A/n: You don't need to have seen/read CCS to enjoy the fic, though it helps. Sakura and Syaoran are from Tsubasa Chronicle aswell as xxxHOLIC and Cardcaptor Sakura. It's CLAMP's world I'm their neighbour… I'm just dumping my ideas in their yard.

Chapter 4:

That night, after seeing Doumeki off he'd gone almost straight to bed, spirit attacks took a lot out of a guy. If he had to be honest, he'd had many strange dreams in his lifetime, more so since meeting Yuuko, and though he had no proof he was fairly certain there was a connection between the two. Tonight's dream seemed to relate to current events, even though he didn't know how. He dreamt of a strangely dressed Syaoran, whom he had admittedly only met once so it may have been someone else… but it looked like him… vaguely, but the girl he was with looked NOTHING like the sleeping Princess he'd also encountered at that point. The dream didn't scare the sleeping teen, but he couldn't deny it was odd. She was young… much younger than himself, and wore her long dark hair in two buns, she wore a Chinese ceremonial outfit and Watanuki mused that he'd only seen weirder outfits on Yuuko or cosplayers. Then again… Yuuko seemed to be perpetually cosplaying.
"Tomoeda." Was the only word Watanuki heard, between the two children who were whispering, before sitting up violently. Tomoeda? That was a town not too far away.

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"Then we go." Doumeki said simply, straightening up from looking in the store window. The three were gathered on 83rd street, it had been Himawari's idea to go shopping, he'd not questioned her desire to shop on a street they frequented often. Watanuki looked like he was about to object, either at Doumeki being more interested in the toy store, or at his suggestion, when Himawari interrupted.
"Yay a trip!" She sang, bobbing on the balls of her feet.
"To Tomoeda? But… it WAS just a dream and… stop looking at a toy store!" He stuttered turning on Doumeki because he was unable to say no to her. Curse her 'agree-with-Doumeki' attitude
"Hitsuzen right? Ask Yuuko for the day off tomorrow." Doumeki said coolly, with one last glance at the toy store. Watanuki scowled. From experience with Yuuko, he knew that even if it were for a job, he would be punished for the day off, yet he somehow found himself, asking Yuuko, that evening for the day off.

To his surprise Yuuko smiled and nodded.
"I've been meaning to take a trip to see something anyway." She said. "We will all go."
"Who's all?" He asked exasperatedly.
"Everyone but us." chirped Maru
"Yep not us!" Moro added. The two girls were somehow… in some way forbidden from exiting Yuuko's shop grounds, it didn't seem to bother them though, as they were smiling happily. Maru was playing with Moro's short pink hair, trying to do something with it.
"Why do I get the feeling this innocent trip will turn into a deadly mission where I have to risk my life?" He asked, feeling his brain go numb at the thought of Yuuko plotting. Whenever his boss decided upon something, it always meant trouble for him.
"Silly Watanuki… because you haven't had enough sake." She grinned, waving a bottle at him. Watanuki never touched the stuff the alcoholic witch lived on, and frankly, if it made him act like that he didn't want to.

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"How did this happen!?" Watanuki yelled. Doumeki put his finger in his ear and turned away from the yelling boy. "I was supposed to be with Himawari-chan but NO Yuuko wanders off with her and Mokona and I get stuck with… with YOU! And the creepy little silent girl!"
"Don't insult her." Doumeki said, almost as an order. However, the girl did not seem bothered at all, and merely swung on Doumeki's arm as children were prone to do, in her free hand she clutched the raggedy doll, and an envelope she refused to show them. After arriving at Tomoeda station, Yuuko had announced that the 'something' she wanted to see was actually a department store, and dragged Himawari off somewhere for 'girl time'…. though Mokona somehow ended up going too, and Watanuki wasn't quite sure if they had genders. (A/n: CLAMP has made it official, black Mokona is male and white Mokona is female, but this is not relevant) Either way the three had left Doumeki, complete with his archer's bow, with a mute child, and a frustrated Watanuki.

"Agh. Fine I'm sorry…. To her not to you!" He yelled wagging his finger at Doumeki threateningly. Doumeki shrugged, he didn't care if Watanuki complained about him, it hurt sometimes, but he knew that no matter how mad Watanuki was, he never meant it. "But how did she end up with us anyway? Doesn't her godmother panic? I'm sure taking other people's children out of the city is illegal…" The girl gave a silent giggle, replaced quickly by a smirk that was all too reminiscent of Doumeki, causing Watanuki to frown. The less time those two spent together, the better.
"Yuuko said it was okay." Doumeki shrugged. Watanuki took a moment to survey the scene before him, the normally cool and composed Doumeki was being fawned all over by a grade school girl… and yet it didn't look strange. Doumeki somehow managed to keep his calm demeanour, holding her hand supportively… they looked strangely good together, in a twisted sort of way, Watanuki found himself smiling at the moment and remembering last night's attack, knowing Doumeki would be a good big brother, uncle or father ('If any woman was stupid enough to fall for him') someday. He was jolted from his strange thought by Doumeki pushing the girl into his arms, and taking his arrowless bow.

Watanuki found himself embracing the small, yet not at all frightened girl, as Doumeki aimed an invisible arrow at a tree, however, before the archer could release, his bow was kicked from his hand by a girl in Chinese dress. Watanuki recognised her instantly from his dream, but, without identifying her he began to snicker. She was no spirit.
"Doumeki was just… overshadowed by a little girl." He laughed, clutching his stomach as he doubled over. Even the nameless youth laughed silently, looking a little guilty. Doumeki didn't look remotely abashed, and picked up his bow.
"You're well trained." He complimented the girl.
"You're not, you were going to fire without any arrows… what are you some kind of idiot?" Doumeki was also not taken aback by her calling him an idiot… Watanuki said it enough. Though her words were much sharper than his.
"Oh I didn't know you knew him." Watanuki said wiping tears of mirth from behind his glasses. This whole situation was too precious, he wished he had a camera.

