Disclaimer:

Cardcaptor Sakura does not belong to me. CLAMPS owns it.

The song 'Distant Shouts' is owned by Little Children

Summary:

Sakura was separated for years from her family, that it nearly makes her lose hope to reunite with her loved ones. But like everyone believes: miracle happens. Even though there will always be something obstructs on the way or at the end.

EDGE OF DESIRE

Chapter 2 - Distant Shouts

Walking on the winter streets at night, emptiness revealed; reaching out for the love you lost against your will. - Little Children

A woman in her mid forty's sat silently in front of fireplace. Her long black hair was blown softly by the wind coming through the window. There was an album on her hands, showing many pictures of a little girl with auburn hair. Her teardrops were falling slowly that it dampened the surface of the pictures.

It had been fifteen years...

The huge brown door of the large venue was creaked, revealing the figure of her husband. He went to her and put his hands on her shoulders, aware of what she was doing.

"Nadeshiko."

Nadeshiko turned to her husband with tears streaming down her face, "It's been fifteen years, Fuji."

Fujitaka looked at his wife with the same misery on his face.

"I could not sleep peacefully, i could not do anything right all this time. There was not a second that i did not think about our daughter." She sobbed hardly.

Fujitaka reached his wife into his embrace and stroked her hair, "I know, Nadeshiko. Me too. But it's already been fifteen years. I have done anything to find our Sakura. But we still can't even find her trace."

Nadeshiko quickly looked up at Fujitaka with hurt flashing in her eyes. "What do you mean? You have given up on our daughter?"

"I didn't mean that way, Nadeshiko." Fujitaka sighed softly.

Nadeshiko stiffened. Her voice was trembling so much as she spoke, "I will never stop looking for our daughter. I have to find Sakura! No matter what will happen, no matter what it will cost, even though without you in it!"

Fujitaka looked desperate. He really had done every effort to find his daughter. But Sakura just like vanished into thin air in that accident - until this very second.

A brown vintage telephone in that room suddenly rang. Fujitaka rose up to answer it.

"How is it? Okay. Don't act reckless. Tell them to move out from that place as soon as possible. Do it carefully." Fujitaka frowned as he listened to his staff's reports.

"Otou-saaann, okaa-saaan." A young girl with a raven silk hair suddenly burst into the room and hugged Nadeshiko abruptly.

Fujitaka stroked Tomoyo's head lovingly, "How was your day at university, honey?"

Tomoyo huffed and pouted, "There's someone annoyed me today. She ruined my day."

"Who dared to mess with my dearest daughter? Tell me." Fujitaka narrowed his eyes, mocking threat. He loved Tomoyo like his own daughter. Tomoyo was the only daughter of Sonomi and Kazuhiro Daidouji. They had died in a car accident fifteen years ago. Sakura had been with them at that time. Both of their bodies had been found on the spot, but not Sakura's. Since then, Tomoyo had been raised by the Kinomotos. Even all Tomoyo knew was that she was the real daughter of Fujitaka and Nadeshiko. Even though Nadeshiko loved Tomoyo, still she could not replace Sakura in her heart. She was still longing for her own daughter.

Tomoyo just shrugged, "People like that do not deserve my precious time."

"That's my daughter. Don't let them bother and ruin your day."

Tomoyo turned to her mother who had been silent and distant. Her mother had always been like that. She knew what her mother was thinking: the memories of her lost older sister. Even if Tomoyo did not remember her own sister, but she really hoped that her sister would come back to them soon. She always said her prayer every night and then. She knew that it was almost impossible to hope now. But she really wanted to see her mother happy. She wanted her sister back.

Sakura had been forced to get rests by the Sisters the whole weekend. She had spent lots of her times in her room. Even though she preferred to use her times for working part time in the coffee shop like she did every day, or other things that more useful than lying on the bed. All Sisters had scolded her for having a lot of works than continuing her study. It was their responsibility to worry about the money, not hers. But she was still Sakura, the stubborn one.

She sat on the edge of her bed, staring through the window. It was already December, and the weather started to get colder. Snow had not come yet til next month. She gazed as the trees' leaves were blown by the chill wind.

It had been fifteen years she had lived in this place. This was indeed her home. She loved and was loved by the sisters and other foster children. But deep inside in her heart, she always felt empty. She still longed for her real family.

There was a whisper in her heart, telling that something was waiting for her in the near future. That was why she always kept being the optimistic one and full of hope. She believed that little voice.

Her hands trailed down on her neck. She stared at the pendant which was hung to the necklet. A beautiful emerald pendant, with a K letter carved inside. Sister Maeda said that the pendant had already been there since the accident.

Sakura always thought that this might be one of the ways to help her find her real family. But sometimes she was in doubt. She was supposed to be grateful that she already got all people who loved her. She should not ask for more.

