Disclaimer:

I do not own any material from Card Captor Sakura and make no financial profits from this fanfiction.

The song 'Broken' is owned by Lifehouse.

Author's Note: I do not intend any defamation towards the National Police Agency of Japan in this chapter. It is purely imagination.

Summary:

Sakura was separated for years from her family by an accident, 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 10 - Broken

I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing with a broken heart that's still beating. In the pain is there's healing. In your name, I find meaning. So I'm holdin' on, I'm barely holdin' on to you. - Lifehouse

"I'm really sorry, Sister Maeda."

They were in Sister Maeda's room with the other Sisters too. Sakura pasted her sight to the floor as she could not see the disappointment on the elders' eyes. But Sister Maeda shook her head and smiled at the girl, "There is nothing to be forgiven, my dear Saki. You only did what you thought the best for the family." The old woman ensured her softly.

"Now we just need to think and find the solution. As long as we are together, everything will be alright, Saki. This should allow you to understand too that no matter how ugly the situation is, a family should face it and stick together." Sister Nagano chided her, patting the young girl's shoulder.

Sakura nodded weakly. Even though the Sisters had known, she still needed to do something more to help this orphanage. She could not stop thinking as she walked to her new workplace the next day.

The K&L Hotel was located in the middle of the small city, surround the business district. It took her fifteen minutes to get there by bus. She really hoped that she found flexibility there so that she could manage to add more works. Mrs. Kimura had an expatriate acquaintance from United States whose child needed an extensive lesson of Japanese language and since Sakura was proficient enough in English, she had accepted the offer. She was to go to the expatriate's house twice a week and the payment was quite good.

Sakura strode inside the new hotel after having passed the security office and deposited her identity card. She could not seem to close her mouth as she was awestruck by the inner design of the hotel. The baroque architecture formed the hotel building just like the buildings in Europe, just like she had seen in television. This must have been the first building in Tomoeda which applied this style.

"Good morning. Are you Maeda-san?"

Sakura jerked herself from her little muse. A man who was seemingly in his early thirty approached and greeted her kindly. She immediately bowed her head respectfully and held out her hand. "Yes, my name is Saki Maeda, Sir. You must be Ryu Murakami?"

The man nodded and motioned for her to follow him. "I'm the head of human resource and training. Takashi said that you are a quite good employee at his workplace. He also said that you worked in a hotel too before."

"Yes, Sir. I will try my very best too here." Sakura nodded, reassuring her new employer.

"I have no doubt." Murakami smiled. He led her to the staff room at the right wing of the building and introduced her to the other workers. She, along with them, would be given modules such as lodging management, catering services, dining room management and everything else. She was glad enough. It was like going back to school, except this time she was paid.

"Oh, you should meet one of our supervisory boards too." Murakami said as he neared an old man who seemed to be giving explanation about the front office shifts to a chief officer. "Mr. Wei, would you please meet Maeda-san? She is a new trainee here."

The old man turned to them and Sakura lifted her eyebrows softly to see his physical response to Murakami's words. The old man seemed shocked and quickly took a step back from them.

"Mr. Wei, are you alright?" Murakami asked worriedly to see the older man.

Wei kept his eyes planted on Sakura for a moment as he recovered from his shock. "I'm... I'm fine." He stuttered.

"Let me take you to your office." Murakami took Wei's arm and helped the older man to walk as he said to Sakura, "My staffs will help you explain other things, should you have any other questions. Have a good day, Maeda-san."

Sakura nodded to him and said her gratitude. Her eyes still locked at the old man who turned his head occasionally to glance at her as he was being led to his office.

Syaoran sat at the living room of Li Mansion as he was patiently waiting for his mother and Meiling. It was the first week of K&L Hotel opening and his mother had deliberately come from Hongkong to give the first monitoring. They came down soon after that and immediately sped their way off to the hotel.

"Do you have time after we're done from the hotel?" Yelan asked her son. "I haven't gotten anything to give for Touya's birthday. I'm thinking to go to Tokyo looking for it."

