The sun had not long risen when Syaoran heard the cries of a newborn. Yamazaki walked out of the room to find Syaoran sitting on the floor with his head buried in his arms. He looked like a mess, but Yamazaki could hardly blame him. He had been sitting there for hours, waiting to hear news on Sakura and her well-being. Was she dead? Or was it that she only had mere hours to live? He soon found out the answer.
"Syaoran? Sakura's still unconscious, but she's going to live." Yamazaki smiled.
Syaoran looked up quickly. "She's okay?"
"She will be, yes." Yamazaki said, "However, there are some things you need to know."
Syaoran stood, "What is it...?" he asked, almost afraid of the answer.
Yamazaki was quiet for a moment. He seemed to be trying to figure out the best way to tell him, but that only caused Syaoran more panic.
"Is the baby okay?" Syaoran immediately asked.
"What? Oh! Yes, yes, your son is fine. It's actually about Sakura; she won't be able to have another child."
Syaoran frowned. "Why?"
"We've had to remove her uterus during the procedure. I'm sorry-it was more or less shredded beyond repair."
Syaoran felt sick. "It was that bad?" he whispered.
Yamazaki nodded.
Syaoran sighed heavily and leant back against the wall. "Thank you for saving her life." He whispered. "They're both alive thanks to you and your team."
"I'm just doing my job." Yamazaki smiled. "You should go in and sit with her. And say hello to your son."
Yamazaki walked off down the hall, leaving Syaoran on his own. Taking a deep breath, Syaoran pushed open the door. Sakura was sleeping peacefully, probably still sedated, so his eyes travelled the room looking for one thing. His breath caught in his throat when he saw Chiharu holding a little bundle. He walked over timidly.
She looked up and smiled. "Would you like to hold him?"
"N-no, I'd prefer Sakura to be the first to hold him." He confessed.
"Okay," she replied, "Takashi wants to do a few tests. Is that alright?"
He frowned, "He didn't say anything to me about tests."
"He said he wanted to check to see if there might be any early signs of possible effects from when Sakura was tortured." Chiharu explained.
Syaoran remembered that discussion, now that he had been reminded. "Oh...yes, that's fine..."
Chiharu nodded, "We won't be long."
Syaoran didn't have the energy to respond. Once he was left alone, he took Sakura's hand in his own and held it tight. She was still sedated, and he didn't know when she would wake, but he knew she would be in a lot of pain for quite a while. But at least she wasn't dead. He leant over and kissed her forehead, smoothing some of her hair back from her face.
While she rested, Syaoran watched as his son was cared for and tests were run. He squeezed Sakura's hand as the infant was bathed and wrapped in blankets. Then, he was left alone to wait for the results.
...
Sakura woke feeling lightheaded and very, very sore. She furrowed her brow against the light, moving her head away from it, and became aware of the hand holding hers as she felt a gentle squeeze.
"Sakura? Are you awake?"
"No." She mumbled. After a moment, she cracked her eyes open and met Syaoran's worried gaze. "What happened?"
He smiled with relief. "You had some complications during the birth. Your uterus has been removed because of it." He spoke softly, his smile fading.
"Wait-what about the baby?!" she asked, terrified.
"He's fine. He's right over there." He nodded to the other side of the room and she turned her head to see a little bundle of blankets inside a cradle.
A smile made its way across her face. "Can I hold him?" she asked.
"One moment." Syaoran murmured, and then walked over to the cradle.
She watched as he lifted the small bundle in his hands and carried the infant over to her. She took the bundle feeling both nervous and excited. She looked down to see the tiny face of her newborn son and she felt tears of joy fill her eyes.
"He's really here," she whispered.
Syaoran smiled. "He is,"
"We both made it," Sakura smiled, "He's okay."
Syaoran held her, leaning his head against hers. They were both okay. They were both safe. They were both alive.
...
Later that day, Syaoran had left to fill out some forms while leaving Sakura to rest, so she was a little surprised when she heard a knock at her door in the afternoon. Sakura looked up as Tomoyo walked in carrying a bag wearing a big smile on her face. In Sakura's arms was Sora, her newborn son. Tomoyo's smile only widened upon seeing the newborn baby boy in her arms.
"This is Sora?" Tomoyo asked as she sat down.
Sakura nodded. "This is our little boy."
"The two of you must have been terrified-Syaoran told us what happened when he called earlier. How are you feeling?" Tomoyo asked with a sympathetic smile.
Sakura groaned. "Dreadful. But they did remove my uterus..."
"That's definitely going to take a while to heal."
