Yay I finished the 5th chapter! Some SxS moments in this one. Please tell me what you think of this chapter! Hope you like it!

Disclaimer: CCS is not mine!

Chapter 5: Escapade

Sakura sat on the edge of a big, wooden, four-poster bed with immaculate white sheets. She was inside her underground room, having woken up just fifteen minutes ago. Looking at the clock, she knew the sun had already set hours ago and it was safe for her to go outside, but she didn't feel like it yet.

She stared at the glass she held in her hands and at the red liquid swirling inside of it. Thanks to the blood bank, she and her friends didn't have to go out every night and kill people just to feed. However, she remembered finding it strange at first, drinking blood from a glass. She had laughed humorlessly back then. While normal people drank a glass of milk everyday to stay healthy, she had to drink a glass or two of blood.

As she finished it off, she stood up and placed the glass on top a small table beside the bed. Sighing, she plopped back down onto the soft bed and stared at the plain, white ceiling.

Her underground room was huge. Besides her bed and desk, the room was filled with antiques, artifacts, and other precious things that had sentimental value to her. All these she had collected over the years. To her, these things served as a reminder of the changing times.. of all the people she had met.. of all the things that happened to her.. of all the hardships she had gone through..

Although the way she acted towards her friends was more or less how she truly was during the time when she was still human, she had changed a great deal since then. She couldn't have survived in this world for so many years by being the innocent, carefree girl that she was. She had been such a loved and overprotected little girl back then, and being turned into a vampire exposed her to the harsh realities of life.

Becoming something that humans condemned and hunted down, she learned to survive. She learned to lie, to deceive people, to strengthen her physical and magical powers and use it against others, and…

…she learned to kill.

She would never forget the first time she ever killed a human to feed. She had only turned into a vampire a few days prior, and on that day, she found she could no longer control her bloodlust and urge to feed. Her vampire instincts took over and she preyed on the first person she could see. It was a young man – a young man who had been her friend.

The moment she realized what she had just done, her whole body trembled in fear and self-loathing. Her dead friend's ashen face had been engraved into her mind since then, and for many years afterwards, she always had nightmares about it. She felt an emotion that night that she had never felt before. Hate. Hate for herself. Hate for what she was. Hate for the man who made her what she was.

However, an act that initially sickened and disgusted her soon became a normal, nightly routine. She had little choice in the matter, anyway. It was either she kill and feed, or she dies. In a way, being a vampire made her create an alternate persona. She became cold, dark, and wicked – a far cry from her true self – but deep inside was still hidden the sweet, smiling girl she was so many years ago. It was only fairly recently, as she, Eriol, and some others got settled in Japan about one or two hundred years ago, did she start showing more of her old self again. She supposed the establishment of the blood bank also had a lot to do with her change, since it meant she hardly had to kill anyone anymore.

Lastly, there was Tomoyo. She was such a bundle of happiness, much like she had been during her human life. She was grateful for Tomoyo's entry into their lives because she provided a breath of fresh air in the mansion. Also, Sakura found a trustworthy and dependable friend in her. To the other vampires who had only come to live with Sakura recently, Tomoyo opened up the beautiful side of Sakura that they had never seen before.

In the recent years, their lives had been relatively peaceful, and she liked that. She liked seeing Eriol and the others happy and content. However, it now seemed as if this peace and calm was slowly being shattered…

Aidan was surfacing again…

And Syaoran….

Sakura opened her eyes to stare at the white ceiling once again, ending her short trip down memory lane. She shifted her position and lay down on her side, hey eyes lazily scanning her room. No one else had ever entered this room; she would not let them. It was both her personal refuge and prison. It was a place where she felt truly safe and free to let loose her emotions, and it served as her means of escape when the world outside was taking its toll on her. However, at the same time, it bound her to a past that she simply could not let go of. It was an ever-present reminder of the pains she went through and would surely go through in the future.

This was the reason why she didn't want anyone else to enter her room. She feared that it would reveal too much of herself. Although she tried to be as honest as she could be with Eriol, Tomoyo, and the others, there were just some things – some secrets – that were best kept to herself.

Sakura finally stood up from her bed and shook her head. She shouldn't think about such things right now. She had to be her cheerful self. Besides, she knew Eriol had been noticing the slight change in her attitude since they went out the other night and met Syaoran at the bar. She knew he'd ask her about it sooner or later, but as much as she'd want to, she couldn't tell him what was troubling her. She didn't want to worry him or anyone else.