He nodded, "I do, okaa-san. I have something to tell you too." He deadpanned and Meiling, who sat next to his mother, sent a sympathetic look to him.

Wei welcomed them once they arrived at the hotel. The hotel seemed to have been running well as Yelan inspected it from the very front door. She also gave a few details which needed to be revised as the old man asked his assistant to note it all. "You look pale, Wei. Are you unwell?" Yelan asked, concerned.

"There's nothing to worry about, Yelan-sama." Wei shook his head, trying to ensure her. "Should we go to the main conference room then?" He led the Lis to the top level of the building.

Syaoran walked beside his mother, providing answers with all her questions regarding the hotel management, as he was one of the managing directors along with Eriol. Meiling was just behind them, muttering about how she had missed her rounds at the hospital. He knew really well that her cousin had no interest at all in the family business and had tried to argue with her parents to allow her uninvolvement, but she had no choice as she was one of the main heirs of the Li Clan.

Once they arrived at the vast venue, he was satisfied with his choice to design it with sakura flower pattern along with the conformed ornaments and accessories. He scanned the venue with a forlorn feeling in his heart. How could he survive a day now without her heart-warming presence?

"Murakami-san? I already arranged the decoration for the next room. Do you still need me here?"

"No, thank you very much, Maeda-san. You can go now."

Syaoran shot up his head as he heard that gentle voice. He could just assume that he was starting to have a mental breakdown and hallucination, but this seemed real; her figure stood not far from him. Sakura looked up at him as well, bearing the same aghast face. What was she doing here?

Meiling, noticing her cousin's distraction, approached him and whispered in his ear, "Go. I can handle your mother."

He forced a small smile to Meiling, as if saying a silent 'thank you' to her. He then grabbed Sakura's arm and sneaked her out of the venue. He found them a small suite and took her inside. "What are you doing here?" He quickly asked once they faced each other.

"You should stop your habit of snatching people around." Sakura mumbled, rubbing her arm. "What am i doing here is not your business. I didn't even know that this place belongs to you and Kinomoto. If i knew, i would not apply for a job here." She retorted.

"Maybe here is better for you than at the university. Tomoyo barely comes here." He sighed, feeling a bit of relief. "Listen, Sakura. I'm going to talk to my mother after this. I will cancel my engagement with Tomoyo."

"And what? Your and her family will take away my job again? Is that what you want?" She asked as her body began to tremble lightly.

"I assure you, your job will be safe, Sakura. Just trust me." He said desperately, put firm hands on her shoulders.

"Why don't you understand that i need you to stay away from me after all those things happened? I am not like you who can easily live your life as you wish! I have responsibility to hold and there are people who rely on me!" She nearly shouted indignantly.

"That is because i want to try!" He raised his voice as well. He would not let what had happened between them, went away just like that. He would fight, whatever it took.

Sakura shook her head. "I need to go. They are going to look for me. It's all over, Li-san. Get it to your head." She said, retreating herself, not noticing that her sudden formal way to address him had hurt him.

Syaoran absent-mindedly responded to his mother queries for recommendation as they strolled around a luxury department store, looking for Touya's gift. He was setting a good speech in his mind, the one which he was going to say to her about his engagement. He was going to need a lot of luck for this. If this would not go well, he needed to think for other alternatives.

"So what is it that you really need to talk about with me?" Yelan asked her son. They had settled for a watch from one of Louis Moinet collections to give to the Kinomoto heir, and they were now having early dinner at an Italian restaurant of her favorite.

Syaoran, who seemed uninterested with his dinner, poking at his food, and took a deep breath before saying, "What i am about to say, might make you go mad and disappointed with me, and the whole clan will be furious. I... I can't marry Tomoyo, okaa-san."

Yelan's eyebrows lifted up a little, her eyes narrowed as she began to induce authoritative air around them; the one she always used whenever she led heated-clan meetings. This did not look good, Syaoran thought.

"Will i be receiving further explanation?" She looked at him sternly.

