Hello! Sorry for the wait, I hope you enjoy!
Sakura had been feeling on and off all day. One moment she felt quite content, then the next it felt like the world was crashing down around her. She had assumed it was just because she was scared and nervous about what would happen with Sid. She hugged the cushion to her chest and stared into the flickering flames. She felt a bit nauseated as she waited anxiously, her thoughts running amok. The more her thoughts went crazy, the more Sakura tried to stop them, but she only succeeded in making the situation worse.
She hated it. She felt so helpless and out of control, like her own mind was attacking her. All she wanted was for it to stop.
To stop.
That's right-she'd nearly forgotten. She remembered when she was little and had been in similar situations-her mother had told her that when she felt like everything in her mind was just too much, that she should try and focus on her breathing instead. Just breathe in, and then out.
She repeated the process several times, just focusing on her breathing. She relaxed her shoulders and watched the flames quietly. The sound of footsteps grabbed her attention and she looked up. Syaoran walked in carrying a bouquet of cherry blossoms, and she looked at him quizzically as he sat down.
"For you." He said, handing her the flowers.
She blushed. "Thank you..."
"You look a little pale. Are you feeling alright?" he asked with concern.
Sakura smiled. "I've just been feeling anxious about everything to do with Sid... I'll be fine."
He watched her with a vague expression for what felt like a long moment. "If you're still not feeling well tomorrow, I want you to rest."
"Okay, okay."
"Hey, I'm serious."
Sakura giggled, "I know. I promise I will if I'm still feeling bad." She said, "I'll go get a vase for these."
She stood and walked out of the room, making her way down to the kitchen to find a vase. She remembered they were in one of the bottom cupboards, so it didn't take very long to find one. She hummed a soft tune to herself as she put some water in the glass vase, and then arranged the flowers. She picked up the vase full of flowers and with a smile, carried it back to the lounge room. She decided she should just ask about the subject that had been bothering her all day.
"So... What's happening with Sid?" she asked quietly.
"He won't be bothering you again, I can assure you." Syaoran answered as she placed the vase on the table.
She looked at him curiously. "What did you do?"
"I warned him that if he ever tried to go near you again, I would make sure his fortune, status and job would be stripped from him." Syaoran shrugged.
Sakura stared at him with wide eyes.
"He messed with the wrong family."
His casual sentence made Sakura giggle, "Thank you Syaoran."
Syaoran smiled softly. "Anything for you."
...
Tomoyo was not satisfied with Sid's punishment in the least. In fact, she was fuming.
"I can't believe this!" she growled, "You're attacked in your own home, and he gets a slap on the wrist!?"
"Tomoyo, please try to calm-"
Tomoyo whirled on her husband. "How can I be calm!? The laws don't protect us women-they protect men! And don't tell me otherwise, Eriol." She said dangerously.
Sakura smiled awkwardly, "Tomoyo, Syaoran's made sure he won't come near me again, so please..."
Tomoyo looked at her sisters pleading face and sighed softly as she sat back down in her seat.
"Well...I guess we just hope for the best." She said.
"I'm sure Syaoran wanted to snap his neck." Eriol murmured.
Sakura laughed. "Well, he did mention some, err, colourful ideas along those lines."
"How is he, anyway?" Eriol asked.
"He's doing fine-he said something about a new patient coming into the adolescent ward to start trials for a new drug." Sakura answered.
"Oh, I didn't realise they were starting the trial again so soon." Eriol said with surprise. "That's great. Hopefully it works."
Sakura nodded, though tiredly as all her energy seemed to suddenly drain from her body.
"Sakura? Are you feeling okay? You look a bit pale." Tomoyo murmured.
"Sorry, I've been feeling a bit off. I think it's just stress, but I think I should head home and rest." Sakura replied with a small smile.
"Good idea." Tomoyo returned her smile and stood to lead her to the door.
Tomoyo was worried about her sister. Sakura had suffered a lot at the hands of Akio Nakamura-she had been tortured and drugged, and it was a miracle she seemed to still be able to smile. But Tomoyo knew-she knew that Sakura was struggling. Sakura might be good at hiding how she felt, but Tomoyo could see right through it. All she could do was let Sakura know that she was there if she needed someone. And as frustrating as it was, Tomoyo had to accept that fact.
