[FFML] [CCS]Shadow of the Dragon Chapter 5

[David Barry]

Syaoran blearily opened his eyes and gave a contented smile as he gazed at 
the girl sleeping in his bed. He was starting to get used to her presence 
being so close to him. In an odd way, he hoped they would never get better 
and could share his bed forever.

The boy smirked at his thought. In time, he hoped they would share the same 
bed on a permanent basis. She was the one he loved the most, and he wanted 
to hold onto her always. Even if doing so meant having to marry her. He knew 
he wasn't ready for the kind of responsibility that comes with having a 
family and wished there was a way he could avoid it. He also knew such 
wishful thinking wouldn't get him what he truly wanted: Sakura fully 
promised to him, and him alone.

Syaoran absent-mindedly caressed her cheek. She was so beautifully cute. It 
was hard keeping his hands to himself, or at least not touching her where he 
shouldn't. What he wouldn't do to touch her more, to feel her, to see her 
completely, yet fear kept him from trying. He didn't want to push Sakura 
away by his need for her, and he didn't want to risk the responsibilities 
that came with a much closer relationship.

Sakura shifted in her sleep, snuggling closer to Syaoran and causing him to 
blush as her leg was now pressed against a certain part of his body. He 
already had a reaction from her presence, and if she were awake, she'd feel 
it. He moved trying to hide his unbidden thoughts from her. He wasn't sure 
if he was successful as the girl's eyes opened.

"Good morning," Sakura greeted groggily. "It is morning, now, right?"

Syaoran glanced at the time. "I'd say three o'clock certainly counts as 
'morning.'"

Sakura yawned. "We've been sleeping too much, huh?"

"We are sick," Syaoran reminded.

Sakura stuck her tongue out. "How can I forget?

"Do you want to stay here or...?" Syaoran wondered.

Sakura smiled. "There's no other place I want to be."

Syaoran kissed her gently on the lips. "I love you."

Tears began to leak from Sakura's eyes, pulling the boy into a hug. "I love 
you, too!"


In the next room, Meiling covered her head with a pillow having heard 
Sakura's half-shout. "If I hear that bed creaking, I'll scream." She was 
quite thankful only the muffled sounds of talking followed. She really hated 
the paper-thin walls the Japanese used in their homes and apartments.

-----------------------

Card Captors Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon

Chapter 5: Sakura and the Weekend Gone Wrong - Part 2: Curing What Ills


Author's Warnings:

In accordance to movie rating system this series would be rated PG-13, and 
as for television would rate TV M for mature audience, but would be viewable 
with no edits save for some incidents of vulgar language. Due to subjective 
nature of the ratings, for FFnet this series has been labeled with R rating 
for those who have poor views of some of the subject matter contained 
within.

This series contains:
Adult situations.
Sexual situations withOUT detailed description of sex nor the naked human 
body.
Brief moments of violence, some cases involving people getting severely 
injured and possibly death.
Occasional use of vulgar language.
Japanese humor: which include bathroom jokes, panty fetish and shocking 
situations.
Depictions of criminal activity committed by fictional characters.
References of homosexuality.

-----------------------

Rika bowed deeply. "I can't thank you enough for watching after my brother 
today."

Touya shrugged, while wearing a vending uniform for the park. "I already had 
a part-time job for the place, so it's no trouble."

"How can I repay you?" Rika offered.

"Just keep an eye on Sakura. She needs all the help she can get," Touya 
answered.

Rika nodded. "I don't know how much help I could be, but I'll try."

Touya then leaned closer to the girl. "And don't go rushing into motherhood. 
You'll only be hurting yourself and those you love the most if you do."

Rika blinked and took a step back. "Do you... have magic too?"

Touya folded his arms. "Enough to see what I don't want to. And if you rush 
things, your beloved will be taken from you."

Rika clutched at her chest. "You don't know how hard that would be."

"Life is hard, rushing into it would be unbearable," Touya advised. "And 
love isn't about lust. That's just a minor expression of it."

Rika whirled around. "I need to go. I'll be back after the game." She then 
ran away.

Kokkou rushed up to the young man. "Where's Neechan going?"

"She's needed somewhere else. I'll be watching after you," Touya answered.

