Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates it, and I hope all who read this will enjoy it! Thank you so much for all your support this past year. I look forward to working on this fic in the year ahead! As usual, I don't own anything, I'm a fan writing some fiction. Please enjoy.

14- Sakura and the Missing Presents

"Oh, Sakura-chan, where did you find this yarn? It's so soft!"

Chiharu held the beginning of a scarf in her hands, running her fingers over the surface in awe. Sakura smiled as she accepted it back with one hand and motioned to Tomoyo with the other. "Tomoyo-chan found it at the fabric store where she usually shops."

"I liked the colors better than the ones the school provided," Tomoyo added, reaching into her own schoolbag and pulling a scarf of her own out of it. The group had pushed their desks together for lunch, choosing to eat in the classroom that day because of the cold. Their home economics class had just ended, and they were comparing their in-progress projects. The due date was only three days away, but not everyone's was shaping up to be finished in time. Aiko and Kanda had been pestering Tomoyo to help them, and she'd patiently helped them practice their stitches a few days between class and clubs. Chiharu, Naoko, and Rika were all progressing well, but they'd all expressed envy at the ease with which Tomoyo and Sakura worked.

"Who are you going to give yours to?" Naoko asked. "Li-kun?"

"No," Sakura answered, shaking her head. "I have something else for him. This is going to be a birthday present for my friend Yukito. Onii-chan said he needed a new one."

"I'm sure he's going to love it," Tomoyo replied with a smile. "I'm going to give mine to my mother. Something handmade is the only way to go for a woman who already has everything."

Rika nodded. "Mine is for my grandmother! She's always so cold this time of year, I wanted to give her something warm."

"Takashi and I are exchanging ours," Chiharu added and looked over to Naoko. "Naoko-chan?"

Naoko attempted to hide her face behind her own scarf, her cheeks reddening. "I… well… I thought maybe I'd give mine to Saya-senpai… though maybe that's a silly idea-"

"That's a wonderful idea!" Sakura chimed. "I'm sure she'll love it!"

"Y-you think?"

"You should have more confidence," Chiharu laughed, patting Naoko on the shoulder. "You have the most precise stitches of any of us."

"A hand-knit present can be a very romantic gift," Tomoyo agreed. "I think it's a lovely idea."

Naoko lowered her scarf back to her desktop. "Thanks, guys. I think I will-"

"Just make sure it's not a sweater!"

The girls all jumped as Yamazaki suddenly appeared beside their desks. Chiharu smacked him on the arm, demanding "what is it this time?"

"I just wanted to warn her about the notorious'sweater curse.' It's infamous among the knitting community, you know."

"Sweater curse?" Sakura repeated.

Yamazaki nodded. "The legend goes that, if a person begins knitting a sweater for their beloved, the two are doomed to break up before the sweater is finished. Because of that, most knitters refuse to make sweaters for their romantic partners."

"N-no, you have it all wrong!" Naoko assured him. "Saya-senpai is just a childhood friend!"

"And besides, there's no way any of us could finish an entire sweater by Christmas. Some of us-" Chiharu nudged Yamazaki pointedly. "-may not even finish our scarf by then."

"Yeah, I suppose I'd better work on that, huh…?"

As Yamazaki spoke, the bell rang to signal the end of lunch, and the class broke into a commotion as students began moving the desks back into order and returning to their own seats. Tomoyo and Sakura chatted as they did so, trying to shed the negativity of Yamazaki's revelation. "The sweater curse is just a myth," Tomoyo assured Sakura when she asked about the reality of it. "A sweater takes a very long time to knit. Most relationships don't last that long, so it's only natural that many couples will break up in that time frame. It has nothing to do with the sweaters themselves."

Sakura sighed, taking a seat again. "Even so, I don't like knitting enough to risk it. I'd rather get Syaoran-kun something personal."

"What are you getting him?"

Sakura put a finger against her lips. "It's a surprise."

As she said this, Tomoyo looked behind her and noticed Syaoran entering the classroom. "Sakura-chan is perceptive as always," she murmured and waved over to him. "How was the drama club practice? Is the Christmas play coming along well?"

"Well enough," Syaoran replied, settling down in his seat. "What were you talking about just now? Sakura being perceptive-"

"I was trying to get her to tell me what she's giving you for Christmas," Tomoyo answered with a wink. "But she's not going to let you find out so easily."

"I-I didn't know you were talking about that! I just happened to walk in!"

Tomoyo giggled and Sakura waved her hands. "I wasn't implying that at all! I just want to keep it a surprise. Besides, I have plenty of other gifts to work on. I still haven't figured out what to get for Stephen yet. Kero-chan is easy because I can just bake for him. But for Stephen..."

"Something for the dollhouse?" Syaoran asked. "You said he enjoys decorating it."

"Maybe, but I want it to be sentimental."

Tomoyo leaned over and smiled. "I think Stephen is the kind to find sentiment in whatever you give him. As long as it comes from your heart, he'll appreciate it."

That brought a smile back to Sakura's face. "Thanks," she chimed as the class bell rang, "I'm sure he will."

The class day ended uneventfully, and Sakura continued to think about gifts as she practiced with the cheerleading club in the gymnasium. She brought the topic up to Chiharu- a potential present for a new friend, something special for their first Christmas as friends. Chiharu considered it, asking for things like his interests, and Sakura realized how little she knew about what Stephen actually liked. He always tagged along with Kero on things like video games, but modern technology was still a foreign and fascinating concept to him and some sort of electronic would likely be wasted on him. He liked to read, but she had no idea what kind of books he preferred. Chiharu agreed with Syaoran's idea of a decorative item for his new bedroom, but Sakura had no idea what his taste in decor was. Chiharu invited Sakura to go shopping with her on Saturday since they didn't have club practice and she still needed to get a gift for Yamazaki. Sakura was happy to accept, but in the end, she left school without any further ideas.

