Her Rising Saviour Chapter 15, a card captor sakura fanfic

Her Rising Saviour:

Chapter fifteen – baby

What happened? What was wrong? These and so many thoughts swam through her mind as she took in Syaoran's presence.

"Syaoran, what's going – ?" She began, her heart racing a mile a minute.

"Yoshiyuki Terada just called me. Rika's in the hospital," he told her in a quick, excited voice. "It's a boy!"

b.K.d

Sakura was literally bouncing in her seat as they drove toward the hospital. Syaoran's eyes kept flickering to him, chuckling slightly at the sight of her excitement. Their hands were entwined over the console. They parked as close to the building and jumped out. Syaoran had to nearly run to keep up with Sakura as she asked a nurse for Rika Sasaki's room number and bounded over to the room, bursting inside.

The first thing Sakura took notice to was the small bundle in Rika's arm, swaddled in a blue fleece blanket. She as cooing to it, smiling like there was no tomorrow. Her hair stuck to her sweaty forehead from, and though she seemed tired, she was obviously overjoyed. Beside her, Yoshiyuki laid, his arms wrapped around her, his head rested on her shoulder as he, too, looked down at the baby with a wide smile across his face. Once in a while, he'd lean over and kiss Rika on the cheek lovingly. The sight was beyond moving and emotional.

After a few seconds of standing in the doorway, going unnoticed, Sakura stepped out of her daze and into the room. Yoshiyuki saw the movement and looked up to see the newly wed couple move into the room. He smiled at them, gently nudging Rika to look up at as well. She smiled widely at them, her eyes dancing with happiness.

Sakura rushed to her friend's side, opposite to where Yoshiyuki laid, and threw her arms around the new mother.

"Congratulations!" Sakura squealed.

"Shh!" Rika tsked with a soft giggle. She waited until Sakura pulled away slightly before bowing her head, indicating the baby. "He's sleeping."

Sakura followed Rika's attention down to the small bundle in her arms. Sakura gasped slightly, then smiled just as widely as Rika was. He was gorgeous. His hair colour was slightly wavy, the same shade of chestnut as Rika's. His skin tone was soft and matched her own perfectly. Even the way his little nose looked reminded her of Rika.

"He's beautiful," Sakura whispered.

"Hayate," Rika whispered back. She smiled as she felt Sakura look back over to her and tinged pink. She felt the man beside her tighten his arms around her only slightly. "His name is Hayate Terada."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Terada...?"

"I proposed to her thi s morning," Yoshiyuki explained with a grin. "It was, err, apparently too much for her to handle. I asked to marry me and then her water broke."

Everyone laughed as Rika's face burned red from embarrassment.

"Did you at least give him an answer?" Syaoran asked smugly, walking up beside his wife to lay a hand on her back as he leaned down to look at the new baby as well.

Rika wiggled her fingers to get their attention, not wanting to move her hand away from her baby. There, on her finger, was a small but elegant engagement ring.

"Of course I said yes," Rika answered. She turned to Yoshiyuki and grinned, "Why wouldn't I?"

He smiled widely down at her and brushed his lips to her, earning an 'aww' from Sakura.

Not long after, all four heads turned as they heard loud footsteps booming down the hall as someone ran. A blur ran past their door, and then the skidding of shoes coming to a stop screeched in their ears. The next thing they knew, Chiharu was in the doorway, her eyes wide and her breathing uneven from running.

She squealed and rushed over to Rika. Syaoran pulled Sakura away from the path Chiharu was in as she stopped where Sakura once stood and threw her arms around Rika, jumping up and down.

"I got here as fast as I could!" She explained in a rushed voice. "Traffic was like hell – opps, sorry. Little ears now. Traffic was horrible."

Rika giggled, Careful, Chi. You're going to hurt him."

Chiharu gasped and pulled away, her eyes wide and apologetic. "Opps, sorry! Sorry sorry sorry!"

Rika giggled again, shaking her head. "It's fine. Wow, I don't think I've gotten so many sorrys from you at one time."

"Oh, haha," she rolled her eyes, then her gaze found the baby. Her eyes widened and she leaned down to inspect him. "Wow, he's so...he's so small."

Yoshiyuki chuckled, "Well, he's a baby. Of course he's small."

"Yeah, I know, but, wow..." Chiharu sighed. "And he looks just like you, Rika."

Rika's eyes widened slightly, then turned away. Sakura's eyes narrowed on her and she was sure she saw Yoshiyuki's arm tighten around her. She made a mental note to get Rika alone and ask her why that was.

By this point, it was obvious that Rika was tired. Her head fell onto Yoshiyuki's and her eyes fluttered closed contentedly. He moved his head so her head would be on his shoulder instead and kissed the top of her head lovingly. "Perhaps some sleep for the new mother? You haven't rested yet."

