Hi everyone! I'm so, so sorry for the super delayed chapter. As my regular readers may know, I story hop. A lot. I've been drilling into Captive Bride and Prophecy. Anyway, this story is nearly done! Hopefully I'll have 27 out shortly. FINGERS CROSSED!

Sakura groaned in her seat, leaning back against the soft couch. Tomoyo giggled. As she was getting closer to her due date, Syaoran had been more protective of her and kept a close watch over her. While she understood that he meant well, Sakura also couldn't help but feel a little suffocated. Which was why she was sitting in her sister's home while Eriol kept Syaoran occupied with something else.

"I'm due any day now, Tomoyo. He refuses to let me out of his sight." Sakura complained.

Tomoyo smiled sympathetically. "He knows better than anyone else the possible outcomes of childbirth, and he's even more stressed about it due to the torture you were put through back then."

Sakura lowered her eyes. They still hadn't been able to find anything out regarding the possible effects of the drugs she'd been administered all those months ago against her will.

"I know. He's been working tirelessly to make sure I have the best facilities available for when I finally do give birth." She said. "But even so..."

Tomoyo smiled sympathetically and stood, "I'll go get you a nice warm drink."

"Thank you." Sakura smiled appreciatively.

Meanwhile, Syaoran sat with Eriol playing a game of cards to keep themselves occupied. Syaoran was staring at his cards, not quite registering that it was his turn as his mind was occupied. Eriol noticed and smiled.

"I'm surprised you haven't jumped out of your seat to go check on Sakura." Eriol laughed.

Syaoran sighed softly. "It's best if I leave her alone. I've been overbearing lately... At least with Tomoyo, I know she'll be okay."

"You've still not found anything yet, huh?" Eriol murmured.

Syaoran shook his head. "No."

"Has she had any problems?" Eriol asked.

"Nothing that could be seen as out of the ordinary for a pregnant woman." Syaoran answered, "Which of course is a relief, but I'm still worried."

"I was worried sick about Tomoyo when she had the twins. It's normal to be worried about her." Eriol replied, "I'd be more concerned if you weren't worried."

"Sakura's scared...I wonder if I've just made it worse for her?" Syaoran murmured, still not really paying attention to the card game.

"Why don't you just talk to her?" Eriol suggested, "I'm sure she knows it's just because you care about her."

"I suppose." Syaoran shrugged, "It's at times like this that I wish my father was still alive."

"You think he might have known something that could help?"

"I don't know. Maybe. He always knew how to deal with these sorts of situations."

"It's true that we never saw him lose his calm facade." Eriol said, "But who knows what was going through his head."

Syaoran just grunted. There had never been a time in which he felt he needed his father more than now.

...

They headed home only when Sakura was starting to get exhausted. Syaoran was careful not to be too much of a bother to Sakura, worried it would only upset her more. So, it was a bit of a surprise when she came to find him in his study after dinner.

"Is everything okay?" Syaoran asked with gentle concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine... but what about you? You haven't been smothering me today." She smiled.

He grimaced. "You needed space. I'm sorry."

She shrugged. "You're just looking after me. I forgive you."

Syaoran smiled. "How is Tomoyo? Eriol was saying she was having a rough time with the twins."

"She's just exhausted. The twins bounce off each other, so it's just one thing after another, with no break." Sakura answered.

"Poor Tomoyo."

"Yeah." She sighed, "What are you doing in here, anyway?"

"Cleaning up my files." He replied, "They've gotten rather messy recently."

"I guess you've been so busy with me and work you haven't had time to sort out everything." Sakura murmured. She winced but Syaoran didn't notice.

"That's true."

"I think I might head to bed. It's been a long day." Sakura sighed.

"Alright, if you need anything..."

"I know. I'll come and find you, or scream." She laughed as she left the room and headed down to the bedroom. She did her best to change and then slipped into bed, falling asleep quickly.

...

Syaoran slid the last file into the filing cabinet, knocking a few things on the floor in the process. With a heavy sigh he knelt to gather the documents, frowning when something caught his eye. He had forgotten that he'd pulled out some of his father's old documents in hopes he'd find something useful about something relating to Sakura's situation. He had thought that he'd read them all, but apparently this one went unnoticed. Syaoran snorted in amusement. What was the cliché again? The one file needed was covered until the protagonist somehow uncovered it?

He flipped it open, curious, and then frowned. It was information on a medical study by a medical institution overseas about various drugs made with the use of magic. He remembered looking at it briefly a few weeks just before he'd gotten engaged to Sakura; he hadn't been interested back then, but now...

He quickly closed the filing cabinet and then looked at the clock, finding it was past one in the morning. Quickly, he scribbled a reminder to read it in the morning and then stretched. He switched off the light and closed the door behind him.