That in mind, Sakura went out of her room and ascended a long flight of stairs. At the end of it was a door, which was actually a closet door in her 'real' room in the mansion. She proceeded downstairs and made her way into the library, but on the way there, she came across Derek, another vampire who stayed in the mansion with them.

Derek, like Eriol, was originally from Europe. Sakura had met him during her travels in that continent years after meeting Eriol, and the three of them had become allies of sorts. Derek had been turned into a vampire at an older age than Eriol and Sakura, so he acted as some sort of big brother for the two of them. He was a Caucasian with a tall, strong frame, pale skin, blonde hair that barely touched his shoulders, and light blue eyes.

At the moment, those light blue eyes were staring affectionately at Sakura as he smiled at her. "Hello, Lady Sakura."

Sakura sighed, although her expression was still filled with mirth. "I guess no matter how many times I tell you not to call me 'Lady Sakura', you really won't listen, will you?"

Derek shook his head. "It's only proper, you know."

Despite having such a light and happy demeanor, Derek was a stickler for manners and good conduct. He called her Lady Sakura even though he truly didn't have to. They had known each other for so many years, after all, but he really wouldn't stop it.

"Anyway.. What's up?"

"Actually.." Derek paused. "I need to talk to you about something. Would you like to take a walk in the garden?"

Sakura wondered what it was he had to talk to her about. She hoped it wasn't anything bad because she thought she saw a flicker of worry pass through his eyes. Slowly, she nodded her head. "Okay.. Let's go."

They walked in silence for a few minutes. It wasn't until they walked past the fountain that Derek decided to speak up. He continued walking, but his face was turned to her with a concerned expression.

"Eriol tells me he's been worrying about you."

I knew it. Sakura blinked and tilted her head, feigning confusion. "Worried? About me? Why?"

Derek shrugged. "He says you've been acting a little differently lately. He feels as if you're hiding something, Lady Sakura." He had a question in his eyes.

Sakura shook her head. "I'm not hiding anything, Derek. And if I'm acting differently.. I've just been tired lately, that's all."

His brows furrowed in concern. "Have you been giving yourself enough nourishment, my lady?"

"Of course!" She placed a hand on his arm in reassurance. "Derek, don't worry about me. I'm perfectly fine! I'll tell this to Eriol as well."

Derek nodded his head. "Very well. However, there is something else I wanted to ask you."

"Sure. What is it?"

"You know I love traveling, don't you, Lady Sakura?" Sakura nodded her head. She knew perfectly well Derek's passion for traveling. He sometimes left their house for years on end and visited so many different places. She had already told him long ago that he didn't need to ask permission from her, but he always did, and she always said yes.

"I am planning to go to South America this time. Even with all my travels, there are still so many wonderful places there I haven't visited."

Sakura smiled. "You know I won't stop you, Derek."

"Thing is.. when Hoji and Allen found out about my plans, they said they wanted to come with me."

This bit of information surprised Sakura. "Really? I never knew those two wanted to travel, too." Hoji and Allen were the two other vampires who lived in the mansion with them. Like Derek, she had known them for a long time and was good friends with them. "Go then, the three of you! I'm sure you'll have lots of fun having two companions with you, Derek!"

Derek sighed, and suddenly stopped walking. Sakura stopped as well and frowned, wondering why he looked so worried.

"But Lady Sakura.. I don't think it's a good idea to leave only you and Eriol here in the mansion. You said that Aidan has attacked you twice in the last two months."

It was true. Before Aidan's attack last week where she met Syaoran, he had done the same thing a month ago. Eriol and the others knew that Sakura and Aidan hadn't been in good terms ever since before any of them met her, and all Sakura told them was that Aidan was an evil man. They had no idea why Aidan was suddenly showing himself and attacking Sakura, but Sakura knew the reason perfectly well.

"Yes, he has." Before Derek could say anything, Sakura held up a hand to silence him and continued, a serious look on her face. "Derek, I know his sudden attacks have made you and the others worry, but I can take care of myself. Trust me. Aidan does not scare me at all."

"But – "

"When were you planning to leave?"

"A week from now."

