Disclaimer: I don't own CCS, Clamp does. But I do own this story.
So here it is, the real final chapter to Lies and Love.
It's short but it wraps up the entire thing nicely (or so I've been told). I hope you like it!
Please do read my final Author's Note down below as well.
Enjoy!
Epilogue
"Forever With You"
Mei Hua silently crept up the stairs with Xiao Tian and Xiao Hai silently following her.
"Mei Hua, I really think we should just be waiting downstairs!" Xiao Tian yelled in a whisper.
"Yeah, dad said he'd be right down," Xiao Hai added, looking back down the stairs worriedly.
"But he also said he'd be down thirty minutes ago," Mei Hua countered as she continued her way until she reached the second floor landing.
Everything was silent in the floor except for a little scuffle in one of the rooms.
"Daddy?" she called out before making her way to the only room whose door was slightly ajar.
No answer.
"Daddy? Are you there?" she called out again.
"I told you, I don't have it with me!"
The triplets stopped dead in their tracks, hearing the desperation in their father's voice.
"Just leave us alone!"
Syaoran looked at the man in front of him with a stony expression. "Just leave us alone!"
"Don't lie!" the man yelled before swinging his fist to his stomach.
Syaoran fell to the floor in a heap; his face in agony.
The man walked closer towards him before kicking him in the stomach, rolling him over to face him.
"Next time, I-"
"Leave him alone!" three voices suddenly shouted.
The man had only just turned to the door to see the newcomers before he was sent falling to the floor with small fists hitting him in the chest and two pairs of arms holding him down by the knees.
"Leave daddy alone you!" Mei Hua screamed as she continuously hit the man with weak and tiny punches.
"Yeah, what did our dad ever do to you?" Xiao Hai added, not letting go of his left leg.
"Yeah! What do you think you're doing mister?" Xiao Tian said, holding on to his right leg.
"CUT!" someone shouted behind them.
The triplets stopped immediately and turned to look behind them. Around seven more people were in the room, a man sitting on a high chair, another holding on to a large camera beside him, two men holding on to large lighting equipment, another man holding another large camera in the far corner of the room, and two women, one holding a clipboard, the other with a set of headphones dangling around her neck. All of whom were staring at them in obvious surprise.
Everyone was still. Though the director shouted a clear cut to the filming, the cameramen were still rolling and the rest of the crew was still in a state of shock.
"Mei Hua, Syaoian, Syaoai," a voice said from above the kids who were still holding the supposedly evil man down on the floor.
The triplets stiffened before looking up at their father who had his arms crossed in front of his chest. They smiled awkwardly up at him.
"H-Hi dad!" they greeted, the guilt apparent in their voices.
"I'm sorry again Iwa," Syaoran said with a guilty grin.
The man laughed before slapping Syaoran in the back lightly. "Not a problem Li! That did catch me off guard though. I have to admit, it's not every day you get three kids to come and wrestle you to the ground like that. I was practically ambushed!"
Syaoran laughed along with the rest of the crew as they made their way down the wide set of stairs a few minutes after the triplet's timely arrival.
"Your kids are so adorable Syaoran!" the woman with the clipboard gushed from behind him.
"Adorable yes, but mischievous as hell," he countered, making all of them laugh again. "This is the first time I brought them along on location. They've visited me on set in studios and warehouses before but I guess being in the actual place made them think it was real."
Syaoran landed on the ground floor and immediately spotted the kids by the snack table, talking to a few of the crew men.
"Having fun?" he asked, making the three turn to him with their mouths full of various fruits. "Make sure your clothes don't get dirty or else your mother will kill me," he said, making them nod and try to swallow down the food. "Actually, Mona will kill me first if she finds out too," he added, making them grin.
"You know you're late?" Mei Hua said with a pout making Syaoran grin at her in apology.
"Yeah, mom's gonna be mad," Xiao Tian said.
Xiao Hai didn't say anything, instead clicked his tongue similar to that of what their nanny does when she disapproves of something.
Syaoran raised a brow at them. "Well, I would've finished much sooner if three little kids didn't interrupt with filming earlier," he pointed out casually.