"I do not love her, okaa-san. She is just like a sister to me. I will never feel something special with her." He explained carefully. "I know that in a huge business clan like our family, love means nothing when it comes to marriage. But i can't do it. I will step off as the main heir of Li Clan and i will take full responsibility for this." He ended his reason, eyeing his mother anxiously, expecting what would her response be.

Yelan tore off her sight from her son, slowly sipping her hibiscus tea. She took a few moments, seemingly weighing her decision of what she would do to her only son. "I have to disagree with some of your statement, son." She began, sending some shiver to the young man in front of her, who resembled her husband so much in every way. "I did not marry your father purely for business agenda. If i could say it, he was the first man i loved. Of course i appreciated the fact that he came from a very respectable family, but i would not let myself be in a marriage where love did not exist. If i did not love him back then, i would not hesitate to turn down his family's handing for marriage."

Syaoran was startled to hear this. Of course he did not know how his parents' marriage had gone, since his father had passed away when he had been a little.

"So if i, myself, had such thought, why should i push my own son through it?" She smiled warmly to him, making him more shocked.

"Then why you promised me to Tomoyo?" He asked skeptically.

"I didn't." His mother denied. "Your father did. I thought you were fine with this arrangement all this time. I'm glad that you said it to me so that we can save a lot of lives." She said jokingly. "You don't have to worry. I will take care of it with the Kinomotos and your elders. You can still be the heir." She chuckled.

Syaoran snorted at her words, but eyeing his mother respectfully, "Thank you, okaa-san."

Yelan smiled and patted his hand, "You're welcome, son."

Sakura cast her eyes down as Sister Maeda had all children gathered in the living room with the other Sisters, revealing the problem which was threatening their orphanage. Sakura could not look at their eyes, seeing disappointment, sadness and anger in them.

"I can get a part time work. My friend's parents own a small restaurant. They should be able to help." Kei managed to say, breaking the disquiet silence following Sister Maeda's disclosure. This was dreadful, not to mention outrageous as well. How could some party so cruelly forced them to leave their own house? Did not they have a heart for the children living here? Were not they ashamed of themselves to pull such trick to vulnerable children?

"We will do too." Aiko and Miho followed him, as Nana agreed with them as well.

Sakura looked up and shook her head furiously, "No, you got to study hard, Kei-kun. I want you to pass the exam."

"Onee-chan, if i can't attend the university this year, there is still next year. But this is bigger than that. We would not have a home if we did not fight, exerted every effort we could afford to do." Kei stated calmly.

Sakura shot her head down. "I'm really sorry. I don't want you guys to be burdened like this." Her sight was getting hazy as her tears leaked.

Miho slid to sit next to Sakura and hugged her, "It's not your fault, onee-chan. Don't blame yourself. We can do and pass this together."

"We can sell the piano." Sakura suggested, her voice still sounded choked.

Sister Maeda shook her head sadly, "No. You really love that piano, Saki. We would never set it for sale." She insisted.

They were silent again, racking their wits for another creative solutions. As the due date was coming closer, they seemed to be running out of options.

Sister Nagano stood up and exhaled, "It's late already, kids. We can wake up earlier tomorrow to discuss about this, but you all need to sleep now." She shooed them from the living room to their own rooms. Tomorrow would never go anywhere.

People always said that you had to love your job in order to maintain a long live career. But Sakura did not have time to do it - not now at least. Being a waitress, a janitor or a housekeeper were not her dreams, even though she did do it sincerely, merely because she needed the money to scrape by. If they could survive through this foreclosure, she promised to herself to resume her life again; going to college, finding out what she was going to do with her life - even though she really wanted to be a lecturer, researcher or musician - and doing everything she had been wanting to do.

She sighed audibly as she eased away that thought. It was not time for daydreaming, she chided herself. Her first days at K&L Hotel had run well. Mostly she spent a lot of times at the kitchen and made rounds to the rooms to clean up. She was glad that even though this hotel was technically owned by the Li Corporations and Kinomoto Group, she never saw any of them here except the other day when she had met Syaoran. But he never came back again. Even though she admitted that she was a bit dejected at that, but she was relieved since that meant she would not have distraction at work.

