A/N 2007: Again some minor adjustments ) Got rid of the annoying author notes in the story. They're so distracting XD and changed Germany to China (which makes way more sense)

" "speaking

' ' thoughts

Chapter 2

Sakura was glad she came after all. What a great feeling it was to walk on a deserted beach with bare feet. It was still early, but you could see that this day was going to be one of those beautiful and nice Saturdays. The sky was blue and there wasn't a cloud in sight.

She felt good. She felt nice and relaxed. She felt a lot better than she could have imagined. She also knew why. It was because of Syaoran, because he wasn't here.

Last night on her way here, with Mei Lin she told herself a hundred times that he was in China. But she still wasn't completely at ease. When she saw that the shutters of his cottage were sealed tightly, she breathed a sigh of relief.

At night, when they were drinking coffee after diner she said: " What a shame that I haven't been here for so long."

"You didn't want to be confronted with you past," Mei Lin stated, "Everyone is struggling with his or her memories. It's like gardening: You have to get rid of the weeds to give the flowers a chance to bloom. Nasty memories need to be pulled out to give the nice memories a better chance."

Their eyes met. Sakura saw so much love and understanding in the eyes of Mei Lin that she almost cried. Quickly she got up and went to the balustrade to hide her tears. The mug of coffee was warm in her hands. She had to blink her eyes a couple of times to get rid of her tears and stare over the dark and mysterious water.

On the other side she could faintly hear some voices and laughter, mixed with some romantic music. Somewhere there was the smell of wild flowers blooming and there were fireflies flying around everywhere.

"So what do you think?" Mei Lin asked softly, "Do you want to keep the cottage?"

It took a while for Sakura to answer, "I want to think about it a little longer, Mei Lin." Slowly she turned around and faced her friend. "I'll sleep a night over it. I'll give you my answer tomorrow."

Now it was tomorrow.

Wanting to feel the water she began to walk through the water. With her hands in the pockets of her short white pants, she began to enjoy the feeling of water running over her feet.

Now it was tomorrow, yes, and she had made her decision.

Just after midnight she woke up because she thought she heard something. After that she had trouble falling asleep. And lying there, she thought about the offer Mei Lin made. Finally after hours of tossing, turning and thinking, she made her decision.

It was painful coming back here. But it was even more painful if this little cottage fell into the hands of a total stranger.

Mei Lin was right. Nasty memories needed to be pulled out with the root and all. Then they could wither in the sun. Not that she was ready for it. No, not yet. Maybe she would come again this summer, on her own. And then, maybe she could close the chapter of her past, so she could start out fresh again. How lovely it would be if she could finally heal her wounded soul...

What joy, what a victory that would mean.

She stood there, with her back to the land and closed her eyes as she lifted her face up to the sun so that the golden rays of light caressed her beautiful face. She let her hands comb through her hair and said aloud: "Yes," with determination in her voice.

"What yes?"

Sakura wheeled around as she heard a voice. There was a hint of curiosity in the voice, but also something hostile and sullen.

The child that stood on the beach, straddle-legged and defiant, was a boy of 7 years old. He had messy brown hair and amber coloured eyes that looked at her behind a pair of glasses. He pushed his glasses up his nose. A gesture that he was accustomed to. He was slim, his skin was slightly tanned because of the sun and he wore a pair of boxers with a white T- shirt.

"What yes?" he repeated making a weird face.

Sakura walked back to the shore, but the child quickly stepped back, when she came towards him. He looked her over and suddenly his eyes became big and his bottom lip started to quiver.

'Do I look that horrifying?!' Sakura thought by herself, 'Or is the boy warned on an exaggerate manner not to trust strangers?'

"Hi," she greeted with a smile that was meant to calm his nerves. "Where are you from? I thought that I was here all by myself." She glanced up at the hotel named Cherry's Lodge. In the old days the Lodge belonged to a rich American, now it was a fancy hotel that belonged to a Chinese couple. Sakura suspected that the boy came from there.

"Why are you talking to yourself?" the boy asked.

She shrugged. "I needed to make a decision and decided that my answer was yes. Don't you ever talk to yourself?"

"Sometimes." The boy admitted

Sakura felt that her top had slipped down a bit when she stretched her arms and pulled it up.

"I'm going to get myself a cup of coffee," she announced, "But I need to get you back to your mum first before she's going to worry herself to death."

I haven't got a mother anymore."

Sakura heard his voice tremble and regretted what she said. "I'm sorry. What about your father?"

"He's baking pancakes."

The boy had a weird accent. English? French? And why was his father baking pancakes when they were staying at Cherry's Lodge?

"You are staying at Cherry's Lodge, aren't you?" she asked, just to be certain. With her hands on her hips she looked inquisitive at him.

"No," she heard a voice say, "He's with me."

Chinese! That was the accent. But now she knew it was too late...

"Hello Sakura."

Her heart froze. She tried to pull herself together with all her might before she turned around.

"Syaoran." She should have been surprised to see him, but she wasn't. That he was here suddenly seemed as inevitable as a new day. "What are you doing here?"

TBC

So... What you think? Review plz! Hope to get the next chap up soon!