Epilogue: Reality Check

"Miss Sakura! Miss Sakura! Play with us!" Two little kids cried as they tugged on Sakura's hands. A twenty-two year old Sakura smiled at them and shuddered as they went into the foyer.

She smiled as they led her into the ballroom but her eyes widened as she heard the familiar chime of the grandfather clock. "Is that the time?"

One of the volunteers nodded and pried the kids off of her. Sakura smiled at them sweetly. "I'll see you some other time okay?"

The little kids nodded and Sakura sweat dropped as twenty others clung to her legs, saying goodbye.

When she finally managed to untangle herself from them she ran outside, ready to catch a taxi but smiled when she saw Wei standing there next to a car.

"Master Li-"

Sakura stopped him, smiling. "I figured."

"He requested that I remind you that 'ten means ten and not midnight' as well as 'why bother having a cell phone if it's always dead?'" Wei informed her as he backed out of the driveway.

Sakura smiled. "He can blame his pregnant cousin-in-law for that."

Looking out the window, they waved at the kids who had formed a crowd outside the villa.

Nadeshiko's villa had been remodeled and deeply cleaned before Sakura turned it into a boarding house for kids who were either orphaned or taken out of bad homes. The program was run by funds donated by both the Kinomoto's and Li's but was mainly funded form the money Sakura got when she sold the rest of her deceased mother's houses.

Sakura visited as often as she could; loving the time she spent with the kids.

The car stopped in front of another marvelous house and Sakura gave a small smile to Wei who opened the door for her. "Is he asleep?"

"Most likely, miss. He had a long day." Wei responded, taking her book bag.

"I'll deal with his whining tomorrow then." Sakura yawned and headed up the stairs. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, miss."

By the time Sakura climbed into bed she was beyond exhausted but couldn't find a way to fall asleep. Se closed her eyes slowly, just laying there hoping that somehow she would fall asleep.

Xx

Xx

Xx

"Calm down, miss. You need to be checked by a doctor." A nurse tried to soothe her.

Sakura, held back by Syaoran, continued kicking despite the sharp shots of pain in her leg. She cried and yelled out, completely covered in blood, most of it not hers. "No, this can't be happening. No!"

"I'm sorry." Syaoran whispered, Sakura only half-aware, before a nurse came and injected Sakura with a sedative.

She awoke again, calm and lying in a hospital bed. She felt exhausted but turned to the boy sitting next to her and gave a weak smile. Sitting next to her was Syaoran Li, his head wrapped in a bandage, which Eriol had jokingly written on like a cast, eating jello. "Hi." He mumbled, the green jello visible in his mouth.

"Gross." Sakura whispered and closed her eyes.

She heard the distinct sound of swallowing followed by the sound of the plate and spoon being put down. Then she felt Syaoran's hand rest slightly on top of her head. When she opened her eyes again, she was crying softly.

Syaoran half-smiled at her, knowing there was nothing he could do to soothe her now but be there.

The doctor came in and nodded to them. "Miss Sakura you can leave whenever you want, your father has filled out the paper work and your friend has brought you some clothes." He said, looking down at the clipboard before looking back up with an odd expression. "And she wrote here, 'Don't you dare try to take the sequins off the shorts because I will hurt you so bad, you'll be back in here by tomorrow.'"

Sakura half-smiled again and looked at the bag Syaoran had in his hand. The doctor wrote something down on a legal pad and handed one paper to Sakura and another to Syaoran. "Your medications are written there. Mr. Li you are due back here in one month to remove the stitches and Ms. Kinomoto we will be calling to schedule your check ups." Sakura nodded before heading into the bathroom with the help of a nurse and a wheelchair to change, she looked down at her casted leg and shook her head before looking at Syaoran.

He shrugged, "It was Tomoyo's idea to give you a pink cast."

A day had past and everyone found themselves staying in the Li household, too accustomed to the idea of hanging out there. Sakura was in Danielle's room, talking to her when Tomoyo came in, looking saddened. "Sakura you might want to see this."

As Tomoyo turned on the television, Syaoran, Eriol, and Meiling came in and sat down quietly.

Sakura turned to the TV and shook her head. On the screen was a picture of her mother in her latest movie. "…the funeral scheduled for-"

Sakura couldn't even watch it for a minute. She quickly grabbed the remote from Tomoyo and turned it off before placing Danielle back in her crib. "Well, I guess we're on the same boat now kid."