She mingled well enough with other co-workers and her supervisors. They were kind and helpful whenever she did not understand about some particular things. Especially the man named Wei whom Murakami had introduced to her the other day. He regularly gave Sakura and the other workers considerable amount of bonus nearly every day, which she was really thankful for. But there was something kind of odd with the old man as well. There had been several times she had caught him staring at her, but she could not have deciphered what the looks had been for.

This was one of the times when she might take a rest during the shift. She found a small vacant room near the locker room and settled there. There was something which had caught her mind a few days ago and she thought it could help their problem at orphanage. There was a section in Tomoeda Shimbun - a local newspaper - where the readers could send an article of their opinion about the social situation in the city. She found this most useful for her. She never intended to tarnish anyone's reputation, but she did not have a choice this time. If this could help the orphanage, she would do it. She took out a notebook from her bag and reread what she had already written.

All Japanese know Tomoeda as the satellite town of Tokyo. With all the growing metropolis expansion and thriving business center, Tomoeda is becoming the global city, which is something to be proud of for the local citizen. However beside all the suburban development cultivation, have anyone ever wondered that there are so much other thing of Tomoeda? Such as the education and the welfare of the children?

Approximately three months ago, an orphanage in this little city, received a letter that had been successfully a shock for all the occupants. No one would ever believe that a amusement park would be considered more valuable, compared with the well-being of the vulnerable children in the town. With an extremely short amount of time, the children are forced to move out from their home. Even though there is a solution given, which is to provide some compensation if they still want to live there.

The particular case of the orphanage delivers something to us that there is so much more than meets the eye. That there is still simple, little vulnerable thing we miss or refuse to see and understand. And we must do something to maintain the spirit of kindness if we want to make the world better for ourselves and our children in the future.

She folded the paper and sighed. It was not the end yet.

Kaho Mizuki loved her job very much. Like it was to her fiancee, her work was her life. She loved children and gave them a lot of things to learn, directed them towards their choices for the future. Most of her relatives considered that her job was insignificant, thinking that she was only playing around. But she had it enough already and they needed to have another think coming: she 'was not' playing around.

People knew her as a calm woman. But this time was different. She briskly paced inside the headquarters of Kinomoto Group. On her way to the seventeenth floor, she could not help but feeling bitter. Did we all do business merely for financial gain and nothing else? How many people were there in this building who concerned that 'business' should also have promoted humanity and better life?

She gave brief nods to all employees who greeted her and burst inside her future father-in-law office. Her fiancee was there also, seemingly in anger and then surprised when he saw her. "Kaho, why are you here, sweetheart?" He asked.

She did not answer him, but turned to the honorable business leader in East Asia, Fujitaka Kinomoto. She threw a newspaper which she had been holding since this afternoon to his desk. "I can't believe you are capable of doing something heartless like this, Sir."

Fujitaka lifted one of his eyebrows at the woman's tantrum. Of course he knew what all this was about. The article had successfully ruined his mood today. After venting his anger to his staffs, rebuking them and bringing up even some mere mistakes on their works, he had called his personal assistant to restrain this case to be brought up into media. Surely this would have attracted the press and they would have found something to disfigure Kinomoto Group.

"Kaho, what are you talking about?" Touya raised his voice. Not like his father who responded to this as calm as possible, he had been fumed. That orphaned girl surely had a nerve to mess with his family.

Kaho turned to her fiancee, "I am talking about some poor children who were supposed to think only about their education, instead of going out there, looking for a job and trying to protect their house!" She nearly burst in wrath.

"So, you prefer to side with some strangers than stick with your family?" Touya yelled.

"This is not about taking sides, Touya and i'm sure you understand what i mean. You respond like this only because that young girl has issues with your sister and Li-kun, right?" She ignored the look on Touya's face, "Yes, i know about that. The cat fight has been all over the news now."

