A/N: I hoped you enjoy the short chapters! Because they are short I'll update a lot faster now and can post it up every other day or so. I hope you guys are fast readers! REVIEW PLZ!
Chapter 19: Goodbye To You
"DIE!"
Sakura turned to see Ying at the end of the dock shoot. Closing her eyes she got ready for the bullet to enter her. She felt nothing but heard a splash.
Turning she saw Syaoron wounded on his arm and disappear into he Deep Ocean.
"SYAORON!" Sakura screamed in fright.
He was gone…
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"SYAORON!" Sakura panics and searched the water as blood clouded the water surface. She jumped in diving through the blood to look for Syaoron's body. She couldn't see him at all!
Sakura resurfaced and took another breath, she prepared to go back down but the girls hauled her up
"NO! Syaoron's going to drown!" Sakura said wildly. The guys soon hauled her up and had the girls calm her down before jumping into the water to find him. Each continued to go under as Meling called for help.
Eriol came up and shook his head at the girls.
"Sak…" They whispered.
Fear struck her heart as she felt her happiness slipping. The world blanked out.
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Sakura awoke with a jolt and looked around the room. It was her and Syaoron's room.
"Sakura!"
She looked at her mother who sat next to Yelen.
"Where is he?" Sakura asked first.
The look of sadness past both their faces and Sakura rolled over to the side Syaoron usually slept on. She cuddled his pillow and buried her head.
"Sakura…" Nadeshiko started but to anvil. She was not talking.
Yelen touched her lightly on the shoulder.
"They caught Ying…If that makes you feel any better hunny…I know how you feel…"
No response.
Nadeshiko pulled at Yelen and they knew she wasn't going to say a word. She had withdrawn for now.
"Let's come back later," Nadeshiko said to Yelen who nodded reluctantly. She looked at her daughter-in-law who was stiff with shock one last time and closed the door in despair…
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"How is she?" Tomoyo asked
Nadeshiko shook her head sadly and walked to where Kaho and Touya sat.
"She's withdrawn completely" Yelen said summing it up. "She refuses to utter a word to any of us or anyone else."
"But…we tried…everything…his body…" Tomoyo started.
"She knows that" Nadeshiko said with a small sigh. "But she's going to have to accept it as well…there's nothing we could've done…"
Each of them sat in silence staring at anything and trying to forget the last 12 hours of their lives.
His body was gone as far as they know and Ying was in prison for good. Xaio and Touya had concluded Ying was psycho since they went to see her. She'd accuse Sakura of ruining her life and her baby's. Her parents had refused to come already disowning her and her baby's father had claimed the child.
"At least some matters are taken cared of" Xaio thought
"Yeah, but wait till you arrange that empty casket" Touya sighed.
"I don't think it's going to be empty…it's taking Sakura's heart with it…down to the ground" Xaio whispered glancing at her room upstairs.
"She'll have to be strong for her two kids!" Touya said firmly and turned away. In his heart he knew how hard it was going to be for Sakura. This was the man she fell in love with since…who knew when. Even though she was separated from him at least she knew he was alive! But now…there wasn't even a body to identify him with.
"Damn you little Gaki!" Touya cursed underneath his breath, "no matter what you're always making my life harder!"
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2 days later
Sakura solemnly stared down at the hole in the ground. They were lowering nothing…nothing to bury. She'd spent more than enough time in silence. This morning she had come downstairs and got in the car to be driven there. She hadn't uttered a word since Syaoron's name died upon her lips when he fell. She had nightmares for two days of his last moments.
She was trapped in that dream of seeing him forever falling backwards into the water.
Sakura closed her eyes and as they shoveled the dirt over the hole she walked away. She couldn't bare this whole lie anymore.
"Saku…"Tomoyo started but she felt Eriol's hand on her shoulder.
"Let her be" Eriol whispered and pulled Tomoyo back into his arm. She stared sadly at Sakura who walked slowly away with her head held high.
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Sakura withheld the tears and ducked into the car. She wished to see no one, to speak to anyone and most of all she didn't want their pity! To her, he was NOT dead! She wasn't going to let him go…until his body was in the ground for real she refused to believe any of this that was happening to her!
She glanced at her pale hands and felt a hunger pain rise from the depth of her stomach.
She hadn't eaten in two days… slowly ignoring the pains she leaned against the seat and closed her eyes. She didn't even want to see her babies…it's as if she had lost all will to live…
"Don't do this"
Sakura slowly opened her dead emerald eyes to face Kaho.
Sakura merely stared as the women entered the car and sat next to her.
"Sakura…your children need your strength"
Sakura continued to stare and as if in denial she turned angered filled eyes to Kaho.
"HE"S NOT DEAD!"
Kaho wanted to bolt out of there! She's never seen Sakura so ad or so much in denial…but she knew it was a breakthrough! If she could lure all the hurt out then Sakura would return.
"Sakura you can't stop time!"
"I could if I wanted to!" Sakura said hastily.
Kaho breathed and left the car.
"Sakura…if not for us…your children!"
As if that gave Sakura the power to see clearly she jerked her head up and searched frantically.
Suddenly it was Sakura who went running! Her black hat blew off her head and she ran as if she never withdrew from the world. She ran…ran straight to Yelen who held her son.
