One in a Million

By JoocieFruit

Chapter 8 - At Last

Ok so i know i haven't updated in forever. I'm on an updating frenzy and basically, i'm updating EVERYTHING. Please enjoy. and PLEASE review!

JoocieFruit

Sakura stood still, her eyes traveling down and over the dark blue crystal that stretched towards the horizon. Every intake brought with it a lungful of fresh, salty air. She felt the grass tickle her tiny feet as the sound of distant waves echoed all around.

"Sakura? Come here sweetheart. Don't get too close," said a voice. Sakura turned towards it. There stood a man, significantly taller than herself, dressed in a dark brown coat over grey pants. His warm brown eyes peered at her through rimmed spectacles.

"Don't worry Daddy. I'm already 6 years old!" she exclaimed, flashing him a reassuring smile. He smiled back and came closer. He picked her up with ease into his arms.

"Well in that case, I have something to show you," he said. Sakura's eyes widened.

"Really!? What what what?" she asked excitedly. Fujitaka only smiled.

"You'll see."

Sakura's eyelids slowly parted, flooding her vision with fluorescent light. She sat up slowly, bringing her hand to her head to massage her temple.

A cup of hot tea was pushed into her face. Sakura looked up.

"Drink it. It'll make you feel better," said Kaho. Shivering a little, Sakura took it and carefully sipped from the steaming cup. She felt the warmth travel through her mouth, slide down her throat and lodge itself in her stomach. The dizzy feeling was slowly fading.

"Thanks," Sakura muttered. Kaho nodded.

"Where am I?" Sakura asked. She looked around at the unfamiliar setting. The room was small and the walls were painted eggshell white. The bed she inhabited was set against the far right wall and next to it, sat a small nightstand which boasted a digital alarm clock and a vase of fresh, pink roses. The bedcovers were a sunny yellow with little flower designs. A closet took up the wall directly across from the bed. In the other corner stood a wooden writing desk on which a laptop stood, the screen, pitch black. There were no windows.

"You're in my room," replied Kaho simply. Sakura cast her a confused gaze.

"You live…here? But-"

"Most of the time I'm out on business but when I do come back, I stay here," explained Kaho.

"Hunh…" Sakura said as she tried to imagine what it was like to live in here, with no windows and, for Christ's' sake, fluorescent lighting. It reminded her of the time she was in the hospital for her appendix and Sakura was not particularly fond of those memories. Sakura raised the cups to her lips again as the door opened.

"You'll be happy to know, Squirt, that Kaho spends most of her time in my room which is much cozier," said Touya as he sauntered into the room with a wide grin. Sakura almost spit out her tea. She scrambled out of bed and stood there, as if she had seen a ghost. Her expression was a mixture of shock and even…fury. There stood her brother, smiling, the same man who had left her alone to struggle in life. Although Sakura had assured herself that such resentment had been surpressed, the anger was manifesting itself once more. She felt her heart quicken its pace.

Touya still looked the same, perhaps a slight bit older. His hair was tousled as always and he had a strong, confident build.

Kaho looked first at Touya and then at Sakura. She stood up as well.

"Okay then. I guess I'll be leaving," Kaho said quietly as she grabbed her purse. When she passed by Touya on the way to the door, she whispered, "Make it fast. We have work to do."

The door closed behind her. Touya sank onto the bed.

"Y-Y-You're alive," choked Sakura, although it sounded more like a question than a remark.

"Yes. I assure you, I am quite alive," Touya said with a smile. Sakura however, was far from smiling.

"What the hell is going on!?" she cried, "I thought-"

"If you give me, like five minutes, everything will be explained," Touya interjected. Sakura narrowed her eyes but didn't say anything. He gestured for her to sit but she remained rooted to her spot against the wall.

"I'm listening…" she told him finally. Touya nodded in response.

"Okay…where to begin…." his eyes moved upwards, as if trying to remember the past, " Well I believe I was in my junior year of college when I went MIA. It was at that point in my life that I figured I needed to pick one life in the double life that I had currently led. And of course, all of that was unknown to you. Father and I were collaborating on the project that Kaho described to you and we were making some significant progress. Father said it'd be finish within a few years if we worked hard and so naturally, I was pleased. I decided taking a few years off wouldn't be too bad."

"So you just…left me?"