A cold rain was falling over Tomoeda, and Sakura held her umbrella close to keep it from blowing in the wind. Tomoyo and Syaoran were staying late with their respective clubs to practice for the upcoming Christmas performances, so Sakura prepared to walk home by herself.

She didn't mind walking by herself, considering it gave her more time to think. As she left the school gates, however, a sudden gust of wind caught her umbrella and wrenched it from her hand. She yelped and stumbled backward, but a sturdy hand propped her up and grabbed the umbrella before it could go far.

"Careful, Sakura-san. You'll catch a cold if you get wet in weather like this."

Sakura went stiff and looked up. "Noboru-sensei! Th-thank you…"

He smiled- a genuine smile- and held out the umbrella. "Where are your friends today? Still practicing with their clubs?"

"That's right."

His eyes sparkled with what Sakura could only imagine was pride, and he shifted his grip on his own umbrella. "It's admirable of the choir and drama clubs to work so hard on performing again so soon after the Culture Festival. Are they both performing on Christmas Eve? I'd like to attend."

He seemed sincere enough, so Sakura tried not to worry about the implications of it. He was, after all, a teacher at the school. It was only natural he'd take an interest in his students' endeavors. "The drama club is putting on a short performance on Christmas Eve- some sort of detective-themed comedy, I think. And the choir is performing a piece in a community concert at King Penguin Park on Christmas Day."

Noboru nodded. "What a relief that they don't conflict with one another. I'd hate for you to have to choose between them. Decisions like that can be… difficult."

The way he said it felt ominous and Sakura fought back a shiver. "Yeah, uh, I'm glad too. It's getting late, though, so I should probably-" She pointed down the street, but stopped as a sudden realization came to her. "-wait, are you going this way? I'd like to ask you something, but I don't want to hold you up."

Noboru raised an eyebrow. "I'm always happy to answer my students' questions. If you're in a hurry, I can walk with you. It's not too far out of my way." He started down the street and motioned for her to follow. "Tell me what's troubling you. Are you having issues with the curriculum? Your test scores in history are quite good-"

"I-It's not about school," Sakura responded, following after him. "I, uh, wanted to ask what you knew about… about Stephanos, the guardian of the Warp Cards."

The question caused Noboru to freeze for a split second before he returned to his earlier pace. "You have concerns about him, do you?"

"Well, I wouldn't say concerns-"

"One thing you must remember, Sakura-san, is that Stephanos was created to be the perfect servant. He is skilled at putting on a loyal front for his master. But a guardian who betrays one master will inevitably betray another. He has his own agenda, and no matter how loyal he may act towards you, he has proven already that he will turn against you as soon as your actions conflict with that agenda. You must be cautious about how much information and power you give him."

Sakura frowned, looking at her feet as she walked. It wasn't what she wanted to hear at all, and the seemingly genuine concern in Noboru's voice made it all the more awkward to clarify her question.

"I… I actually wanted to know what he likes. It's for a Christmas present."

There was a long pause, the two walking along in silence. Noboru exhaled a long, slow sigh, his breath clouding over around his beard as he did so.

"You know that you cannot buy his loyalty."

"That's not what I'm trying to do. I just want to get him something to thank him for his help so far. I give gifts to all my friends this time of year, but he's the only one I've never given a gift to before. So…"

"You have such a good heart, Sakura-san." Noboru smiled at her, his expression brightening again. "It's a pity that there are people in this world who will take advantage of that."

"...I just want to know a good idea for a present."

The two stopped at a corner, Noboru taking a step back and allowing Sakura to continue in front of him. "What Stephanos wants more than anything is your blind trust. That is the only gift I can recommend, but it is one I strongly suggest you withhold."

"I see. Thank you."

"Is there anything else you would like to know?" he asked, and Sakura looked away, shaking her head. "I see. Then I shall take my leave. Good luck with your gift-giving endeavors, Sakura-san."

She watched as he turned around and headed back down the street. Walking with her had been out of his way, and yet he'd happily followed so that he could listen to her question and give advice. But despite the gravity of his answer, he'd helped. Sakura felt like he was trying to drive a wedge between her and Stephen, and more than anything, she needed to give Stephen a gift that would show him that she trusted him.

But what should that be?

Sakura carried a pair of ice cream cups with her upstairs after dinner, and she found Kero sitting on the roof of the dollhouse, watching the door impatiently. As soon as she entered, he pounced on the tray and scooped up one of the cups in his paws.

"Ice cream! You're the best, Sakura!"

"I don't see how you two can eat that stuff, as cold as it is outside," Sakura muttered, shaking her head. "Here, Stephen. This one is for you."

Stephen was sitting at the table of the dollhouse's kitchen and reached out with a smile. "Many thanks, Sakura-sama. I simply adore peppermint."

"Yeah, yeah!" Kero agreed, already pulling the paper top off and digging in with his spoon. "This is the time of year for seasonal flavors. There's nothing like peppermint ice cream at Christmas- it may cool the body, but it warms the heart!"

"Whatever you say," Sakura sighed, falling back onto the bed. Stephen took his ice cream and moved over to the headboard, settling down next to her alarm clock so that he could speak with her more easily.

"You do not have club activities tomorrow, correct? Do you have plans with Tomoyo-sama or Li Syaoran-sama?"

