Long time, no see. I don't really have an excuse, except that I've been reading a lot of manga – if it helps, one of them was CCS, so I'm back in the CCS game. Expect more CCS stuff from me in the future from now on!
Also, it was a really big drama with the Document Manager to upload this.
Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor or anything associated with it. All rights to Card Captor Sakura and affiliated products belong to CLAMP and the other proper entities.
Summary: A secret fling with the school nerd was all that it was supposed to be. Sakura's deepest, darkest fear is that it'll be revealed. Little does she know... its already too late; it'll eventually have to be revealed in the most public fashion possible.
Rating: M
Pairings: SxS ExT
Genre: Drama/Romance
Something of Yours
Chapter Seventeen
Sakura loved the park, despite the dangers it currently represented to her. She was sitting on her own on one of the benches – her bodyguard was somewhere around, but she couldn't really see him – reading a book that pertained information on childbirth. Feeling a little green as she read through the process, she rubbed her twenty-four week pregnant belly, grinning as her little one kicked her hand through the skin. Amused, she marked her page and placed the book down; more interested in talking to her unborn child than reading about the pain she would be enduring in a few short months.
"Oi, you'd better behave in there." She pretended to scold her belly. "If you're naughty, Okaa-chan wont give you ice cream tonight." She laughed as the baby kicked again, as if in response. She looked up as her bodyguard approached.
"It's getting late, Kinomoto-sama." He stated. "It's probably best to start heading home, now."
Sakura stared out toward the setting sun. The sky was starting to turn purple, signifying the end of the day. "Alright, Suzuki-san." She stood. "Let's go."
Sakura had resumed reading her book for the ten-minute ride, smiling to herself as her bodyguard cursed at the peak-hour traffic. She really should have known better than to stay out all day on her feet, but she had felt the need to go for a long walk. With the police having spotted Hamada the previous week, she was fairly confident that Syaoran's father had contacted him, and was deathly afraid that he would try something.
Looking up as an abrupt bang sounded through the street, a sudden lurch threatened to topple her over; she had to cover her ears at the following telltale sound of crunching metal. Her head snapped backward at the following abrupt stop, hitting the back of the seat rather hard, feeling her arm bend and crack in the most sickening manner. After a few moments, she realised that her face was wet and sticky, something gooey stuck all over her front. Opening her eyes, she screamed.
A hole about the size of a grapefruit was present in the back of her bodyguard's head. Scrambling out of the back of the car, she fell onto the road beside her, dimly aware of the crowd that had gathered, the pain n her arm making itself known. Hysterical, she shrieked several times, realising that what she had splattered all over herself was her bodyguard's brain matter. Hyperventilation soon followed this realisation, bringing about a light-headedness that had her woozy on her feet.
Suddenly, there were sirens and flashing lights everywhere, sets of hands pushing her into an ambulance, cleaning the muck off her face, checking her responses. She could dimly hear her father's voice after a while as she was lifted onto a gurney and taken into the back of the ambulance. By this time, everything had faded into the background; the burning pain in her arm was the only thing she was consciously aware of. She could faintly feel someone tenderly brushing her hair back from her forehead, whispering the words "It's ok, Sakura-chan… it's ok…"
Syaoran and Eriol were shooting hoops out in the backyard. The light from the sunset cast long shadows against the walls, the surrounding orange glow giving everything a surreal glow. The approaching night promised to be quiet and peaceful; his mother was going out to visit Fujitaka for dinner, Eriol and Tomoyo were going out on a date, and Meiling had entrance exams to study for to get into college.
That meant that it was only himself and Sonomi that would be unoccupied; and she would likely be doing paperwork for her company. This left Syaoran to entertain himself for the evening; he toyed with the idea of going out for dinner on his own, followed by a trip to the gym, and then coming back to the Daidouji house and being a couch potato until it was time for dinner. The perfect evening.
He and Eriol laughed as they stepped off the court, slapping each other on the back. The game had ended close; Eriol had won by one point. Syaoran admitted that it stung to have his cousin best him at something that he was really good at, but supposed he'd let it slide. The two of them began to go inside before it got too dark. Syaoran paused, seeing his mother in the driveway.
"I thought you were headed to the Kinomoto-san's place for the night?" He questioned, pulling his shirt back on over his head, wiping his forehead with his sleeve. The shock on his mother's face gave him pause. "What's wrong, Okaa?"
She looked up at him, her eyes blank. "Fujitaka-san's son just called. There's been a shooting." Syaoran's insides turned to ice. "Suzuki-san is dead. Sakura-san is being taken to the hospital. She was injured in the accident when the car ran off the road. Kinomoto-san didn't know any more. He's headed over to the hospital as we speak."
Sakura smiled nervously at the room full of people. Each and every one of them was staring at her with a different expression on their face; her father's was full of anxiety, Touya's full of concern, Yukito with a slight worry, Meiling's face shining with unbridled fear, Tomoyo's face was glistening with tears, Eriol's with compassion, Yelan's overwhelming relief. Sonomi hadn't been able to make it, being swamped with paperwork, but had sent her concerns with her friend.
She still couldn't bring herself to look at Syaoran's face. She knew that Suzuki had been one of his close personal friends. As it seemed, he was not particularly interested in looking at her, either; he was sitting in the back of the room, his head in his hands. He had not yet looked at her, other than to quickly assess the extent of her injuries when he had walked in. He had not said a word since he had been informed of the accident.