"Well, trust me Sakura, it was not my intention. Yet I felt an obligation to this country and I was passionate about the project. Father was too. And things were going to well. Of course, complications ensued and we were forced to make changes to our initial plans and all of this took much time to work out and execute. Meanwhile, we were cooped up underground, deeply immersed in our work and hardly taking the time to eat or sleep. I was still 'human' so to speak as compared to father who worked as if he were a robot himself. He was completely consumed by this project and he rarely spoke; he just worked. Anyways, I wanted to contact you but of course they wouldn't let us. They said that a project like this along with its creators was to be highly regarded and it was one of the government's best kept secrets . That meant, that even after we finished the project, we still wouldn't be allowed to resume our normal lives. Mind you, they didn't bother to tell us this until we were in too deep. Father showed no emotion at this; he just continued to work. I, on the other hand, was horrified. I had figured as much that a rule such as that would be placed but I wasn't sure whether I was ready to give up my whole life for this. Father had obviously chosen his path. He was at heart, a man of science. A brilliant scientist at that. I still had quite a large part of my life ahead of me…"

Touya paused. Sakura remained silent, dawdling on his explanation.

"And that is where Kaho came in," he continued, "I used my breaks to occasionally wander around the premises. In doing so, I met Kaho who happened to be an active agent and did most of her work outside of this…place. She was actually the one managing our disappearing act and had been working with my father a few years prior on another smaller project- the name eludes me at the moment. In any case, I thought that maybe, just maybe, she could find you and see how you were doing. She went to the house and of course, by then you had moved out. Trust me, I felt horrible about what we'd done to you. But eventually, thanks to Kaho's help, I eventually found out your new location and you seemed to be alright."

"Alright?" said Sakura, as of that were the understatement of the century, "I was NOT alright. I dropped out of college, I was forced out of our house into a dinky little apartment and I had to work at a frickin' diner to pay the rent while my father and older brother were off playing with toys!"

"Did you ever report us?" asked Touya, impervious to her upheaval. Sakura hesitated. In truth, she thought that both had just simply walked out on her and their life. She found out that Touya had indeed stopped short his college education and she had always known her father to be a workaholic. Thinking back, she wondered why she didn't report them missing.

"No," Sakura answered, feeling a little ashamed of herself, "And I'm not sure why I didn't either." Touya gave her an understanding nod.

"Trust me Sakura, abandoning you was the last thing I wanted to do."

"I-I know…" she said softly, "But I'm still mad at you!" Sakura hastily added. Again he nodded. Touya understood her anger. Gazing upon her, he realized that she had matured so much in the years that had passed. Gone was the awkward, insecure teenager, now replaced by a beautiful young woman who was opinionated and able to stand up for herself.

"Anyways, as you know, father was abducted by the Red Dragons who are now holding a ransom over our heads. I think it odd though, I mean if they had wanted the money, they could've gotten it from anyone else but…either way, we're still trying to figure this out," said Touya, standing up. He opened the door and motioned for her to follow. Sakura didn't budge.

"But then, Kaho said something about them wanting me to deliver the cash. I still don't understand...why me?"

"I'm not sure either," said Touya truthfully, "But as of now, it's best that we try to understand more about the situation and unfortunately, at this point, our only choice appears to be obeying them since Father and most importantly, this project, is at risk."

Sakura stared at him in silence, unsure of what to say. Her life was spinning slowly out of her hands and she felt scared for the first time in a long time.

"What happens if we don't give them the cash?"

"They've threatened to murder him but that's unlikely. They could use his knowledge to their advantage and murder seems so far out there. As I said, there's bits and pieces that are still unclear. The deadline for the ransom is in a week."

"A week!!!"

"Yeah. So we have to figure things out fast."

"I can't do this…" said Sakura, instantly thinking of her life and how this event might change it. Her thoughts drifted from her girl friends to her cozy bed at home to Syaoran. Thinking back, she wished she had kissed him.

"Yes ,you can," encouraged Touya, "Don't worry. Kaho and I are here."

"But what if I don't make it out or something terrible happens or…" Sakura was afraid to go on. A feeling of helplessness had invaded her inner self and doubt lurked in every corner.

Touya placed a hand on her shoulder and Sakura couldn't help but flinch slightly at his touch. She glanced up at his eyes.

"Everything is going to be fine," he told her, although it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself.

Update soon. I promise. And PLEASE REVIEW! A lot of you just put this on your alert list but it's not the same as a review. Reviews inspire authors to write more and improve so please DO IT! Thanks for all of your support. Much love. JoocieFruit.