…
Upon reaching home, Sakura opted to go and lie on the couch. She didn't have the energy for sewing or even reading. She hoped that maybe a little nap would help, so as she lay down, she closed her eyes.
A gentle touch against her cheek woke her some time later, and as she came to, she realised a soft blanket had been placed over her.
"Syaoran?" she mumbled.
"Hey there." He replied.
She lifted her head and looked around the room. It was nearly dark outside, meaning she'd fallen asleep for a good few hours.
"How long have you been home for?" she mumbled.
"About an hour and a half. How long have you been asleep?"
"Oh...a few hours? I was exhausted when I got home from seeing Tomoyo, so I thought I'd just have a little nap..."
"How are you feeling now?" he then asked.
"A lot better, actually." She confessed.
He smiled. "That's good."
Sakura sat up and her stomach growled, telling her she needed dinner soon. Syaoran, having heard, laughed.
"Come on, dinner should be ready." He said.
Sakura felt so embarrassed. "O-okay..."
They both walked down to the dining hall, where Ami was setting the table. She bowed to them before walking back into the kitchen, leaving the couple to take their seats. As she sat down, Sakura couldn't help but notice that her dress was a little tight. She wondered if it was the way she was sitting, perhaps, or maybe she'd been tied into the dress a little too much. She shook her head, deciding it was just her imagination.
Ami brought out their meals of braised chicken and seasoned vegetables. The scent of the delicious food wafted over to Sakura, and she suddenly lost her appetite.
'What the?' she thought to herself.
Once her meal was placed in front of her, Sakura swallowed the nauseous feeling and forced herself to eat.
Oddly enough, she felt better after dinner. Shrugging it off, Sakura seated herself beside Syaoran and rested her head against his shoulder.
"Sakura, how many children do you want?" Syaoran asked casually.
Sakura looked up at him with confusion. Why was he suddenly asking her that? It seemed so out of the blue.
"Honestly, I don't know... Depending on how things go, maybe two or three? I'd be happy with just one, of course..."
"What do you mean when you say depending on how things go?" he asked curiously.
She fidgeted awkwardly. "Well...what if our first child is a girl? You need an heir..."
Syaoran cringed at her wording. He couldn't help but feel a little guilty about how he had acted at the start of their marriage.
"I'd rather you be comfortable with the idea of being pregnant, before thinking about that." He murmured.
She smiled. "You asked."
"I did, you're right."
"What has you thinking about this?" she asked curiously.
"Nothing really, I was just curious since you brought it up the other day." Syaoran smiled.
"Well...what about you?" she asked.
He smiled. "I've never really thought about it. Maybe two or three... I was a single child, so I didn't have any siblings. It could get lonely at times."
"Then maybe we should try for two?" she suggested.
"Let's see how things go, for now." Syaoran smiled softly. "I don't want to put you through too much pain."
Sakura giggled. "You know, once upon a time, I don't think you'd have cared."
Syaoran cringed. "Please don't remind me."
She smiled. "We've both come a long way, haven't we?"
Her words caught him by surprise. "Yes, I suppose we have." He murmured.
She sighed. "I wish that back then, I had been a bit more open with you. That I had...I don't know...just been honest. With you, and myself."
Syaoran gave her body a small squeeze. "It's best not to dwell on the past. We both made mistakes."
Sakura nodded. His words were true, and there was nothing they could do about the past. But, she could look to the future and learn from her mistakes.
...
Syaoran glanced up as Sakura walked into the dining hall looking rather exhausted. Their week had been long and tiring, especially for Syaoran with his new patients and the new trials for the drug he'd been helping to produce. But Sakura had been going about her days the same as every other day.
She sat down and Syaoran frowned a little, concerned about her. As far as he knew, she wasn't doing anything that should make her feel so exhausted-she wasn't staying up extra hours at night and she was sleeping fine as well. He was worried everything was catching up to her-her abduction and what happened with Sid. He had been keeping a close eye on her for a while, but she was adamant that she was fine.
"Sakura, are you alright?" he asked.
She nodded and smiled tiredly. "I'm just tired. I've been feeling a little drained every now and again, but it goes away." She explained, "I'm just having one of those moments."
When Syaoran looked at her sceptically, she rolled her eyes playfully. "Syaoran, I'm fine! I'll let you know if I feel any worse, okay?"
"Promise?"
"Yes."