Sakura kept silent for a moment, then smiled up at Derek. "Alright. Let's make a deal. If Aidan attacks anytime within the week, then fine, you three can stay. But if he doesn't, then stop worrying about me and go on to South America."

Derek seemed to be thinking about it, so Sakura stood in front of him and held out a hand to shake his and seal the deal. "Okay, Derek?"

"Alright." Derek shook her hand and smiled.

Sakura motioned towards the mansion with her head. "Now why don't you go back and tell Hoji and Allen about this?"

"You're right. What about you? Aren't you coming back inside?"

Sakura shook her head. "I'll stay here a little longer. The breeze feels so nice, and the sky looks so beautiful tonight."

Derek nodded and went back to the mansion, leaving her there as she gazed up at the beautiful night sky. Because of the mansion's isolated location at the edge of the city, there were no bright city lights to hamper her view of the multitude of stars. She gazed up at them, hoping to find comfort in their brightness and beauty.

I want to see you right now..

She walked back towards the mansion, where she saw Wei standing near the glass doors. He greeted her a good evening, and she smiled at him.

"If they look for me, tell them I went out."

She had been walking briskly, and when Wei turned around to ask where she was going, she was already gone.

x-x-x-x-x

Syaoran leaned on the metal railing of his balcony and gazed up at the clear night sky, enjoying the slight breeze that touched his bare chest and ruffled his already messy hair. He hated the fact that the city lights obscured his vision of the stars. Back in the Li mansion in Hong Kong, he had loved gazing up at the stars after a hard day of training. His mother always told him when he was a little boy that their ancestors looked down upon and guided them from up in the heavens. So whenever he stared at the stars, he silently prayed to his ancestors for guidance and strength to endure all the training he had to go through.

However, at that moment, all he could think about as he gazed at the twinkling stars was how they resembled the shining emerald eyes of Sakura. He had been thinking about her constantly since he saw her again at the bar the other night. As a matter of fact, he had a dream about her just a few minutes ago. A slight blush formed on his cheeks as he recalled his dream for the umpteenth time.

x-x Syaoran's Dream: x-x

Syaoran stood on top of a hill that overlooked a beautiful ancient-looking city filled with houses made of clay and stone. A little farther away in the distance he could see a marvelous, castle-like edifice that towered over everything else and in front of it were two gigantic bronze statues that were as tall as the building itself. He squinted his eyes to get a better look of the statues, and he noticed that the one on the right was a statue of a female dancing and holding some sort of circular object in her hand. The one of the left was a man holding a long staff in one hand and a scroll in the other. He looked around him and saw a lone tree beside him on top of the hill. All around him and the city below were vast fields and forests. Where am I? He placed a hand on the tree's trunk, which was when he noticed his odd clothes. He had on some sort of loose, green sleeveless shirt that reached just above his knees, and inside that was a white, long-sleeved shirt that was covered by metal gauntlets on his arms. He was wearing loose white pants that were also covered by metal shin guards. On his waist was a brown belt where a huge sword was attached.

What the hell…?

Suddenly, he felt two warm hands cover his eyes from behind, and he felt his heart suddenly beat faster at the touch. He heard a heavenly female voice giggle from behind him. Slowly, he raised his hands and took hold of the ones covering his eyes. Then, he turned around to see who it was, and his eyes widened in surprise.

Sakura..?

He knew it was Sakura, but her hair was a lot longer and her clothes looked strange, too. She was wearing a pink, off-shoulder, long-sleeved dress that reached past her knees and accentuated her body nicely. What was odd about it was the patterns and designs on the hem of the dress and near the neckline. He looked up at her face then, and saw her gazing lovingly at him with those entrancing emerald eyes of hers. He felt himself rooted to the spot, unable to do anything but stare back at her, his heart thumping madly in his chest.

His heart started thumping even faster, if that was possible, when she reached out and caressed his cheek with her warm hand.

"I missed you.."

As if his senses hadn't been rattled enough, she suddenly took a step forward to close the distance between them, leaned up, and kissed him on the lips. All other thoughts seemed to disappear from his mind, and all he could think about what how warm and soft her lips were against his, and how it just felt so right. He found himself kissing her back, an unknown passion suddenly igniting from deep within him. Her lips tasted like the sweetest strawberries, and he couldn't seem to get enough of it.

