Hey, you guys.
I owe you a million.
I won't ramble on any longer, just so we can head straight for the chapter I'm sure many of you have anticipated.
Thank you for the reviews everyone, I'm honestly more grateful than words can say.

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I'll Turn To You Now
A CCS Fanfic by Starfire Star

Chapter Seven: Glimpse of Reason Part II

Syaoran awoke in cold sweat. He put a hand to his throbbing head, flopping back onto the pillows. And he realized he was on a… bed.

How did he get there? He couldn't remember every single detail of what happened the night before, but he did know that he wasn't in the room he was currently in. He checked the room out some more and realized he was in a hotel.

He wondered how he ended up there. He groggily snatched the phone and dialed the number for the receptionist's desk.

"Hi, this is Syaoran Li in room—" he hastily checked the card on the nightstand, "105. I know this may sound a little strange, but may I inquire who booked this room?"

The receptionist didn't sound surprised at all. "Eriol Hiragizawa did, Mr. Li. In fact, he wanted me to give you a message. He would like to meet you at Tomoeda General Hospital at 12:30PM."

"Thanks," Syaoran said in surprise. "Have a good day."

He was actually looking forward to having Eriol clear up the details of what happened last night.

He shook his head and came to realize that for once, he was waking up in a hotel alone. He didn't mean to sound like an ass. He was actually proud of himself. He would have to change his ways anyway, now that he had a daughter in his life…

A daughter. Suddenly last night's events came back crystal clear. Sakura's unforgiving words, Tomoyo's angry retorts, him recalling the story of what happened to his family…

Syaroan groaned, unwilling to face all this added stress. Sakura… God, Sakura. Her intense green eyes stayed the same. She had that undeniable beautiful presence. He had indeed thought about reuniting with her in the past, but he had no idea that they'd meet in these circumstances.

He couldn't believe he actually fathered her child. She was the only woman he had ever loved. After he left, he changed his ways. He did things the old Syaoran would never do. But willing to escape the pain, he did them. He did everything that wouldn't remind him of Sakura.

Maybe Sakura had a husband. Maybe he was a better father than he'd ever be. Maybe Sakura was actually happy, and he was in no position to come storming back into her life to change that. Maybe he could quietly slip out of their lives, and let the happy family be. He'd just be a burden to them all.

Putting these thoughts behind him, he grabbed his coat and headed to a local restaurant for lunch. He rummaged through his coat pockets, finding his cell phone, and checked to see if there were any messages. There was one from Eriol, saying to call him back as soon as possible. That was almost an hour and a half ago.

Syaoran quickly punched in the numbers to Eriol's beeper, since cell phones were prohibited in the hospital. Eriol called him back.

"You have got to get down here," Eriol told him, anxiousness thick in his voice. "The police are here, talking to Sakura about the accident. It would probably be better if you get your ass to the hospital as soon as you can."

Syaoran ran his hands through his hair, frustrated. "I'm on my way. Wait," he paused for a moment, realizing he had no idea where his car was. It was probably towed. "How do I get there?"

Eriol gave him hurried directions on how to get there through public transit. As Syaoran sat back on the red vinyl seats on the subway, he closed his eyes.

"Mommy, are you sure Daddy will be there for my recital?" he heard a little girl, around 5 years old, whisper loudly as she tugged on her mother's shirt.

"Of course he will," the mother kissed her daughter on top of her head. "Your Daddy loves you, he wouldn't miss it for the world."

Pain struck Syaoran's face. If he hadn't left, if he hadn't made that stupid mistake, he would be the one who "wouldn't miss it for the world". His head began to throb. Regret, regret, regret. That simple word wouldn't stop being whispered in his ear as he got out of the subway and headed off in the direction of the hospital.

He got there and saw Eriol talking to the receptionist at the front desk. Eriol quickly rushed to him. "Sakura is off in that corridor talking to the police." Syaoran tried to peek around the corner for a glimpse, just as the police and Sakura emerged from the corridor.

Syaoran watched as Sakura's face tried to hide the surprise, and was it sadness, that struck her face as she saw him. She was never that good of an actress. But her auburn hair and emerald eyes seem to take his breath away as they always had before.