He relaxed a little and turned his attention to the meal that had just been placed in front of him. Sakura did the same and an immediate wave of nausea hit her. She forced it down and picked up her fork to begin eating.
After dinner, Sakura made her way towards the lounge to relax for the evening. Her nausea had disappeared, which was a relief, and she was feeling a lot better now. She hummed a cheerful tune to herself and sat down on the couch.
A pair of warm arms enveloped her a few moments later and she smiled as Syaoran pulled her back against him.
"That tickles." She laughed as she felt his breath against her neck.
"Sorry." He smiled.
She relaxed against him and he gave her body a gentle squeeze.
"You seem to be feeling better now." Syaoran said, "that's good."
She rolled her eyes. "You worry far too much."
He chuckled. "I can't help it. You're the most precious person to me."
Sakura felt a happy smile tug at her lips. "I love you too."
"By the way...I think I'm gaining weight. My dresses are a little too tight around my waist." She confessed.
"You shouldn't be. We eat the same meals and you have a pretty balanced diet." Syaoran murmured. "Unless, of course, you've been eating cake from the bakery while I'm at work." He added playfully.
Sakura pouted. "I don't eat that much cake when we go to the bakery together."
"I'm teasing you." He chuckled.
Sakura laughed.
"But in all seriousness, I haven't noticed anything."
"I guess I could be imagining things." Sakura sighed. "
"Hmm... maybe. See how you go." Syaoran murmured softly, starting to suspect something more.
She fell silent and closed her eyes. Syaoran smiled and threaded his fingers through hers. "What do you have planned for tomorrow, love?"
"Not much." She replied. "Aren't you going to work?"
"Yes. There are some things I need to do, but I'll be home for dinner." He said, "Try not to get up to too much mischief while I'm gone."
She giggled. "I'm thinking of going to see Tomoyo. She's been a bit stressed with caring for her two boys," she said, "So I thought I'd go and help her out."
"That's so like you." Syaoran smiled.
They sat in a comfortable silence for what felt like a long time, until Syaoran sighed softly.
"We should head to bed." He said.
"Sounds good. I am tired." Sakura agreed.
They both stood and headed for their bedroom, where Sakura tiredly changed into her sleep wear before slipping into bed. Syaoran joined her, pulling her close as they relaxed.
Sakura woke to find that Syaoran had already left for work and guessed that he had decided to leave her to sleep for longer, probably because he was worried. She smiled and shook her head with exasperation before she sat up and stretched. It was another hot day, so she opted for wearing something lighter and pulled on a white summer dress and brown heels.
Once she had eaten breakfast, Sakura made her way to see Tomoyo, who was sitting with her twins in the shade beneath a large tree in her back yard.
Sakura smiled as she joined her sister, "How are you feeling?"
Tomoyo returned her sisters smile. "Honestly, I'm so exhausted. Both Eriol and I haven't been able to sleep thanks to these little munchkins."
Sakura laughed, "I came here to help you out, so set me to work."
Tomoyo raised her brow, "Isn't it Syaoran's birthday today? I thought you'd be home preparing something."
Sakura blushed a little. "I've been talking with Ami. She's going to help me make dinner tonight. I wanted to surprise him with something special." She confessed, "I'm still really clumsy in the kitchen. I totally trashed it the other day trying to make a fruit pie."
Tomoyo giggled, "I'm sure Syaoran will be very happy."
"I hope so." Sakura sighed softly.
Tomoyo stood, "It's time for their nap," she said, "I'll make you something nice and cool to drink. Let's go."
Sakura followed her sister into the manor and watched as she tucked the little boys in for their nap. Then, they headed to the kitchen where Sakura took a seat at the bench and rested her chin in one hand.
"How has Syaoran been lately?" Tomoyo asked as she poured them glasses of Iced tea.
"He's the same as always-worrying about me." Sakura replied with a roll of her eyes.
"Oh? Why is he worried? Is it that he's still concerned for your wellbeing after being abducted and that mess with Sid?" Tomoyo asked with concern.
Sakura shook her head. "No, I just haven't been feeling very well lately. Sometimes I feel sick during the day or just fatigued. I personally think it's just the heat. I don't know what he thinks it is."
Tomoyo frowned. "You don't usually react to the heat like this though. I think Syaoran should be worried."
"Oh, not you too!" Sakura groaned.
