disclaimer: in this world, i do not own xxxHolic...but perhaps in another...

"Its been far too long...Clow.."

"Yes it, has." He replied, nodding his head in agreement. "Its a pleasure to know you missed me."

"I did not miss you." She shot back, but still maintaining a cool head. "I knew this day would come, and simply wanted to get it over with." She added.

The boy who went by the name of Clow, did not look surprised. He only continued to smile that annoying, absolute-zero smile. "Of course." He replied in a playful tone.

An exasperated sigh escape Yuko's lips. "Watanuki, go finish dinner." She sighed. "Don't bother preparing extra."

And obediently, Watanuki did so. She wanted time alone...it must be something important.

"Oh? How do you know I won't stay for dinner?" Clow inquired. "Hitsuzen, perhaps?" He asked.

"Don't be foolish." The witch replied in a somewhat annoyed tone. "Being who you are, Hitsuzen, would not be of much help. You're far too unpredictable at times." She sighed, closing her eyes and shrugging in an exasperated manner. Opening her eyes, she saw the boy had grown several years...Great. She thought.

His smile grew, seeing Yuko's annoyed look. Oh. How he loved to annoy Yuko...

"I see you haven't brought Keroberos or Yue with you..." Yuko pointed out.

He frowned.

Now it was Yuko's turn to smile to grow.

Raising his glasses up a bit, Clow forced a weak smile onto his face. "I don't think...they're ready to know..." He replied sadly.

Yuko's expression dropped a bit, but she quickly fixed that. She would not allow for that maniac to know...that she was worried. "So that time has come." She said solemnly.

He nodded his head yes. "Yes..it has." He replied sadly, still keeping that forced smile on his face.

"Don't do that." Yuko said sharply. "...Smile like that.." She added, looking to the side a bit.

"Oh?" Clow asked, a chuckle escaped his lips. "Why is that?" He asked cynically.

She crossed her arms, and sighed once more. "We've known each other far too long." She replied simply. "But you arent' here to discuss your will, are you?" She questioned, giving him a look which clearly said, she was expecting something more from him.

"I wanted to discuss the deal you made with Syaraon." Clow replied.

"It was a fair deal. Her memories in exchange for all memories of him. There is nothing more to discuss."

"Ah, then why is it, that Sakura still has her soul?" Clow inquired.

Yuko looked up, stunned. "Would you rather she didn't have her soul?" She asked. She knew Clow could be a bit...crazy...but never psychotic.

"No..no.." Clow replied quickly, shaking his head. "But I..recently saw them." He admitted, frowning a bit.

Silence. In the distance, the wind chimes were all that could be heard...that and Watanuki yelling at Mokona for trying to sneak a taste..but that was besides the point.

"I'm pleased that they are all getting along...even Kurogane and Fye are doing much better then we thought they would..." Clow continued. "However, I used the Water Mirror technique and saw the deal you made with him..."

"Are you saying you don't approve of the way I run my business?" The witch asked. "I am very aware of the deal I made." She pointed out.

"Then you should know its impossible." Clow replied.

"Impossible?" Yuko asked, surprised. "I never thought I would here Clow Reed say something was impossible." Maybe she was being a bit too dramatic. But she did have a point...

An embarrassed smile came onto Clow's face as he laughed a bit. "Yuko, when you live as long as you and I, we know very well what can and cannot be done." He replied. "...Like your deal."

"Yes, but to hear it coming from you..." Yuko murmured, shaking her head in disbelief. She looked back up hearing the last bit. "What makes you say that?"

"Because, you, Yuko, never deal with ones soul."

"I didn't deal with Syaoran-kun's soul or Sakura-chan's." Was Yuko's reply. "I'm not going to kill anyone! That would be far to risky, and would be bad for business too."

"Yuko..." Clow began. But he continued to smile. How he would miss this... "You said so yourself, that 'soul' could have many meanings."

Yuko continued to play innocent. But she knew very well where he was getting at... "A soul can be a great variety of things...anything of great value to a person...a doll, a necklace---"

"Memories." Clow finished.

"To have your wish granted, you only have to give something of great value---"

"Like memories." Clow added in the middle of her sentence.

Yuko shot Clow an annoyed look. She did not appreciate him interupting her. "That is what this shop does. To have your wish granted," Yuko paused, wondering if he would interupt her again. He only smiled, knowing that he was getting to her. "You only need to give something of value." She finished finally, giving Clow a skeptical look.

"Like memories of someone you care for." Clow added.

"Do you want to run this shop?" Yuko hissed.

"Do you trust me to run this shop?" He replied with a question.

"Your daughter is alive, and as well as she can be. What more could you want?"

"An explanation," Clow replied. "An explanation, to why you were willing to make an impossible deal."

"How is it impossible?" Yuko inquired once more, continuing to play innocent.

"Yuko, you would never take a soul." He repeated. "Sakura's memories of Syaoran...is her soul." He said finally.

Yuko did not speak. He was right...but she would never say it out loud...

"And your deal was, he would be allowed to travel the worlds for her memory as long as she never remembered him."

"That was our deal." Yuko replied simply.

Clow blinked once..twice. He was beginning to understand. "So Sakura can get all of her memories back?"

"That is possible."

"Ahahah..Yuko..." Clow laughed, raising a hand to his forehead, shaking his head in disbelief. "I will never be able to understand you."

"Nor will I." Yuko replied, a smile creeping onto her face.

"That was all I needed to know." Clow announced, a sense of relief in his voice. "I suppose I should be going."

"Not quite." Yuko said quickly.

"Oh? Do you want me to stay a bit longer?" Clow asked, smiling teasingly at her.

"No. But your price," She said, holding out her hand. "You will tell me, Keroberos, and Yue...when your time comes."

Clow smiled warmly at the witch, an honest, pleasent smile...but...his eyes were sad. "Very well." He replied, a hint of sadness in his voice. "But I suppose you already know.."

"I want to hear it from you."

"Yuko...Hitsuzen, is never wrong."

That was the last time, Yuko ever saw Clow Reed.

End

AN: So, what'd you think? I'm not very crazy about writing xxxholic 'fics, but this 'fic wouldn't exactly fit in the 'Tsubasa' category..soo...

That's what I really think about Yuko's deal with Sakura. That it would be 'impossible' because Yuko would never make a deal with someone's soul. According to Yuko,a soul is something one holds of dear to them. And Sakura's memories of Syaoran are the most precious things to her. So wouldn't that make those memories, Sakura's soul?

And Clow's price was to tell Yuko when he was going to die. Seeing how this is the sequel to my Tsubasa 'fic Remembering why, Clow comes from a different world, and apparently, he's still alive and hasn't told anyone that he is about to die. the meaning of the line: "Yuko...Hitsuzen, is never wrong." means Yuko knows when Clow is going to die, because it has already been predetermined.

R&R

-ETSUKO NiNO