"I'm fine." She insisted to everyone around her. "Really. I'm just a little battered." No one seemed convinced. The only sounds in the room were Tomoyo's sniffles, and the sounds of the machinery whirring in other rooms. They would faintly hear a heart monitor somewhere down the hall. "Really."
"You are not!" Tomoyo blubbered. "You have a broken arm, and you almost injured your spine! You're not fine!:
"Daidouji-san-"
"Don't you 'Daidouji-san' me!" Tomoyo yelled at her. Everyone took a step back, the shrill tone of her voice piercing their ears. Fujitaka, Touya, Yukito, Yelan, and Syaoran took this as their que to leave the room. Sakura watched Syaoran go out of the corner of her eye, wishing he would just look at her. "Damnit Sakura-chan! Do you realise how much I died inside when I heard you were involved in a shooting?!"
"I'm sorry." She mumbled, looking down at her good arm. Flexing the fingers on her left arm, she could feel the insides of the cast itch at her arm. Absently, she picked at the edge of it with her right hand. "I… I…" The baby kicked. "I'm sorry."
Tomoyo and Meiling both flung their arms around her, sobbing hysterically. Awkwardly, Sakura used her good arm to hug them both, one at a time. "Oh, God, Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo wailed. "I was so worried!"
Sakura managed a small smile. "I'm sorry for making you worry."
"Come on," Eriol tugged at Meiling's shoulder, "let's give them a minute."
As the two left the room – Eriol had to support Meiling's weight as she heaved from her tears – Tomoyo's death grip loosened. Sitting on the chair nearest the head of the bed, she gripped Sakura's hand tightly, staring down at it with tears glistening in the harsh hospital light. "We haven't spoken in a while." Tomoyo's voice came out as a sort of half-laugh, half-sob.
"No." Sakura gave a dry sob. "We haven't." She took Tomoyo's hand and placed it on her belly. "Can you feel her move?"
Fighting tears again, Tomoyo nodded.
"You!"
Syaoran looked up for the first time since he'd entered the hospital, to meet Touya's angry stare. He didn't answer him verbally; the look of utter exhaustion in his eyes betrayed exactly what he was thinking. He was tired; tired of worrying, tired of living in fear for Sakura, for the baby, for everyone. He'd just lost a childhood friend to his father; it was obvious that the man was willing to go just as far as Syaoran had predicted to get what he wanted.
Syaoran was lifted out of his seat by the collar and slammed up against the wall by Sakura's angry older brother. "This is your fault, you disgusting little piece of-"
"Touya-san!" Fujitaka boomed. "This it not Syaoran-san's fault!"
"The Hell it isn't!" Touya growled, his grip never loosening.
Yukito put his hand on Touya's arm. "Hurting Li-san won't change anything." He murmured quietly.
"It'll make me feel better." Touya growled, his fist flexing.
"Go right ahead." Syaoran's low voice boomed out in the quiet hall. "You have no idea how much I'd love to kill something right now. If you wanna start me, I won't hold back."
"Why you-!"
"Enough!"
Everyone's attention snapped to Meiling. "Sakura-chan was nearly killed today, and all you two can do is fight! Get over yourselves!"
Touya let Syaoran slide down to the ground; said young man collapsing to his knees. After a moment, he stood and made his way over to the door to Sakura's room. Shooting everyone a look that quite clearly told them to stay behind, he pushed it open and said "Give us a minute, Tomoyo-san."
Sakura's heart was pounding wildly as Tomoyo shut the door behind her, shooting her cousin a worried look. Silently, Syaoran took up Tomoyo's seat at the side of the bed, though he did not take up her hand. Looking downcast, he took a moment to collect his thoughts.
"You realise what happened today, don't you? What almost happened?"
"Syaoran, I-"
His tone was grave as he cut across her. "A man died, Sakura." He paused, continuing as Sakura opened her mouth to speak. "A friend." He took a second to collect himself. "Surely, now you realise how serious this is? That you can't be reckless and just go wherever you want, whenever you want? There are people out to kill you, Sakura. Not to mention that stalker!" He still hadn't looked at her.
"I know that!"
"Do you?" Syaoran's voice still hadn't changed. "Do you, really?"
"Yes!"
"Then you'll understand."
"Understand what?" She did not like his tone.
"Why I'm going to do what I'm about to do." He stated, leaving no room for argument. He still hadn't looked up. "You're coming back with me to a safe house in Western China. You will stay there until the baby is born. All three of us will then go into protective custody until my father dies. I will not allow you to be harmed. Are we clear?"
"But-!"
"No buts, Sakura!" Syaoran stood, finally staring down at her. The look on his face made Sakura whither inside; his face was a mask of utter despair. Grief was written all over his face as his empty eyes bored into hers. Absolute fear and self-loathing was evident in his voice as he continued to speak. "I'm responsible for this, Sakura! I am!"
"I'm just as responsible as you are!" Sakura argued, her eyes misting up. She just needed him to tell her that it was all going to be ok. That everything would work out in the end. "I'm just as responsible!" She wailed, burying her face in her good hand.
Sighing in exhaustion, he sat at the top of the bed, next to her. Painfully aware of her broken arm, he gingerly wrapped his arms around her heaving form. "Shhh…" he whispered into her hair, kissing the crown of her head, "shhh… I won't let anything happen to you." He spoke softly, rubbing her back as he cradled her against his chest, Sakura burying her face into his shirt and sobbing. "I promise."
I don't think this was the best chapter I've ever done, but it'll have to do. It was written in a single afternoon, so I don't like it too much. However, this is all a means to an end, so I guess it'll just have to do.
Until next time!Sparkly Faerie