She sighed and went out of her room. She strode to the living room, where there was a grand black piano stood in the dark. A philanthropist had once granted it to the orphanage. She liked this piano. She always played it with the other children.

She smiled and touched the keys. A soft melody began to echo in the whole room. Her slender fingers were moving gently on it. She sighed. This melody might be the other one that she remembered of her past, beside the accident flash. She did not know where it came from. This melody had been in her brain since ever.

"Playing the Yoru no Uta again?"

Sakura was startled from her short daydream and looked up. She smiled to see Kei Arai, one of the foster children in this orphanage. He was the closest one to Sakura. Perhaps it was because their ages were not far adrift. She was only two years older from him.

Kei sat beside her and stared at her. His eyes were full of worries. "Saki onee-san, are you already feeling better?"

"I'm fine, Kei-kun. Thank you for always worrying about me." Sakura smiled softly.

"You should have let me help you. I could find a part time job." Kei sighed.

Sakura chuckled silently and went back to her piano, "You better study harder, Kei-kun. You want to go to Tomoeda University for your archaeological studies, right?"

"At least you have to visit hospital." Kei emphasized. There was urgency in his voice. "You have always seemed tired and faint since a few months ago."

"It's just your feeling. Don't worry too much, Kei-kun." Sakura ensured him. She then started to play the song again.

Kei was just silent and watched her graceful play. "You are the most important person in my life, onee-san. I did not know what i would be if you weren't there for me."

Sakura kept her sight at the black and white keys. "You would keep going on with your life, with or without me, Kei-kun. It was just the God decided to put me in your life."

Kei smiled. This young woman beside him was his role model. He admired her strength, endurance and patience throughout life, despite her fragile appearance. He had pledged that he would always protect her.

Their peaceful moment was interrupted when Sister Nagano appeared and called Sakura, "Saki-chan, Sister Maeda wants to talk to you."

Sakura nodded and went to Sister Maeda's room. The old lady was reading something when she arrived. Sister Maeda looked up and smiled to see her. "My dear, Saki. How are you?"

"I have already recovered, Sister. Please don't mind my health. You should care more about your own, Sister."

Sister Maeda neared Sakura and held her hands. Her old eyes shimmered by the tears that she was trying to hold. "You are too kind, my child. Ever since i took care of you here, you never showed any egoistical demeanor. You always put the others before yourself. You should stop worrying others and start to concern about your own self, my child."

Sakura smiled and said softly, "I am here right now, because of your kindness and the others', Sister. I, at least, have to do something to repay for it."

Sister Maeda's face suddenly turned sorrowful. "Saki, there is something that i need to tell you. But you must keep this secret. Nobody can know about this. Only you and Sister Nagano will do."

Sakura nodded, although her eyes glowed in confusion. What had made Sister Maeda this sad and worried?

Sister Maeda sighed deeply, "Some men came here yesterday and told us to move from this place. They give us three months. This land has been sold to a big company, and they want to make the largest recreation park in Japan here.

Sakura was startled and lost for words. She felt herself sinking. The only shelter she had, where she could feel love and happiness, would be taken from her.

How about the other nuns and children? This couldn't be happened. Sakura dreadfully thought.

"Which company that wants us out from this orphanage, Sister?" Her voice sounded shaken. Her teeth were gritted.

Sister Maeda sighed and answered, "The Kinomoto Group."

Tomoyo huffed as she shut off her car and pulled the keys out of the ignition. She grabbed her purse and got out of her red Lambhorgini, her birthday present from her parents this year. She walked fast into the building and soon the sight of bustles in the hospital welcomed her. She usually did not fancy visiting hospital, but she made exception today. Only for that man. Tomoyo grumbled inwardly.

"Tomoyo?"

Tomoyo turned around and found her brother in his white coat. She burst to hug him, "Onii-chan!"

Touya chuckled and patted her head, "What are you doing here? Don't you like hospital?"

"I want to see Eriol. Do you know where he is?" Tomoyo grinned.

"If i'm not mistaken, new interns are in the meeting room at fourth floor." Touya answered. "They are having a..."

He had not even finished his sentence, Tomoyo had already run to the elevator, "See you later, onii-chan!"

Touya sighed and walked back to his office. Some medical staffs bowed to him as he strode along. He rolled his eyes at the scene when two senior surgeons paid him respects as well. He knew that they did that merely because he was the grandson of the late Takahiro Kinomoto, the highly respected businessman in Asia, and the owner of this Tomoeda Hospital.

His whole family had not expected him to be a surgeon at first. They had been against him. But he had proved them that he could run his medical career, without abandoning his responsibility as the heir of both Kinomoto and Amamiya Group. Being a surgical oncologist was still his main goal. No one could ever stop him.