Sakura nodded. "Yeah... I'm just glad that both me and Sora are alright. I was so scared when I saw all of the blood..." she still felt sick when she remembered the sight of all of the blood on the sheets. She was still in the hospital because she still couldn't quite do anything herself yet, but Syaoran had promised she and Sora would be home soon-probably by the end of the week.
"When I heard about the complications, I thought my heart would stop." Tomoyo confessed. "I'm sorry you can't have any more children, though..."
Sakura shook her head. "If we decide we want another child in the future, we can always adopt."
"That's true," Tomoyo smiled.
"So, what's in the bag?" Sakura asked curiously, eyeing what Tomoyo was holding.
Tomoyo lifted it up onto her knee and pulled out a bunch of baby clothes and other items. "I made these for Sora for when he's older, so you don't have to stress too much when he grows out of his current clothes. They grow fast."
"Thank you so much, Tomoyo." Sakura smiled.
"If I could stay longer, I would. But unfortunately, we're just here to pick some documents up for Eriol." Tomoyo sighed sadly.
"That's okay. I'm sure we'll see each other again soon." Sakura smiled.
Tomoyo nodded. "I'm sure we will as well. Take care of yourself, okay?"
"I will. And Syaoran's looking after me, so I'll be fine."
"He's very protective of you. It's rather sweet." Tomoyo smiled as she stood, "I'll see you soon, Sakura."
"Thank you for the clothes Tomoyo." Sakura said again, "And for visiting me."
Again, Tomoyo smiled.
Syaoran walked into the room once he had seen Eriol and Tomoyo off, and seated himself on the bed next to Sakura, winding his arm around her waist.
"How are you doing?" he asked as he nuzzled her cheek.
"I'm doing fine. A bit sore, but fine." She replied softly.
"What did Tomoyo bring you?" he then asked.
Sakura smiled, "Clothes for when Sora is older."
"That was thoughtful of her." Syaoran smiled.
"Have you heard back about the tests from Doctor Yamazaki?" she asked.
He nodded. "We're not totally sure yet, and it could be a few months to a couple of years until we know, but he suspects Sora could have a frail immune system. So, Sora will have check-ups more often than other children."
Sakura looked to her son with worry as Syaoran gave her a gentle squeeze. "He's going to be okay." Syaoran spoke softly.
"I can't help worrying. I'm sorry."
"It's okay," he smiled, "You are his mother, after all." And, as Sora's father, he would make sure he got the medical care he needed.
"There's another reason I came here so suddenly." Syaoran then confessed.
Sakura narrowed her eyes. "What is it?"
He stood and walked over to the door, pulling it open. Sakura wore confusion on her face as a man and a woman her age entered the room. The woman had azure blue eyes and her shoulder length blonde hair curled around her soft oval shaped face. As Sakura studied her features, she guessed that the woman had some eastern heritage in her, as well as a bit of western. The same could be said about the man as well. His hair was dark, and his eyes were amethyst.
The man bowed and the woman curtsied.
"Forgive us for the intrusion," the man spoke, "I had hoped to be here sooner."
Sakura looked at Syaoran expectantly and he smiled.
"Sakura, this is Doctor Yuna D. Kaito, and Akiho Shinomoto." Syaoran introduced.
Sakura smiled kindly. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise, my lady." Doctor Kaito replied.
"The reason we came here so suddenly is to apologise." Akiho explained.
"What for?"
Doctor Kaito's face fell. "I feel that I'm partly responsible for the torture you were put through by the man named Akio Nakamura." He spoke.
Sakura only felt more confused. "I don't understand."
Akiho stepped forward and nodded to the chair beside her bed. "May I sit?"
Sakura nodded, and the woman sat down gently, her blue eyes on the baby boy in Sakura's arms.
"He's beautiful." She whispered.
"Thank you." Sakura smiled.
Akiho looked over and met Doctor Kaito's gaze. She sighed gently before speaking. "When I was young, something happened to me that triggered... the start of the end of my life." She spoke, "In a desperate attempt to stop that from happening, Doctor Kaito started research into possible ways of transferring magic from one being to another, which ultimately led to an ill fate, and the research branded as forbidden." Akiho explained gently. "We don't know how long I have left to live. It could be days, years or months."
"What does my torture have to do with this?" Sakura asked with further confusion.
"Akio Nakamura wanted to surpass Doctor Kaito, so he sought out the perfect candidate. During the research, Doctor Kaito found that the closer your bond with the person, the more likely it would work." Akiho added.
Syaoran continued, "I recently found out that Akio Nakamura learned of you through my father. They used to work together before he died."