He walked down to the bedroom and quietly opened the door, finding Sakura was sound asleep, so he quietly moved around the room trying his best not to wake her as he got ready for bed. He slid in beside her and turned off the lamp, allowing sleep to engulf him.

...

As soon as he got into work, Syaoran checked in on all of his patients, going through his usual routine for the morning. He wasn't sure what time it was when he finally sat down and opened the file containing the study he wanted to read. As he turned the page, he started reading, so absorbed in the content of the page that he didn't hear a knock at the door.

"Doctor?"

His head shot up to see one of the nurses looking a bit frazzled.

"What's wrong?" he snapped, surprised at the harshness of his own voice.

The nurse got over her shock quickly. "A young girl needs urgent surgery-she's of a noble family and her parents demand that it is you who performs it."

He stood quickly and hurried out the door with the nurse at his side. "Fill me in on everything." He ordered.

"She impaled herself on an iron pole-it's gone through her stomach and we're doing all we can to keep her alive." The nurse explained.

"Shit."

They hurried into the operating room where nurses were running about setting up the equipment needed while a little girl was already sedated on the operating table. He sighed heavily. This was going to be a very difficult procedure.

Hours later he walked out to meet two concerned adults who he assumed were the girls' parents. He gave them a kind smile as they approached him eagerly.

"Your daughter will be fine, but it will take quite a long time to heal. We'll have to keep her in hospital for a while." He explained.

"For how long?" the father demanded.

"I'm not sure. At the moment it could be a few months." Syaoran answered.

"Is there no way to move her treatment home?"

"I'm sorry, but it is best for her safety to stay here in case of an emergency. We never know if there could be a relapse." He said. "We'll be keeping her in ICU for a while. You're welcome to stay for as long as you like."

"Thank you..." the mother sobbed.

Syaoran smiled kindly before pardoning himself, his thoughts flicking to Sakura. He hoped she was doing okay and part of him had the urge to ring her, but he squashed the thought. He couldn't keep smothering her. What he could do, though, was look into the study he was reading earlier. Hungry, he headed to his office to grab the file before heading out to the nearby cafe for lunch. He ordered a hot cup of coffee and a slice of beef pie for his lunch and sat down at a table by the window. He picked up reading from where he had left it, quickly becoming immersed in the study. He took notes as he read and ate, making a mental note to ring the doctor who ran the study. Perhaps, just maybe, there was hope after all.

"...ey"

Syaoran frowned. What?

"I said hey."

Syaoran looked up to meet the familiar face of Yamazaki. "Sorry, I didn't realise you were there." He apologised.

"Obviously." Yamazaki laughed. "What's that?" he nodded to the document Syaoran had been immersed in.

"Ah-it's a study from overseas. I forgot I had it until I uncovered it in my office at home." Syaoran explained. "It's to do with various effects drugs created by magic can have on the body. I'm hoping that it might give me some answers about Sakura."

Yamazaki smiled. "You'll stop at nothing to make sure she's safe and unharmed, huh?"

He nodded, "There has to be something I can do for her."

"Let me know if you find anything." Yamazaki added before he turned to leave.

Syaoran returned to reading the study in front of him, hoping he could find answers.

...

Sitting in the lounge room with Tomoyo, Sakura played with the twins who giggled with delight each time she tickled their feet and toes. Tomoyo had dropped by earlier for a visit, but mostly to keep Sakura occupied. She was worried about her sister, but she tried not to let it show.

"Oh, you boys are so cute!" Sakura squealed.

Tomoyo laughed. Sakura suddenly scrunched up her nose, "Oh dear, you boys need to be changed."

"I'll take care of that then." Tomoyo grinned and picked up the twins, carrying them out of the room to go change the boys in the bathroom.

Sakura sighed tiredly. Syaoran had left for work by the time she had woken up that morning. She was worried about whether he had gotten any sleep at all, as she couldn't recall him coming to bed at any point. But more than that, she was worried about his well-being. Lately he had been a bit overbearing, but she knew it was because he was worried about her and their unborn child. It was a little unsettling to see. Usually he was calm and clear headed, but this time...it didn't seem to be the case.

Tomoyo saw that her sisters mind was elsewhere and smiled sympathetically. She could easily tell what was bothering her. After all, for years Sakura had always had insecurities and fears about being a mother and being pregnant. Part of it was because of Dimitri and how he had treated Sakura-he had told her that she wasn't any good as a wife, after all, and therefore no good at being a mother.

It was perfectly normal to fear health complications and feel insecure about being a mother, but for Sakura it was much, much more difficult. Tomoyo wished she could erase Sakura's past with Dimitri. Maybe then, Sakura would be feeling more confident with herself.

"Sakura?"

Sakura snapped out of her reverie and looked over with a smile. "Where are the twins?"