Kokkou folded his arms. "Neechan will get in trouble."

Touya gave a short laugh. "More trouble than you can imagine."

-----------------------

Sakura rummaged around the kitchen. "Meiling-chan, where do you keep your 
honey?"

"Don't have any," Meiling replied, half-tempted to punch Kero-chan while he 
was beating her by a large margin in a video game.

Sakura pouted. "But I need to make my cure!"

"Cure?" Meiling wondered.

"Your wish has been answered," Kero-chan chirped.

A knock on the door drew the attention of the girls, while Kero-chan didn't 
budge. Meiling gave up on her game, walked over and opened the door. She 
frowned at the man standing there. "It is for you."

Yukito walked into the apartment. "Are you feeling better?"

Sakura shook her head. "I'd be better if I had some... HONEY!" She leapt 
across the room and snatched the jar Yukito was holding out. "Thank you!" 
She quickly poured some milk into a pot and added some of the honey to it.

"What's the deal with this?" Meiling wondered.

"It's a family recipe," Yukito replied. "When Sakura got sick when she was 
little, her mother had made her warm milk with honey. Toya took up that task 
after their mother passed away. And now Sakura-chan has been making it for 
herself and Li-kun."

"Ah, so that's the story," Syaoran groused as he shambled into the room.

"She made it for you before?" Meiling asked.

Syaoran nodded. "It was while she was changing the cards. I came down with 
the flu and she stopped by to help."

Meiling shook her head. How the two didn't know they were in love then still 
eluded her with all the minor touches of affection they had shown.

-----------------------

Chiharu was now regretting the odd wish he had made to Sakura. Having 
switched bodies with Takashi, _he_ was finding that things were far 
different than he expected. He had thought boys had everything far easier 
than girls did and this switch was to prove that point. It didn't help 
matters that Chiharu didn't know when he could return to being a girl thanks 
to Sakura's illness. However, regrets weren't going to fill his empty 
stomach as he ransacked the refrigerator at the Mihara home.

Takashi smirked and remarked with knowing sarcasm, "I take it Dad wasn't 
pleased with the score."

"That's putting it mildly. If I got that grade, Mom would be proud of me but 
your Dad wants too much," Chiharu groused.

"Does he?" Takashi asked. "You know why I have to perform well. I don't have 
just myself to think about."

Chiharu sagged. "I know you have to think about me as well and any kids we 
might have. But what's the point of being first if studying takes away the 
time you can be with your family?"

Takashi laughed. "That's the great irony of our age. To do well financially 
means to devote all your time to work, at the cost of the family you are 
trying to support. It has long since been the age of man going out hunting 
and the women cooking and gathering fruits and berries, when people had time 
to share with each other. The more we say life has gotten easier, we find 
that our time is taken away."

Chiharu shook her head. "I wish that was one of your tall tales."

"But it's not," Takashi affirmed. "And speaking of time, why haven't you 
spent any with your father?"

Chiharu stiffened. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to watch him die?"

Takashi glared at him. "Yes."

Chiharu flinched as if slapped. "I'm sorry... I forgot about your sister."

"I never gave up on her. I wanted neechan to stay with us. I went to her 
hospital room everyday I could with another story for her. It wasn't enough, 
but at least I spent that time with her!" Takashi almost shouted.

"I know that. It's just... I don't want to remember Dad any other way than 
the strong man who tossed me up into the air, not the frail man _I_ could 
toss in the air." Takashi turned around. "It hurts to see him in pain. I 
don't want to see him like this."

Takashi grabbed the temporary boy by the shoulder. "And you think I wanted 
to see my sister after a fucking idiot ran her over with his truck? I could 
barely recognize her face. It's hard, I know it is. But there is something 
far harder than not seeing your father."

"What's could possibly be harder?" Chiharu spat.

"Regretting you didn't spend more time with him when you had the chance," 
Takashi said in a deadly serious voice. "He wants to see you, Chiharu. He 
wants to spend time with you. Because of your avoidance he saw straight 
through the switch."

Chiharu stared at her in surprised. "Dad knows you're not me?"

Takashi nodded. "Didn't take him a minute to realize it since I didn't just 
take care of his needs but actually TALKED to him. Chiharu, that's all you 
have to do, talk to him."

