Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ Don't Leave a Third Chance ❯ Chapter 4: Probing Deeper ( Chapter 4 )

Don't Leave a Third Chance

A/N: Okay, first of all, something somewhere screwed up my story and changed at least half the commas in my story to periods... so readers, if you're pissed off at my format, IT"S NOT MY FAULT, IT"S FANFICTION.NET'S FAULT! And I've FINALLY managed to fix my ... problem, so readers who are devote fans of DLATC... please reread! LOL!

Disclaimer: *me is thirsty* *me drinks sprite* *me sees copyright of Coca-Cola* *me has mental breakdown* *me wants to own sprite* *me only owns sprite products* *me is sad* *me will write a fanfic about sprite after the fanfic I am writing about Card Captor Sakura, which I noticed that I didn't own either and had a mental breakdown over* *me is done with my story* *waits for audience to clap* *hears sprite dripping* *me cries* *me continues to type story* Once again, I do not own CCS! (it's random, ne?)

Chapter 4: Probing Deeper

While Sakura and her son were cuddled up (A/N: Oh no! I just realized that I forgot all about poor little Kouji in the last chapter after Sakura finished her story!), sleeping on the couch, Syaoran was looking out the window of the apartment from his room, thinking about Sakura. He had heard a door shut and presumed that Sakura had left, and a slight twinge of regret filled in his heart. He looked out the window, hoping to catch a sight of the pretty auburn-haired woman walk, but was soon lost in thought about the reasonings of Sakura's sudden appearance. Why had she come? Obviously to talk to Tomoyo about something. But what? Maybe womanly matters? No, if she were to do that, she wouldn't have brought her children along, and she seemed upset, crying...

Did something happen between her and Yukito? Syaoran felt his emotions leap into the level of hope, then a wave of guilt washed upon him. Was his own selfishness so great that he would wish Sakura's unhappiness for his own? Sakura loved Yukito, he had to get used to that. So why was she crying when you saw her? a little voice in his head asked. Obviously something did happen, and it did involve Yukito or someone close to her... but there had been nothing in the news about Sakura's family and the like, for Sakura, being married to one of the most famous businessmen in Japan, is always under close scrutiny by the press and media. Syaoran growled as he tried to find the source of why Sakura was upset. He wished that Sakura was with him... he would make sure that she wouldn't be hurt like she had been today.

Syaoran was unaware of another presence in the room who had followed him and was now starring at him with bright, green eyes. Kazumi scrunched up his adorable little face as he tried to remember where he had seen the man before... he had a vague memory of a face in his early babyhood glowering over him menacingly in his crib days, but no... that face had been a lot thinner than the face he was looking at now. However, the brown hair and amber eyes were in startling similarity... Kazumi shook his head childishly, clearing his mind of the face that his little mind probably fabricated in a dream. That nightmare was certainly not this quiet, stern, but rather nice man that was sitting before him, staring out the window at the cars below. The man had comforted his mother when she was sad, and that made him chivalrous in the eyes of the young boy. Hugged...

"I know you," Kazumi suddenly said, startling Syaoran from his revelry of the outside view.

"W-what?" he replied, confused at Kazumi's outburst.

"I know you from... I don't know," Pulling his face into a pouty frown, Kazumi tried to grab back the memory that triggered the sudden shock of recognition he had that made him cry out the outburst. He looked at Syaoran again with those precious eyes, the eyes that, Syaoran thought with another pang, was a carbon copy of his mother's. Syaoran jolted himself out of his thoughts and opened his mouth, but said nothing. He had nothing to say. Instinctively, he know it was better not to speak and disturb the boy's train of thought, unlike what Kazumi did to his own reminiscence of Sakura. He watched the brows furrow and knit, the small mouth sucking at the perfect little thumb Kazumi had put there to help his thinking along. How the boy had grown since the last time he saw him, when Kazumi was just a little bundle in the frilly cradle at his naming ceremony. he had been so anguished to see the product of Yukito and Sakura's love, so mad at the world. Syaoran felt once again that surge of guilt and shame that had earlier diminished his hate for the union of Sakura and Yukito. This was Sakura's son, her little baby, her firstborn. NO matter who the father is, it is more importantly Sakura's child, and in his determination to make Sakura happy no matter what, he also pledged the unspoken vow of keeping the people most prominent in Sakura's happiness secure and well... not counting Yukito. No, he shouldn't hate Kazumi, and now that he saw the boy again, he knew he couldn't hate Kazumi. Once again, his mind fleetingly landed on the uncanny resemblance between mother and son, for although Sakura was not there, Syaoran knew every curve of her face, every one of her pretty eyelashes, the shape of her adorable nose, and knew that Kazumi was a male version of his beloved. Yes, he thought, I could love this boy as my own.