"Meilin!" Snapped a voice, and that was when Watanuki's fit stopped. He looked up to see Syaoran, princess Sakura, a girl he'd never seen before clutching a camera, and a floating stuffed animal. However, Syaoran didn't look the same, his face was chubbier and he was definitely shorter, he was wearing the same outfit as the boy in his dream last night though. "We told you not to wander off!"
"But I caught the ca-ard!" She huffed, stamping her foot and looking annoyed and pointing at Doumeki, who just blinked in response. He knew better than to interrupt a domestic.
"I'm… sorry to say this." The girl with the camera said, training it on Doumeki who merely nodded. "But he looks like a person to me."
"Tomoyo's right but... I definitely sense a card though." Sakura whispered, and for the first time Watanuki took notice of her, she too looked younger, and her hair slightly darker, she was wearing what appeared to be a luminescent cat suit dress with large wings and a tiara, she looked no older than 11.

"You sense a what?" Watanuki asked, curiosity getting the best of him. Syaoran glared at Sakura, who blushed furiously, and grabbed the floating stuffed bear, hiding it behind her back.
"You SURE he's not a clow card?" Meilin asked, narrowing her eyes and glaring at the archer, being as polite as he was Doumeki promptly bowed.
"The girl just attacked you why are you bowing you idiot! Honestly it's a wonder ANYONE likes you!" Watanuki growled, flapping his arms wildly, and releasing the child from his hug. No sooner had she been 'freed' she hurried to the strange children, as though this had been her intention from the beginning, Tomoyo's camera focused instead on her. She tugged on Syaoran's sleeve and tapped on Sakura's arm before thrusting the envelope she had been carrying at them.
"Get away from her!" Syaoran ordered suddenly, pointing a sword that he seemed to materialise out of nowhere at the little girl. Doumeki and Watanuki instinctively went to protect her, tugging her away ("I don't suppose I have to remind you two of this but you MUST protect those you love most, always." Yuuko had said), she didn't seem bothered and ignored the sword, wriggled free of the teenagers' grasp and patted the stuffed toy, smiling to herself. Watanuki swore he saw beads of perspiration appear on its forehead. Watanuki placed one hand on her shoulder.
"Li-kun… it's addressed to us." Sakura said, pointing at the envelope. Sure enough in a script familiar to them the words 'Kinomoto Sakura' and 'Li Syaoran' were scrawled in shocking green ink.
"So that's why she's in this time period." Doumeki said simply. "To deliver that letter."
"WHY ARE YOU TALKING AS THOUGH YOU UNDERSTAND ANY OF THIS!?" Watanuki screeched. Both Doumeki and the nameless child put their hands over their ears. Sakura had at this point opened the letter and was whispering with Syaoran.

Even though Watanuki was vaguely aware that these two were a different Sakura and Syaoran, the compassion was still here, he saw their willingness to protect each other, then Sakura's bright smile as Syaoran whispered to her. Then she returned her attention to the three new people, handing the letter to Meilin and Tomoyo.
"Watanuki Kimihiro-san? And Doumeki Shizuka-san?" She asked.
"Ah." Nodded Doumeki, apparently not bothered in the slightest by the girl knowing their names.
"I have to perform a spell on her now, it won't hurt her." She promised, waving a staff the two had previously not noticed.
"Absolutely not!" Watanuki jumped in. "She's only little and…"
"Has to be done kiddo." said the toy. It reminded Watanuki briefly of Mokona but he dismissed it, about to launch into another rant.
"Watanuki." Doumeki said bluntly, folding his arms across his chest calmly, yet slightly sadly. "She's old enough to make her own decisions."
"She's a child I won't let some absolute stranger, cosplaying as who knows what cast magic on her!" Watanuki didn't know why he was being so overprotective and defensive over the girl but when idiots like Doumeki were in charge he didn't have much choice.
"She's already GOT magic in her." Syaoran snapped irately. "Would you just seal it already and be done with this." Watanuki looked hopelessly at the girl, wanting to say something to stop this innocent little soul being involved in magic, being 'sealed' sounded painful. She leaned up and kissed his cheek, surprising him, she then gave him a thumbs up and nodded at Sakura. Doumeki had to hold Watanuki back as Sakura raised her wand. Watanuki's mind was racing, he wanted to intervene, to stop this, but Doumeki's grip held tight. One of his hands on his shoulder, and the other locking fingers with the smaller paler hand, at any other point Watanuki would've yelled at him for holding his hand, or questioned the butterflies in his stomach.

Now was not the time.

"Return to the guise you were meant to be in!" Sakura yelled. "CLOW CARD!" The feeling was indescribable as a ghostly wind seemed to whip from nowhere around the entire congregation, lights shone from an undetermined source, nearly blinding them, and Watanuki's eyes widened as a spirit of some sort wound its way from the child, forming a card, which flew to Sakura. The little girl fell to her knees, and Doumeki freed Watanuki who hurried to tend to her. He got in his knees beside her and wrapped one arm around her propping her up.
"I THOUGHT YOU SAID IT WOULDN'T HURT HER!" He growled "I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR THIS!" He yelled at Doumeki as her hand grabbed his shoulder, and then in the most beautiful voice Watanuki had ever heard, she looked up at him and said
"Don't worry daddy, I'm fine."

A/n: For those who don't know CCS, this chapter probably seemed strange, but that's how Watanuki's meant to feel. I'll explain in the next chapter ok. New chapters cost reviews. For those who guessed she was Watanuki's have a cookie. For those who guessed she was Doumeki's... no cookies for you.