The triplets looked at each other for awhile before looking up at him with determined looks on their faces.
"We tell mom that it was the director who got us late," the three of them said simultaneously with an arm each raised up at him.
Syaoran laughed out loud before nodding and shaking each of their hands. "Deal."
The triplets grinned at him.
"Okay, okay. C'mon let's go, before we end up even more late than we already are."
Sakura turned to the door as it opened.
"It's time for you to go on Sakura," the man informed.
"Are-"
"And I was told that they've just arrived and are now seated up front," he added with a smile.
Sakura sighed in relief. "About time," she muttered under her breath. "What the hell is that man thinking? He's cutting it a bit too close," she ranted, thinking of Syaoran, before standing up and removing her robe with shaking fingers.
"Oh, you look fantastic Sakura!" Mona gushed, making Sakura's prep team nod in approval behind her.
"Are you sure it's not too…I dunno, over the top?" she asked.
"Over the top? Other celebrities way older that you have dressed in skimpier clothes than that!" Sakura's hairdresser said in defense for her.
Sakura smiled at them and breathed out slowly. "Wish me luck!" she told them before leaving her dressing room.
"Good luck Sakura!"
"Yeah, knock 'em dead!" added Mona excitedly.
"Genji! Yuu!" Syaoran greeted loudly, shaking the man and his wife's hands before he took his seat with the triplets between him and Joe at the very front row of the stadium, just below the stage.
"Syaoran! About time you got here!" Yuu Ashiya, Genji's wife, shouted back over all the noise the crowd was already making.
"I got held up with shooting," he replied before pointing back inconspicuously at his kids.
The pair laughed and nodded in understanding before all the lights went out and the entire crowd behind them screamed wildly.
Syaoran turned to the kids to see if they were okay but to his horror and utter amusement, the three of them were also screaming their lungs off and were bouncing on their seats.
Mei Hua, who hasn't gone to the hospital or had met with any doctor- with the exception of Shizuki's frequent but casual visits -since that day he and Sakura had argued after Erika's tactless comment, was the one screaming the sharpest and loudest amongst the three, and she showed no signs of stopping anytime soon either.
He laughed aloud before he and Joe forced them back to sit properly.
"There's my girl!" Genji shouted unthinkingly, making Yuu nudge him in the side. "You know what I mean dear!" he reasoned with a chuckle before clapping loudly as the underground platform that had taken Sakura up to the middle of the stage, stopped.
Syaoran gaped at her.
"How are we doing tonight TOKYO!" she shouted before slowly walking over towards the front of the stage, waving at her audience with a bright smile.
"It's hard to believe this is her first live performance!" Genji shouted at Syaoran over the ceaseless screaming.
"You must be very proud Syaoran!" Yuu shouted as well, watching Sakura with great fondness. It was hard to imagine that this was the same sweet and simple girl she had accidentally met some long time ago along with her just as sweet daughter in the hotel lobby.
Syaoran closed his mouth and nodded mutely but continued to stare at Sakura with wide eyes.
This was the first time Syaoran had ever seen Sakura dress in something like that. The fabric of her outfit was a pale pink color, the exact color of cherry blossoms. It was a tube dress with a heart shaped bodice that was stuck to her like second skin, defining her every curve until the waist where the fabric turned to something much softer, was set in a few layers creating a little ruffle, and was flowing with her every movement, ending in mid-thigh. Silver rings were fastened around her upper arms where the fabric similar to that from her skirt was sewn on and fell wide and loose just a little beyond her wrists. Her hair was done in large curls, falling to the middle of her back with a large cherry blossom flower ornament stuck in the side, just above her ear.
As Sakura walked even closer to them, Syaoran felt his mouth dry as he looked up at her. Her legs looked even longer in this angle; her four-inch heeled pale pink pumps did nothing but compliment her assets even more.
"Who chose that outfit?" Syaoran demanded from Genji who was caught by surprise.
"She did," he said with a raised brow at him. "Why?"
"It's too damn…" Syaoran's voice trailed off, not knowing the right word to describe it.
"Perfect?" Yuu supplied with a laugh, making her husband chuckle as well.