"I can't face him!" Chiharu protested.

Takashi poked him in the chest. "Yes, you can. It's easy once you start. I 
had a lot of fun talking to him last night. It's great having a captive 
audience for my stories."

"I can't do it!" Chiharu yelled before running out of the home.

Takashi shook her head and put the food back into the refrigerator. She knew 
well what the regret of not spending time with a loved one could do. Her 
mother avoided going to the hospital, always saying that the doctors would 
bring her daughter back whole and healthy. The depression that followed was 
almost suicidally bad.

-----------------------

Sakura pouted at her best friend. "You don't have to stay with us."

"It's no problem at all," Tomoyo assured her.

"We're not invalids. We can take care of ourselves," Syaoran muttered.

"I know that. But does it hurt to have a helping hand when you can't do 
everything you'd like?" Tomoyo returned with seeming innocence.

Syaoran folded his arms. "Whatever."

Sakura smirked tiredly. "He is a bit of a grouch when sick."

Tomoyo giggled. "I noticed. Sakura-chan, why don't you try and wash away 
those germs away with a shower? I'll keep Li-kun company."

Sakura swayed to the left and the right as if debated the suggestion. "A 
shower does sound good, I guess." She turned around to fetch some clothes 
she left in Syaoran's room.

Tomoyo sat silently watching Syaoran as her best friend prepared to take a 
shower. She smiled knowingly as he seemed to follow his girlfriend's 
movements with his eyes despite walls separating them. She didn't miss the 
look in his eyes as the bathing room door shut and the shower turned on. She 
had made sure Kero-chan was sufficiently distracted in another room.

Tomoyo cleared her throat. "Li-kun?"

Syaoran blinked and looked at her. "Yeah, Daidouji?"

"There's been something I've been meaning to ask you, and I'd like an honest 
answer to it," Tomoyo assert with a smirk.

The boy sighed. "What is it?"

Staring straight into his eyes, Tomoyo asked, "Do you have an idea who is 
challenging Sakura-chan?"

Syaoran turned away. "Not that we can confirm."

"But you DO have some idea who might be behind it," Tomoyo pressed.

"None that I can say," Syaoran insisted.

Tomoyo got up from where she had been sitting and advanced toward the boy. 
"The one behind the attacks is related to the Li clan, am I right?"

"Daidouji..." Syaoran growled.

Tomoyo closed her eyes. "I see. And why haven't you told Sakura-chan 
anything?"

The only reply was Syaoran's glaring eyes.

"You can't tell me you aren't telling her because she's not family YET, are 
you? You plan to marry her someday, right? Why not tell her something this 
important?" Tomoyo's harsh and commanding eyes showed just how much she was 
her mother's daughter.

"Because we don't know!" Syaoran barked. "We have no proof and we have no 
motive. Without those saying anything is premature. All we know is the 
person mother thinks is responsible is missing."

"That sounds overly convenient." Tomoyo crossed her arms. "And is there any 
reason to suspect anyone else?"

"Do you have any idea how many mages exist out there? And any magic-user 
stupid enough to challenge Sakura head-on would face absolute defeat. 
Whoever is after her is fighting her intelligently, by challenging her 
indirectly. Finding her strengths and weaknesses without exposing 
themselves. We can't even be sure this is the work of one person. After all, 
each attack has been different, and as crime stories love to point out-- 
criminals repeat the way they commit their crimes. And that's assuming this 
isn't another test like the ones Clow gave her. This might even be a higher 
power deciding if she is worthy for something. The simple fact is we don't 
know anything until we can find some proof to eliminate or confirm any of 
these possibilities," Syaoran finished stubbornly.

Tomoyo poked the boy's chest. "You can at least tell her that. Syaoran, she 
relies on you and trusts you. If she finds out you've been holding something 
this important from her, you will have betrayed her. I don't expect you to 
tell me exactly who it is your mother suspects, but if your love for 
Sakura-chan means anything-- YOU WILL TELL HER!"

"What's going on out here?" Sakura asked, wearing Syaoran's bathrobe while 
drying her hair.

"It's nothing," Syaoran muttered quickly.

Tomoyo cast a quick glare at him. "Just a little discussion. Nothing to 
worry about for now."