She gently played with one of the baby's hands before Danielle grabbed onto Sakura's finger and gurgled happily.

"Your father called to tell you that you have to go." Syaoran whispered, watching his legal daughter examine Sakura's finger.

"I won't do it." Sakura decided, gently prying her finger away from Danielle.

"Sakura…" Tomoyo started.

"I was there." Sakura choked. "When she died. I saw how it happened. And I talked to her just before that. I saw who my mother really was and that…was the woman I cried for. The woman they're burying is not the same. They are burying Nadeshiko, the actress and singer and whatever the hell she was. I'll go the next day, and officially say goodbye to Nadeshiko, my mother."

Her friends stayed quiet and Sakura looked down at the Danielle who started crying. Sakura picked her up and smiled as she rocked her. "I know how you're feeling."

Xx

Xx

Sakura was in darkness. She didn't feel anything, didn't see anything, and couldn't hear anything. It was just her and the darkness. "After that day, I went on to lead a normal life."

Something scoffed at her. "You'll never be normal."

Sakura smiled, best she could before rolling up into a ball. "It's the most normal things are going to get for me."

"How sad."

"I agree." Sakura smiled but the light from her smile faded. "At least she grew up happy."

"Confused."

"But happy." Sakura added to her conscious thought.

"You're weird, you talk to yourself."

"I'm not weird." Sakura sighed. "I'm me."

Suddenly Sakura felt as though she couldn't breathe.

Xx

Xx

Xx

Sakura gasped for breath, nearly knocking down the kid next to her. "Danielle!"

The five year old smiled. "Morning, momma."

"Why didn't you do that?" Sakura asked, rubbing her nose and mouth where Danielle had pinched them closed.

"Daddy said to wake you up because if he did it, you would get mad but if I did it and you got mad I could just do this." Danielle explained before giving Sakura her very best puppy eyes. Sakura smiled and pulled the child to her lap, Danielle giggling on the way.

"Well now I have you prisoner and your daddy is going have to rescue you." Sakura threatened and started tickling her.

"Haha-no..hahaha-DADDY!" Danielle yelled between giggles.

The door burst open and Syaoran stood there dramatically. "I'll save you."

Sakura rolled her eyes and let Danielle go. The kid ran to her father who picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. Syaoran smiled and then turned his back to Sakura so that Danielle was looking at her. She wagged a finger at her. "You should really get changed Mommy."

Sakura laughed from the bed. "Look who's talking."

Syaoran suddenly flipped Danielle so she was facing forward and looked at her. "That's right, you haven't changed either."

Danielle looked at the sleeves of her pajama top and giggled. "Oopsie."

Syaoran put her down and pretended like he was going to chase after her causing her to giggle and run to her room.

Sakura smiled and stretched a bit before giving a soft yawn and falling back into the soft pillows. Syaoran adjusted the cuff of his sleeve and smiled too. "I have a few things to take care of today."

"Okay." Sakura mumbled drifting off.

Syaoran looked at his reflection in the mirror. "Don't be too lazy today."

"I'm not lazy." Sakura protested lightly.

Syaoran sat on the edge of her bed. "Can't lie to me Kinomoto, I've known you too long."

"I'm sleeping you mean jerk." Sakura groaned.

Syaoran leaned over as to kiss her but Sakura turned away. "No. You're so unemotional except when it benefits you."

"Excuse me?" Syaoran inquired, looking at the girl on the bed who was pretty much asleep again.

"You're so insensitive." Sakura repeated, slowly.

Syaoran resisted the urge to roll his eyes, he reached into his wallet and pulled out an American coin before tossing it to Sakura. "Here's a dime, call someone who cares."

Sakura opened her eyes and cried out. "Well I'm gonna need money to call Tomoyo since my phone died. But hey, at least she won't call me to complain for the rest of the day."

Syaoran smirked and quietly walked over to her laptop and hit a few buttons before heading back to his original position. "I love you Sakura."

"Uh-huh." She mumbled.

Sakura turned over and laid face down, breathing into the pillow. Syaoran continued. "Do you have the project layout?"

Sakura made a motion with her hand towards the desk. "Go away."

Syaoran walked briskly towards her desk and picked up the manila folder when Sakura's laptop screen flashed to life and started beeping. He read the name off the screen and smiled before tossing a small remote to Sakura. "Have fun today."