"You were in Mommy's picturebook," Kazumi spoke again, face lighting up with this drawn knowledge, "The one she keeps pictures of her and her friends. There was a picture of you and Mommy laughing and you were hugging her... " Kamuzi started to go off about the color of the flowers and some brid that was on there, impressing Syaoran with his memory, so young, yet so accurate. But his voice faded off as Syaoran remembered back to when the picture was taken...

*flashback*

All three were sitting in the park on a pink and while checkered picnic blanket. Tomoyo had a camera in her hand and was laughing as Sakura took out her cake from the basket and wrinkled her nose at the messy sight. The cake was lopsided, and its frosting came off and stuck to the Tupperware container she brought it in. She popped off the lid gingerly, and Syaoran, who was also laughing at the disastrous cake and was sitting slightly behind her to the right, dipped his finger into the container and took out a piece of cake. He popped it into his mouth and let out a sound of mock disgust.

" Next time we're out picnicking, I'm making sure you're not making anything!" Syaoran exclaimed teasingly. Sakura's cooking wasn't half bad, but she occasionally messes up a few dishes.

"Oh you!" Sakura began giggling along with her two friends, hitting Syaoran gently on the arm. He, in return, hugged her and laughed more heartily with her. A sudden click and flash of light brought them back to the real world in which they had momentarily lapsed because of their happiness.

"Sorry, I couldn't' resist," smiled Tomoyo in that sweet way of hers, masking her pain at the togetherness of her love and her friend. So it's going to be Syaoran who will eventually take Sakura away from me, she thought sadly, but masked her pain in a smile and forced herself to indulge in the cuteness of the couple. They looked so good together, and even their colors matched. Sakura was wearing a pale pink tank top with white capris, while Syaoran was decked in a bright green shirt and black cargo shorts. Tomoyo blinked away tears, whether of happiness or sorrow she could not tell, and then she smiled again.

" Besides, it's a reminder for our celebration of getting Mr. Tsukishiro to invest in Little Wolf, Inc. It's going to boost up the company's sales even more than the time when I made Little Wolf a partner of Daidouji Toys after the recent invention of Character Cells."

Character Cells were cell phones designed in the shapes of animals/humans that talked almost human-like and alerted you with a voice telling its owner who called instead of the usual tone ring. They also had the ability to say instant text messaging, alert owners of when they would go on standby mode, transfer messages to mailboxing and talking to the owners when they turned on their cell phones again of the calls they missed immediately. The Japan Tribune (A/N: I am so bad at inventions) called them "The First Development of A.I.", and indeed, they were a big hit. (A/N: If any of you had read Chobits, you'd know that these phones were modeled after Sumomo/Plum and Kotoko, as well as that bunny cell that made its brief appearance, you know, the one that Yumi has! Anyway... ) Only two companies made them and knew how to make them... two sister companies, and their names were Little Wolf, Inc, and Daidouji Toys Co.

*flashforward*

Syaoran's memory of the day was abruptly interrupted, almost coincidentally, when Kazumi said, "Mommy still cries over that picture sometime... but she never did that in front of me... I saw her when I didn't want to take my nap and went to find her... ," Kazumi bowed his head in shame at his little sin.