Sakura blinked. "For now?"

-----------------------

Touya shook his head as his apprehension over watching Rika's little brother 
proved true. He watched as Mrs. Sasaki took a seat on the bleachers. The 
woman smiled as she watched her son pick grass in the outfield. It wasn't 
until the end of the inning that she looked around to try to find Rika.

"You're losing her at this rate," Touya told her.

Mrs. Sasaki blinked in confusion. "Huh? Oh, I don't want anything."

Touya folded his arms. "You don't remember me, Auntie Sasaki?"

Mrs. Sasaki stared at the young man for a moment. "Touya-chan? Is that you?"

Touya flushed at the honorific. "Yes, Auntie."

"My, you sure have grown. I guess it has been a long time since the 
'baby-sat club,' as my husband liked to call it when I would watch after 
you, Sakura-chan, Naoko-chan and Chiharu-chan," Mrs. Sasaki remembered 
fondly. "Do you know where my daughter is?"

"Where she had been committed to be today months ago," Touya replied. "I 
volunteered to watch after her brother for her."

Mrs. Sasaki scowled. "I told her she had to watch Kokkou-chan today."

"And you told her that yesterday, when the entire school asked her to 
perform at a concert before school even started for the year," Touya pointed 
out as neutrally as he could.

"They could've found a replacement," Mrs. Sasaki asserted.

"For a concert focusing on the piano with no notice?" Touya shook his head. 
"If she didn't go, the entire band and the audience would've been left angry 
and disappointed as the performance couldn't go on without her. _I_ am the 
usable replacement for this situation."

Mrs. Sasaki huffed. "She needs to think of her family first."

Touya shook his head. "Excuse me for saying this, Auntie, but she's only 
following your lead."

"What do you mean by that?" Mrs. Sasaki questioned.

"Does she have a boyfriend? What were the grades she received for the last 
school year? What does she want to do with her life?" Touya asked with a 
sharp edge.

"She's only fourteen. She not old enough to have a boyfriend or plan out her 
future," Mrs. Sasaki replied.

Touya didn't reply, only gave her an even look.

"What? Are you saying she knows what she wants to do with her life?" Mrs. 
Sasaki wondered.

"She's been dating the same person for four years now and dreams of being 
his housewife. As such being ninety-first out of one-hundred-sixty-two 
students didn't bother her," Touya gave her the answer.

"What? That's not possible," Mrs. Sasaki protested. "I know my little girl."

"Do you? Or have you ignored her completely in favor of him?" Touya pointed 
at Kokkou. "I suppose you didn't hear her when she told you she was 
attending her best friend's wedding reception."

"Sakura-chan is married?!" Mrs. Sasaki cried out.

Touya slapped his forehead. "Mihara married Yamazaki."

"I thought Sakura-chan was Rika-chan's best friend," Mrs. Sasaki admitted. 
"And why would those two be married?"

"Mihara's father is expected to die any time now. As for Sakura, she's been 
best friends with Tomoyo-chan since kindergarten," Touya corrected bitterly.

Mrs. Sasaki frowned. "That's sad to hear. And who is Tomoyo-chan?"

Touya wanted to pound his head into a wall. "A friend of Rika's since 
kindergarten and the daughter of my mother's cousin, Daidouji Sonomi."

Mrs. Sasaki stared vacantly. "Rika-chan really needs to talk to me."

"You need to listen," Touya advised harshly. "She has been trying to tell 
you, but your attention has been on your son, not her. If you don't start 
trying to pay attention to her, you're going to lose her."

Mrs. Sasaki turned away from him. "You don't know what you're talking 
about."

"I know more than I want to. Just don't push her any farther away from you. 
At the rate she's going, she might not even finish this year of school, 
which will hurt everyone, herself especially," Touya warned. "If she runs 
from your house tonight, you will have lost her."

Mrs. Sasaki could only stare at the young man.

-----------------------

Meiling found refuge at the park. Just off the beaten path she danced and 
spun her way through a martial arts kata. Here, at least, she could find her 
peace. She didn't have to listen to Kero-chan challenge her to yet another 
game. She didn't have to hear Syaoran gripe about being sick. She didn't 
have to see Kinomoto and Syaoran being so close and lovely dovey that it'd 
cause cavities.