Sakura turned over and sat up again. "No, they're both practicing with clubs tomorrow. But I'm going shopping with Chiharu-chan for Christmas presents. I still have a bunch to get, after all."

"Christmas gifts? For whom?"

"Well, I already have something for Yukito-san and Syaoran, so that leaves… Dad, Onii-chan, Tomoyo-chan, some other friends at school, Eriol-kun and Mizuki-sensei... and then you two, of course."

Stephen coughed, choking on a bite of ice cream. He put a paw over his mouth and took a moment to gather his composure. "Sakura-sama, you have no need to provide a present for me. You've already done so much for me, and gifted us this beautiful dollhouse only a week ago-"

"The dollhouse is something I should've done a long time ago," Sakura interrupted. "And of course I have to get something for you. Christmas is about showing your friends how much you care about them, after all."

"S-Sakura-sama…"

"How about the cards?" Kero interrupted before Stephen could go into another one of his sentimental spiels. "Ya figured out somethin' for them this year?"

Sakura put a finger to her lips. "I have, but that's a secret."

"The cards?" Stephen repeated, tilting his head. Sakura nodded.

"Since I became the master of the Sakura Cards, it's become a tradition to get the cards a gift every year too. It's the least I can do for all the help they've given me over the years."

"It's usually somethin' artsy that they can enjoy," Kero replied. "The year before last she sang a song fer 'em, and they liked it so much that last year she got her brother ta play it on the piano while she an' Tomoyo recorded a duet."

Stephen perked up, his eyes sparkling in interest. "Oh, that sounds magnificent! May I hear it?"

Sakura blushed. "S-some other time, maybe…" She paused and shook her head. "This year I'm doing something a little different, though. It's my first year with new Sakura Cards, after all, so I have to consider that."

She stood up and walked over to the desk, reaching for the stack of former Warp Cards that rested on the desktop next to the Sakura book. Stephen left his ice cream behind and scurried over to perch on the back of the chair.

"I have nine new cards now- Nobody, Memory, Pestilence, Will 'O Wisp, Heat, Plague, Feral, and Arsenal. From what you've told me about Warp Neon, it sounds like he treated them like nothing more than tools. I want to show them that they're more than that to me."

Stephen hopped onto the desk and placed his paws over her hand. "I'm sure that, no matter what you give them, the cards will sense your intentions and appreciate it. What matters is that you express your feelings."

Sakura smiled and patted Stephen on the head. "Thanks. I'm going to do my best. And you- you might want to go back to your ice cream before Kero-chan gets to it."

"Wha-?" Stephen turned around to look and sprinted back towards the bed. "Kerberos! How dare you-?!"

The weekend passed without much incident, though Sakura was still puzzling over what to get for Stephen. She had considered it the whole time she was finishing her scarf and was disappointed that she hadn't come up with anything by the time she had to turn it in. Christmas was less than a week away, and she wasn't any closer to finding the right gift for Stephen. Surely there must be something he would appreciate, something that would express her trust in him. She just had to find it.

The class was uncharacteristically noisy when she arrived on Tuesday morning, just before the bell as usual. It was sunny, but ice on the sidewalks had made it too dangerous to rollerblade, so she was stuck walking. It was nice to get into the warm classroom, but there was a sense of panic in the atmosphere that gave her pause. She pushed through the crowd of students at the front to get to her desk.

"What's going on…?" she asked, looking between Tomoyo and Syaoran. "Did something happen?"

"It's the scarves that we turned in yesterday," Syaoran answered. "Somehow they disappeared from the home ec classroom last night."

"...disappeared?" Sakura repeated, sitting down and removing her books from her bag. "Did a teacher take them home to grade, you think?"

"No, apparently the teachers are just as puzzled," Tomoyo answered.

"But…" Sakura murmured, resting her head in her hands, "...why would someone take a bunch of scarves knitted by high school students? Most of them weren't the kind of quality you could sell, and one single person couldn't wear them all."

"They're worried it could be some kind of prank," Syaoran answered, and lowered his voice as Shimazaki-sensei entered to begin homeroom. "If you ask me, it's all too strange to be a student pulling a prank. I think there may be magic involved."

"Magic?"

"Well, everyone was making their scarf as a present for someone, right? The emotions put into a handmade present for someone you care about hold great magical power, even for items made by non-magicians."

"You think it could be a Warp Card?" Tomoyo whispered.

"I don't know. But we should remain cautious. Noboru-sensei will naturally suspect it too. If it is a card, we won't be able to waste any time or we might lose it."

Remembering her conversation with Noboru the previous week, Sakura felt a chill pass over her. "Right. For the sake of everyone's precious gifts, we have to find out what's behind this and get those scarves back."

But the scarves were only the beginning. Wednesday morning, the wooden birdhouses that the second-year students had been working on disappeared. The teachers puzzled over how a single student or even a group of students could have carried off such a large number of birdhouses, but their investigation didn't turn up any signs of what might have happened.

By that point, Sakura was almost certain she knew what card it was. The Thief, Stephen had explained to her, was a card that could steal anything without being caught and was especially attracted to objects with strong sentimental value. He agreed that the card had probably been attracted to the items in the home economics class because they were being made as gifts for others. To prevent more items from being stolen, Sakura, Syaoran, and Tomoyo snuck out to the school that night in search of Thief. But the night went on with no sign of it, and when they stumbled into school on Thursday morning, exhausted from their near-all-nighter, they received the news that the third-years' embroidery projects had all disappeared too. Other students were starting to refer to the mysterious culprit as the Christmas Thief, but most were too upset by the loss of all their hard work to be excited about the prospect of an unsolved mystery.

