Author: Still me, Assassin or the fish.

Notes: I'm writing again, sort of. Think this calls for a celebration and the promise of the apocalypse. Thank you all you who reviewed. I am very glad you're enjoying this silly piece of fiction, and hope you will keep enjoying the fic. Hope all you readers had a wonderful Christmas, and a happy upcoming New Year.

Music: Evergreen – Hyde; Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence – Ryuchi Sakamoto; Let it Snow – Michael Buble; My December – Josh Groban; Free Bird – Haibane Renmei; Living inside the Shell – Steve Conte

Heaven and Hell

Chapter two

3

To say that Sakura was irritable was an understatement. It was a warm, summers day, and she was sitting on a park bench wearing the most tremendous cloak she could find to obscure her white wings. Since dawn when she first sat on the bench, she had been clutching that cloak tightly around her, desperate not to let anybody see the wings that no normal human should have. However, it was now three in the afternoon (according to the large clock tower peaking between two large and completely modern buildings), and her patience was wearing thin. No, at that moment, she did not feel like she had any patience whatsoever, and if that stupid demon did not show up within the next minute, she was going to use some magical powers prohibited on the human plane just to show her anger. But then God would be angry at her, and a few of the higher angels would scold her and put her in one of the Devine Prisons.

Of course, the minute passed by, followed by twenty others and still the demon did not arrive.

Sakura could feel the material of her cloak ripping beneath her fingers.

It was only as the clock tower chimed again, announcing that it was four in the afternoon, roughly nine hours after when she first arrived, did the demon finally make his appearance. Sakura heard the telltale whine of Syaoran's convertible as it skidded around a corner, before the silver car charged into existence, skidding to an awkward halt beside the pedestrian street. The door was shoved smoothly open, and out stepped Syaoran, the most unpunctual demon Sakura had ever met (not that she knew many other demons, but at least "always late" never came up during her superior's rants about Lucifer of Hell). Today, he was dressed in an expensive-looking (and Sakura reminded herself that it probably was expensive, considering Syaoran's tastes) business suit, complete with leather shoes polished to perfection and a navy tie. The smile he was wearing was the sort that would usually take the breath out of any young woman, and might have worked on Sakura as well, had she not known the demon in question so well.

'You're late.' She growled, sounding very much like an enraged, large cat.

'I do have a day job you know, and my secretary just wouldn't let me leave after our meeting was over.'

'So you're nine hours late because you were too busy staring at her breasts?' Sakura could feel her left eye twitching in a most unsettling fashion.

'Hey, don't worry honey, your chest is the only one I'm interested in.' Syaoran grinned, dodging the punch Sakura sent his way with practiced skill. 'Besides, it wasn't her chest that kept me there. Apparently she had made a bunch of appointments for today which I was supposed to attend, because apparently she didn't hear me when I told her I was supposed to meet a charming angel in the morning. Well, I couldn't disappoint the clients, so I went to the many meetings and lunches and came out feeling positively awful that I've left you sitting around, but you people in Heaven are so behind with modern technology, hence I couldn't call you to reschedule. I got here as fast as I could.'

'Syaoran.' Sakura's voice was calm, controlled, in fact, it was so calm and controlled that even Syaoran would recognize its implications.

'Yea?'

Or maybe not.

'Listen, I'm sure being the Prince of Hell guarantees you a lot of amnesties and room for disappointment. But let me state quite clearly now, if you are late once more, there will never be another meeting between the two of us, and I am quite serious when I say that. This three thousand year relationship between us will be over, and don't think I would feel any remorse because of it.'

'You're so harsh Sakura.' Syaoran was grinning that infuriating grin of his, and Sakura was certain she heard a girl sigh behind her. 'But don't worry, I solemnly swear that I will never be late again!'

'You better not be.' Sakura sighed, suddenly feeling much too old for this sort of banter. 'So, news and other important things.'

'Dinner.'

'Begging your pardon?'

'You don't need to beg for it.' Syaoran was lighting up a cigarette, the whole action looking very James Dean. 'But you said important things, I said dinner. Food is very important you know Sakura.'

'Your head is going to roll soon.'

'Fine.' Syaoran took another drag of his cigarette. 'The first gate of Hell has fallen, and Lucifer is really peeved. He sees it as a taunt from someone who, Hell forbid, has more ability than him. In any case, he's assigned a bunch of demons to fix the gate, told me not to do anything stupid like find those responsible and then join them simply because they have better food. He has so little faith I me, really, I wouldn't forego our blood relations just because someone is going to offer me better cuisine than what he has in stock. He also told me to stop hanging around you again, which I think he's really saying just for appearances' sake, because in the three thousand years he's been preaching me on the matter, nothing has happened. That and my secretary has dyed her hair red, which reminds me of my previous secretary, which led into a rather annoying mix-up this morning whereby I called her Sharon instead of Candy. What kind of a name is Candy anyway?'