Her fists attacked the air as if they were attacking Meiling's thought. She 
wanted to put away her feelings for her cousin. She knew he loved Kinomoto, 
and that the girl loved him. She had accepted that, yet it still hurt her to 
see them so close. She wanted Syaoran for herself, and seeing him with 
another girl still made her upset.

"You wouldn't happen to be the 'Park Destroyer,' would you?"

Meiling stumbled as she was pulled from her thoughts. "Huh? 'Park 
Destroyer?'"

A teenage boy a couple years older than Meiling cross his arms. "'Park 
Destroyer' is the name that's been given to the girl who challenged and beat 
martial arts masters at this park a few years ago. She's become a bit of an 
urban legend."

Meiling laughed. "Afraid not. I did give her a run for her money, but I got 
too confident."

The guy eyed her closely. "Oh, really?"

"Well, I'd like to think that, any way. I got some good shots into her while 
she was testing me out." Meiling smiled ruefully. "That was the trick to 
beating her, and I missed my chance. If you don't take her down in the first 
thirty seconds, she will have taken your measure and will beat you 
senseless."

"She was defeated?" the guy asked.

Meiling nodded. "While she was using me as a punching bag, a friend of mine 
managed to brain her with a heavy bar."

The guy laughed. "I'll have to tell sensei that the girl who beat him was 
beaten by a pair of girls."

"Two girls and a guy, though Syaoran did more to keep me from harm than hurt 
the 'Park Destroyer,'" Meiling corrected.

"My name is Kanzaki Shiro. Would you care to spar?" the guy questioned.

"I'm Li Meiling and I accept your challenge." She moved to the ready 
position.

-----------------------

Rika nervously entered her home. She learned from Touya that her mother had 
showed up at the baseball game and took Kokkou home. There was no use hiding 
herself. "I'm home."

"You gonna be in trouble!" Kokkou cheered from where he was playing his 
video games.

Rika frowned, but suspected he was right about that. There was no greeting 
from her mother, not that she ever expected to hear one. She made her way to 
the kitchen and saw that her mother was a bit subdued.

"How was your concert?" Mrs. Sasaki questioned.

Rika flinched. "It went well."

"Thank you for at least making sure Kokkou would be safe," Mrs. Sasaki 
seemed to force herself to say.

Rika stared in surprise. "You're welcome."

"Dinner will be in an hour," Mrs. Sasaki mentioned.

"Okay." Rika nodded slowly and drifted away from the kitchen.

Mrs. Sasaki almost asked Rika to make dinner with her, but couldn't find the 
words. She couldn't help but fear an argument would result, as they had so 
many times in the recent past.

-----------------------

Chiharu nervously peeked into his father's room. He frowned at the sight of 
the frail man. That Takashi was also in the room didn't help matters.

"Come on in," Takashi encouraged.

"Yes, come in boy. I always wanted a son," Mr. Mihara rasped out with a 
smirk.

Chiharu's pout looked strange on a boy. "Hi... Dad."

"Takashi-chan has been telling me all sorts of wonderful stories," Mr. 
Mihara praised.

Chiharu nodded. She then looked at the girl. "Takashi, could you leave us 
alone for a moment."

"Of course, Dear." Takashi moved to leave the room, but not before 
whispering to the boy, "I'm locking you in here."

Chiharu whirled around, but it was too late to stop the laughing girl. 
"Takashi..."

"Is there something you wanted to say?" Mr. Mihara wondered.

Chiharu didn't immediately reply. His gaze remained on the door. "I don't 
know what to say."

"Well, how does it feel to be a boy now?" Mr. Mihara prompted.

"Not having a period is certainly a plus." Chiharu laughed hollowly. "I just 
didn't know how much pressure Takashi was under to perform."

"He's that bad in bed?" Mr. Mihara joked.

"DAD?!" Chiharu screeched.

Mr. Mihara let out a laugh that turned to a coughing fit. "Just joking with 
you. My, you really are Chiharu."

"It was a foolish request I made that did this." Chiharu motioned toward his 
borrowed body.