Sakura discussed it with Stephen that night as she set the table for dinner, the smell of beef stew simmering on the stove distracting Kero from the conversation.

"I didn't even sense a card last night. If Thief is doing this, it's hiding its presence well."

"I'm afraid Thief is one of the most difficult to detect. It was designed to hide from even the most perceptive magicians. The only way to find it would be to lure it out by some means."

"Lure it out, hm?" Sakura murmured. "But it's already stolen all the home economics projects. What else is there? Students don't usually keep gifts or precious objects at school."

Stephen paused. "Perhaps you could use something of your own?"

"I don't want to, but…" Sakura set the last plate down and sighed. "Tomorrow is the last day of the term. If we can't capture the card and return the items, the other students will never be able to give them to the people they love for Christmas. We can't let that happen."

"Ya gonna go back tonight?" Kero asked from his spot by the stove. "I can message Tomoyo and the kid for ya."

"I'll do it. I need to tell Dad too. Onii-chan and Yukito-san are coming over tonight, so he won't be lonely. But I'm sure those two will worry if they know what's going on. Do you think they'll believe me if I tell them I'm working on a present with Tomoyo-chan?"

"If you tell 'em by text message, maybe. But that brother of yours is perceptive, and Yue would definitely know somethin' was up. If you're gonna leave, you'd better do it before they get here."

"...yeah, you're right."

Tomoyo and Syaoran were already at the school to meet Sakura when she arrived. A little help from the Jump card allowed them to make it over the gate, and they sat in the courtyard as they discussed their plan.

"We can't just blindly use anything as bait. It needs to be something with strong sentimental and magical power," Syaoran explained. "But we need some way to guarantee that Thief won't get away with it. Otherwise, we could lose it too."

"But how do we make a trap for something we can't even sense?" Tomoyo asked. "It can clearly move through walls and locked doors undetected."

"The Lock, perhaps?" Stephen asked. "As you did for the Nobody?"

"Maybe, but there's another problem there," Sakura replied with a shake of her head. "Back then, we had Kero-chan to help us trap it. Here, no one can see it. We may not even know we've found it until it's too late."

"Is there some other card that might be able to alert you of its presence?" Syaoran was pacing back and forth, unable to sit still. He'd picked up a rock, tossing it back and forth in his hands before eventually throwing it into the fountain. It broke through the thin layer of ice on top and splashed into the water. Sakura gasped and jumped to her feet.

"Syaoran, that's it!"

"Huh? Another card-?"

"Not a card, but-" She ran over to the side of the fountain, looking at the hole in the ice where the rock had broken through. "-what about the swimming pool? If we throw our bait in the bottom of the pool, we can wait for Thief to go in after it. Then use Freeze, and we've got it!"

"There's no water in the pool right now, though," Tomoyo pointed out, though Kero perched on her shoulder and smiled.

"Watery can fix that for ya."

"I think it is a top-notch plan," Stephen added. "Now the only question is what to use as bait."

The courtyard fell silent.

"It… would have to be something that wouldn't be ruined if it got wet," Tomoyo suggested. "If it were ruined, Thief would have no reason to steal it."

Sakura looked down at the costume she was wearing, a frilly Santa-themed dress that Tomoyo had given her the night before when they came looking for the card. "Maybe… Tomoyo-chan's precious costume? But I wore it here, so I don't have anything to change into-"

"I have something," Syaoran interrupted, though his voice was low and hesitant. "I have something, but… I want to make sure it's alright with Sakura first."

"With me?" Sakura repeated, watching as Syaoran dug into the sleeve of his battle costume and produced a small, wrapped box.

"I know you're celebrating with your family tomorrow night, and we have the play on Christmas Eve and the concert Christmas, so I… I thought tonight would be the best opportunity to give this to you one-on-one. The water may damage the wrapping, but not the gift inside. Is it… alright to use this?"

Sakura reached out and took it from him, weighing it in her hands as she thought it over. "Syaoran's precious gift for me," she murmured, holding the box close. "If Thief wants to steal something valuable, there's no doubt it'll come after this. It's perfect."

Syaoran smiled. "Let's go capture the card. Then you can open it."

"I can't wait!"

The Kinomoto's kitchen was cheerful, the few small decorations giving a warm glow to the light and the framed image of Nadeshiko on the table featuring a Christmas-themed magazine spread. Sakura's absence could be felt, but as far as they knew she was working on gifts at Tomoyo's house. Yukito- and Yue- knew that Tomoyo was helping her with the gift she had in mind for the cards this year, so for once he wasn't suspicious of her disappearance. Touya had initially been skeptical, but hearing that Yue believed Sakura's text kept him from dwelling on it.

"So where are you two working on Christmas eve, again?" Fujitaka asked as they finished up with the stew.

"A pastry shop downtown," Touya answered. "We'll be working late, for all the last-minute families trying to get the Christmas cakes they forgot-"

"Touya!" Yukito scolded, but smiled again as he turned back to Fujitaka. "I'm looking forward to it. There's nothing like seeing the cheer on people's faces this time of year. Do you and Sakura-chan have anything planned?"

"Seijyo's drama club is putting on a play," Fujitaka answered. "Sakura-san and I are attending that. Perhaps we'll stop by your shop and pick up a cake to share with Li-kun-"

He was cut off by the sound of the doorbell ringing. Touya and Yukito both stood, but Fujitaka waved them away.

"I'll get it," he said, pushing his chair back and heading in the direction of the hall. Touya and Yukito waited patiently, hearing the door open and Fujitaka let out an exclamation of delight. Two sets of footsteps came back down the hall to the kitchen, and Fujitaka motioned the guest in.