Syaoran's eyes focused on the boy. "What did you say?" he asked, a little too urgently, making Kazumi burst into frightful tears.

"I didn't mean to not take my nap! I didn't wanna see Mommy cry over her friends! I didn't mean it! I didn't... " and Kazumi's little voice blubbered into an incoherent mess. Syaoran grimaced and immediately regretted asking his question... now he made the little boy cry when he had wanted to keep Sakura and him happy. Not knowing what to do, he walked over to the sobbing Kazumi. Gently, he picked him up, carried him over to the bed, and sat down, still holding the toddler. Kazumi sobbed into his sweatshirt while setting snuggly on his jean-covered lap, almost as if he belonged there. For a brief moment, Syaoran felt fulfilled, paternal, almost happy. Then his thoughts went to what the little boy had just told him. Sakura... crying over their picture? Why? As his mind flew over reasons, his heart began to glow with a hope... a hope that Sakura did at once time love him and might still have loved him...

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Still in her work outfit of a navy turtleneck sweater and black, knee-length skirt, Tomoyo Daijouji strode at a icy, angry pace to Touya's home. She didn't know how she knew it, but she knew that Touya was at home, and she intended on giving him a piece of her mind. How could he, thought Tomoyo angrily as she pushed open the low black gate and walked to the doorstep of the familiar little blue house, its path lined with low bushes and trees of peach blossoms swirled around her, how could he take his own sister's husband! And what's worse, he turned him gay! (A/N: I have nothing against gays, but it does strengthen Tomoyo's argument considerably... after all, how would you feel if your partner cheated on you with someone of his own gender? Ask for a threesome *Hey, that's my idea, don't' you dare steal it*) Tomoyo pressed the doorbell button long, hard, and several times, and heard Touya pounding down the stairs to answer the door.

"Sakura... ?" He said frantically as he opened the door, but then saw his lavender-haired second cousin at his doorway. "Oh, hi Tomoyo, have you seen -"

"How could you!" Tomoyo said in a deadly voice as she pushed passed him and kicked off her heels, "How could you do this to Sakura! How could you have an affair with your little sister's husband and ruin her happiness, as well as the security of Kazumi and Kouji?" She crossed her arms and glared into Touya's startled eyes, noting slightly that he seemed to have bags under them.

"So you know... but more importantly, do you know where Sakura is?" Touya asked, his voice at the same almost-whisper as Tomoyo's had been. Touya had never seen sweet Tomoyo, like an adoptive sister to him, so worked up before... no, he had. Whenever Sakura got sick or got hurt, Tomoyo would always worry and take revenge when she could, and do everything in her power to make Sakura better. And now, Tomoyo would certainly have his neck, but he had to explain to her, explain that what he and Yukito did would, in the long run, benefit Sakura.

"I won't tell you where Sakura is unless you explain yourself and your conduct. This is absolutely appalling, Touya! I thought you knew better!" Tomoyo said, while pacing to the kitching and instinctively got out coffee beans and poured it into the coffee filter. Touya followed her, and pushed her gently aside while he plugged in the coffee maker and made coffee. The smell of the caffeinated liquid filled the room, calming Tomoyo's anger and giving Touya the time to compose himself.

"Yukito made a mistake when he married Sakura." Touya started quietly, and Tomoyo let out a sound of outrage, but Touya held his hands up to calm her. "I didn't mean it like Yukito should have married me. No... Yukito used me as well as he used Sakura... " Touya's obsidian gaze became hollow as he continued his story in a monotonous tone, and Tomoyo's anger died a bit, replaced my concern with a flare as well.