He was leaning against the tree now with Sakura's hands on his shoulders and his on her tiny waist. After a while, she drew back and gave him a light peck on the lips before resting her head against his chest, sighing contentedly. Syaoran, who was still in shock and couldn't believe what he just did, just stayed still as he breathed in deeply, trying to calm his racing heart.

Sakura looked up at him with her loving eyes and heavenly smile, and all he could do was stare back at her breathtaking beauty and the happiness and innocence he could see in her eyes.. She leaned up again, but this time to kiss him on the cheek, and then she whispered silently in his ear,

"I love you, Xiao Lang…"

x-x End Dream x-x

Syaoran woke up from the dream right after that. He sat up on his bed panting heavily. The dream had felt so real. He touched his lips, as if still feeling them tingle after that kiss. What the hell was that? He couldn't believe he just had a dream about Sakura. About a vampire.

He couldn't go to sleep again after that because every time he closed his eyes, he saw her. He saw her beautiful emerald eyes and rosy lips. He gave up trying to sleep even though he knew he needed it since the following day was a Monday, which meant he had classes in the morning. He got out of his bed and made himself a cup of coffee. He looked at the wall clock in the kitchen and saw that it was just 1am.

So here he was now in the balcony, sipping a cup of coffee. There was hardly any sound to be heard since the whole town was fast asleep. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Syaoran felt a faint magical aura nearby. He put down his coffee cup and looked around him, surveying his surroundings for anyone or anything that might have emitted that aura. He looked to the left – nothing there. He looked to the right – nothing there as well. He looked to the left again and almost jumped back in surprise when he saw Sakura leaning against the balcony railing, smiling good-humoredly at him as she noted his surprised reaction.

"W-what the hell are you doing here!" Syaoran stammered. The minute he saw her there, images of the dream he just had came rushing back in his mind. No, no, no! STOP thinking about that damn dream! And so he stopped thinking about the dream Sakura and focused his attention on the real Sakura, who was standing in front of him at the moment. She looked as beautiful as always, wearing a simple long-sleeved dark blue shirt and black pants. As he glanced at her clothes, he suddenly remembered his lack of clothing. He was wearing boxer shorts and nothing else, and he couldn't stop a small blush from forming on his heated cheeks. Dreaming about her and then seeing her here while he was half-naked? It was just too much.

"I just wanted to… Are you blushing?" Sakura asked as she leaned forward to get a better look at his face, but he stepped back.

"N-no! Now what do you want!"

Sakura giggled, guessing the reason for his slight blush. "You don't have to be embarrassed around me. Anyway, I just came here to see how you're doing. I actually didn't expect you to still be awake. Are you finishing stuff for school?"

Syaoran just shook his head.

"Oh okay.. So why are you up so late?"

BECAUSE OF YOU! Syaoran wanted to shake her, shout at her, and tell her to get out of his head, but all he said in a monotonous voice was, "Can't sleep."

"Why? Been having nightmares, Li?"

HAH! Nightmares? More like the best dream I've had in years….. Wait a minute. I did NOT just think that! Sakura, who was unaware of Syaoran's mental debate with himself, just stared at him expectantly. Inwardly, Syaoran was cursing and shouting at himself for thinking such a thought, but outwardly, all he did was say, "No. Just can't sleep."

"You're not much of a talker, are you?"

"And you just don't stop talking, do you?"

Sakura smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. I just wanna be friends with you, you know."

Syaoran raised an eyebrow at that. "And why would you want that?"

Sakura shrugged. "I just like being friends with people I meet. Is that so bad?"

Syaoran leaned back on the railing again and stared at her. "It's just weird that you're a vampire and you're so friendly. Most people wouldn't put 'vampire' and 'friendly' in the same sentence, you know."

She stared at him in mock-amazement. "Wow, Li, that's probably the longest I've ever heard you speak!", she teased and just giggled when he glared at her. "Yeah, it's sad that we've been stereotyped as being dark and evil. But now you know that not all of us are like that!"

"Yeah, I guess.." Silence came over them, and Sakura just kept smiling at him. It was making him feel uneasy, so he decided to talk. "So what do you want?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to see you."