Touya and Yukito froze.

They'd seen the man before, at the farm where Sakura's class had gone for a field trip. His attitude and expression were much friendlier this time, but Touya couldn't forget the way he'd treated them earlier, and just the sight of him made Yue so angry that Yukito had to grip Touya's arm to maintain his composure.

"Touya, Yukito-san, this is my friend Giorgios," Fujitaka explained, motioning to him. Noboru bowed and repeated his full name for them.

"Noboru Jirou. I went by Giorgios when I was living in Greece. Fujitaka and I have been friends for a long time, so it's an honor to finally meet you." He was holding a bottle of sparkling wine and a box of Christmas-themed chocolates, and he set both down on the table before looking back to Fujitaka. "I'm going to be busy the next few days, so I wanted to make sure I dropped this off to you before Christmas. I hope it isn't too much."

"N-no, it… it's wonderful." Fujitaka was all smiles, and he motioned over to Sakura's chair. "Please, sit down. Sakura is out with a friend tonight, but I'm sure Touya and Yukito-san won't mind. Have you eaten? We have plenty of beef stew left."

"So that's what smelled so delightful," Noboru commented, his voice almost dreamy. "And here I was planning to go home and eat those awful instant noodles."

"Then you have to stay for dinner! I insist!" Fujitaka pushed past Noboru to get to the stove. "Go ahead and sit down. I'll have a bowl ready for you in just a moment."

Yukito was trying to look away to keep Yue from getting any more worked up, but Touya was staring daggers at Noboru. "So you're the famous Giorgios, are you?" he asked. "I've heard a lot about you as well."

"All good things, I hope," Noboru replied with a knowing smile, and Fujitaka chimed in before Touya could retort.

"Naturally. I've told them about all your help with the university's work in Greece."

Fujitaka approached the table again with a spoon and a bowl of stew. Noboru smiled as he accepted it. "You're as good a cook as always, I see."

"Actually, Sakura made this," Fujitaka replied. "She usually cooks on weekdays."

"You have quite the talented daughter," Noboru replied after taking a sip of the broth. "I suppose your son also inherited your talent in the kitchen?"

Touya narrowed his eyes. "I can cook well enough, I suppose," he shot back. "Yuki and I don't have to eat instant noodles, at least."

"That's good. I certainly don't recommend it."

Fujitaka laughed and gave Noboru a good-natured scolding over his eating habits. Touya and Yukito glanced at one another, unsure how they should react. It seemed like Fujitaka genuinely enjoyed Noboru's company, with no idea of his darker nature underneath the pleasant facade. Touya stood up, gathering his and Yukito's empty plates, and started toward the sink. Yukito followed, giving Fujitaka a friendly wave.

"You enjoy your friend's company. We'll start washing the dishes. Did Sakura-san eat before she left? Can we put away the leftovers?"

"She did, thank you." Fujitaka broke away from his conversation just long enough to answer and went back to chatting right away. Touya and Yukito looked at one another again and began running water in the sink.

"He… seems oddly nice," Yukito whispered. "Your father seems to genuinely like him."

Touya nodded and whispered back. "Yeah. I wish I knew what his angle was. Why's he interested in Dad? Trying to get to Sakura through him?"

"Does Sakura-chan know they're friends?"

"I doubt it. She'd probably have told us, maybe asked for help."

The two were quiet for a while as Touya began washing dishes and handing them off to Yukito to dry. They could hear bits and pieces of the conversation between Noboru and Fujitaka, updates on some of the university faculty and their projects interspersed between discussions of recent archeological news and reminisces of their time in Greece. The story about Noboru being one of Fujitaka's old colleagues sounded like it was true, but if so, it was an odd coincidence. Touya kept glancing back at where Noboru was sitting, but he didn't sense any magical spell that might be influencing his father. Fujitaka seemed to genuinely appreciate Noboru's company. And that only made it worse.

Touya and Yukito stayed in the kitchen to listen to the conversation, but there wasn't anything suspicious in it. Noboru spoke some about his history curriculum, comparing with the lecture Fujitaka was giving to his university students and mentioned plans to attend Christmas Eve services at a small orthodox church nearby. Eventually, he commented on the time and said he needed to be going- and Touya offered to see him out.

"It is getting late, isn't it?" Fujitaka asked. "I wonder if Sakura is planning to stay at Tomoyo-san's house."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about Sakura-san," Noboru answered. "She'll be home soon. The task she is working on tonight is not a difficult one."

"Oh?" Fujitaka asked, and then smiled. "Well, as long as she's with Tomoyo-san, I have no worries. Do have a wonderful Christmas, Giorgios. I look forward to seeing you again before the new year."

"Likewise to you."

Noboru was quiet as Touya walked him to the door, and as he began putting on his shoes, Touya spoke up.

"Not a difficult task? What do you mean by that? What is my sister up to?"

Noboru looked up at him and smiled. "Oh, just that the adversary she faces tonight is not a dangerous one. If it were, I would be there to make sure nothing happens. But I trust her with this one- it's of no use to me anyway."

"So she's investigating another one of those cards-?!" Touya began and then cut off. "Don't act all protective of her! You're her enemy, aren't you?"

Noboru was quiet for a moment. "I have no desire to fight your sister, Kinomoto-san. On the contrary, I don't want to see her get hurt. I'm only trying to help by keeping her out of trouble. She is the one who has framed me as the enemy."

Touya frowned, remembering the conversation they'd had months ago, over whether or not Sakura should capture the Warp Cards. He'd been adamant since the start that he didn't think she should associate with Noboru. The man had now found his way into their house somehow- and yet he still claimed he wasn't the antagonizer!

