Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ The China Doll ❯ Running Away Won't Change A Thing ( Chapter 6 )

The China Doll

Chapter 6 - running away won't change a thing

Sakura ran all the way back to her apartment with out any thought to the rest of the school day. When she unlocked her door she ran into her room, noticing that Kero wasn't there. She collapsed onto her bed and picked up her cell phone, punching in a few digits for a long distance call.

"Moshi, moshi. Nagata residence." A voice answered on the second ring.

"Ying Fa speaking." Sakura said dryly.

"Sakura! How's life? Xiao Lang? When's the wedding?" Miko bombarded Sakura with questions. They hadn't talked since Sakura walked onto the plane in Japan.

"Miko I think I blew the plan. I'm pretty sure he knows how I feel about him…or at least how I felt about him. He knows about the two Sakuras mix-up and that I loved him, but when he apologized to me I-I screamed at him…I told him that his apology wasn't good enough. I-I'm HORRIBLE!" she sobbed into the receiver.

She heard a knock at her door and went through to answer it. When she looked through the peephole she saw Xiao Lang.

"Who's at the door?" Miko asked, hearing the rapid knocking.

"Li Xiao Lang." She answered.

"Sakura, please! I don't want to lose you again. I love you and you walking away from me isn't ever going to change that." He called through the door.

"I'll call you back." Sakura whispered to her friend and hung up, then slowly unlocked the door.

"Oh Sakura" he breathed. "When I saw you on stage…I didn't mean to hurt you so much. Please forgive me. That's the last thing I'd ever want to do. I never want to see you shed a tear in pain." He exclaimed passionately and swept her up into his arms. There wasn't any resistance this time, nor was there any attempt to wrap her arms around him. She was too weak to react. The only thing she could think about was trying to protect herself if he ever left again.

"Please don't do this…I couldn't bear another heartbreak." She whimpered pleadingly.

"I swear it on my life that I'll do what ever I can not to hurt you again." He promised and cradled her limp body in his arms.

"I missed you." She whispered and fell asleep. He studied her features and realized what a fool he had been not to recognize her when he first returned to Japan or when he saw her in the lunchroom.

'I was such an idiot!' he mentally kicked himself. He remembered the story she had told him on the swings. So many things he had missed had ended up hurting her.

He carried her through to her bedroom and noticed the room with her Sakura cards. He knew that that meant Kero was living with her too. He placed her on the bed and covered her with the sheets. Then he kneeled on the floor beside her, with his head placed on the bed in his arms, and fell asleep, too.

~~

Kero came home to find the front door wide open. He cautiously flew in and shut the door behind him. Then he noticed Sakura's cell phone on the table.

"Sakura?" he called out softly and began to worry when he got no reply.

He flew towards her bedroom but stopped when he saw that his door was open too.

'Did I leave this open or…' he wondered but the cards were still where he'd left them. 'Guess I was in a rush to see the newest version of Xylon warriors.'

When he went to the other bedroom he noticed two figures, asleep. He flew in closer and saw that it was Sakura and Syaoran. Sakura's cheeks were still damp and tearstained and Syaoran's brow was furrowed tight in frustration as he slept.

Kero landed on the bed beside the boy and gently tapped his head.

"Hey, kid." He said trying not to disturb his sleeping mistress. Syaoran stirred slightly and lifted his head to stare at the little yellow beast.

"Kero-Chan?" he exclaimed, astonishedly, then adverted his gaze to the sleeping girl in the bed. He stared, silently willing her eyes to flutter open.

"I've hurt her so much." He said sadly to Kero.

"So you know?" Kero asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah. She basically did everything she could to tell me that I broke her heart and that she wouldn't ever forgive me." He said. "I assumed that meeting Sakura in our place was too much of a coincidence so I ruined both our lives."

"It wasn't your fault…not totally anyways. Sure you shouldn't have changed your name and yes you should have told her how you felt…both times you had the chance, but I always knew you were a baka." He chuckled softly. "I don't remember everything from the apartment because I was stuffed into Tomoyo's bag and then when she lashed out at Eriol, she stormed out so I missed the rest, but Sakura spent quite a few weeks pining over you. She stayed in your apartment for a few days with the dark card draining her power to keep the light out so that she could sleep. I think I know why, too. She's always felt safety in you. Where you've been, what you've worn…she stayed there because she wanted that sense of security you gave her." He told Xiao Lang, solemnly.

Sakura's eyes fluttered open. She had been woken by their conversation.

"You're still here." She said surprised and smiled sleepily at him.

"Of course." He smiled back. "After what you've been through, you don't deserve to be alone."

"But, your family." She protested, guiltily. In all the time he had stayed with her, he could have been searching for a cure for his clan.

"Would you come and help me?" he asked ignoring her worried looks.

"How could I help you?" she asked suspiciously. She wondered incredulously why he would need her help with a small thing like the flu.

"My family's sickness is based on some form of magic but I can't find out where it is so I can reverse it. Everyone else is too sick to help me and I can feel my own powers being sucked away. You could help locate it…right?" he pleaded, and then began to cough.

When she could get a word in she asked him if he was ok.

"Yeah. It's just a small cough…nothing to worry about." He said elusively.

"Ok, I'll help…do I have enough time to change?" she asked looking down at her school uniform. He nodded and took Kero outside while she changed.

Kero flew into his room and returned a minute later, carrying the cards and her key. Xiao Lang sat down beside the door and took the magical items from Kero.

By the time Sakura had finished changing Kero had flown back into his room for the night, forgetting about his stomach for the moment.

"Hey…isn't that-?"Xiao Lang started to ask.

"Yeah. It seemed kind of appropriate." She giggled. It was the same outfit she wore to the dance a year and a half ago. Since it was almost dark outside, she decided to keep on the cape.

"Sakura-Chan, can I ask you a question?" he asked.

"Um…I guess." She answered, biting her lip. Xiao Lang studied her expression and felt for the box in his coat pocket. Now wasn't the time.

"Never mind. I'll ask you later." He said and led her out of the apartment, to his car, still in the school's parking lot.

To Be Continued…