"Yeah," he replied absently as Sakura waved in his general direction. Her outfit wasn't meant to be provocative in the least and he knew it. He was even willing to bet that the people assigned to her wardrobe would've wanted something even skimpier than what she wore now.
"Hi mom!" the triplets shouted, waving back.
Sakura blew them a kiss and they grinned, each blowing her a kiss back.
"Everyone," Sakura said in a loud voice while making silencing gestures with her hands, calming everyone down. "I know this is a little unconventional to do before a show but before we get started, I would like to thank you," as she said this, screams erupted again, making her laugh before she continued, "for all the support you've given me since the release of my album. This concert is the first stop for my Asian tour."
The audience still went wild at her every word and Sakura can't help but laugh and do a little curtsey.
"Things wouldn't have turned out as they have now if it weren't for you," she said gesturing a hand across the large stadium that was full to the brim with people. "My fans, you really mean a lot to me," she said with a slight bow of her head. "And of course, to my family," she continued, a wide smile on her face as she turned to look down at the first row of seats. "Xiao Tian, Xiao Hai, Mei Hua. Only you three could make me feel like the proudest and happiest mother alive. I love you three so much," she said with a little wave at them.
The triplets waved at her wildly, shouted "We love you too!" and their faces glowed with happiness for their mother.
"Now, this first song I'll be singing, is something all of you are familiar with," Sakura said with a playful tone to her voice as she walked around the edges of the stage casually. "I wrote this for someone special to me," she admitted in a serious voice. "In fact, he's that special, that he's the only man I know who could possibly bring me so much grief and pain, and could bring me to tears so easily."
The crowd was immediately silenced at her confession, and Sakura stopped in her tracks, right in front of the stage, looking out at everyone before her.
"But," she continued, a fond smile now forming on her lips. "He's also the only man who brings me happiness and contentment, and the only one who could give me a bad case of butterflies in my stomach at every touch. He's the only one whom I have ever trusted completely, the only one whom I've never stopped caring for dearly, the only one, I promised myself all those years ago, that I'll ever love."
Sakura bent down slightly and held her hand out while still holding onto her microphone with her other.
Syaoran, who had already stood from his seat, was directly below her and he reached his hand out to hold on to hers.
"I love you Xiao Lang…my little wolf," Sakura said with an affectionate smile.
All the lights and cameras were on them, zoomed-in to the loving looks they held for each other, and the audience was in silence, watching their exchange at the edge of their seats.
Syaoran didn't say anything. Instead, he leaned closer towards her and placed a soft kiss at the back of her hand.
"I love you, my cherry blossom," he finally replied in a voice full of pride and pleasure.
The entire stadium shook from the tireless screams of its thousands of occupants.
And with one last adoring smile for the other, they finally let go of their hold, their wedding rings glinting under the bright lights as their hands parted.
Xiao Tian, Xiao Hai, and Mei Hua grinned at each other and high-fived as Sakura made her way back to the center of the stage and started her first song, titled: Forever With You.
The triplets clapped, shouted and sang along with everyone in the crowd for a while until they knew the first song was coming to an end before they huddled together to look down at the CD case they had brought along with them to be guided with the songs Sakura was going to sing that night.
Syaoran turned to them, looking amused at their arguing about what Sakura will sing next. He chuckled before grabbing the CD case.
"You're going to hurt each other if you argue while holding on to this," he reasoned at the frowns he got from his kids.
The three shrugged before resuming with their argument.
Syaoran smiled at them before looking down at Sakura's CD. He read through the list of songs printed in a curved font at the back of the case:
CD 1:
1. Two Worlds
2. An Unexpected Meeting
3. Returning Favors
4. Parent Trap
5. Several Conclusions
6. The Lullaby
7. Grief
8. Problems and Solutions
9. Realizations
10. Several Faults
CD 2:
11. When Problems Arise
12. Family Dilemmas
13. Beyond Expectations
14. La Paix dans Le Paradis
15. Unconcealed
16. Five Years Ago
17. Publicity
18. Unveiling Truths
19. Forgive or Forget
20. Forever With You
He was quite impressed at the number of songs Sakura managed to complete and the amount of fame she was able to acquire in a short period of time. Even more impressed that one of the songs was actually in French, inspired from the name he had given to his yacht.
