Author's note:This story is a figment of my (er dark) imagination. Similarities to any situation is absolutely coincidental. Please Follow and Review! Thank you.

Disclaimer: I do not own CCS, Clamp does. I do not own the song Ever After, Bonnie Bailey does.

Chapter 17: The Cat and His Chick

August 31, 2015

Tokyo

Natsume's POV

'Beep'

The music playing over my car speakers stopped as I accepted the incoming call by pushing the button on the steering wheel.

"State your name." I commanded.

"Natsume? This is Li Mei Ling."

I relaxed and continued to drive in how Mikan would say, 'irresponsible devil's speed'. Like, how did she know some devils are responsible? He laughed silently in his head.

"What's up, anesan?" (A/N: How a gang member/henchman addresses the wife or mistress of the Oyabun, or gang boss

"Fuck off Hyuuga. I am no one's mistress. And we don't fucking belong to the same group." she hissed.

I made a sharp left turn and laughed at Mei Ling's anger. "Tut-tut, temper temper, anesan. What is this call about? You need something from me, don't you?

I can almost see hear her grinding her teeth at the other end of the line. Aw she's lucky I am a bit in a good mood when she called.

"Hyuuga, do you remember Li Xiao Lang?"

I frowned. "Of course I do. What kind of stupid question is that? Are you just wasting my time?"

"No, of course not. Have you met him or seen him recently?"

I pressed harder on the accelerator as I passed through a red light. Honks can be heard and I smirked at the police car who tried to follow me but then decided not to.

"Hyuuga, are you playing on the streets of Tokyo right now?" Mei Ling rolled her eyes. What a moron.

"Yes and that's why you are lucky to catch me in one of my better moods. And no, I haven't seen him yet since 2010 when we all hang out in the Li manor. Ah, I saw him on the news when he got into that accident." I made another sharp turn and sped up towards a twelve-storey black-stoned building. It looks like an average building unless you realize that it is the only building within the four-block vicinity. The vast lot surrounding the area was disguised as a lovely private garden with beautiful koi ponds that the Hyuuga family generously opens to the public every 4th Sunday of the month for the past eight years.

Yes, I did such a fantastic job with this place.

"Yes, that accident. I am pretty sure it caused Xiao Lang a mild case of selective amnesia and it made him forget a few things." she was speaking too carefully for my taste.

I pulled over right outside the La Guardia, signalling to the guard that I will enter the building in a few minutes.

"Elaborate on that, anesan." "Fuck you, neko."

"Alright, let's get serious. What do you mean, Mei Ling?

"He has no memory of knowing the Amamiyas besides official business matters. He doesn't remember you, your cousins, and even Sakura. He doesn't even know that we are tight with the Black Diamond." I hear annoyance in her voice.

"But Sakura was in a relationship with him three years ago. Although I didn't see him that time, Sak confided everything to us. Does that mean that he didn't even know who Sak was when they saw each other after seventeen years?"

"Nope, he didn't remember her."

"Well Sak said he looked familiar and being around him felt so familiar that she was even sure they probably met some time ago but none of us said anything. We just assumed that Xiao Lang had some good reason for not telling her who he was, I mean that was just right after the accident and Xiao Shi's kidnapping."

I leaned back on my seat and pinched my nose bridge. Damn I hope this conversation won't give me any headache. It is just three in the afternoon and my fucking job lasts until the wee hours of the morning.

I continued,

"And Koko met him on the same day Sak did but Syaoran did not show any sign of knowing him. We assumed it was some act for him to lay low from the public since they were at Koko's burger joint that time."

Mei Ling massaged her temples. "I don't know what to do Nattie. What do you think should we do?'

"Fuck off with the nickname, Mei Ling. If someone from your men hear that I'll kill him."

"Should I tell him now everything that he has forgotten?"

I paused for a while. I thought of my Sakura. "No. Let him figure it all out by himself. I will not tell Sakura any of these also. Let them work things out on their own."

I remembered all the sacrifices Sakura went through. All the tears she had shed after falling deeply in love with Syaoran and then being forced by the elders of our family to leave him abruptly in order to train for three years as the Kuro HIme. Tono-nii and Toru even made it sure that Syaoran will never find anything about her while she is undergoing her training. In five days, she will officially lead the Amamiya-gumi or most widely known as the Black Diamond.

After the first ceremony, she will be granted the freedom to to tell Syaoran the whole truth about her.

If he choose to know of the truth, he can stay for the second ceremony. If he turned out as a complete wuss unlike how I remember my good friend, Xiao Shi, was, then he must leave the premises immediately after the first ceremony. The Amamiyas and Lis shall remain friends, although Sakura and Syaoran shall not be allowed to meet each other again under any circumstances.

If he accepts her as she is and willingly join her as the second saiko-komon's (Senior Advisor/ Vice President) husband, then everything will be perfect for them.

Now, there is that third possibility wherein he attends the second ceremony but then refuse to be Sakura's husband. If that is the case then their families will have to cut any form of ties with each other, and that Includes the Amamiya Group of Companies with the Li Group of Companies, and the Black Diamonds with the Wolves.

'Such a fucking huge mess'.

"If Syaoran truly loves Sakura, then he will prove to her and to us how much he does so. He has to be the one to make the decisions and not any of us. Understand, Mei?"

Show me how much you love her, you punk.

