Hey... Sorry for taking so long to update... I got grounded... (mumbles some vulgarities that the readers don't really want to hear).

But anyway... I know that I said that the next few chapters would be depressing, but I just COULDN'T DO IT! I couldn't put the characters through so much pain (sniff). I will try and dilute some of the humour back into the story. To be perfectly honest, I tried to make it as depressing as possible, but it turned out not as depressing as I had hoped.

Oh, and people have been asking if someone :coughSyaorancough: will commit suicide, and the answer is NO! I wouldn't do that to my second favourite character! (Sakura is my favourite :P) No one in this story will die... that I have planned, anyway. But I haven't planned all the fic yet... We'll just see what comes along, ok?

Thank you to the following reviewers:

youkaigirl64, thereviewergirl, kenshinlover, SxSLova, daddieslittlestar, MzEvilBlossoms, Marine Brother Shran, yukyungtang, Snow Blossom, Sam, XoXoMoon TribalXoXo, ffgirl-07, disturbed tammi, asiangirl668, Kenshoumaru, and last but not least, Cherryblossom93

Chapter 8

The Butterfly Necklace

"No thanks." Syaoran said, in such a deadpan voice that made Sakura almost burst out into tears, "I'm fine on my own."

"Well, we wanna spend some time to you." Sakura found herself blurting out. She didn't know what made her do it, but she sat down next to him, and slung her arm around his shoulder. Meiling gave her a funny look, but did the same on the other side of him.

Yeah." She said softly, "Can't we stay?"

"Please?" Sakura added, battering her eyelids in a way that he usually laughed at whenever he saw her doing it to her friends. This earned a small chuckle from him, and Meiling's eyes lit up.

"I get why she might want to," He indicated Meiling, "But why the hell are you bothering with me? I thought you hated me."

"I don't hate you, hate you." Sakura tried to explain, truthfully, "It's like... I dunno! I guess I'm too competitive for my own good." She frowned.

"Ok, I accept your apology." Syaoran smirked, and Sakura did quite a good impression of a fish. Her mouth opened and closed in outrage. She removed her arm, as she was restraining herself from saying something nasty.

"Hey! I'm only joking!" Syaoran said defensively, laughing at her. Sakura dawned on it, and began to giggle along with Syaoran and Meiling. Then, when the laughter stopped, Syaoran looked as if he became depressed all over again.

"It's just..." He said suddely, after a few minutes, "I dunno... I guess I feel that, instead of them... I should have been-"

"Syaoran, don't be rediculous!" Meiling shreiked, temporarily forgetting Sakura's presence, "If you were about to say what I think you were about to say, then it's a truckload of shit! There is no way that you were meant to be in that ambulance!"

"That's what you think..." He said, trailing off at the end, "I'm entitled to my opinion."

"Syaoran," Sakura said, forgetting that she wasn't supposed to know, "If you were in that ambulance, you would have died! You should be thankful that you're still alive! It's no one's fault! It was an accident!"

"How d'you know?" He demanded harshly, terrifying her.

"I... I... I..." Sakura stuttered.

"I told her." Meilng stepped up bravely, "And I was well within my rights to, Syaoran. They were my family too!" She was almost hysterical. Sakura blinked at her, her eyes saying 'Meiling, sit the fuck down...'. Amazingly, Meiling looked at her eyes, and seemed to get the message. She sat down without a word.

"I see..." Syaoran became envelloped in his depression again. Everything was silent for a few minutes, before Meiling stood up, and motioned Sakura to follow her. Sakura got up, curious, and followed Meiling out into the hallway.

"Sakura, I need to go make sure someone is taking care of dinner." She said quietly, "I need you to manage a few minutes alone with Syaoran without snapping at him. Can you do that?" Sakura nodded.

"Yes... but why did you bring me out here to tell me that?" Sakura asked, confused.

"Well, I also wanted to tell you something..." Meiling trailed off. Sakura perked up.

"What?"

"Well... Syaoran's gonna kill me if he ever finds out that I've told you... but... do you know why he competes with you?" Meiling asked.

"He hates me?" Sakura guessed, "He feels that he has to be the best of everything? He thinks I'm not good enough to be better than him?"

"No," Meiling shook her head, "It's because he wants your attention. He didn't want you to become competitive."

"So?" Sakura asked, not getting the point.

"He likes you, Sakura." Meiling said bluntly, "He has for a long time. I wouldn't go as far as to say he loves you, but he definately likes you."

"No way! Nuh-uh!" Sakura shook her head vigorously, "There is no way that's true!"

"It is. He even went as far as to tell me so." Meiling said, calmy as you please, "He just acts like he hates you. You can bet when he found out you were sharing the bed, he was secretly jumping for joy. His outbreak was all an act. I just thought I'd tell you, so you don't say the wrong thing." Sakura was lost for words. She was just gaping like a fish.