"They're having a nap." Tomoyo answered as she sat down, "It's okay to feel scared, you know. I often did-and still do."

Sakura looked at her with confusion and Tomoyo smiled.

"Becoming a mother is life changing."

Sakura sighed gently and cradled her stomach. "I'm worried... not about being a mother, but because Syaoran seems scared."

"Ah, now I see." Tomoyo murmured.

"I don't want to see him like that."

"I felt the same way about Eriol." Tomoyo confessed.

Sakura blinked with surprise. "He was scared?"

"Of course, he was," Tomoyo laughed. "Especially during the birth."

Sakura lowered her eyes and smiled a little. "I guess it is understandable. After all, you were tortured."

"As were you." Tomoyo added.

Sakura took in a deep breath and released it. "It's still difficult though. Syaoran's scared which makes me scared. He doesn't know what to do to help me..."

Tomoyo looked at her with sympathy. "I'm sorry."

Suddenly, Sakura stood. "Enough of this depressing talk. Let's make brownies."

Tomoyo laughed. "Good idea."

...

Syaoran came home to the smell of something cooking. It smelt sweet, and curious, he headed to the kitchen to find Sakura sitting with Tomoyo and Ami, eating freshly baked brownies with ice cream.

"Well, you've been busy." He smiled.

"Welcome home, my lord." Ami greeted politely.

"Want some?" Sakura asked as she shoved another bite in her mouth.

He raised his brow at Sakura who continued eating, waiting for his answer.

"That would be lovely, thank you. I'll be down in a minute, I need to make a phone call."

"Okay." Sakura answered as he turned to leave.

He headed for the stairs and to his office where he quickly removed the file he wanted from his bag and sat down, picking up the phone. He searched for the phone number he was looking for, dialled it, and waited as it rang in his ear. A soft, gentle voice sounded on the other line after the third ring.

"This is the Shinomoto residence. How may I help you?" the woman spoke.

Syaoran frowned. Maybe he had the wrong number.

"I'm sorry to bother you, my lady, this is Doctor Syaoran Li speaking. May I speak to Yuna D. Kaito?"

A small gasp of surprise sounded from the other end of the line, "Yes, of course, wait one moment please."

Syaoran waited, twisting the cord around his finger as he stared at his desk. The sound of faint laughter echoed down the hall. At least Sakura was in a good mood.

"Hello, this is Doctor Kaito speaking." A voice sounded from the other end, gaining Syaoran's attention.

"I'm sorry for calling so unexpectedly." Syaoran apologised.

"It's quite alright, Doctor Li. How can I assist you?"

"It's regarding one of the studies you conducted about magic based drugs and their effects on the body." Syaoran explained.

"Oh?"

"Are you able to spare some time to talk about it?" he asked.

"Of course. What would you like to know?" Doctor Kaito replied.

"I'll just cut to the chase. What sorts of issues or side effects could occur during a pregnancy if the mother has been administered unknown magic-based drugs?" Syaoran asked. He didn't want to dilly dally on the small details.

There was a brief moment of silence on the other end. Syaoran wondered if the doctor was taken by complete surprise or if he was thinking. Probably both.

"Would you mind giving me a bit of context?" Kaito asked.

"A woman was abducted some weeks prior to learning she was pregnant. The man who abducted her chose her specifically because of the magic she possessed and performed numerous experiments on her in a vain attempt to find a way to transfer magic power from one being to another." Syaoran explained.

"Is this person close to you?" Kaito asked curiously.

Syaoran pauses for a moment, trying to decide whether or not to tell him. He sighed in defeat.

"It's my wife."

"How far along is she now?"

"Eight months, nearly nine." Syaoran answered as he ran his fingers through his hair.

Kaito hummed in thought. "Unfortunately, I can't give you any solid answers. You said they were experimenting?"

"Yes. The culprit managed to... loosen the seal on her magic, and I had to rebuild it to keep her alive." Syaoran explained.

"Loosening a seal on someone's magic has lasting effects. Often, their body becomes frail." Kaito spoke.

Syaoran froze. "Does that mean there's a possibility that she could die in childbirth?"

"Yes. I would have thought you'd already know that though-your area of specialty is on illnesses caused by magic." Kaito said.

"I just wanted a second opinion." And he was hoping that he was wrong.

"I understand." Kaito replied. "Forgive me for asking, but is the person responsible for abducting your wife named Akio Nakamura?"

Syaoran frowned. "Yes."

Kaito sighed heavily. "I see."

"Do you know him?"

"After my research went public, he felt the need to surpass me by delving further into the area that has been forbidden, and to find a way to transfer magic from one person to another." Kaito spoke, "It's possible, but not without one person dying."

"That's why it was labelled as forbidden." Syaoran murmured.

"Yes."

"Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. I appreciate it."

"I'm glad I could help." Kaito answered politely, "Please call again if you have any further questions."