Most new singers in the business would usually start off with a single CD with typically twelve songs. But she had insisted in releasing a double, and had actually recorded a total of twenty songs in her first album which, as it turns out, was a complete hit. She had done things her way and it worked with much favor from the public who had even demanded for her to write and sing more regardless of the already more than usual amount of songs she had released for a first and single album.
They had been married for a year now, and the triplets were going to turn 7 years old soon. Time had passed quickly and things really have changed drastically since his return to Japan almost two years ago. Sakura's career as a singer was only getting better. His career as an actor, although most of the projects he accepted were shot in Japan, was still as good as it had always been. He's even gotten more publicity due to his relationship with Sakura and because of their three kids. They had already agreed to keep the kids in Japan for as long as they can in a regular school and will eventually have to hire private tutors when Sakura starts her tour and when Syaoran decides to take other projects outside the country again.
Just thinking of it all made him wonder how things would've turned out if Sakura hadn't forgiven him or if he hadn't forgiven her after everything they've been through. What if they had given in to Erika's treachery? Along with it, the hate, cruelty, pain…and all the lies that were conceived thereafter. What if he never found out he had kids? What if Sakura had decided to not tell him the truth? Or what would have happened if he had believed her from the start? What if…
Syaoran shook his head at his needless thoughts. Sakura had forgiven him for all the wrong he has done and subjected her to during those wretched months, and he had forgiven Sakura completely for everything, from her unwarned leave seven years ago, to her keeping their children's existence a secret from him for five years.
Lies have gotten through them at some point, it interfered with their relationship and affected them greatly and dearly, but their love for each other triumphed in the end.
With a satisfied sigh, Syaoran re-examined the CD case in his hands. He turned the case over and traced the side of the front cover with his thumb, a warmhearted expression overcoming his features as he did. Half of the front cover had a photo of Sakura, and the other half had a zoomed-in photo of a large hand, which he knew was his, cradling three smaller hands that belonged to the triplets, and below the photo, embossed in gold was her name with the album's name underneath:
Sakura Kinomoto-Li
Lies and Love
- THE END -
Author's Note:
Yes, no wedding. And no family addition either. But I hope this chapter was still to your liking even if it doesn't contain your guesses. As I've said in the previous chapter, the epilogue is going to be short. Now you know I wasn't kidding. This really is short. At least in my standards, it really is.
Also, if you guys haven't noticed in the previous chapter, when Syaoran and the kids interrupted Sakura's recording, the lyrics I wrote to the song she was singing that time was actually the lyrics to one of her songs: "Two Worlds". Go see for yourself! And yes, I used the title of this story as the name of her album and the chapter titles as the titles for her songs (why? Well, why not?). It seemed quite appropriate in my opinion and I actually like the idea. ;)
Well, that's it! This is the official end of Lies and Love.
Thank you for everyone's continued support for my stories.
I know it has been years since this story was uploaded, but I'm glad there are new an old readers who enjoy this.
The main reason I took this story down was because it had been plagiarized a lot of times now (refer to the list in my profile) and I didn't appreciate it. I sincerely hope I won't run into that sort of problem again. I know it's unavoidable but I would like to stop it form happening as much as possible.
So I thank everyone who always find the time to tell me via private messages or reviews regarding my work being stolen. I couldn't have done anything about it if you didn't tell me.
Also currently, I'm still writing the ongoing story Mending Mistakes. I know it's been a while since I started and updated it too but it can't be helped. I've been busy and haven't gotten around to continue it. Rest assured, I will continue it in due time.
Just keep an eye out for my future updates! Feel free to add me in your list for author favorite/alert so you'll immediately be alerted by my next update. And if you have something you really want to say or ask me, don't be shy, just drop me a private message (a lot of you already do) or a review. I do enjoy reading them and I reply as needed when I find the time to do so!
That's pretty much it.
Again, to all my readers/reviewers/supporters: Thank you for everything.
I'll see you guys again by my next story! For now... Ja ne!
Raeny