"Mmm-hmm..." Rika mumbled. Yoshiyuki gently took the sleeping baby from her and placed it in the small plastic crib that was placed in the room. He wheeled the small box-like contained over and placed it beside the bed, the baby being at Rika's eye level now.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead once more before tur ning to the others. "We should let her sleep."

"I have to call Takashi, anyway," Chiharu shrugged. "I may have run out on him..."

Sakura and Syaoran whipped their attention to her, their eyes bugging out. Syaoran nearly choked on nothing. "T-Takashi? As in Yamazaki?!"

Chiharu smiled with a wink and nodded, "Yep. Thanks for inviting him to that wedding, Syaoran. He's truly a die...err, minus that little lying thing he has going on." She added with a mumble, "Definitely going to have to fix that."

"That's great!" Sakura smiled brightly. "You two make a lovely couple, despite your differences."

Chiharu scoffed, "He can be sweet...when he's not making up those ridiculous stories." She sighed and giggled, "But the poor guy...I got a call from Yoshiyuki here while we were in the middle of a late breakfast. The poor guy, I just left him there. He's probably confused beyond belief."

Syaoran nodded in understanding, grinning, and then turned to Sakura. "You should go get something to eat, anyway. It's nearing lunch now."

"I'm fine – " She began to protest just as her stomach growled quietly, giving her away. She blushed slightly and grabbed her stomach, causing the rest to laugh.

"Definitely time to eat," Syaoran told her, still grinning. He slung an arm around her shoulders as the group began to leave, Yoshiyuki mumbling some thing about speaking to his boss to get the night off, when Rika's small voice stopped them.

"Sakura," she mumbled, sleepily. "Can I speak to you? Um, alone?"

Sakura frowned slightly, looking confused, but nodded in agreement. She turned to Yoshiyuki in question, but he only shook his head, obviously confused as well.

Syaoran let her go and kissed her forehead, "I'll bring you up some lunch. What are you in the mood for?"

Sakura scrunched up her nose, "Eww, cafeteria food." She sighed, "Well, I'll take what I can get. What do they have?"

"Their cold pasta is good," Yoshiyuki offered. "Probably the only thing edible, actually."

Sakura giggled, "Aright then, a cold pasta and..." she thought for a moment, then giggled again, "And the baby wants chocolate today. Something rich and just bad for me."

Syaoran chuckled, "I'll see what I can find. Worse case scenario, I'll stop at a vending machine."

Sakura watched the three leave, then went to Rika's side. Rika appeared extremely tired, with heavy lidded eyes that would flutter closed every once in a while. Yet she managed to turn her head to Sakura, showing her that she would stay awake. Sakura, however, didn't agree.

"You should really rest," Sakura gently scolded. "You must be tired."

"No, no," she mumbled with a small smile, "I'm fine, really. I just need to talk to you...without the others."

"Alright then," Sakura began, apprehensive. "We're alone."

Rika sighed and looked over to her baby. A sad smile appeared on her lips. She whispered, her voice barely audible. "He's beautiful."

Sakura slowly grinned and nodded, "He really is. Like Chiharu said, he looks just like y – "

"He has his eyes."

Sakura stopped, her eyes widening on Rika. His eyes...? But, that could only mean.... Her mouth dropped into a small 'o' shape. With her heart breaking, she reached across the bed to hold Rika's hand. She gave a gentle squeeze and began running her thumb soothingly over her knuckles. She could only imagine the pain it caused her, having a child that resembled someone such as Natsuo Hamada.

"That child is not Natsuo Hamada, Rika," Sakura explained softly yet sternly. "He's an entirely different person. He's your baby, not his – "

"I know that," Rika said softly. She looked at Sakura with a confused frown, "Do you...Do you think that I would love him less, simply because he has Natsuo's eyes?"

Sakura looked away in slight shame, "I...I just figured, s-since Natsuo is a hurtful memory and all..."

"Hayate is my baby," Rika whispered. "And no matter whom his father is, I will always love him. More than anyone else in the world. Because he is mine. Mine to love and protect, to cherish and hold, to teach and to care for. I love him, Sakura. More than anything and anyone."

"Then...?"

Rika sighed softly and forced herself to look Sakura in the eye, "Mr. Hirragizawa told me what he was going to ask you to do, and I just want you to know that you don't have to, Sakura. Because I know how much it hurts. Probably hurts you more than me simply because it was classified as rape right away with you. With me, I thought it was love the whole time. So you really don't have to stand up against hi – "

Sakura squeezed her hand to stop her, "Rika, I am going to stand up in court as a witness against Natsuo. What he did...What he's done...it's not right. And it took me forever to actually accept that. And though it may hurt, I want to get justice, if only a bit. If I can help...I...I will, Rika."