"Yukito loved another man, or rather, a boy at the time when he first saw him. Believe it or not, they had been in a previous life, lovers. However, as much as he loved him, and as much as they were spiritually connected, Yukito loved, or rather feared, his parents more. Finally, Yukito got the courage to tell his parents of his love, but coincidentally, picked the night after the Little Wolf-Tsukishiro Food Shipping, which, as you know, shipped all the food needed for all restaurants, including fast food ones, from the farms and fields, to the kitchens. It was the same party where Yukito and Sakura shared a drink. Yukito knew Sakura purely because of me, and these two had been childhood friends before he got transferred to a private school according to his parents wishes. However, as Yukito struggled to tell his parents about his love, they mistakened the boy the Yukito was truly in love with, with Sakura. Immediately, Mr. and Mrs. Tsukishiro congratulated their own son, to his amazement... and only later they he learn that they mistakened the man for Sakura, at Sakura and Yukito's first date, when Mrs. Tsukishiro invited Sakura over for dinner for her interrogation, and Yukito saw her. Of course, he had no choice once his parents loved the little kaiju, and Yukito proposed. I could never remember the time where my little sister was so happy, and I felt happy for him... but sad, for though we were so young, Yukito and I had had a relationship deeper than friendship. I just supposed that Yukito married Sakura because she looked like me, except that she was a woman who could give him the heir and grandchild that Yukito's parents so wanted." Touya sighed, and the coffee maker beeped.

Touya went and took the pot. He poured coffee into the mug that Tomoyo was holding, the mug that was for Tomoyo whenever she visited, for she visited often to talk to Touya as well, for he, as a professor of business at Tomoeda College, would give her good advice on her businesses, and he was also the one to tell Tomoyo about her father.

Tomoyo thanked Touya quietly and watched as he poured himself some coffee.

"You want some cream or sugar?" Touya asked, but knew he shouldn't have.

"You know I always like my coffee black," Tomoyo replied. Tomoyo always loved the taste of black coffee. It tasted bitterly refreshing, painful, yet so good to last her throughout the day. Just like my love for Sakura, Tomoyo thought sadly, staring into her cup. She shook herself out of her revelry when Touya cleared his throat and took a sip of coffee. Touya doesn't know of Tomoyo's love for Sakura, but he had always suspected. He too drank his coffee black, with a reason very similar to Tomoyo's, yet so different. He, as well, loved someone who was in love with someone else... and that someone else, coincidentally enough, also liked black coffee.

"Anyway, back to my story," Touya continued, his voice slightly more audible that that of the first part of his story, " I thought Yukito and Sakura would be happy together... and when Yukito's parents were alive, he was for their sake. But one day, after a tiring day trying to get my slacker class into serious work, I stopped at a bar for a drink, and saw Yukito there, eyes red and slightly drunk. He was muttering to the bartender something about killing himself when I arrived by his side. When he saw me, he said my name before he passed out, and I knew that I had to take him to my home. In the morning, I asked him about his suicide wish and he told me all about the love of his life, and how the only reason he married Sakura was to make his parents happy, and that now they're dead, he doesn't know what to do, and he misses his love. Then... he rambled on about how I look so much like him, and then... " his voice faded off, and he closed his eyes. Touya set the coffee cup down on the counter and rubbed his face with one hand. There was a long moment of silence as Tomoyo watched him struggle with his inner turmoil to tell her the story.

By now, Tomoyo had felt all raged anger disappear, but her justified anger still simmered slightly. She realized now that Yukito Tsukishiro's perfection and accomplishments as well as his smooth dealings with the media was not because he was a brilliant man. It was because, simply, the man had no backbone, no will of his own. No wonder why Yukito's company stocks was losing value after the death of the amazing Aoshi Tsukishiro, slowly but surely. Only recently, in the past 6 months, has Tsukishiro Food Shipping been steadying its stock price, and even then, it was lower that it was a few years ago. Without the guidance of his parents, Yukito was merely nothing, an abandoned shell. Tomoyo knew that it was the work of Touya's guidance that, like his advice for herself when her mother retired and gave Daidouji Toys to her, secured Tsukishiro Food Shipping. Tomoyo heard Touya draw a shaky breath before continuing.

"Yukito and my relationship was an on and off one. Whenever we had pangs of our loves, we would go to each other for comfort, and other things." At this, Touya gave a bitterly wry smile as Tomoyo grimaced, once again feeling angry at Touya.