Touya suddenly felt a soft embrace in his back. He turned to find a red haired woman beaming at him. "Hi, there, Mr. Life Saver."

"Kaho." Touya chuckled and kissed the forehead of his girlfriend. "Am i missing our date?"

"Nearly. I better catch you up, than throw tantrums on you later." Kaho giggled. They walked slowly to the porch. It was already sunset and yet the hospital was still busy as ever. "We have an appointment with the dressmaker one hour from now."

Touya nodded quietly. He smiled when Kaho leaned on his shoulders as they were enjoying moments the sun setting.

"I know you miss and always think about her, right, Touya?" asked Kaho.

Touya froze. This woman always knew what he was thinking. It was like she broke through his brain.

He sighed softly. He felt like something hard fell on his chest. A blur image of an auburn haired girl crossed his mind. He did not realize that a crystal droplet dripping from his eyes. "Do you think she's still alive?"

Kaho asked back, "What do you think yourself?"

He gritted his teeth, trying not to let out a shaken voice. "I don't know, Kaho. There's something that always tell me she is still there. She is still alive. But she never comes back."

"Even i almost forgot how she looked like." He whispered desperately.

Kaho smiled. She lifted her head to face and look him in the eye, "You should believe in your heart, Touya. If your heart says that she's still alive, then she is."

Touya nodded and smiled. Kaho squeezed his hand, assuring him that there was still hope. Everything was possible.

Tomoyo sneaked into the large meeting venue, where dozens of interns were concentrating on the attending's lecture. She narrowed her eyes to find a certain dark blue haired man in the pack. She grinned as she spotted the stocky figure of her bestfriend, Eriol Hiiragizawa. She then quietly crept to the back seat and waited for the lecture to end.

She smiled as she Eriol intensely paying attention to the lecturer. These were part of the busy life of the medical practitioners. She knew it well, since her brother had been once like Eriol too. The road to be a great surgeon cost a lot of times. There were merely opportunities for being with family and friends. So then she decided, if Eriol could not make time for her, she would make it. He was her bestfriend, for God's sake. They had been together since their childhoods. There had been no time she had not spent with him.

Tomoyo waved cheerfully when Eriol got up from his seat. Tomoyo did not heed the other interns who greeted her. She ran to Eriol and hugged him.

"Hello, there." Eriol chuckled when her bestfriend bursting into him.

Tomoyo folded her arms and narrowed her eyes to him, "I'm already here now, so you don't have any other excuses to not spend some time with me."

Eriol just smiled to her, "Anything pleases you, princess."

"Then let's go." Tomoyo grinned and held his left arms.

"Two portions of blueberry pancake, with vanilla ice cream and chocochips, and please put peach and strawberry as additional toppings. No whipped cream. And two mojitos as well." Eriol said quickly without thinking to the waiter. They went to a pancake house across the hospital.

Tomoyo smiled as her eyes glowing, "You exactly remember my favorite."

"I've been here with you thousand times, and you always order the same thing." Eriol said. Tomoyo indeed liked this restaurant. This place had been opened since Eriol had had his first internship days at Tomoeda Hospital. By that time, she had dragged him here practically everyday.

"Yeah, that was when you were not busy like now." Tomoyo pouted. "To meet you was just like to have an appointment with a president."

Eriol was silent. He just stared at the amethyst eyed beauty in front of him.

"I miss the times when you always had times for me." Tomoyo sighed wistfully. Her eyes were distant. "Everybody changes."

Eriol turned his sight to the pancakes that had just been served by the waiter. He could not stand to see her sad. "You already have Syaoran, Tomoyo."

"But it's not the same." She shook her head sadly.

Eriol raised his left eyebrows. He did not know why his heart leapt a bit when Tomoyo spoke. He snapped himself back to focus to the lady before him.

"Beside, he is really busy nowadays." Tomoyo kept her sad face as Eriol's hope was down again. "You know, the K&L Hotel project. The elders asked him to start handling the real business."

Eriol surely knew about that. Syaoran was his cousin. The elders had also asked him to do the same. But he had requested more time, as he wanted to prioritize his medical career. He wanted like Touya, who could do excellent both in his passion and responsibility.

"Anyway, the elders have agreed that we are going to get engaged on this June." said Tomoyo with a glowing face.

How Eriol wished that the 'we' referred to him. But reality came to hit him in a second. He dropped his cutlery as his eyes widened, "What? Engaged? Isn't it too early?"

"I knew you would say that." Tomoyo huffed. "The elders decided it. Besides, i think it will be much better actually."

"What?"

Tomoyo sighed again. "I don't know. I'm just afraid that i will lose him, Eriol."