Syaoran's heartbeat sped up a little when she said that, but he couldn't understand why. Sakura stared at him and tried to read any emotion that passed through his eyes, but he still had his guard up. She came to his apartment expecting him to be asleep, and she really just wanted to see him. So it was such a surprise to her when she jumped onto the rooftop of an adjacent building and saw Syaoran wide awake here in his balcony. She had stayed there for a while, simply admiring him – his chiseled, muscular body, his ruffled, chestnut hair, his deep, amber eyes… It was only when she realized that he had noticed her aura did she decide to come over and talk to him.

"What for?"

Sakura pouted. "Does everything need to have a reason, Li?" She walked over to him and put her hands to her hips. "You know, you really need to learn to lighten up."

Syaoran just raised an eyebrow. "Do I?"

"Yeah." Sakura ginned, an idea forming in her head. "As a matter of fact, why don't I give you a lesson right now?"

Syaoran stared at her in confusion. "What?"

"Come on!" Sakura took his arm and dragged him inside his own room. "Put some clothes and a coat on. We're gonna go somewhere."

Syaoran stared at her as if she had grown another head. "What! Are you crazy? Where are we gonna go at one-thirty a.m.?"

"Just trust me!" Sakura said, but he was still shaking his head. "Aw come on, Li! Where's your sense of adventure?"

Syaoran let out an exasperated breath. "No way. You're inviting trouble by going out at this ungodly hour."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "If you haven't noticed, Li, I'm a vampire. I'm completely capable of protecting myself. And last time I checked, you're a pretty powerful sorcerer yourself. You must be, if you were able to detect my aura a while ago."

Syaoran was still looking at her incredulously, and Sakura decided to stand in front of him and put on her best puppy-eyed look. "Please?"

Syaoran sighed again and finally gave up. "Fine." She just looked too cute to say no. And when did you start thinking that she's cute? Pull yourself together, man!

The moment he agreed she jumped up and hugged him, and Syaoran stood stiffly as he felt her arms encircle him and her hands touch his bare back. He turned beet red from the action although the hug only lasted for two seconds. Sakura let go of him and said sorry for her impulsive actions. Then, she just stood there waiting for him to dress up, but she noticed he wasn't moving at all.

"Why aren't you dressing up?", she asked.

"Maybe if you'd leave my room and wait outside I can dress up?"

"Oh!" Sakura giggled sheepishly. "Hehe. Sorry. Alright, I'll wait outside."

Sakura went out and closed his bedroom door behind her. The hallway light was turned on, so she was able to walk towards what she assumed was his living room. She found the light switch and turned it on. Sakura smiled, happy that she was able to see his apartment. His living room was so neat. Too neat, she thought. There was hardly any personal touch to it besides an abstract painting she saw hanging on a wall. She walked over to his bookshelf and scanned through the books he had there. School textbooks, books on business management, martial arts.. He even has books on magic, and… What's this? Her eyes fell on a very old-looking book, but what caught her attention was the symbol drawn on its spine. It's Clow Reed's magic circle..

Before she could touch the book and take it out of the shelf, Syaoran appeared from the hallway dressed in casual jeans and a plain green shirt. He saw her looking over his bookshelf, but since he didn't need to hide the fact that he knew magic, he just let it go. He leaned on the wall and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Now do you mind telling me where we're going?"

"I'll tell you later. Umm… You have a car, right?"

Syaoran raised an eyebrow and smirked. "What if I don't?"

Sakura shrugged. "Then I guess I'll have to carry you like a sack of potatoes so we can jump over rooftops." She watched Syaoran's expression as it changed from a smirk to a glare and she laughed. He walked over to the center table and grabbed his car keys, exhaling exasperatedly. "Fine. Let's go."

Sakura just clapped her hands together and smiled. She followed him out of his apartment and they used the elevator to go to the basement parking level. He opened the passenger side door of his black sports car for her, and she smiled at him in thanks. Sakura sat down on the plush leather seat and admired the car's interior while Syaoran walked around the car, opened the door and sat down on the driver's seat. He took a glance at her and saw that she had already put her seatbelt on and was happily waiting for him. As he turned on the engine, he sighed once again and mumbled,

"I can't believe I'm doing this."

x-x-x-x-x

AN: So where are Sakura and Syaoran going? Find out in the next chapter!

Also, just to clarify, the very first part wasn't meant to completely expalinSakura's past. I know it must've been a bit confusing. There's a whoooole lot more that happened in the past, and you'll find out in due time!

Please review! Thank you!