Sakura lowered her eyes to her sleeping son, staying quiet for a long time. No one said anything, and Syaoran feared Sakura might be angry.
"Sakura?" he murmured.
"Why tell me all of this?" she asked quietly.
"For closure." Syaoran replied, "You deserved to know why you were targeted."
Sakura nodded, her eyes filling with hot tears that spilled down her cheeks. It felt like a heavy weight had partially been lifted from her shoulders, but even so, what was done could never be reversed and the damage would always be there. All Sakura could do now was take the information and move on from the incident, and she felt she could do that a lot more easily now.
"Thank you," she said, meeting Akiho's eyes.
Akiho looked surprised, as did Kaito, and they both smiled kindly.
...
Syaoran closed the door quietly before sitting down beside Sakura who was now fast asleep. Their son lay in the little bed the hospital had organised for him, sound asleep as well. Gently, Syaoran brushed some strands of hair behind her ear and smiled softly.
A week later, Sakura was finally able to return home with their baby boy. It felt a little strange walking into the nursery, but it also elicited a feeling of comfort and joy. She walked over to the crib and gently placed him down, smiling softly. Syaoran slid his arm around her waist and rested his head against hers. The two of them had survived so much together over the last year and a half and had matured together. Even though Sakura had been unwilling in the beginning, Syaoran was glad that she had opened up to him and given him her trust and her love. Now, he had two people who were precious to him, and he would never let them go.
-Four Years Later-
Running around the house was not at all what Sakura had planned for her day, however, Sora was refusing his bath and making her chase him around the house. The boy was smart, kind and adorable, but he was also a world class troublemaker. And when he got with his cousins, that nearly always meant chaos. Thankfully, the twins were at home with their mother which meant chaos was minimal.
She spotted him up ahead and he turned to run, But Sakura was exhausted. She usually indulged him in his games for a little while, but sometimes, she had to use her sharpest weapon.
"Sora, honey, please stop with your games. I'm getting tired." Her voice was pleading, and it always got him to cooperate.
Even when he really didn't want to do something, when she asked him in that tone of voice, he knew it was time to do as he was told. The little boy walked out around the corner and over to his mother. Sakura smiled softly.
"Thank you, sweetie. You can play after your bath, okay?" Sakura said softly.
"Can you read me a story?" he asked with big, pleading emerald eyes.
"Of course. After your bath." She smiled.
He grinned childishly. Sora loved his parents dearly and would never cause them any serious trouble on purpose. He loved seeing his mother smile and playing the piano with her. When Syaoran was home, he loved learning new things with him and playing games with his parents.
She took his little hand and walked him to the bath as he bounced along beside her. The bath was already ready for Sora. Sakura helped him undress and he climbed into the tub with ease.
"Promise me you won't get yourself covered in mud after this." Sakura said as she started washing his dark hair.
"I know," he mumbled.
Sakura laughed softly. "You're a lot like I was at your age."
"Really?" he asked, curious to hear more about his mother.
"Yes. I loved being outside, looking for new adventures. After my lessons, I would often drag mud through the house. It drove my parents mad." Sakura told him. "But, just because I did it, doesn't mean you can." She added sharply.
"But I like playing in the mud..." he mumbled.
"I know, just don't bring it inside." Sakura replied with a laugh.
Sora scrunched up his nose. That would be hard to do.
"Don't make that face, young man." Sakura spoke with disapproval. He immediately stopped.
Sakura finished helping him scrub himself clean and then helped him dry himself. Once he was dressed, she drained the tub and then picked him up, carrying him into the lounge.
"Hey, when's dad coming home?" Sora asked.
She smiled as she ran her fingers through his damp hair. "He's on a business trip, so he might not be home for another few days."
"But it's your birthday, right? Dad says birthdays are really important." Sora looked up at his mother with those innocent emerald eyes of his that were so full of curiosity.
"Sometimes," she said, "We can't help some things. Like, your father can't help that it was a really important trip."
His brow furrowed. "But...don't you wish he was here?"
"Of course, I do," she giggled, "And I'm sure your father wishes he could be here too."
"Grown-ups are weird." Sora mumbled.
Sakura laughed softly. "They sure are."
"Can you tell me a story now?" Sora switched topics.
"What do you want to hear?" she asked softly.
"Something about you and dad!"
That caught her by surprise. "Something about me and your father, hm...?"
She sat in thought for a moment, wondering what she could tell him. "Did you know that your father and I didn't get along very well in the beginning?"
He looked at her with wide eyes. "You didn't?"
"No, we didn't." She replied, "Let me tell you a story about an immature, frustrating girl..."