"I will. Thank you."

He ended the call and leant back in his chair. Her body was frailer, and it was possible she would die giving birth. Whatever hope they had seemed to have slipped away from them in the night.

"Syaoran?"

He looked up at the sound of Sakura's gentle voice. She was standing by the door looking concerned. He smiled softly.

"What's up?"

"Is everything ok?" she asked as she walked in.

"Sorry, works been a bit rough." He answered, "Where's Tomoyo?"

"She went home." Sakura said. "Syaoran, seriously. You look dreadful. What's wrong?"

He stood and walked around his desk to her and pulled her into a tight hug. "I love you."

She blushed prettily. "I love you too."

"I'm sorry I haven't been able to find solid answers." He whispered.

She squeezed his body gently. "Is that why you were on the phone?" she asked softly.

"It was."

Sakura sighed gently. "It is what it is. Let's just relax and eat chocolate brownies, okay?"

He frowned with disproval. "Don't eat too many."

She laughed, "yes, Doctor."

Syaoran rolled his eyes playfully as he followed her out of the room, putting the information about Sakura's condition to the back of his mind.

...

Sakura woke in the darkness. Something felt wrong, but through her haze of tiredness she couldn't pin point what. It wasn't until she felt sudden, agonising pain that she realised why she had woken. She grit her teeth against the pain until it passed, a small whimper escaping her lips.

As she sat up, she noticed the area around her was damp. Fear coursed through her and she froze. Syaoran shifted beside her and turned the lamp on as she moved the blankets back, only to be startled by the amount of blood on the sheets.

Sakura started to panic. Immediately, Syaoran hopped up from the bed and got dressed in a rush before he hurried to Sakura's side.

"Sakura, love, look at me." He said as he took her shaking hands in his. "Deep breaths, now."

She focused on breathing, taking deep steady breaths. Panicking would not help her situation or the baby. While she focussed on calming herself down, Syaoran called the hospital urgently to let them know he was on his way with an urgent situation.

"Sakura, we're going to get you to the hospital. Can you walk?" he asked gently.

She shook her head as a sob escaped her lips.

"Ok, I'm going to pick you up." He murmured.

She nodded and allowed him to lift her from the bed. He wasted no time in getting out of the house and to the hospital, conscious of how much pain she was in. And It was as if his brain had gone completely out the window. What could he do to help her?

He carried her inside the hospital and a group of nurses waiting nearby led him to a vacant room. He guessed that Yamazaki had called ahead to make sure the staff knew he was coming. He got Sakura comfortable on the bed and then looked around the room, wondering what he could do. He frowned at himself. He was a doctor, for crying out loud! He should know!

"Syaoran what's happening?" Sakura sobbed. "There's so much blood..."

He walked over to her. Seeing her fearful expression, he was reminded just how terrified she was.

He took her hand again, "It's going to be okay," he said, "Yamazaki and Chiharu are on their way. You're going to be fine." He just wished he could believe his own words. The timing felt rather cruel. Really.

Sakura felt another contraction, making her cry out in anguish. Syaoran winced. She needed to be comfortable, so he thought about what he could do for her that would help. He found her some more pillows to put behind her back and retrieved a damp cloth to wipe the sweat from her face. It felt like hours before Yamazaki and his medical team arrived. Syaoran led them to the room where Sakura was screaming from pain.

Chiharu was quick to start getting everything together-she rushed about, organising hot water and blankets. Meanwhile, Syaoran's mind was in absolute chaos. He was too busy focussing on Sakura, who was squeezing his hand so tight he was sure she might break something, if she hadn't already.

"Something's wrong-" Yamazaki's words immediately grabbed Syaoran's attention.

"She needs a blood transfusion-hurry and set that up!" Yamazaki barked.

"What's wrong with her?" Syaoran demanded.

"Check her heart rate and blood pressure!"

"Yamazaki, tell me-what's wrong with Sakura?!"

Yamazaki looked up at him briefly. "It's a possible haemorrhage."

Syaoran felt everything go numb.

Oh god.

God, no.

He looked to Sakura who had passed out from the pain. Would he lose her for good? Would she really leave him forever?

Sakura came to several moments later, howling in pain. Syaoran held her hand tightly, whispering soothing words to her. She sobbed, scared out of her mind.

"Syaoran, am I going to die?" she asked, tears sliding down her cheeks.

"No, no you won't." He said firmly, needing to believe in his own words. She couldn't answer before another wave of darkness swept her away.

Syaoran felt numb. He didn't register Yamazaki's words or the voices of anyone around him until he was pulled away from Sakura's side and out of the room to let the doctors do their job.

Please don't kill me yet. LOL. Review?

P.S. I never believed i'd be putting the word 'doctor' in front of 'Kaito' until I wrote it yesterday. LMAO