Eriol drew in a breath, but quickly smiled at Sakura and the police officers. "Hello. This is Syaoran Li, the man who was almost MIA," Eriol laughed nervously. Syaoran struggled not to glare at him.

The police officers nodded. "We had a chat with Miss Kinomoto here," one of them stated. "And she has said that you two know each other."

Sakura looked down at her shoes and took a deep breath. "I wish I didn't know him," Sakura said mumbled fiercely, but not with enough confidence as to say it out loud. There was an awkward silence, no one knowing what to say next.

Finally, Sakura cleared her throat and stood up straight. "Yes, we do," she clarified. She locked eyes with Syaoran, her face indifferent. He could detect a strong hint of bitterness in her voice. Syaoran looked away, uncomfortable. He wondered why she didn't mention anything about their daughter.

"We… we have a daughter together…" Syaoran was surprised that he spoke. The two officer's eyes grew wide. Eriol's eyes darted nervously between the two parties.

"You may have fathered my daughter, but that doesn't mean we have a daughter together," Sakura spoke sharply but quietly. Syaoran winced. Those words, even though he knew how true they were, sent a sharp jab to his stomach. He tried to even his breathing, taking slow deep breaths. Sakura looked down, trying to hide the fact that she was a bit ashamed by what she had just said.

The police officers looked frustrated. "That complicates matters, Miss Kinomoto," one of the officers said. "Actually, it may or may not. Would you like to press charges against Mr. Li here?"

Syaoran bit his lip, knowing what the response would be. He spoke in a low, fierce voice. "It was an accident that I hit them, and I'm very sorry for having done so. I will pay them any amount in damages, but is pressing charges really necessary? If so, what would I be charged with?"

Syaoran was treading on dangerous waters now. He knew better than to argue with police officers, but he was tired of having the finger pointed at him.

The officers glanced at each other, then spoke. "Reckless driving, of course," one stated. Syaoran turned around and slammed his fist against a wall. One of the officers raised his eyebrow. "And damage to private property, if you'd like."

Sakura coughed. The officers turned around. "Well, Miss Kinomoto?" Sakura looked at them nervously. She rocked back and forth on her heels.

"I-I… I'm sorry. Do I get time to think about this?" Sakura's voice was barely audible above the hustle and bustle of the hospital. "I really…" her voice trailed off as she waited for the officers' reply.

Syaoran, as Sakura had, tried to keep the shock off his face as he folded his arms against his chest and leaned against the wall. He refused to look anywhere at Sakura, for fear of blowing his cover. Eriol seemed to sense this and gave Syaoran a sidelong glance.

The officers looked at each other, and then at Sakura. "Are you sure?" they asked skeptically, throwing a quick glance at Syaoran.

Sakura barely moved her lips as she spoke. "Yes… I'm sorry, I'm under a lot of stress right now, and I'm not really in any position to make a rash decision, especially since my daughter hasn't already woken up from unconsciousness."

Syaoran blinked twice in his arm. Meiko Kinomoto Li… his daughter. His and Sakura's daughter. Was he really not dreaming? How was this possible?

Sakura bowed to the police officers. The police officers replied, "We would suggest you'd make a decision as soon as you can, Miss Kinomoto." They bowed to Eriol and Syaoran. "Good day, gentlemen."

Sakura nervously averted her eyes from Syaoran. "Dr., I think I'll go back to Meiko's room, check to see how she's doing," Sakura said quietly, staring down at her feet.

Eriol put out a hand to stop her. "No, I don't think that'll be necessary, Sakura. I'll get a nurse to check up on how she's doing and give us an update." He pulled out his beeper from a pocket, and glanced at it quickly. "I'll be back momentarily." He shot Syaoran a quick 'don't-do-anything-you'll-regret' look and walked toward the elevator.

There was an awkward silence, both Syaoran and Sakura not knowing what to do. Sakura smoothed back her hair, Syaoran looking at her the whole time.