Sora listened as Sakura told him a softer version of how she and Syaoran came to fall in love, hanging on to her every word, until he eventually fell asleep in her arms half way through.
...
Syaoran closed the door quietly behind him as he entered the manor, not wanting to give away that he was home. Truthfully, he had told Sakura he was going to be away for longer than he would, wanting to surprise her when he got home.
He was carrying flowers and wine, things he had picked up on his way home as well as an extra surprise for her. He handed his luggage to one of the maids, and then made his way to the lounge, knowing it was where Sakura usually was at this hour.
Sure enough, he spotted Sakura sitting inside dozing off on the couch, and in her lap, sleeping was their four-year-old son. He smiled, watching them quietly for a few moments. They were so peaceful, and he wished he could somehow capture the moment.
Quietly, he walked in and sat on the arm of the chair, tucking some hair behind Sakura's ear. She opened her eyes, surprised to see Syaoran home and was about to ask when he placed a finger against her lips. Then, she remembered the sleeping child she was holding.
Sakura smiled, "I'll go put him to bed." She said quietly.
"I'll open this, then." He replied with a smile, holding up the bottle of wine.
Her lips curved into a beautiful smile, a small blush dusting her cheeks. Then, she hurried out of the room. While he waited for her, he grabbed two wine glasses from the glass cabinet in the corner and worked the cork off the bottle before pouring the dark red liquid into two glasses.
Sakura returned a few minutes later and walked into his embrace. She sighed contentedly, enjoying the warmth and comfort his body gave her.
"I thought you weren't going to be home until Friday?" she said softly.
"I wanted to surprise you," he said as he kissed her cheek.
"Well, you've surprised me." Sakura giggled.
He held up the flowers for her, "These are also for you."
She blushed and took the bouquet of white roses and pink cherry blossoms with a smile.
"They're beautiful... I'll have to find a vase for them."
He stopped her before she pulled away. "Let the maids do that for you."
"But..."
"Just for tonight. Please?"
Sakura caved at his plea. "Okay." She handed the flowers to the maid she didn't realise was standing by, and Syaoran handed her one of the wine glasses.
"You're spoiling me again." She smiled.
"It's your birthday." He pointed out. "And I like giving you surprises."
Sakura giggled. "Thank you. That's very sweet of you."
They sat down, and he pulled her against him, wrapping his arm around her waist. Sakura smiled contentedly and relaxed in his arms.
"Has our boy been causing you trouble again?" Syaoran asked.
"Nothing out of the ordinary." Sakura laughed.
"I suppose that's good." He murmured, a bit unsure.
"Don't worry, he's learning when it's okay to let loose a little and when not to." Sakura reassured him. "He learns it from you."
Syaoran frowned. "Are you sure he doesn't learn it from you?"
"Both of us." She laughed softly.
He squeezed her body gently against his. She turned herself around so that she was facing him, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, looking into his deep amber eyes that were so full of love and warmth for her. She leant in and kissed him, timidly pulling on his tie as he pulled her closer against his body.
He always found it exciting when she initiated their intimacy-she was still timid and modest, and he wasn't sure that would ever change, but she was a lot more comfortable with initiating than she used to be. Sakura pulled the tie from around his neck and pulled away, and he looked at her questioningly.
She smiled, "Bedroom?" she asked.
He returned her smile. "If that is what you wish."
Her smile widened as he picked her up and carried her from the lounge, taking her to their bedroom. Their night was filled with heated passion and romance, and as they lay together in the sheets, Syaoran squeezed her hand softly. She opened her green eyes and he smiled gently.
"Happy birthday."
All Sakura could do in response was kiss him softly. Everything was perfect: she had her loving husband who stayed by her side even in times of hardship, and her son. She couldn't ask for anything more, and she didn't need to. She was home.
Hi everyone! This is the last and final chapter for Unwilling. I've tried to tie up some loose ends, and I've been trying to figure out if I can possibly split this chapter into two chapters, and for the life of me I just cannot. I think I've managed to wrap it up alright-it didn't feel jarringly rushed to me, which is always a plus I suppose.
I want to say a huge thank you to all of my readers! Thank you to all who have stuck with me since the beginning. I had a lot of fun reading all of the reviews this story got. Thank you to everyone who has favourited and followed this story as well. If you have any questions about the story or feel like i may not have explained something in the story very well, you're more than welcome to let me know. Constructive feedback is always welcome as well.
Perhaps I will see you again in one of my other stories. I'm currently actively working on Prophecy and Captive Bride, so feel free to check them out if you'd like.
Farewell!