Mr. Mihara shook his head. "I don't think it's so foolish. You get a chance 
to walk in your husband's shoes. You will understand him far better than I 
ever understood my wife."

Chiharu frowned and looked as far away from his father that he could.

"Chiharu-chan... Do you blame me?" Mr. Mihara asked.

The boy turned around and stared at the frail man.

Mr. Mihara shut his eyes. "I see. You do blame me."

Chiharu fidgeted. "Dad... I... I know you didn't ask for this."

"And you didn't ask to be married... You weren't even asked if you wanted to 
be married," Mr. Mihara surmised.

Chiharu looked down at his feet. "I... I was asked by Takashi. I do love 
him."

"But you weren't ready, were you?" Mr. Mihara pressed.

Chiharu reluctantly nodded. "It wasn't easy, especially in the beginning."

Mr. Mihara couldn't look at the boy. "Dear... are you comfortable having 
sex?"

Chiharu's silence said more than words could have.

"I'm sorry, Chiharu. I'm so sorry that I ended up forcing you into this," 
Mr. Mihara apologized.

"You couldn't help it. It was just all too soon for me. I would've liked to 
have waited, but I didn't have a choice. None of us really did." Chiharu 
clenched his fists. Ever since the argument this morning with Takashi, there 
had been only one thing he had wanted to say to his father in case he died 
soon. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you, too. Be good to your wife." Mr. Mihara let out another coughing 
laugh.

Chiharu slowly walked out of the room, finding the door unlocked. Takashi 
stood next to the door, staring at her feet.

"I'm sorry, too, Chiharu. I thought... I... I'm sorry." The girl then ran 
off to the bedroom.

Chiharu followed after. "I don't blame you. It was an unavoidable 
situation."

"Why didn't you tell me you didn't like having sex?" Takashi demanded. "I 
thought we were making love."

Chiharu sighed. "At times we were."

"And the other times?" Takashi pressed.

"It... it felt like you were using me to masturbate," Chiharu admitted.

Takashi flinched. "You can say 'no.' I'd understand."

"I never want to hurt you. I was afraid stopping you would do that," Chiharu 
explained.

"That isn't the way love should work. You shouldn't be letting me hurt you 
just so I could feel some pleasure," Takashi asserted.

Chiharu gave a shallow smile. "That is love, Dear. Putting the one you love 
before yourself. I don't want to hurt you any more than you want to hurt me, 
but we let ourselves be hurt for each other."

"Kiss me," Takashi requested.

Chiharu blinked. "Huh?"

"Before I get sane again, kiss me," Takashi pleaded.

Chiharu looked puzzled at the request, but moved closer and kissed the girl. 
Their arms soon snaked around each other's bodies, and gravity pulled them 
towards the bed.

-----------------------

Meiling stormed into her apartment and plopped down onto her couch with a 
huff. She then glared at Kero-chan. "Are you STILL playing video games?!"

Sakura yawned as she shambled into the room. "He is ALWAYS playing video 
games."

"What else am I supposed to do? Go for a walk?" Kero-chan returned.

Sakura shrugged. "He does have a point. I gave up arguing over the games a 
long time ago."

"Stupid plushy," Meiling spat.

"Something wrong, Wench?" Kero-chan shot back.

Meiling turned away. "I think I screwed up."

Sakura blinked. "What do you mean?"

Meiling glared at her. "I met a boy at the park. He saw me practicing 
martial arts and asked if I was the 'Park Destroyer.'"

"'Park Destroyer?'" Sakura questioned.

"Apparently The Fight card beating up martial arts masters has become a bit 
of an urban legend around here. The students want a crack at her to prove 
themselves and help redeem their master," Meiling explained irritably.

"Like that's going to happen," Kero-chan groused.

"I see. Did you let him know about my magic?" Sakura wondered.

"No, that wasn't the problem. I functionally told him you brained her with a 
lead pipe. The problem was that he challenged me to a fight," Meiling 
muttered.

Sakura blinked in surprise. "You lost?"

Meiling gave out a harsh laugh. "I kicked his ass, and THAT is the problem."

"Why is that a problem?" Sakura wondered in confusion.

"I think he might've liked me or something. Maybe if I had lost, made it a 
draw or just barely beat him he would've asked me on a date. Instead he ran 
off without even a 'thank you' for the match," Meiling grumbled.