She faced Fujitaka back and stated calmly, "I have to admit that this case makes me lose a little of my respect to you, Sir. I know it means nothing to you, but you know how to gain it back." And with that, she spun around, leaving the two gentlemen in thought.

Tomoyo strode her way inside the small coffee shop and looked around for her old friend, "Is Rika here?" She asked a bespectacled girl who stood behind the counter.

The girl looked up and smiled at her, "Yes, she is at her office. Turn left from the most cornered table there." She pointed the direction.

Tomoyo nodded her thanks and continued her steps. She noticed that the blasted girl was not here. The girl must be distraught looking for a job, she snorted to herself.

She knocked the white door where a placard 'Rika Sasaki' being hung up and opened it once she heard her friend's acknowledgment.

"Oh, Tomoyo-chan!" Rika shone up at her, rose up from the chair and hugged her. "I'm so happy to see you."

Tomoyo smiled at her friend, "I'm sorry i just came here now. You didn't update me your pregnancy." She chided good-naturedly.

Rika gestured Tomoyo to sit on a sofa as she asked for Naoko to serve tea. "I don't want to be such a fuss. You are a busy bee!" She laughed. "So, what are you going to tell me? I'm sure you have more to bring here."

Tomoyo snorted, "The gossip indeed spreads fast, doesn't it?" She sighed wearily. "I honestly don't know what to do, Rika."

"Just follow your heart, Tomoyo." Rika patted her friend's hand kindly.

"What do you mean? That damned worker of yours messed with me first. You should fire her like i did, you know. I knew she was a trouble." Tomoyo blurted indignantly.

Rika gasped at her friend, "Tomoyo, i can't do that! Saki-chan is a kind and hard working girl. I personally adore her so much."

"Everyone is blinded by her." Tomoyo shook her head in disbelief.

"You know, Tomoyo. Maybe this predicament may enlighten you a bit." Rika smiled.

"How?"

"Hmm. Maybe Syaoran is not suited for you." Rika confided.

"Please, Rika, don't turn against me. I'm your friend." Tomoyo growled, glaring at her.

"I'm indeed your friend, and that's why i don't want to see you hurting like this because of someone who never feels the same as you." Rika told emphatically. When her friend just looked at her distraughtly, she eventually said, "I think Eriol-kun fits you more." She winked.

Tomoyo reddened madly at her friend's statement. "What are you talking about, Rika." She mumbled.

The door to Rika's office was open, cutting their conversation and Yoshiyuki Terada entered, "Oh, i don't know you are having guest, Rika." He nodded in acknowledgment to Tomoyo, masking his surprise to see the girl.

"Tomoyo comes to visit me here." Rika rose up to kiss her husband on his cheek.

"I just wanted to tell you i'm going out of town for some business. It might be for a few days." Yoshiyuki told her.

Rika nodded, "Be safe and come home soon."

Yoshiyuki enveloped her wife in his embrace for a moment and then said, "I'm leaving then. Take care of yourself." He smiled at Tomoyo and then strode away.

"You know you are such a lucky girl, Rika." Tomoyo sighed to witness the short rendezvous between the couple.

Yoshiyuki slid inside his car and drove away, leaving his home. He sped his way towards the Fujioka police office slowly as he rewinded his plan in his head. This would be his last piece to complete the puzzle for the Kinomoto's daughter case.

He parked his car one block away from the police office and walked cautiously towards it, scanning the area to ensure there was no one following him. Some police vehicles stuffed the car lot. He carefully went to the back of the building, towards a small garage. There were two policemen sitting by the far front of the garage door, seemingly having conversation. Yoshiyuki successfully sneaked inside, since it was the night time and there was no moonlight. He hid behind a door and eavesdropped the talking.

"He is drowning in guilt, i guess. He was the one who was responsible for the accident anyway."

"Yeah, i know. When do you think he will disclose it all?"

