "She's my niece!"

"Sorry! I didn't mean no harm!" the taxi driver said quickly as he asked, "where to?"

"Broken Dreams Boulevard." Shuichi answered.

"No way! You live on that street?" Sakura gawked, "that's the most famous street in all of San Francisco!"

Shuichi smiled and said, "When you're a retired pop idol like me it's nice to settle down in a place where you can still get your name in the papers."

Sakura giggled and said, "Wow. You are amazing Uncle Shuichi…"

"As a matter a fact Sakura, how did you get Hiro's address? Nobody but-" Shuichi started to say but Sakura cut him off.

"Nobody but Ryuichi Sakuma has it." Sakura finished as she looked out the window and sighed, "good old Ryuichi… He is like a brother to me. We get in trouble together and cause mischief together. It's quite the highlight of his stays in Tokyo…"

"I'm sure that the tabloids had a field day with you two." Shuichi commented.

"Not really, because we were always incognito." Sakura laughed.

"Sounds just like Ryuichi, but he always blows it don't he?" Shuichi laughed.

Sakura giggled and said, "Yes, always the center of attention…" Sakura sighed.

"I'll be out in a few minutes. Just wait in the taxi." Shuichi instructed.

Sakura nodded as she watched Shuichi go into his house. It was a grand and luxurious house, painted white and pink. Even if it was pink it was still the best looking house Sakura had ever laid her eyes on.

Wow, whoever knew that Shuichi had a good taste in houses, Sakura thought as she gawked at the house.

A half an hour later Shuichi was dragging a small suitcase and putting a jacket out as he walked out of his house.

That took and awful long time, Sakura thought as she sweat dropped.

: AT THE AIRPORT:

They purchased tickets and got on the next flight, which was an hour. Shuichi twiddled his thumbs nervously as Sakura put her hands on top of them. She smiled sincerely and said in Japanese, "Don't be afraid. I'll be with you…"

Shuichi gave a nervous smile and looked like he was about to be sick.

"I haven't seen him in ten years…" Shuichi said in Japanese back, "not since Mr. K…"

"Noni? What does Mr. K have to do with anything?" Sakura asked.

"He was the reason why…" Shuichi whispered.

"Why what?" Sakura trembled.

"Why I left Japan…" Shuichi mumbled.

"Mr. K?" Sakura asked trembling more, "is my father's personal body guard and assistant."