"If that's really the case, then what do you want with our father?" Touya continued. "You don't expect me to believe you're bringing him cookies and wine just because you're old work friends?"

Noboru cracked a smile. "Perceptive. Messenger warned me you would be. However, I'm afraid it isn't so much that I want anything from your father, but that he wants something from me. I made a promise long ago- and unlike him, I do keep my word."

"What does that-?!"

"Oh, and tell Sakura-san that I said Merry Christmas and that the 'Christmas Thief' is my gift to her. She'll know what it means."

And with that, he was out the door before Touya could protest.

Sakura and her friends snuck into the pool the same way they'd made it into the school gates, and it didn't take Watery long to fill the empty pool with water. Syaoran approached the deep end of the pool, took a deep breath, and dropped the package into it. The bright red ribbon could still be seen as it floated down and settled on the bottom of the pool, and Sakura's heart clenched to see the resignation on Syaoran's face. This was a gift he felt strongly about, and it hurt him to set it out as bait for a Warp Card. Unfortunately, that was the whole reason they were using it- and she'd have to express her appreciation for that later.

Some time passed, and the three waited in silence for Thief to appear. Tomoyo kept her camera focused on Sakura the whole time, watching as Sakura began to droop from exhaustion. This was the second night in a row they'd been out late card-hunting, and it was taking a toll on her. Syaoran was more used to pulling all-nighters, but even he began to grow restless after a while.

"Why isn't it showing up? Is it possible we've miscalculated?" Syaoran finally asked after checking his watch. "It's been thirty minutes, and no sign of it."

"Maybe it's moved on since it got all the students' projects?" Kero asked, and Stephen shook his head.

"It should still be here. Thief would not move on so easily when it has had such success here so far. It is only logical that Li Syaoran-sama's gift would attract Thief's attention if left unguarded. So why is it not working?"

Sakura let out a gasp.

"Stephen, that's it!"

"What is it-?"

"The present isn't unguarded," she explained. "We're sitting right here. Thief may be hard to detect, but there's no way a good thief would steal something in front of a waiting audience."

"Do you truly think that is the reason?" Stephen asked.

"There's only one way to find out," Sakura answered with a smile. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a card, holding it up to her staff. "Nobody! Hide our presence from Thief! NOBODY!"

A thin veil passed over the group and then disappeared, leaving them standing just where they were on the pool deck. Tomoyo let out an exclamation of joy.

"Oh, wonderful! I've gotten to record Sakura-chan using one of her new cards! An outstanding plan, just perfect for-"

She didn't get to finish her praise, as a loud splash caught everyone's attention. Sakura whipped around, staff in hand, not wasting any time with her next card.

"FREEZE!"

The water in the pool crystallized into a solid block of enchanted ice, and Sakura dashed over to inspect the deep end where the gift had been left. Sure enough, it was still submerged in the ice, surrounded by bubbles that seemed to indicate the presence of something around it. Sakura tapped the end of her staff against the surface of the ice and chanted the incantation as quickly as she could.

"Card by evil's hand designed, reveal your power and form confined, reject the hold of evil's blight, and draw your power from my light! SAKURA CARD!"

The bubbles from underneath the ice combined and manifested above the surface in the form of a card. Sakura knelt down carefully to pick it up and turned it over to examine it. The English word THIEF was written across the bottom in clear letters and the image of a translucent figure wearing the fur of a wolf. Smiling to herself, she stood up, holding the card triumphantly-

-and slipped on the ice, falling onto her back again.

"Ow!"

Syaoran ran to help her while Kero groaned and Tomoyo giggled. "Don't worry, Sakura-chan, we can edit that out in post. Your capture was wonderful!"

"And, now that Thief has been purified," Stephen added, "everything it stole should have returned to its original location. Your teachers should find the students' project exactly where they left them."

Syaoran helped Sakura to the edge of the pool where she could get sturdier footing, and Tomoyo approached to get a picture of Sakura celebrating with the new card. Kero, meanwhile, moved to examine the frozen surface of the pool.

"Hey, uh, is somebody going to get suspicious if we leave water in the pool? There's not supposed ta be any here this time of year, right?"

"Oh! Right!" Sakura gasped and pulled another card from her pocket. "Erase! Get rid of all the ice!"

Erase passed over the pool a few times, a few layers of ice disappearing with each pass until the pool was finally empty again. Its physical form returned to Sakura, holding out the damp gift box that it had rescued from the bottom of the pool, and Sakura accepted the gift with an expression of thanks. Erase disappeared again, leaving the group once again in the silence of the waxing moonlight.

The soaked wrapping paper was beginning to fall off the gift, and Sakura could make out the shape of a jewelry box underneath. Syaoran approached, standing opposite her and motioning to the gift.

"I, uh, suppose you might as well open it now."

"Are you sure?" Sakura replied. "I don't have your gift with me. I was planning to give it to you after the play on Saturday, so I didn't-"

"I'm sure."

"Is it alright if I catch this tender moment on video?" Tomoyo called from behind them, and Syaoran looked back with a sigh.

"I suppose I can't say no, can I? It's fine. Do whatever you want. The important part is that Sakura is happy."

Sakura slid the ribbon off and pulled at the wrapping paper to tear it away from the box fully. She set the pile of wet paper aside and opened the box, pausing to gasp as she caught sighed of the gift inside.

"Syaoran, it's beautiful."

Nestled inside the box, a star-shaped locket was set on a gold chain, the intricate patterns on it reminiscent of the designs of Sakura's own magic circle. Syaoran blushed, looking down at his feet.