It pained him to hear Meiko's name, knowing he was the reason she was at the hospital today, entering her life in the most unexpected way. Not being there for her… or Sakura… for 10 years. He could imagine all the things running through his head… he couldn't figure out why Sakura was still standing there before him, instead of walking away without a word like he had.

Sakura's voice was barely a whisper. "I… can we talk?"

A wave of relief washed through his face. "I thought you'd never ask."

-

They walked in silence to a small café just down the road from the hospital. It was cool and damp outside, fresh from rain fall that had just barely occurred an hour ago. The sky was a light grey, no sun to be seen. Sakura took quick but small steps as she hugged her pea coat around her. Syaoran's hands her clenched into fists in his coat pockets.

There weren't many customers at the café, so they were quick to find a quiet spot, away from the rest of the customers. They waitress came and set down two coffees before them. They didn't order anything else.

Sakura hugged her mug around her hands, staring out the window.

"First of all, I'd like to apologize for my behavior yesterday. It was in no way civil towards you," she began, still staring out the window before looking back, her eyes holding no emotion within them.

Syaoran felt himself filling with anger, even though he tried to keep a level head. "Are you trying to show me up now? Showing me how respectable you are, and how Ishould apologize for my actions? Honestly, Sakura, I'm already sorry, I've been sorry for the past ten years of my life. What more do you want from me?"

Sakura turned away, a hint of humor in her voice, letting out a small sigh. "You're still arrogant. I guess some things never change."

Syaoran didn't know what to say to this. He opted to stare intently at Sakura, waiting for her to continue.

"I'm not trying to show you up. I just wanted to start off being polite," Sakura angry whispered, herself trying to keep a level head.

"So you can ease me in, huh?" I shot back, drumming my fingers on the table.

Sakura bit her lip, glaring back at me. "I told myself this wasn't a good idea. I never should've asked." She rose from the table, reaching for her coat. "Excuse me."

"Wait," Syaoran said, holding a hand out to stop her. "No, sit."

Giving him a peculiar look, Sakura sat back down again. She took a deep breath, and began again. "Listen, when I heard about what your parents had done to you…" she shook her head as her voice trailed off. She coughed and began again. "I couldn't dare imagine what kind of unbelievable decision you had to make."

Syaoran didn't feel he could say anything. He stared at her emerald eyes shimmering with tears, feeling like all he wanted to do was grab her, hold onto her and never let go.

Sakura continued. "I can't say I completely forgive you, how could I when you left me without a word? I could understand why you left, but I can't understand how you dealt with it." She looked up at him.

"I don't need you to forgive me," Syaoran said, his voice low. "I just want you to know how sorry I am."

Sakura closed her eyes, not opening them as she spoke. "I'm not pressing charges, Syaoran."

Syaoran's eyes widened. "What? But I could've killed you, and… and Meiko," he still couldn't place her name on his lips correctly. It felt strange.

Sakura's eyes opened, not a hint of emotion tracing her face. "We weren't killed. And she's recovering. I-I don't know what've happened if they didn't find… the cancer… when they did." Sakura trembled, her hands tight around the mug.

"Sakura…" Syaoran's voice trailed off. He looked at her, and suddenly had a flashback. He saw the eighteen year-old Sakura, so scared and unsure, her eyes innocent. The Sakura ten years later was different, yet the same. She matured, her face soft but aged with worry. Syaoran looked down as Sakura looked at him again.

"Look, Syaoran," Sakura sighed. "I-I just think things would be better off how they were. I doubt you'd want to be thrown into this stress. And I can afford the medical expenses and everything. Just go back to living your life, and I'll do the same. Meiko won't know a thing."

Sakura felt strange as she spoke these words. It was as if she had to let go again, and she was never good at it. But somehow, over the course of ten years, she had become more definite with it.

Syaoran couldn't face this. No, no, he had nothing in his life anymore—what did he have to lose? He couldn't lose something so important again. No, this time he wasn't running away.

He said it so quietly that Sakura wasn't sure if she heard him right.

"I want to be a part of Meiko's life."

-

Thanks for the continuing support, everyone! If you are a fan of the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer, I'd appreciate it greatly if you checked out my new story! I will try to update more often, I know how much I suck at timing. I love you guys!