He closed the door behind him, laughing. Sakura groaned and without turning back over pressed a button on the remote which opened up a video conference.

"Sakura Kinomoto! Why aren't you answering your phone? And do you think it's funny to call me on the video conference and then hang up?" Tomoyo scolded.

"It's dead." Sakura mumbled into her pillow but Tomoyo heard it. "An I didn't call you."

But Tomoyo didn't hear the last part and went on. "And why is it dead?"

Sakura wanted to say, "Because you're always talking to me." But decided not to anger the already hormonal woman and sat up, turning to look at the laptop. "Syaoran did it."

"Syaoran? I swear when I get my hands on that man, I'm gonna-"

"What is auntie Moyo going to do to Daddy?" Danielle asked, her light green eyes looking scared.

Tomoyo stopped midsentence and smiled at her "niece". "I'm going to tell him how lucky he is to have you, of course."

That was enough explanation for Danielle who smiled brightly at the screen before turning to Sakura. "Momma can you brush my hair?"

Sakura smiled. "Of course, but go say bye to daddy first, he's about to leave."

Danielle nodded and ran out. Sakura turned back to the screen where Tomoyo was feeling her large, round stomach. "Isn't it still weird for you?"

"The whole Mom and Dad thing? Not really, I got used to it." Sakura shrugged and went over to the desk and sat down.

"Well, I'm just saying because you and Syaoran aren't even married and yet you three go everywhere together." Tomoyo claimed, emphasizing 'everywhere'.

"For the record, I'm the female that has been with Danielle the most, Syaoran and I have been together for three years now, and I came on this trip to visit the kids and you know it." Sakura argued but Tomoyo rolled her yes at her.

"Face it Sakura you hit five birds with one stone on this trip. You got to see your kids, yes, but you also got to take care of Danielle, spend time with Syaoran, land a huge deal for the company, and you made Syaoran go alone to all the meetings." Tomoyo ranted making Sakura smile.

"Well, yeah." Sakura admitted and both girls laughed just as Danielle came bouncing into the room. "Well, bye Tomoyo."

"Sakura-" But Sakura didn't hear as she exited the video call. She took the brush from Danielle and combed her long black wavy hair. Sakura thought about how much this child didn't resemble her or Syaoran in any way and that's why it had been so confusing for her.

Danielle had light green eyes, wavy black hair, and pale skin. Maybe they would have been able to pass her eyes off as a lighter version of Sakura's but Sakura had a rosy tint to her complexion and Syaoran was slightly tanned.

Yet…the three of them agreed that no two people could love Danielle more than Syaoran and Sakura. Sakura put the brush down and put a yellow bow in Danielle's hair before scooting the child off her lap to get changed. Danielle plopped on Sakura's bed and watched Sakura gather clothes from various places. "What are we doing today momma?"

Sakura looked at her and smiled. "We're going to go eat breakfast then go watch a movie and walk around a bit and then go to lunch."

"Can we go to the café where you went when you were little?" Danielle asked, playing with her dress.

"Sure." Sakura replied, pulling on her jeans. "Then we'll go shopping for some new clothes."

"Yay!" Danielle squealed.

"After all…" Sakura started as she zipped up her high heeled boots.

"A six-year old can't wear the same clothes a five year old does." Danielle finished proudly.

"Especially when she grows as fast as you do." Sakura commented, smiling. "Besides in my opinion, the clothes I got here when I was little were cuter than the ones I got in Hong Kong." Sakura grabbed her bag and her jacket before helping Danielle slip into hers. "But remember…"

"Don't tell auntie Tomoyo you bought me clothes." Danielle finished again and Sakura smiled, tapping her lightly on the nose.

"Good."

Xx

Xx

Xx

Xx

"Just go for it." Syaoran urged. Danielle looked back at her father and shook her head.

"No way daddy, not with you behind me." Danielle objected.

Syaoran smiled wickedly. "What could I possibly do?"

Sakura hugged him from behind and Danielle smiled. "Hold him there mommy."

Danielle had just blown out the candles on her birthday cake and was being urged to bite the cake by all her friends…and her father who had a tendency of pushing her in.

Just as Danielle was about to bite it, Syaoran grabbed both of Sakura's hands with one hand, leaving the other to push Danielle's head slightly but he should've known that Sakura taught her better. The now six year old grabbed a handful, of cake and mashed it into Syaoran's face making everyone burst out in laughter. Danielle clasped her hands together in front of herself and swayed back and forth on the chair, smiling innocently.