"I, uh, saw it and thought of you. There's a personalized engraving on the inside, as well as space for a photo. I didn't put anything in, since I wasn't sure what you wanted, so-"

"Oh, Syaoran!"

Sakura had clicked the locket open and her eyes lit up as she caught sight of the engraving on the inside. In a simple, yet elegant script, it read 'everything will surely be alright.'

"Engraving spells into metal objects can imbue them with even greater power," Syaoran explained, still blushing and looking away. "Your invincible spell is already, well, invincible, but… it doesn't hurt to have a reminder every now and again, I think-"

"Syaoran, I love it!" Sakura exclaimed, running to throw her arms around him. She pulled him into a tight hug, twirling him a few times before taking a step back so that she could kiss him on the cheek. "And I love you!"

Syaoran's blush intensified, especially as Kero let out a cheer from behind them. "What'cha waiting for, kid? Kiss her fer real!"

"Don't call me kid!" Syaoran snapped, but his anger melted away as soon as he turned back to Sakura, replaced by a warm, sincere smile.

"Merry Christmas, Sakura," he whispered as he leaned in for a kiss. Once they pulled away, Sakura repeated it back to him in a whisper of her own.

"Merry Christmas, Syaoran."

Getting back out of the school was the same process as getting in, and as Jump helped the last of them over the main gate, Syaoran checked his watch.

"It's late. Should I walk you home?"

Sakura shook her head. "Dad thinks I'm at Tomoyo-chan's house. He'd wonder why you're the one walking me back."

"I'll call and have my driver pick us up," Tomoyo offered. "He can drop Sakura-chan off at her house, that way it looks like she's been at my place. Do you want a ride too, Syaoran-kun?"

"No thanks. I'll walk."

"In this cold?" Sakura asked, and he blushed again.

"W-well, if you insist."

Stephen always marveled at modern transportation, especially ones with modernized interiors and accessories such as the GPS that the Daidouji's chauffer had. Sakura had to work to keep him quiet so that the driver wouldn't hear strange voices in the backseat and get suspicious. Tomoyo's bodyguards were good about not asking questions, but Sakura didn't know the driver very well, and couldn't be sure she was the same.

As they drove, she admired the necklace that Syaoran had given her, opening and closing it over and over in awe of the lettering and the design. Syaoran noticed and leaned over, pointing to the interior.

"If there's a specific photo you'd like to put in it, let me know," he said. "I can resize it and cut it for you. I'd have done it already, but I wasn't sure what you'd want. It should be something dear to you, after all."

"Something dear to me, huh?" Sakura murmured. "A photo can capture those feelings quite well, can't it?"

"The right one, yes. But I know that makes it harder to decide. I won't rush you if-"

"Yes! That's it! Oh, Syaoran, that's it!" Sakura leaned across the bench seat to pull him into a hug. "You've given me an idea!"

"I… I… uh… you're welcome?" He could barely articulate an answer through his embarrassment and confusion, and by the time he managed to speak, Sakura was already leaning against the front seat to talk to Tomoyo.

"Tomoyo-chan! Do you have plans after school tomorrow? I need your help with something…"

Sakura returned home from the school's Christmas play in high spirits. It was a short play and Syaoran hadn't had many lines, but the ones he did have he delivered wonderfully and was able to get a laugh from the audience each time. Sakura had left with him afterward to get dinner together, and despite the cold, rainy weather, they enjoyed their time together. On her way home, she stopped by Touya and Yukito's apartment to deliver their presents and wish Yukito a happy early birthday, so it was late by the time she eventually got home.

"Sakura-sama! Welcome back!"

Stephen was the first to greet her when she entered her bedroom. She was carrying a bag over her arm and set it down so that she could reach for him.

"Merry Christmas, Stephen!"

"It ain't Christmas yet," Kero pointed out, motioning to the clock. "We've still got a couple'a hours."

Sakura giggled. "Even so, I can give you my presents now, can't I?"

Kero perked up. "Presents? Now you're speakin' my language! Me first, me first! It's food, right? Please tell me it's food."

"Hmm, I don't know…" Sakura answered, feigning ignorance with a half-hearted attempt to hide her amusement. "Is that really what Kero-chan would want? Something sweet?"

"C'mon, don't tease me! Just give it here!"

Sakura allowed herself to laugh and then reached into her bag to pull out a small cake box. "Tomoyo-chan and I baked it this morning. It's not as pretty as some of the storebought cakes, but it was made with love-"

Kero took the box from her, setting it down on the desk and pulling off the lid. The cake was brightly adorned with white icing and a big strawberry that was decorated with white and dark chocolate to look like a Santa. Kero's eyes sparkled as he looked it over.

"A whole Christmas cake, just for me? Sakura, you're the best!"

"I know I scold you for being a glutton, but you deserve it for everything you do for me. Thank you, Kero-chan."

Kero flew over to nuzzle Sakura's cheek, then moved back to look over at Stephen.

"Now it's Stephen's turn, right?"

"M-me?" Stephen stammered as Sakura pulled a wrapped package from her bag. "I told you, there was no need to get a present for my sake. I am merely happy to be a part of your family, Sakura-sama-"

"That's why I had to get you a gift," Sakura interrupted, handing the gift over. "You're family, after all. Go on and open it."

"W-well, if you insist…"

Stephen took the gift and perched on the roof of the dollhouse with it. He slowly began unwrapping it, and a picture frame emerged from beneath the wrapping paper. It was plastic, but the edges were decorated to look like wood, and the center was dark. Stephen set the stand up and took a step back to admire it.