Rika grinned slightly at her, then let a true smile shine through. She looked back at her baby, her smiling growing as she saw his sleeping face.

"How does it feel?" Sakura asked quietly, her voice scarcely a whisper as she watched the new mother gazing at her baby.

And Rika didn't even have to question what she meant. She simply looked back and grinned widely, her eyes gleaming. "Like nothing else. The feeling of seeing your child, holding him for the first time...it's indescribable. And the feeling of realizing that you're a mother...Sakura, it's the best feeling in the world."

Sakura smiled at her, her hands unconsciously moving to her own stomach.

Then, Rika shocked her by leaning forward and placed a hand atop of Sakura's, above her stomach. She smiled slightly at the small baby bump, large enough to notice by touch but not enough to be showing through her baggy blouse.

"Have you seen it yet?" Rika asked.

"The baby?" She asked, confused. When Rika nodded, she shook her head, "No, of course not – "

"Ultrasounds?" Rika asked, sounding somewhat worried.

Sakura bit her lip. She hated being in hospitals. Syaoran had to force her to come when they first found out about the pregnancy, since he wanted to be sure. She had an ultrasound done then, but nothing really showed through. To Sakura, it was looked like a Picaso picture.

"I take that as a no?" Rika asked, sounding disapproving. Sakura looked away and Rika sighed.

"Sakura, please schedule an appointment. Maybe Yoshi can get you in quicker. But you have to get checked out, just to make sure everything is going okay with the baby."

"Can it be in danger?" Sakura asked, alert and afraid. Suddenly, the memories of earlier that day replayed in her mind, and Eriol's worried voice over a possible miscarriage due to stress. She didn't want to lose the baby. She couldn't lose the baby! She was taking her vitamins, eating and resting properly, and her lamaze class had just finished. How could the baby not be okay?

"It's always just a precaution," Rika explained quickly. "Better safe than sorry."

Sakura sighed and closed her eyes, slowly rubbing her stomach.

But the next question of Rika's stopped Sakura dead cold.

"Has it kicked yet?"

Sakura's eyes shot open and the look of dread crossed her face. No, she hadn't felt a kick. Or any movement at all. She was four, almost five, months along...shouldn't she have felt something by now? She felt her breathing shallow in fear and her hand clutch her stomach.

"Sakura?" Rika sounded alert, grabbing her hands. "Sakura, look at me." Sakura looked up, her eyes wide and doe-like. Rika gave a weak, shaky smile, "Don't you go jumping to conclusions. It...It may just be a night kicker, you know? Just go get it checked out, yes?"

Sakura was about to nod when she felt a worried hand on her shoulder. She looked to her side to see Syaoran holding a tray of food, looking down at her with an anxious expression. She gave a small smile, but he obviously saw through her facade.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly. "You look panicked."

Sakura went to nod her head, to reassure him, when he gave her a small glare as if telling her not to BS with him. She changed her nod to a small shake of her head, more so a jerk. She opened her mouth to speak, but the panic came crashing down on her again, causing her voice to catch in her throat.

Syaoran turned to Rika, who was looking at him worriedly. "Sakura's told me that you haven't had felt the baby kick yet. And that you haven't had an ultrasound yet."

Syaoran immediately looked to Rika, who was looking at him worriedly. "Sakura's told me that you haven't had felt the baby kick yet. And that you haven't had an ultrasound yet."

Syaoran frowned slightly, "I brought her for an ultrasound when we first found out..."

"That's not enough," Yoshiyuki cut in. All eyes turned to him, seeing his suddenly stern face. It was obvious that he was now in his doctor mode. "At the very least you should have had one when Sakura hit her second trimester. Granted, with the wedding you were busy, but that doesn't excuse it. Sakura, a baby usually starts kicking in the fourth to fifth month."

"But she would have got sick if she lost the baby!" Syaoran nearly screamed. "There would have been blood and – "

"Yes," the doctor agreed, "And what I'm saying is the baby may not be dead, but perhaps a problem has risen." He turned to Sakura with a stern, serious look to his face. "I'm setting up an appointment for you for this afternoon. I don't know if any of the doctors are available though. Are you comfortable with me taking a look?"

Sakura slowly nodded, tears pricking her eyes as she clutched her stomach, cradling it. "Y-Yes."

Yoshiyuki nodded once, then turned to Syaoran. "If you two can follow me then, I can probably get us into a room right now."

b.K.d

Sakura held Syaoran's hand tightly as she watched Dr. Terada gently lift her shirt and smear the warm jelly across her abdomen. A towel was draped across her pelvis, hiding her since she had had to push down her pants slightly to get proper access to her pelvic area.

