In this chapter, assume that they're speaking in English, not Japanese, and that's why they're not using honorifics most of the time.

.o0o.

Tomoyo gulped.

My secretary nearly choked me with a hug when I told her that I was going for a short vacation in England. She, like others, had been worried about me. She also hadn't said anything about being worried about me, but then again, if she had, I would have snapped at her. It didn't take long at all to arrange for a trip. Now I was in London, for two reasons.

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. If she didn't do this now, she would regret it forever. She didn't need to be magical to know that she had come to the right place. She just knew. It was up to her to make things right.

One: I really did need a vacation. I needed time to think things out, to relax, to recuperate, and to grieve for my mother instead of just pushing the sorrow aside.

With carefully controlled fear and a fake smile on her face (that for once she knew to be fake), Tomoyo knocked on the wood door. She waited.

Two: I needed to find him.

And it opened.

"Hello? May I help you?" said a woman. She was beautiful, with long red hair and soft brown eyes that cared. She was obviously not young, but she looked like it. If not for the worldly air that accompanied her kindness, nobody would know that she was older than she seemed to be.

Tomoyo let out a sigh of relief. "Hello, Mizuki-sensei. I'm Daidouji Tomoyo. Do you remember me?"

Kaho gasped. "Hello! I haven't seen you in so long! It's wonderful to see you again! I'm glad you decided to visit! But why are you…" The smile slipped away from her face, turning into a look of worry. "Tomoyo, are you here for-"

"Kaho, who is it?" asked a voice from inside the house.

Tomoyo froze. Her instincts hadn't been wrong.

Kaho wordlessly moved aside to let Tomoyo's eyes meet Eriol's, and both of them stared.

Their reveries were interrupted, thankfully, by Kaho. "Tomoyo, would you like to come in for some tea? I was just about to make some."

Tomoyo snapped out of it to smile at Kaho. "I would love tea, thank you."

"Come with me, then. I'm guessing you asked Sakura for my address?"

"I still had our letters, so I just looked at those and hoped you still lived here. It's a very nice little apartment. By the way, what are you wearing?"

Eriol hung back as they began to chatter about fashion, something he had little to do with. He watched them – well, watched Tomoyo – in deep thought.

It was very awkward in that room. I did love to speak with Kaho. It was uplifting to see such a familiar face from the Cardcaptor days, so long ago. But at the same time, I could not help but wonder. I had known, somehow, to go to Kaho, but I hadn't expected him to be there with her. Why was he there? My head was spinning in confusion. I knew I couldn't hold off speaking with him much longer, and unfortunately for me, Kaho knew this as well.

"Would you wait with Eriol in here while I make tea?" Kaho asked lightly. Tomoyo nodded, sitting in a chair. Eriol did the same. Kaho left the room, smiling.

Silence lingered for a moment or two. Then Tomoyo gathered up her courage and spoke.

"I'm not happy."

Eriol was startled, but didn't show it. Tomoyo knew, and pressed on.

"I thought I was. I thought I had to be. I've always been like that. I was brought up in a world where I had to be the perfect businesswoman's daughter. The perfect best friend. The perfect company president. The perfect fashion designer. I was so perfect, that I told myself I was perfect."

"So then you come along. And you don't say anything in front of others, but you let me knew that you can tell I'm imperfect. And I lie to myself, and I say that I am perfect. Because I had to be. Because I have to be. I hated you for pointing out what I knew to be truth, but I told myself, with another lie, that I hated you for accusing me of being what I wasn't. Don't you see? I was so stupid. You were right all along. I pushed you away for it. But I don't want that at all."

"You're the only one I know who can actually see that I'm not perfect. I thought I hated you for it. Eriol…" Tomoyo's voice cracked slightly. "I never hated you for it. Not once. Just the opposite, actually. And let's add another lie to the list, because I denied that. And now look. I chased you away to England. But I need you back."

"I'm desperate, Eriol. My life sucks, having to work so hard all the time, even if I love designing. My best friend just moved far away and won't need me as much anymore now that she has her love. My own mother just died in a fire, and I've given myself no time to grieve. And I'm jealous of my best friend for having her own love, when I've been loveless my whole life. I didn't even realize all of this until you made me realize it. And while it makes me depressed and pained to know that I feel this way, I'm glad I do, because it's better than working myself to death almost literally to be perfect, which I'm not."

"Without you, I know it'll happen again. I'll make myself perfect again, and drive myself to the point where I collapse. I might not be so lucky next time it happens. You wouldn't be there to pick me up again, to make me realize that I was lying to myself. I need you. Partly because of that. Partly because you have the best cinnamon cookie recipe I know. But mostly… To have you leave is like losing you. And you saw what losing my mother did to me. I came here to find you, Eriol, because I love you."

Tomoyo looked up at him. Her pleasant smile was replaced by a face of sorrow. Tears were forming in her eyes, and she didn't stop them from falling. At the sight of her, Eriol winced and looked away. He couldn't meet her eyes.

"I'll be right back," he said quietly. He rose to leave.

Her soft hand grabbed his wrist, halting him.

"You can't. For whatever reason, you can't let yourself love me. Am I right?"

He didn't say anything.

"Don't curse my good observing when yours is just as good. You can't fool me. Something's wrong. It's your turn. Why can't you take that risk?"

Slowly Eriol sat back down, still refusing to meet her eyes.

"Kaho," she said quietly.

"I thought I loved her, and she thought she loved me. But she only loved Clow, not Eriol. And I only thought I loved her because it was prophesized that I would. I prophesized it myself. I thought I couldn't be wrong, but I was. I refuse to hurt you in case I'm wrong again."

"You didn't prophesize it. Clow did. And Clow prophesized so much else that was wrong. He thought Sakura-chan would love Yukito-san, but now she and Li-kun are happily married, while Yukito-san and her older brother love each other."

"I still can't take that risk."

"Because you're terrified of that risk. You foresee everything, and so no risk happens. But now, it's either risk, or no risk."

"I won't be wrong," Eriol said again, now sharp. His blue eyes turned, piercing hers with a glare.

Tomoyo glared at him with her own amethyst eyes. "I don't care if you think you're wrong."

He was so surprised that he jumped.

"First, I can tell that you're entirely right. You think I don't know? You can see right through all my lies. Well, I can see through yours. Second, even if you are wrong, which you're not, I'm entirely in love with you. Did you ever hear this quote? Better to have loved and lost than never loved at all. I believe that. If we take a risk and it turns out for the worst, so be it. I'll take that guilt upon myself, for being the one to tell you to take it. And third, I need you anyway. So take the damn risk with me. Please. I love you. You've been hurt by that betrayal of your own heart in the past, but I want to help you get past that. I love you, I love you, I love you, and I don't want you to be so far away. You… You don't have to be the perfect, all-knowing sorcerer, Eriol."

When she stopped speaking, they were suddenly aware that their faces had gotten very close.

Neither of them knew exactly who began it, but suddenly their lips met. Both of them let the kiss speak for itself, apologizing, hoping, loving in ways that words just couldn't quite say.

They parted, and smiled.

"I think I do love you, Tomoyo," Eriol murmured, before kissing her again.

Everything would finally be alright.

.o0o.

It was so tempting to end it right there, when their eyes first met, but that would be too short a chapter. However, if not for the length, I would have. I am that evil. So, enjoy it? Review for me, please!