"Xaio…" she whispered and cuddled him softly. Yelen could do nothing but stare at her at a lost for words.
"Sakura?" Nadeshiko managed to whisper and Sakura looked at her with tears filling her eyes.
She didn't say anything as she collapsed to her knees and burst into tears clinging to her son who was beginning to look more and more like Syaoron.
"Sakura!" They all said and crowded around her. Kaho smiled as she joined them with Sakura's hat. This was the breakdown she needed.
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3 Months Later…
Sakura eyed this stranger carefully.
"This is Kiyoko" Kaho introduced.
Sakura nodded to acknowledge her and watched as she sat across from her. She hadn't expected a girl this young and so pretty!
When Kaho had told Sakura that her friend Kiyoko could help her get over Syaoron's death because she lost her husband in a similar way Sakura never thought to see a girl a year or two younger than her!
"Can I call you Sakura?" She asked softly and Sakura nodded.
"Well…I'll leave you two to get acquainted and I'll take this!" Kaho said and whirled Zang Zi out of the room with her brother Xaio.
"So…" Kiyoko started, "Tell me…how did you feel for him?"
Sakura stared at the girls and took a deep breath…"He was my first and last love…"
"Oh?" Kiyoko said, "I did as well…I married young you see…But I was very happy until the day he went sailing and never came back…"
"Sailing?" Sakura asked, "didn't he know how to sail?"
"Oh yes!" Kiyoko said, "…just not during storms…"
"I'm sorry" Sakura said feeling the old pain react from her heart every time that scene flashed into her head again and again.
"But I heard yours was worse from Kaho…" Kiyoko said trying to draw Sakura into the open as well.
"I was with him when he was shot" Sakura said un-emotionlessly, "I watched him fall and disappear beneath all his blood and by the time I reacted…I couldn't find him…"
Kiyoko looked at Sakura as she saw the struggle on her face to remain calm and emotionless.
"It's okay to cry…" Kiyoko informed her after a silence.
Sakura looked up. Her emerald eyes that now looked so dead brimmed with tears.
"I know" Sakura whispered "but sometimes…the tears just don't want to come but sit idly in my eyes to blur this fate"
"I understand" Kiyoko said. She came around the table and sat next to Sakura drawing her into her own arms. "Although you may not know…I understand the best…"
Sakura nodded in silent and looked at the family portrait taken in Tokyo before they cam back. Syaoron had held his son and her tightly and proudly while she held their little girl. They were happy and it'd not even lasted month before he disappeared before her eyes.
"I take it that's your husband?" Kiyoko asked observing the same photo.
"Yes…" Sakura said with a little smile, "I told him to smile a smile that would only belong to me…that's how it turned out"
Kiyoko had to agree his soft smile was very becoming of his features.
"I'm sorry…would you like something to drink?" Sakura asked.
Kiyoko turned away from the photo and looked at her, "Why not!"
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"You're what?" Sakura asked incredulously
"I'm going to visit my brother Keisuke…Obviously his girlfriend contacted me and told me he went missing" Kiyoko said
They had become fast friends since the first time they met over two months ago.
"But what would you do?" Sakura asked stirring her tea gently.
"I'll look for him," Kiyoko said. She picked up Xaio who had fallen over from his sitting position. He seemed so full of grabbing at his toys he hadn't notice Kiyoko was moving him.
"Your six month old boy is a wonder!" Kiyoko exclaimed as she sat him down again only to have him reach for toys again. She handed it to him only to have him reach fro the other. Kiyoko laughed.
"I don't know his toys very well!" Kiyoko gave him the one reached for only to have him reach for another.
Sakura laughed, "Don't even try!" Sakura warned, he's just like his father! Wanting to accomplish everything without help!"
"Oh?" Kiyoko laughed you saying he just wanted to get it himself!"
Sakura nodded with a giggle as Xaio finally grabbed a bear ad automatically stuffed its ear into his mouth. He grinned at Kiyoko briefly.
"Naughty boy!" Kiyoko laughed. And straighten to look at a little girl curiously playing with her toes.
"Ba Ma" She exclaimed and Sakura smiled.
"Well…If you must go…be safe!" Sakura said and Kiyoko nodded.
"I can't see you off tomorrow!" Sakura said
"I know! You're children…so let's say our goodbye here!" Kiyoko hugged Sakura and she smiled
"I'll write if you promise to write too!" Kiyoko said
Sakura laughed and nodded.
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The phone rang and Sakura picked it up seeing that it was her mother-in-law caller ID.
"Yes?" Sakura asked
"We want to talk to you Sakura!" Yelen said gently, "Besides…we want to see out grandkids today as well!"
"All right!" Sakura agreed. She had also wanted to go over there anyways!
"We'll be there at six-ish" Sakura said looking at the clock that read five thirty.
"All right!" Yelen agreed and hung up.
"What do you think she'll say? Xaio asked
"Hopefully yes!" Yelen sighed and sat down.
"Chen Xin will make a fine husband for her though…" Xaio decreed
"I don't know…I just don't know Xaio…she's still with Syaoron…" Yelen whispered and stared across the driveway to Sakura's house.
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A/N uh-oh! It seems Sakura's going to get a BIG surprise! LOL
Review and I'll update by Sunday at the earliest…Tuesday night the latest!
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