When the gross-feeling liquid was all on her, Yoshiyuki turned to the machine and grabbed something that vaguely resembled a microphone. Sakura tensed as he placed it into her lower abdomen and placed a slight pressure on it. In return, Syaoran squeezed her hand, rubbing her knuckles with his thumb gently.

The screen was turned away from the Lis, for the obvious of reason of incase something did come up and to stop any panic. So Sakura and Syaoran watched his face with silence, nearly unable to breath. The clock clicked by for nearly a whole minute, each second a painful silence as Yoshiyuki's face was set in a serious, unreadable way.

Finally, he let out a soft sigh, making Sakura automatically worry, but then a small smile played across his lips.

Sakura sucked in a sharp breath, "What?"

Yoshiyuki grinned at her, "Take a look for yourself."

He turned to screen to the expecting parents. Both gasped, their wide eyes glued to the screen.

There, on the screen, was the perfect outline of a head a face. You could make out the little eyelids and nose and lips perfectly. Pending on how the doctor moved, a hand with five fingers or a foot with five toes would also pop up.

Sakura squeezed Syaoran's hand, tears brimmin g her eyes. She vaguely felt his lips against the back of her hand.

"That's...That's our baby," she whispered softly.

Syaoran kissed her hand again, his eyes wide and shining happily. "That's our baby, Sakura."

After watching the screen for a few seconds, Yoshiyuki broke the comfortable, magical silence. He kept his voice soft, not wanting to disturb the amazing silence too much. "Do you want to hear its heartbeat?"

Syaoran's head snapped toward the doctor as Sakura kept her eyes glued to the screen. "You can do that?"

"Of course," Yoshiyuki grinned. He turned back to the equipment and quickly turned on the sound.

Quickly, the room was filled with the softest ba-dump...ba-dump...ba-dump... sound. Sakura's eyes only watered again as she bit her bottom lip to stop the tears from spilling over. Damn pregnancy hormones!!

"God, it's beautiful," Syaoran whispered softly, closing his eyes and listening to the sound. "That has to be the most beautiful sound I've ever heard."

Sakura nodded in agreement, lost for words.

And again, Yoshiyuki broke the silence. "Do you wish to know the gender before hand?"

Sakura's head turned slowly to Syaoran. She bit her lower lip softly and asked quietly, "Do you?"

"Do you?" He countered.

"I...I sort of do," she admitted, "but I'm fine with it if you don't."

Syaoran smiled at her, pressed his lips softly to her forehead, and turned to the doctor. He nodded once, and the doctor grinned. He turned back to the screen and began moving the mic-looking object around on Sakura's stomach once more. After a moment, he paused and pointed to a small spot on the screen.

"There? You see that?" He asked. Both squinted, but saw nothing. The doctor, however, with many years of experience, saw it as bright as day. He grinned to them both, "Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Li...you're going to be blessed with a baby boy."

"And...he's healthy?" Sakura asked softly, looking to the doctor worriedly.

Yoshiyuki smiled with a nod, "Yes, he seems perfectly fine. I suspect he's just a bit late with the kicking. Or if he does, he could be a night-kicker? His kicks won't be too powerful yet, so if he is a night-kicker, it won't wake you up."

Both Sakura and Syaoran let out a long sigh of relief, slowly smiles creeping onto both of their faces. Sakura turned to Syaoran, grinning like there was no tomorrow.

"We're having a boy," she whispered, as if amazed.

Syaoran also grinned, then leaned forward and brushed his lips to hers. "Yes we are."

When they got home, they immediately framed the ultrasound, having gotten a printout of the baby – his face shown perfectly and his body simply a large oval, though a hand was lightly recognizable as well. They placed the tiny frame beside their bed, and fell asleep facing it, Syaoran pressed up against Sakura's back as her eyes remained glued to it until sleep took over her tired body.

Author's Note: Soooo ^.^ What did you think? Rika's finally had her baby and Sakura and Syaoran know the gender of the baby ^.^ 'Tis exciting, ne?

As usual...thanks to xXShining ShadowXx for her beta-ing!! You rock girl....though obviously, you know this XD LOL

And thanks to 'Meiling'-chan (swallowingtears) and 'Tomoyo'-chan for putting up with my countless hours of ranting these past two weeks. God girls, I owe you huge!! Remember that you can come to me for anything, anything at all.

Please leave a review!!! I can't thank you all enough for them...they completely rock my world, no matter how cheesy that sounds XD

xox, Riva

Next Chappie... Sakura's facing something she has never had to do before - tell someone what exactly took place the night Natsuo forced himself onto her. Not even Syaoran or Tomoyo know that exactly....only vague details. Can she make it through telling Eriol everything? And what happens when she takes it a step farther, needing the support of others?