Eriol was startled. That was it. The thing that he had always been afraid of. But he reached and held her hands anyway. His eyes softened, "You will never lose anything, Tomoyo. Trust me."

Tomoyo forced a smile. It was inevitable weird feeling that she always felt whenever he was around. Which she hoped to not exist.

Sakura was brooding over the way to the university. The thing that Sister Maeda had told her earlier never left her mind. Luckily her feet automatically brought her to her workplace.

She sighed as she thought about it over again. Her only place to stay was being cruelly seized. Where would she and the others stay?

Her musing was disturbed when suddenly she found left piece of a black high heels stomped on the broom that she was holding to clean the alley. She looked up to see the no other than the young heiress of Kinomoto grinning at her.

Kinomoto... The people who were about to snatch what she had.

"Oops, I'm sorry. I didn't see it coming." Tomoyo mocked an innocent voice though her feet kept stomping on the broom. Her little troops were giggling behind her.

Sakura glared at her. Her sight accidentally dropped on to the amber eyed man behind Tomoyo. He stared at them coldly and nonchalantly. She decided to not heed them and grabbed the broomstick quickly.

Tomoyo frowned cynically. She snorted and snapped. "Didn't i say i am sorry earlier? Don't you know how to respond well to somebody that apologizing to you?"

One of the giggling girls stepped forward and snatched Sakura's hair. She snapped, "Answer Tomoyo, you moron!"

Tomoyo laughed sarcastically, "Don't mind her. A poor and low person like her would never know a thing about manners. Let's just go."

Sakura froze. Her body trembled in anger.

Tomoyo stopped for a while as she walked past Sakura and whispered, "How miserable."

Sakura felt herself boiling in wrath. She would never give in against people like Tomoyo and her family, who could do anything that they liked, without considering the others. Her gaze fell to Syaoran.

They are no different, Sakura thought.

"Is it appropriate for a student who comes from a noble family, to say something like that?" Sakura said coldly. She tried hardly not to rise her voice.

Tomoyo was startled and turned to her. She suddenly felt anger filled her being. Her face started to redden.

"Even a poor, low, miserable, person who knows nothing about manner like me, knows how to say appropriate things." Sakura gritted her teeth. She held her head high, as Tomoyo kept glaring at her.

Tomoyo started to tremble and pant. "You!" She was about to fly her hand to Sakura's face when Syaoran stopped her. Tomoyo turned to glare at Syaoran.

Syaoran looked at her. His voice was flat when he said, "You already said that."

Tomoyo kept glaring at him. All people in the hallway stopped to see the scene. "What?"

"You said that she is a poor and low person. How could you foul your hand by touching her?" Syaoran stared at her with no expression.

Sakura glared at him. Was she that low to them? Tears started to stream on her cheeks without her realizing it. She turned her feet and ran, breaking through the crowd. Why did she have to cry in front of them?

Her feet brought her to a quiet park behind the university. She sank herself in a bench. Her tears were spilling. She started to break down.

Did she begin to not stand the loads? Was it going too much for her? The orphanage and the jobs.

She was supposed to handle all of it. She was the oldest in the orphanage, for God's sake. If she was like this, how could she protect her family?

She kept sobbing and did not notice a person nearing her. She was just aware when the person thrusted a hand holding a piece of handkerchief. She looked up and saw Syaoran standing beside her, still with his poker face.

"If you keep rubbing your eyes like that, it will get swollen. Use this instead."

Sakura sat still and looked down. She was still crying silently, made her hiccups.

Syaoran sighed and moved up his hands to her face impatiently. He wiped her tears away from her cheeks softly.

She was shocked at this sudden behaviour of his. Had it been him who had said she was indeed the low person one?

"I'm sorry for talking like that." Syaoran finally spoke. His voice was calm. "Tomoyo would not stop if i did not hold her. Trust me, i know her."

Syaoran was surprised to himself that he suddenly cared to this girl. In these years, as he was in the university, she had always been there. He always saw her. He saw how rude and ruthless his friends and others had treated her. Yet he had not seen what had made her deserved that.

He felt cold attacking his body. He sighed inwardly. How could he respond like this to another woman? He was already betrothed to Tomoyo for God's sake.

Sakura did not know why her tears were blowing up after hearing him. She was supposed to hate him. But it indeed felt serene if there was somebody beside you when you cried. It was better than crying alone. At least, you knew that there was somebody that still cared for you, in a place that was full of people who did not like you.

Sorry for the long waiting, guys!

Thank you very much for the readers who left alerts at the first chapter:

Ro-Chan98: of course, i have a huge plan beside it ;) your questions are answered in this chapter! and about Tomoyo and Syaoran... Well, just please keep anticipating it

Syao Blossoms

Catrina7077

Mishrav Mikura

gamma-rae-star: thank you very much for your review! I really appreciate it