Syaoran froze but it wasn't Danielle he looked at, it was Sakura who was laughing hysterically. He tightened his grip on her hands not enough to hurt her but to make her stay put. "So who gave her the cake idea?"

But Sakura couldn't formulate a sentence. She leaned over to the cake and dabbed a bit on Danielle's nose, who lightly protested. "See? Now we both got what we-hahaha." Sakura couldn't finish as she went back into a fit of laughter, the entire party watching the scene.

Danielle and Syaoran looked at each other before both of them grabbing a handful of cake from the top tier and mashing it into Sakura's face. She stopped laughing for a second before breaking down in laughter again, this time Syaoran and Danielle joining the entire party. Tomoyo was nearly brought to tears as she recorded the party.

Meiling, who has being hugged by her husband, Blake, called out after the laughing had stopped. "So what did you wish for, Danielle?"

"She's not supposed to tell." Sakura stated as she wiped her face.

"But if I told, it would make it easier for it to come true." Danielle claimed cutely.

"After all, Sakura and Syaoran would do everything in their power to get Danielle what she wants right?" Eriol asked making the party laugh.

Syaoran puffed up. "Of course. Anything my princess wants."

"I don't know." Danielle said softly, looking down at her feet.

"Tell us." One of her little friends urged. Then the others joined in. "Yeah, tell us."

"Okay!" Danielle exclaimed. "I wished for mommy and daddy to get married."

The party got quiet and everyone watched the couple with shocked looks. Everyone except, Meiling, Tomoyo, and Eriol. Syaoran looked down and Sakura had stopped mid-wipe, with the cloth still covering her face.

"I don't know Danielle; mommy's a little too stubborn to do that." Syaoran explained to Danielle but Sakura was in too much shock to take notice of how planned out his voice was like everyone else had.

"But I thought mommy would do anything for me." Danielle fake-whined.

Sakura finally took the towel down from her face, her face in obvious shock as she looked out to their audience. Syaoran smiled and turned to her. "Well I'll at least try, right Danielle?"

Danielle nodded excitedly and she held her breath like everyone else in the garden. Syaoran faced Sakura and grabbed her hand to face him. He smiled, his face still covered in cake, and her face, still only half clean, looked at him with no expression what so ever.

He kneeled down and pulled out a box from his pant pocket. He opened the box, carefully not to get cake smudged on the ring like had on the box, and Sakura gasped at the ring.

"Emeralds and diamonds on a white old band? Eriol what the hell? Why isn't my ring like that?" Tomoyo cried, making people laugh.

Eriol looked at his pregnant wife and raised an eyebrow. "How can you see that from this far away?"

It quieted down and the attention turned back to the frozen couple on stage. "Sakura, will you marry me?"

Sakura looked like she wanted to cry to she held it in and smiled, nodding and not trusting herself to open her mouth in fear that she would burst in tears. Syaoran beamed and slipped the ring on her finger before standing up and kissing her until Danielle jumped on his back form the chair she was on.

Syaoran turned to his daughter and smiled. Danielle beamed at her "parents" before turned back to the audience. "As much as I did want it, daddy made me say that wish out loud but just so everyone knows I want a pony and a little brother too."

Sakura laughed and finally the tears came out making trails on the cake on her face. Then she stopped. "Danielle you knew?"

The little girl smiled and nodded before grabbing onto Syaoran's neck tightly. "Daddy save me!"

Syaoran laughed and backed way form Sakura just as Danielle cried out. "Auntie Tomoyo, mommy bought me clothes in Japan!"

"WHAT!"

Meiling took the camera from Tomoyo and filmed the pregnant woman's pursuit of her frantic best friend. She turned the camera on herself and said into the lens. "Yes, Tomoyo can run that fast even with eight month twins in her stomach." Then she laughed and turned the lens back to the stage where now Sakura was cowering behind Syaoran too.

"Eriol how do you take a picture with this?"

They fumbled with the buttons for a bit and finally the picture snapped, capturing a laughing family, Syaoran, Sakura and Danielle all with cake covered faces.

The End (for real)

NOW, it's over. Thanks again. Already on chapter three of my next story which i'll prbably upload tomorrow because right now it is four am and i am exhasuted. People contacted me through four different ways asking for an epilogue or asking if i was going to have one, so here you go, hope you liked it.