"Heh. Serves you right. You never hurt a guy's pride. That's the best way to 
push him away," Kero-chan pointed out smugly.

"Shut it, plush toy," Meiling spat.

Sakura sighed. She doubted Meiling could swallow her own pride enough to 
allow any boy, besides Syaoran, to beat her in a competition.

-----------------------

"That was decidedly weird," Takashi commented, buried underneath the 
blankets.

"Certainly was. I thought that'd feel more... narcissistic," Chiharu 
commented.

"But you knew that I'm me," Takashi pointed out.

Chiharu nodded. "You are my husband, not me. Even if you have my face for 
the moment."

Takashi buried her face into his chest. "It was kind of like we lost our 
virginity for a second time."

"Were you... uncomfortable?" Chiharu asked.

"A little. I felt a bit... powerless, I guess. Is that how you feel?" 
Takashi wondered.

"Either that or nothing at all." Chiharu sighed. "Maybe it's a girl thing. I 
felt more in control as a boy, though there seemed to be something... I 
don't know less or missing."

"You feel more as a girl," Takashi offered. "Good and bad, you feel more of 
both."

"I guess so." Chiharu then smirked. "It's a good thing we just had a 
period."

"Don't remind me," Takashi groused. "My stomach is still cramping a little."

"It's just that there's little chance that _I_ just got _you_ pregnant." 
Chiharu poked the girl to emphasis the point.

"That would be too weird to tell the kid later," Takashi mused.

Chiharu giggled. "No kidding."

"I'm sorry," Takashi suddenly apologized.

"You have nothing to be sorry about," Chiharu asserted.

"How many times did I force you into having sex when you didn't want to?" 
Takashi then glared at him. "Answer me honestly."

Chiharu looked away. "You don't want an honest answer."

"Then I have everything to be sorry about. I should be stuck as a girl for 
the pain I put you through," Takashi convicted herself.

"No way in Hell would I let that happen. You can have your body. I don't 
want to spend my days working my ass off for nothing," Chiharu returned.

"You are not 'nothing,'" Takashi returned.

"It is when you might end up too busy to be with me to enjoy what you've 
done." Chiharu pouted. "I guess that's why so many people have affairs. They 
can't do it with the one they want to be with."

"Now don't go thinking I won't make time for you and our children. I won't 
let work take over my life. If it ever does, smack me. You have to come 
first," Takashi asserted.

"Promises. We make lots of them, but sometimes reality won't let us keep 
them," Chiharu replied somberly.

Takashi pushed Chiharu onto his back and proceeded to straddle him. "I swear 
to you I'll keep my promise. I love you, Chiharu. Being married would mean 
nothing if you weren't by my side. All I want is for us to work together on 
making a good future for us. I have no plans on sacrificing my life just to 
support you."

Chiharu laughed. "Then it's a good thing that I already expect that I'll be 
working part-time jobs. To cover expenses that you might fall short of."

Takashi frowned. "I hope it never comes to that. But I'd rather that happen 
than only seeing you when you're asleep."

"Sakura had better get well soon. I want to be a girl again. I don't want to 
wait until Monday," Chiharu whined.

"That's two days away," Takashi agreed. "Hopefully Kinomoto is felling 
better tomorrow."

Chiharu nodded. "We can check in on her and ask if she can undo this."

-----------------------
-----------------------

"Really, I'm feeling fine," Sakura insisted as she stood at the hallway.

Syaoran folded his arms. "You're not standing up straight."

Sakura tried to stiffen her posture, but was still swaying a bit.

Syaoran walked up to her and put his forehead to hers. "You're still too 
warm. Take another day to recover."

"But..." Sakura tried to persist, but was silenced with his finger on her 
lips.

"You exerted yourself too much yesterday when you switched Yamazaki back," 
Syaoran retorted. "Don't make yourself worse by pushing yourself more than 
you need to."

Meiling bolted out of her room and dove for the toilet. She then began to 
wretch her last meal away.

Syaoran grimaced. "You can keep Meiling company."

Sakura reluctantly nodded. "That seems worse than we were all weekend."

"Oh, no. I'm am not staying here with her and that plushy," Meiling vowed 
weakly.