The other police did not answer. Yoshiyuki assumed he just responded with a physical gesture. He then pressed the stop button on his recorder where he had already recorded the short conversation and put it back to his pocket. Squinting his eyes to adjust to the darkness, he stepped slowly to the other side of the room and found a sedan settled there. He took out a small flashlight from one of his jacket's compartment and studied the wrecked car. Fifteen years had passed, which took its toll.

He took pictures of the car from his pocket camera despite the poor illumination from the flashlight. He studied it clearlier once again. When he was about to move his hand to open the car door, someone sneaked from behind him and forcefully clamped his mouth by hands.

Wang Wei gripped to keep the younger man from his struggle as he whispered shaking words, "Just give me time to restore everything back in place it should have been. I promise. Just give me time for my Jia."

Nadeshiko stood in front of the troubled young woman who was miserably crying in her friend's embrace. She could not believe what she just had heard. Yoshiyuki had been declared as missing since he had gone four days ago and disappeared with no news.

"Calm down, Rika. We don't know about it yet." The braid haired girl soothed Rika.

"What if something happens to him? What about our child?" Rika sobbed quietly.

"Don't even think about it." The girl chided. "Everything will be fine."

Nadeshiko sighed and stumbled out of the room. It had been over now. It had been her last straw. She would never found her daughter.

"Ma'am, are you alright?"

Nadeshiko looked up at the girl who had drawn her attention away for the last few weeks. She could not do this. The girl was not her daughter. She was not Sakura. She had to stop treating the girl like her own daughter.

Nadeshiko looked away from her and strode out of the coffee shop weakly.

Sakura was worried when she saw how the news had destroyed Rika and Nadeshiko. She had tried to comfort Nadeshiko, but the woman had seemed too distraught and left the coffee shop. Rika was helpless too.

Sakura bit her lips as she realized the predicaments which enveloped the people surrounding her lately. Why fate was trying to toss and turn their lives like this, she could not figure it out. But she could not break down now. Those people needed her.

"Saki-chan."

Sakura looked up to see Chiharu and Naoko stood in front of her with stern faces. "Yes?"

"I heard it all from Takashi. Why didn't you tell us?" Chiharu rebuked.

"Yeah, we can try to help you, Saki." Naoko said worriedly.

Sakura smiled weakly at them, "I don't want to bother you, guys."

Chiharu huffed and hugged her, "You are like my own sister. Why do i have to feel bothered?"

"So, have you already had something in mind to overcome this?" Naoko asked as she led the two girls to sit at a table.

"I still don't know." Sakura sighed hopelessly.

Chiharu frowned and seemed to be contemplating for a while before speaking, "Hey, what about we set up a charity night for your orphanage?"

"Charity night?"

Chiharu nodded vigorously, "We can make a drama stage and choir. It doesn't mean that we are scrounging. It's only that we ask for the others' generous help and aid. Because seriously, you would not make a hundred million yen in only a few weeks by yourself." She quickly explained.

"I think it's a good idea. We will help you, Saki-chan." Naoko said, ensuring the other girl. "Your sister, Nana, loves to act, right? We can plan it together then." She grinned.

Sakura swallowed hardly and looked up at them. There was still hope for her and her family. She had to believe it.

Tomoyo breathed hardly. She still could not absorb the conversation she just had with her father and Yelan. Syaoran had called off the engagement. He had not even bothered to say it first to her.

She cradled her head in her hands as her head started to ache. It had now ended for her. She had lost everything.

Humble appreciation to these alerters:

brendatorres113

aritella: hmm, maybe it will be around sixteen. I guess, it will not be more than that. Just remember that Sakura finally reuniting with her family is not how i will end this story *spoiler*

ding: i really hope i just made your day again :D

ya-chan

normal ( i don't think this is how you intended to address yourself, isn't it? :D

Meiko

Abby

sakura 42002

and to all readers who haven't given out any alerts :)

I'm planning to reveal the truth to the Kinomoto between the eleventh or twelfth chapter (i still don't know in which one). Anyway i have changed the genre for this fanfiction into Drama/Hurt/Comfort and more characters into the summary. What do you think?