"Well, I'm gonna get downstairs and check on everyone..." Meiling said after a few seconds, "Stay in there." She left, and Sakura finally came out of her stupor. Nervous for some reason, she went inside.

Syaoran was still sitting in the same position in which they left him. It looked as if he hadn't moved. Sakura made a move to sit down next to him, but he stood up.

"I've been thinking... I want to show you something." He said bluntly, "I don't care how much you dislike me. I'm giving it to you." Sakura was taken aback. What the hell was he on about?

"What is it?" She asked, as he pulled out a little box from one of his drawers.

"It's a necklace." He said, pulling it out, "The one Fuutie was wearing when she died." Sakura gasped.

It didn't look as if it was ever worn. The chain was made of perfect ovals of gold, linking perfectly with the next. The pedant... The pendant was rather large, but beautiful. It was dropped a little bit below the chain. It was shaped like a butterfly, with pink daimonds, blue topaz, and amethyst set in it. The amethyst was on the outside of the design, and made up the outline of the wings. The blue topaz made up the inside of the wings, with a very small pink daimond in the top of each wing. The centre of the butterfly was made out of a small bit of gold. It glittered in the evening light coming in through the window, and cast rainbows on Sakura's face as she gazed at it. It was beautiful.

"You like it?" He asked, a small hint of a smile on his face as he set it in her hands so she could have a closer look.

"It's..." She was at a loss for words, "It's beautiful..." She handed it back to him. He smiled at her, and made his way behind her. It was not an I'm-gonna-get-you smile, like it usually was, either. It was a smile that showed that he was sincere.

"I thought you'd like it." He whispered, just loud enough for her to hear. He lifted her thick hair off her neck, and then Sakura felt him slide the chain around her neck.

"What are you doing?" Sakura asked, nervous. She felt him let go of the chain, and drop her hair.

"You can have it." He turned her around, and looked at the necklace, "Think of it as an early birthday present." Sakura shook her head.

"I can't..." She whispered, "It was your sister's... You keep it."

"I don't want it." Syaoran said quietly, more emotional than ever, "My parents don't want it. It just brings them pain. They told me to get rid of it, but I couldn't just sell it... You keep it." Sakura shook her head, "I'm not giving you a choice, Kinomoto. Plus, you remind me of Fuutie. And it looks good on you." At hearing the sincerity in his voice, Sakura's resolve finally caved.

"Thank you." She smiled, and kissed him on the cheek. A quick, friendly peck.

"Come on," He nodded towards the door, colour rising in his cheeks, "Let's go downstairs." Sakura nodded, and followed him, closing the door behind her. She smiled, and gave Meiling the thumbs up when she saw her.

"I'm gonna go talk to Meiling for a sec." Syaoran said quietly, and left Sakura in the lounge room. Sakura sat down with a nod, and picked up a nearby magazine as Syaoran went into the kitchen.

KITCHEN

"Wow." Meiling was surprised, "I guess she isn't so bad after all, huh?"

"Yeah... But I dunno..." Syaoran pondered, "At least she's nicer to me."

"Did you give her Fuutie's necklace?" Meiling asked, "I think I saw it on her neck."

"Yup."

"Why?"

"I dunno..." Syaoran trailed off again, "I just did."

"Well," Meiling beamed, "Just keep playing at it like that, and Sakura will like you in no time. Maybe she can even help you get over your sister's death..."

"I doubt it."

"Come on, Syaoran..." Meiling pleaded, "Let it go... They're gone. It's time you moved on. I don't think your sisters wanted you to live like this." Syaoran pulled a pained face, and left the room.

LOUNGE ROOM (11:37pm)

Sakura and Syaoran were channel surfing on Meiling's TV. The rest of the people in the mansion had gone to bed about a half an hour ago.

"Oh, man!" Syaoran burst out from his spot on the floor, leaning on the seat of the lounge, "There's over eighty channels, and there's absolutely nothing to watch!"

"Shh!" Sakura scolded him, "You'll wake everyone up!" Syaoran made a face at her, and she laughed. It was strange. They had actually gotten along today. It wasn't just Sakura that was making an effort. Syaoran was, too. They had laughed at each other doing stupid things for an audience, but that was about it.

Syaoran finally got bored with the remote, and shut the TV down.

"Sakura..." Syaoran began.

"Yeah?" She leaned forward, from sitting on the lounge, and rested her chin on his shoulder. Syaoran fought the blush threatening to creep up his neck.

"There's something I've wanted to tell you for a while..."

Ha! I'm gonna be mean and leave it there. Then I won't update! Ever! Mwahahahahaha:cough: Um... Well, God is punishing me, so I'll update...

Eventually.

Not too soon, though.

Maybe in six months.

Or years.

Depends.

Review.

Then maybe I'll consider updating earlier.

I need 15 reviews from THIS CHAPTER to update again.

Considering I got 16 for the last one, it doesn't seem so much, does it?