"Oh, Sakura-sama, it's a wonderful frame. I will have to find just the right photo to display inside of it-"

"No need. It's already set up; just flip the switch on the top."

Now that she said it, Stephen seemed to notice the switch for the first time. "...oh my, don't tell me it's an electronic device. Does it light up, or-" He flipped the switch with his paw, and the middle of the frame came to life with a bright digital display. It showed an image of Sakura posing with Arsenal, Kero on one side and Stephen on the other. Stephen's paws flew to his mouth to stifle a gasp. "Why…! It's the first Warp Card you ever purified! This is truly a wonderful photo-"

By the time he got halfway through his sentence, the image on the frame changed. It was now a picture from the Halloween party, showing Sakura and Syaoran posing in their costumes, with Stephen and Kero to the side. Stephen was transfixed, stepping forward and placing his paw against the frame as it switched to a photo of him and Kero eating cake at Tomoyo's house.

"D-did you enchant this frame? Or is this a new form of technology with which I am unfamiliar?"

"It's a digital frame," Sakura explained, tapping the top of it. "Tomoyo-chan and I already put batteries in it and loaded a memory card with photographs we picked from her collection. No matter what happens, you're our precious friend. I wanted to give you a gift that would help you remember that. And since you've been eager to decorate your dollhouse rooms lately, I thought this would be perfect."

Stephen was quiet for a moment, still staring in awe at the frame as it cycled through the image. "I-I don't know what to say. This is incredible. How many photos are there, Sakura-sama?"

"There are about two-hundred on the card now. But it can hold up to a thousand, so we have plenty of room to make new memories."

Tears pooled in Stephen's eyes, and he wiped them away with a sniffle. "I… I cannot even find the words to express what I am feeling. You've given me such an incredible gift, with an even more incredible story, and I… I…" He began to choke on his words as sobs formed in the back of his throat. "...I never dreamed that I could have a real family… that I could ever be this happy… I love you so dearly, Sakura-sama. Thank you. Thank you."

"Hey, hey, don't get all sappy on us!" Kero scolded, approaching with a slice of cake. "Here. Have a bite'a this and you should feel better."

"Wha-? Your cake? No, I couldn't. That is your gift."

"It's tempting ta eat it all myself, I'll admit that, but…" Kero sighed. "Gifts like this are meant to be shared. So why don'tcha take it before I change my mind?"

"...ah, thank you so much, Kerberos. To think that you would be sharing a gift like this with me after all these years… I am truly honored…"

"Wait a minute!" Sakura chimed in. "There's still one more present to give."

"Huh? Oh, yeah!" Kero perked up. "The cards!"

Sakura returned to the bag she'd been carrying and pulled out a wrapped present. Kero flew over to examine it, traces of icing and cake crumbs still around his mouth.

"A wrapped present? Normally ya just give 'em something they can watch or listen to."

"This year is special, though," Sakura replied. "Kero-chan, Stephen, will you unwrap the gift on behalf of the cards?"

A few cards had flown over to investigate, and seemed to watch intently as Kero and Stephen gathered around the gift where Sakura had set it on the rug. Kero motioned to Stephen, and Stephen tugged at the ribbon, pulling it free of the gift and setting it aside in a neat pile. Kero, meanwhile, began tearing at the paper to reveal the front of the present.

"What the-? This is-!"

The front of the book was nearly identical to Sakura's, with her name and magic circle inscribed on the front. Kero peeled the paper away and unclasped the lock on the side to open it up. The pages were cut out to reveal a space for cards, just like the Clow book had been. Puzzled, Kero looked back up at her.

"A new book? Was somethin' wrong with the old one?"

Sakura nodded, smiling as she watched the cards gather around, a few of them flitting back and forth in confusion. "The old one was too small."

Stephen leaned over, examining the thickness of the pages. "This one is thicker," he observed. "Is this... to accommodate the new cards?"

"Exactly!" Sakura chimed, hopping up and retrieving the former Warp Cards. They had stayed in their place at her desk, as though they weren't sure whether they should be included in the festivities. "My book was made for the original Clow Cards, so it was the right size for them. But I felt awful that the new Sakura Cards couldn't all fit. So I had Eriol-kun help me design a new one. He showed me how to inscribe my magical circle on the front, and Tomoyo-chan taught me how to apply gold leaf. O-Of course, it's not real gold, but I thought the metal leaf I found at the craft store gave it a feeling of sophistication, y'know-?"

The cards all began to file into the new book, the former Warp Cards waiting until all the other Sakura Cards had settled in. One card stayed out, however, and approached Sakura and the others.

"Look, guys. You don't have to be afraid. Windy wants you to go together."

The former Warp Cards joined Windy, and the eleven of them settled down into the book together. Once they had done so, Stephen leaned over to get a closer look.

"Sakura-sama, there is still so much room. Do you intend to fill this entirely?"

"There's a lot of Warp Cards, aren't there?" Sakura replied. "I want to be able to accommodate them all, even the ones that Noboru-sensei has. I don't want to believe that they're lost forever. This book is a gift for all the cards- the ones who are already my friends, and the ones who will be my friends someday."

"Oh… Sakura-sama… I'm going to start crying again…" Stephen put his paws over his mouth, and Kero patted him the back.

"Didn't I tell ya to eat some cake? C'mon Sakura, you too. Let's all dig in. It's Christmas, after all!"

Sakura giggled and lovingly closed the cover of her new book. She could feel the magical energy of the cards inside, all brimming with joy, and it renewed her resolve. She would fill the book, for the sake of all the cards.

"Merry Christmas, everyone."