'The kind you hire.' Sakura sighed, sitting back down on the bench. 'Well, our gate hasn't fallen yet, but the angels are definitely restless. There haven't been any new breakthroughs on the Devine Spirit of Heaven and quite frankly, I am very tired. Of all times, the seals have to break with the potential falling of the Gate and I really don't want to deal with any of it right now.'

'That's the spirit honey!' Syaoran grinned. 'Just let everyone else take care of it, it's not really your problem anyway.'

'Syaoran!'

'Speaking of which, come with me.' The next thing Sakura knew, Syaoran was carrying her and dropping her in the passenger seat of his car before climbing in, cigarette crushed on the sidewalk. She was going to protest, really she was, but sometimes, there really was no saying "no" to the man, and the weariness of all the drama happening and waiting around at Central Park for the better part of a day washed over her all at once, leaving her sleeping comfortably against the seat.

Had she been awake, she would have seen the smile on Syaoran's face, so similar to all the times he smiled at her, and so different with a gentleness that Sakura would probably never see.

4

'Where's my brother?'

Lucifer was mad, mad and angry and very hungry. It just was not right for the Almighty Lord of Hell to be hungry, but their cook was on holiday with his wife, and Lucifer could hardly deny a thousand-year anniversary, even if it meant him starving on his throne while wondering where his idiot brother had gone.

No, scrap that. He knew where Syaoran had gone, and the knowledge did not make him feel any better. That brother of his was with that angel again, he was certain. Oh, he knew that Syaoran had left that morning saying something about going to work, but work ended an hour ago, and he was still not back. Lucifer did not like fretting over his brother, it made him look…un-masculine, had there been a word for the antonym of masculine that wasn't quite so feminine. But in any case, he had his plate full with all the goings-on within Hell, without his brother's secret rendezvous to worry about.

'He's out, sire.' The servant replied, rummaging through his laptop in search of the precise details of where Syaoran was at the moment. 'It says that he is with Angel Sakura again.'

, but no

'That brat.' Lucifer scowled. 'I don't even want to count the number of times I've told him not to associate with angels, but will he ever listen? Like Heaven. Does it say when he's getting back?'

'He left it at tentative sir.' The servant answered. 'He wrote something quick about dinner perhaps, followed by two lines of gibberish.'

'How very like him.' Lucifer sighed. 'Send word for a meeting then, since I'm not going to have food or my brother to interrogate any time soon, we might as well focus on this Gates problem again.'

5

Sakura sighed, leaning slightly into the warmth against her cheek as consciousness returned once more. She could feel the evening sun on her face, and smell the distinct scent of salt in the air. She had not smelt something like it in quite some time, although her groggy brain supplied her with a pretty image of blue skies and white sand and green-blue ocean. She smiled at the thought, dismissing it only a moment later, for the city she was in was a good distance from anything vaguely resembling the beach. Still, she opened her eyes slowly, squinting slightly as she caught sight of the setting sun hovering ever so slightly over a definitely real sea.

Still blinking and wondering whether her mind was playing tricks with her, Sakura sat up slowly, seeing the seagulls fly in the distance and feeling the sea breeze brush past her face, ruffling her hair. It was beautiful, a sight she had not seen in a very long time.

'Took you a while.' She jumped slightly, suddenly remembering that Syaoran was with her. A glance to her left revealed that the demon was indeed still there, leaning back against his seat with his feet propped on the steering wheel. 'Thought you weren't going to wake up until the sun already set.'

'Syaoran! Where are we?' Sakura sat up stiffly, pulling the jacket tightly around herself. 'We shouldn't be anywhere near the beach!'

'We weren't.' Syaoran grinned. 'Broke more than a dozen road laws to get us here, but it's sure worth it isn't it?'

'Yes, it's very beautiful.' Sakura relaxed a little. 'I hope you didn't kill anyone.'

'I don't kill people Sakura.' Syaoran looked repulsed by the thought. 'But I did scare more than a handful of them. Still, you looked like you needed the relaxation a lot more than they needed their wits, so it was a fair trade really.'

Sakura smiled, finally reminded of why she risked her career to be friends with such a frivolous demon. Syaoran grinned, getting out of the car quickly and rushing over to Sakura's side to open the door for her. Sakura laughed, taking Syaoran's outstretched hand and letting him guide her towards the beach.

Sakura did not say much as they walked down the beach, watching the sunset while Syaoran told tale after tale of events which happened in the office. After a while, even Syaoran fell into silence, and they settled down on a nice stretch of beach shaded by the overhanging cliff. Sakura removed her coat finally, letting her wings stretch behind her, taking in the salty air and throwing sand into Syaoran's face. When he retaliated with a rude comment and the promise of painful things to her wings, Sakura felt more at peace than she had in hundreds of years.

Endnotes:

Yea, absolutely random, but some sap for all of you around this Christmasy-New year season!

Assassin