"Wakarimasu (Understand), Natsume. Expect another call from me before we leave Hong kong for the party. Ja."

"Thanks for talking over this with me, Mei. See you this Saturday. Ja."

I drove inside the building and parked my blood red Ferrari F12 right beside a matte black Mustang Roush Eleanor.

I got out and went up directly to the penthouse where I found Sakura lying on a hammock by the balcony. She had her headphones on with her eyes closed.

I walked over to her and she suddenly opened her eyes and turned to me. She removed her headphones and I chuckled. "Well, well, well. I see that the training wasn't in vain after all."

She rolled her eyes at me but stood up to give me a hug. "What are you doing here, squirt?" I asked her before kissing the top of her head.

"I was bored at home."

"Where's Toru?"

"He took care of some business with Tono-nii."

"Ah, it must be regarding the security for Saturday. I had Toru set a meeting with all the kyodai (big brother) to remind them of their duties for the event. We have a lot of area to cover and there is no room for any error or it will cause severe damage to the family."

"Spoken like a true oyabun."

I flicked her forehead lightly and smirked when she yelped "Dummy. Only Oyaji is the oyabun of the Black Diamonds. We are just mere saiko-komon. You need to review your yakuza hierarchy, Saku." she stuck out her tongue at me.

I sat on the hammock and pulled her hand and made her sit beside me. I draped my left arm over her small shoulders and pulled her down with me as I lay on the hammock. She had her head on my shoulder and we remained silent for a few minutes as I gently swayed the hammock with my right leg. I peeked at her and saw she had her eyes closed and I sighed before asking her,

"Saku, what are you thinking about?"

I watch as she shut her eyes tightly just like how she used to do when she was trying not to cry in front of Mochu whenever he teases her when we were kids.

"Did Mochu say something to you?" I teased her. She let out a giggle and slowly opened her eyes.

I saw sadness and worry in those beautiful emerald eyes and my heart broke a little.

"Sakura, you know how much I love you, right? We grew up together and I have spent more time with you than Aoi since she preferred to stay with my parents in the States than here in Japan with me and Oyaji. You kept following me every single day, and annoying as you are, I love that you have depended on me all these years. I have always been by your side every time you needed someone. Do you think that I will let anything and anyone harm my little Sakura now?"

I pressed her tightly towards me and stared at the clear sky. The sun is slowly setting down and the reflection of the sunset on the glass door caught Sakura's attention and I can see that she is smiling a little.

'Good.'

After a few minutes, she snuggled closer to me and whispered, "Natsu-nii, do you think Syaoran will agree to be my husband? Why must he be tied to an immediate marriage with me if all I ever wanted is to tell him the truth about myself?"

"Because it is written in the codes, my little chicken."

She looked up at me and her emerald eyes sparkled a little after hearing my endearment to her since we were young. She kept following me wherever I go, even to wait for me right outside the bathroom door whenever I needed to use the loo. She always reminded me of a newborn chick who couldn't even leave its mother hen alone for a few minutes. That is the extent of her dependence on me since she and Touya have a huge 10-year age gap and he has been under training to take over the official Amamiya's business since he was twelve. He was always busy and rarely gets to play with the young Sakura except on some weekends when he's home. I am and has always been the second brother she has ever known since her toddler years.

And I never admitted it before, but I loved how she was towards me. I never felt lonely even if my parents and sister lived in another continent and only comes to Japan on special occasions like mine and Oyaji's birthdays, Christmas, and New Years.

Her eyes suddenly lost its sparkle and became a shade darker. 'Oh no, she's going to cry.'

"Can't we change it? What is the use of being powerful in the organization if I cannot use it to be happy?"

"Because if we do that then we will be abusing the power given to us, Saku. If it wasn't you and I who are leading the org, and another person who is not trustworthy in your eyes, would you want him to bend the rules for his own gain?"

She closed her eyes and tears fell on her pale cheeks. I sighed and wiped then gently with my fingers.

"I am sorry Natsu-nii, you must think that I am being selfish. I know it is difficult for you and Mikan too."

I felt a restriction in my chest as I thought of Mikan.

"Yes it is. Even if we have been together for five years, she doesn't even know of the Black Diamond. She knew that I lead a gang but other than that, she is not allowed to know anything more. And she knew she cannot ask about it or research about it or else we will be forced to break up. She is also at the peak of her career and I don't want her to be caught up in our underground dealings as of now."

"Why can't you just marry like right now?"

"Because I will be holding her back, Saku. She has gone through a lot for her career and now that she is getting more and better offers around the world, I cannot tie her down with me and force on her the responsibilities of an onna-oyabun. It was a good thing that she understands our situation and that makes me a bit contented of what we have right now."

"I am happy for you Natsu-nii. I really am." she shifted to her side and hugged me as she closed her eyes again.

"And I am certain that everything will work out perfectly fine for you, my little Sakura. Trust Nii-san on this, okay? Whatever Syaoran chooses to do on Saturday, Nii-san will make sure that his baby chick will be happy."

'You better make the right choice, you Li brat."

I planted a noisy kiss on her forehead which earned a giggle from her.

'Please let my baby chick have her happy ending. Please.'

After a few minutes, I felt her steady breathing and I closed my eyes too. I gave the hammock one last swing and lifted my right leg to lie perfectly beside her as we slowly drifted to sleep.