"But today, I had driven over to Yukito to tell him that this must stop, that it wasn't right that I was having an affair... a homosexual affair... with my sister's husband. Instead, things got all messed up. Yukito collapsed at my telling him this, and my empathy for him got the better of me. And then Sakura... came... " at this, Touya buried his face in his hands.

"I never wanted to hurt my little Kaiju, never! The look on her face shattered my heart and I wanted to reach out to her, to hug her, to tell her that I never meant this, that it wasn't my fault... oh, but it was! It was my fault for being so weak-willed. I wanted Yukito to disappear from our lives as if he were never there, so that our brother-sister relationship wouldn't be perturbed... but it was too late. Sakura ran out of the house, and Yukito tried to follow her while dressing himself. I didn't care about that. As soon as I got the tangled sheets off of me, I ran down and yelled her name as her car sped away. I wanted so badly to blame Yukito... but I couldn't. I couldn't because Yukito had already collapsed and was stumbling to the kitchen to get a knife to kill himself. I stopped him and told him to get a hold of himself. He then paced back and forth on the kitchen floor, silent, occasionally asking me if Sakura would be in this place or that. We eventually decided that she would go to your and your mother's place to contact you, but when we called, the maid answered that you had already gone to your place... do you have a place outside of Daidouji Mansion?" Touya asked, lifting his face from his palms and looking at Tomoyo with red, sorrowful eyes.

Tomoyo swallowed and nodded, then drank a little of coffee. She then set the cup down and led Touya to the chair of his dining room table, motioning to sit. Touya sat heavily and Tomoyo took the seat beside him, patting his back. Touya continued to talk.

"We then tried to call your office, but your secretary said you had already left. By then Yukito was beyond frantic, but I calmed him down and told him to go to his office to do some work and that I would find Sakura before night comes... I'd never thought things would turn out so badly... I'm a professor! I should have used my head... but I fell weak to a weak man, my first love, the hate of my life now. How could I have been so stupid?!" Touya pounded the table and another solitary tear rolled from his eye. Tomoyo gathered him up in her arms and he cried into her shoulder while she stroked his hair.

"There there, Touya. It's okay, it was not your fault... I don't blame you." Tomoyo calmed him. "But Touya, I have a question to ask you. I know Yukito was your first love and all, but you made it somewhat clear in your story that you didn't love Yukito, you loved someone else... so why did you eventually turn to Yukito?"

Touya took another breath before looking up into the purple depths of Tomoyo's eyes.

"It was his personality... he, like my love, bent to his parents will, and had the sweetest disposition I had ever known. He was caring, sensitive, nice, everything that my love was. That's what made me so weak... I could almost imagine he was... "

As he spoke, Touya straightened himself up and leaned toward Tomoyo. Tomoyo, listening to the deep baritone of his voice rumble in his story, so similar to her own, didn't notice his gradual drift towards her. But now she did. Touya was so close to her, his eyes already a smoldering ebony as the light off them reflected her own face. So close...

" I could almost imagine," Touya whispered, and Tomoyo felt his breath on her lips, "That he was... you." And with that, Touya kissed her softly on the lips.

A/N: MWAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA, I'm leaving it off for now! CLIFF HANGERS! Don't you love them! I do! Anyway, just adding an unexpected twist to the story. For you Eriol+Tomoyo lovers out there... sorry, folks, this is not an ET, though I love them ^-^. I don't really know how everyone's going to end up, but you can be assured that everyone that plays a part in DLATC WILL be paired up. So... review or email me, or read and bask! I promise to have chapter 5 out by ..um... I don't know... so I don't' promise anything! ^-^ *me is evil EVVVVILLLL!* I'll end it here

Next Time: Yukito's love is revealed, Tomoyo confirms Touya's worst suspicious, and Sakura makes a drastic decision.

P.S. My plan for DLATC will be a serial with other animes in the mixing! But for now, DLATC will be the only story I'll be working on until it's finished.