Syaoran didn't even bother to argue with her. He went to the phone and 
called the school. He was surprised when the line was busy. He dialed the 
number two more times before it finally connected. "Hello..." He blinked. 
"Ah, yes... I see. Thank you." He hung up the phone.

"Weren't you calling in for Meiling-chan?" Sakura wondered.

Syaoran nodded. "School has been canceled for flu epidemic."

"Huh? The flu closed the school?" Sakura asked in confusion.

"If too many teachers and students are sick, you can't run the school," 
Syaoran told her.

Sakura shrugged. "I guess I have no choice but to stay."

Syaoran smiled. A day with Sakura and now he felt healthy enough to fully 
enjoy it.

Meiling walked pass them with the bathroom trashcan. "Fine. If there's no 
school then I'm going back to bed. Good night."


-----------------------

Author's Notes:

Chapter 6:
Reiko may be the captain of the cheerleading squad, but she has been jealous 
of Sakura before. After spending a day with the girl working on a new cheer 
she finds she has a lot more to be envious about.


This scene takes place before the infamous bird incident, and the story 
mentioned is told in full in Sakura's Christmas Surprise:
-----------------------

Little Meiling was giddy with excitement. She had never been to an amusement 
park before. All the rides and food and sweets. It truly was Christmas to 
her with such a huge place to play in.

Meiling glanced at her sourpuss of a cousin and wondered how anyone could 
not be happy being at such a fun place. All he did was grunt like some pig. 
He was no fun at all! Not that his mother was any better, all stone-faced 
and ordering everyone around like they were all her servants. Even her 
parents!

"I'm going to the funhouse," Fanren groused. The unfocused eyes of the 
almost-teenager wouldn't look at anyone.

"We'll all be going there shortly," Yelan informed in a flat voice.

"Fine," Fanren muttered.

Meiling tugged at her father's pant legs. "Why they not happy?"

The little girl's father bent down and whispered to her, "Dear, I told you 
before that Syaoran's father has died. He has left them."

"Won't he come back?" Meiling wondered.

He sighed with mixed emotions. "Dear, once you go to be with your ancestors, 
you can't come back. Syaoran and his sisters miss their father."

"Oh." Meiling's grip on her father's pant-leg tightened. "You're not going 
to leave, are you?"

"No, Dear. I'm not going anywhere if I can help it." He ruffled her hair. 
"Please don't talk to much about it, though. That would be like picking at a 
wound for them."

Meiling nodded. Leaving was sad and she had no intention of talking about 
things that weren't fun in a place like this.

"If you're done, I'd like to get this over with," Yelan stated coldly.

Meiling found herself picked up by her father and heard him say, "I'll 
protect you from the spooky house."

The little girl wasn't sure what he meant by that, but she was eager to go 
on all the rides this place had to offer.

Syaoran's mother began to recite a story about some other girl named 
Meiling. The little girl didn't understand much of what she was being told, 
but it was tearing up Syaoran's sisters and her father. Why did they insist 
on being sad?

Deep within the twists and turns of the house, the story came to a dramatic 
end. Meiling's eyes were the only ones to not focus on a single spot in the 
room.

"Who are you?" Syaoran asked.

That was the most little Meiling heard him say all day. She looked around 
questioningly. "Who you talking to?"

"Don't you see anything?" her father questioned.

Meiling shook her head, and then frown as everyone looked at her. "What?"

"You don't see the ghost?" Fanren asked.

"Ghost? Where? Where?" Meiling glanced around wildly. Her gaze then followed 
where Syaoran was now pointing to. She huffed after a moment. "There's no 
ghost!"

"I see. We can forgo the additional training for you." Yelan then gazed at 
her son. "Tell me, how does she appear?"

Syaoran shrugged and pointed at his cousin. "Kinda like her, but older. 
Maybe ten."

Fuutie walked across the room. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

Syaoran looked puzzled. "How can I tell? I can't see through her."

"Stop joking," Meiling growled. "Three fingers!"

"You will do us proud, my son," Yelan praised stoically.

Syaoran merely nodded.

"What's this for?" Meiling asked.

"This was just a little test, Dear." Her father couldn't look at the girl. 
"Just a little test."

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