"So, tell me more. How's your appetite?" Tomoyo asked.
Sakura sighed heavily. "I'm fine."
Tomoyo gave her a stern look and Sakura relented.
"I'm still eating. Though lately the smell of chicken makes me feel really nauseous."
As if on cue, Sakura's stomach cramped, and she held her hand to her mouth.
"Sakura?"
Sakura stood and hurried over to the sink, vomiting. Tomoyo rushed over to her, rubbing her back gently.
Sakura took in a few deep breaths as she waited for her stomach to settle. 'Just my luck' she thought, 'now I have this bug to deal with too?'
"Sakura, when was the last time you had your period?" Tomoyo asked as she poured her a glass of cold water.
Sakura thought to herself. "Two or three months?"
"Are you sure you're not pregnant?" Tomoyo asked.
The question hit Sakura full force. She staggered, "I... I'm not sure, maybe..." she said as she slid to the floor in shock.
"Sakura!" Tomoyo knelt beside her with a look of worry. "Maybe we should call a doctor..."
Sakura nodded numbly.
Pregnant.
She had known it would happen, but... it was so unexpected.
She wasn't sure what to feel.
'Pregnant,' she thought, 'I'm pregnant.'
...
Syaoran got home just in time for dinner that evening. He was pleasantly surprised when he walked into the dining hall to find that Sakura had made him something special for dinner, along with dessert too. But he sensed something was off with Sakura. She seemed to be overly energetic, and her behaviour was a little odd as well.
"Sakura?"
She smiled brightly, "What is it? Is there something wrong with the cake?"
"No, the cake's fine. Why don't you tell me what's on your mind instead?" he suggested.
Sakura froze. "What do you mean? Nothing is on my mind."
"You and I both know you're a terrible liar." He smiled.
She sighed heavily. "Was I that obvious?"
"Just a bit, love."
She fidgeted anxiously. "I vomited at Tomoyo's today, so she called a doctor to check on me."
Syaoran looked at Sakura softly, waiting patiently for her to continue.
"I...I um..." she took in a shaky breath and released it. "I'm pregnant."
Silence filled the room and she looked up to gauge his expression. He was watching her gently, thinking, so she fidgeted.
Finally, he spoke. "Are you scared?"
She nodded.
He smiled. "I think that's normal. But... Are you happy?"
That was the important question for him to know the answer to.
"Of course, I am! I-It's just so sudden, and I'm scared, and-"
She stopped when his arms wrapped gently around her.
"We'll get through this together. I promise." He spoke softly. "You won't be alone."
Suddenly, all the tension in her body melted away. "Thank you," she whispered, and then she smiled. "Happy Birthday."
Syaoran watched Sakura softly from where he sat on the couch. He'd had a sneaking suspicion for a while that she might be pregnant, but he hadn't said anything in case he was wrong. So, he wasn't surprised when she told him that she was pregnant.
Instead, the first thing his mind went to was Sakura's wellbeing and how she felt about the situation. Judging from her behaviour, she was still letting the news sink in, which also didn't come as a surprise to him.
From what she had told him, it had been three months since she'd last bled. He knew that she had assumed she'd missed those few months because of stress, which was perfectly reasonable. After all, she had been through so much.
He had to admit, though, that he was having his own worries about being a parent. He was scared he wouldn't be the father their children deserved, and he had no idea what to expect. He had six months to prepare himself for the change in their lives, and he didn't know if that would be enough time.
Watching Sakura, he knew she was definitely having the same worries in regard to being a mother. In a way, it was strangely comforting.
He snapped out of his thoughts as Sakura sat down on his lap. He wrapped his arms around her slender waist and smiled as he kissed her.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked curiously.
"About the news you just gave me." He confessed. "And you."
"It's going to be...different, I guess." Sakura giggled, "I'm still struggling to process it, to be honest."
"Me as well." Syaoran said. "Let's just focus on getting comfortable with the idea of being parents, okay?"
Sakura nodded. "Okay, that sounds good to me."
Syaoran tucked some hair behind her ear and smiled. "It's getting late."
"Should we head to bed?" she asked.
"Probably." He laughed softly.
Sakura stood, and he followed, the both of them heading to their room.
It's the start of the final part of the story! Excited? Sad? Kinda terrified? WONDERFUL.
Review?