Sunshine Keeper

Summary: Sakura's a vampire, but a very special one. She can walk in the sun, and her heart beats. She has promised to keep her family safe from all hunters and humans that threaten their lives. Syaoran is a vampire hunter. Sworn to kill any and all vampires he can find, but his oath is tested when he meets the emerald-eyed beauty. What will happen when Sakura and Syaoran meet? He has no idea she's a vampire. She must choose to protect her family, or follow her heart.

Chapter One: The Vampire

Sunlight…one of the only pleasantries her family could never know. The warmth and heat of the sun against her pale, cold skin.

Brilliant, glowing emerald eyes peered throughout the club at the workers bustling during the day. Her technical night time…except on occasion. Like right now…the nightmares that always plagued her as a youngling had returned with vengeance. She was different from her family. A freak in her terms. The only nightwalker that could also walk during the day. She had known about this oddity from the moment she was created. Accidently getting stuck outside after first light. She trembled at the memory.

Complete and utter fear had washed over her as the sun came over the horizon. She had screamed and tried to cover herself, but in the end it was all in vain. The sun that she was so terrified of didn't hurt her at all. Her screams had turned to shocked silence as she once again got to feel the heat of the sun. Her family had not believed her at first, but once she had made them watch from the shadows they knew she was special. A hybrid of some kind, and they were trying to figure out how to duplicate it, with little avail.

She was one of a kind, as far as they knew, so they used her as their protector from the hunters and slayers. Only few humans knew what she truly was, what her family was. The owner of the club they resided under, a bar tender, and the DJ. They were all paid for keeping their mouths shut, and if they couldn't, they were "taken care of." Others who had accidently figured it out had their memories erased, and sent on their way.

"A little early for you Sakura…" A gruff voice sounded from her right. The DJ, Aki, was terrified of her and her kind. He tried, relentlessly, to make sure he was not around when she was awake, but times like these sometimes couldn't be helped. It wasn't like he was mean to her…he knew from experience that she could kick his ass five ways from Sunday…but he wasn't very kind either.

"Perhaps…" Was all she answered him with, as her glowing emeralds shot him a glare. She smirked seeing his blue eyes slightly widen with fear. She gave him slight props though…he didn't take her crap.

"Just keep out of trouble. There are some new workers tonight, and there's a party as well." He growled as he continued to set up his DJ booth. Her youngling "brother" was still getting over his bloodlust, so she would have to keep an eye on him.

"I'm not here to cause trouble for you fleshling. I'm just standing here keeping watch. I'm not in anyone's way." Sakura bit out in a harsh whisper. Her auburn hair, about her waist, swished violently as she turned her gaze back to the workers.

"Whenever a vampire is in the room there's bound to be trouble." He gruffed, setting up a karaoke monitor. She rolled her eyes at him. He was partly right, however. Eriol was a cause of trouble, especially recently. Her "sister", Tomoyo, was having a fun time keeping him controlled. Hopefully the blood lust would only last another month. Sakura sighed to herself…her siblings were lucky. They had found their soul mates. She was still alone.

"Where's Tobias?" She asked as nicely as possible. She had needed a word with the owner since she got up, but had yet to see the man. She had noticed the bartender, Tomicka, at once. The girls' long, blond hair was tied into a cute and elegant up-do today. Usually the owner, and bartenders lover, was never far from her.

"In his office." Was all Aki would say, as he tried to continue to ignore her presence. It had taken him months, but this time, as she seemed to vanish from her hiding spot, he didn't flinch. He was slowly getting used to her super, inhuman, speed, among other things.

The owner, a tall blond man, was propped in a chair in the small office when Sakura showed up in front of the door. He jumped slightly when he realized she was standing there, having not made a sound.

"Gods Sakura don't do that! Make some noise or something…I nearly jumped out of my skin." He spoke, as he glared at her. Her smirk never faltered as she looked at the man.

"Force of habit I assure you." She spoke. Usually when a man heard her voice their eyes would get all glazed and they would kind of woo. Then they would just stare at her and do whatever she said. That was nice on occasion, but not when she was just in the mood to talk. Tobias had never acted that way to her thank the gods. She figured it had something to do with him being totally in love with Tomicka.

"Did you need something? You haven't been up this early in a long time." He said, returning to the papers on his desk. Crossing her arms, she leaned slightly against the door frame.

"I had a day mare. And Aki informs me you're holding a party tonight." She answered, not taking her eyes off the man as he turned back to look at her.

"The party starts at 10pm and lasts till 2am." He said answering her unasked question. "What was your day mare about this time?" She had started coming to him about these dreams about two months ago. He had realized that she was scared of them and convinced her that talking about it would help. It shocked him at first, a frightened vampire, but she obviously didn't feel comfortable talking to her family about these problems. She was their protector…their daylight eyes. She had to look strong all the time. He understood her problem; though he had a feeling he would never quite understand her pain.

"I'll make sure we're out before then." She said in her angel voice as if they had this conversation all the time. She would have her family out of the bar before 9:30pm as long as the sun was completely gone…not like it would matter since they could all move through the crowd unseen to any of the humans. Besides, she didn't know if Eriol could resist so many humans in one place. Usually Tomoyo took him to a park or beach. Somewhere with little to no people.

"I'm still waiting for you to start telling me what your dream was about. I'm assuming you're going to want to make the sunset in five minutes." He said looking at the watch on his wrist. She sighed…a small shift in her stature, barely noticeable to anyone.

"It was weird…there was a man. I couldn't see his face. But it was raining, and there were people hunting me. He saved me, but I don't know what to think. I've never dreamed of another person like that before. I don't know what to think." Sakura spoke. Her eyes had a faraway look. Tobias had never seen her look so lost before. Usually her dreams were about other vampires or memories of her past. People she killed, people she'd lost. Nothing like this. "Tomicka's coming this way." She spoke, breaking Tobias from his thoughts. As if on cue, his girlfriend, and bartender, walked into the room. She was careful not to actually touch Sakura.

"Hello Sakura." Tomicka greeted as she moved behind Tobias's chair. Sakura liked the girl. She had violet eyes that peered at Sakura through high-end glasses. She was athletic looking, and one hell of a bartender. She was also loyal to a fault. Sakura only nodded to the girl, again, another barely seen movement.

"Honestly Sakura, I wouldn't think about it much. Now get up to the roof before you miss…" Tobias didn't even get to finish his sentence before Sakura suddenly disappeared in a blink of an eye. "I hate when they do that."

"Me too. Creeps me out." Tomicka said with a smile as she looked down at her boss. "The bar is set and Aki is done as well. We were gonna head to the diner for something to eat. Thought I'd ask if you wanted to come."

"You mean you wanted me to pay for it." He chuckled as he stood from his seat. She only giggled as they headed toward the EXIT, not realizing that Sakura was still watching them go. Her heart skipped a beat watching them. They were so in love. Another sigh left her lips thinking of her heart. Not only was she the only vampire that could go out during the day, but she was the only one that still had a beating heart. It was weird to her. She had to drink blood like the others. She had fangs and pale, cold skin like the others too. She just had these oddities that made her a little more human than them.

"214 years I have been this freak of vampire nature…I don't fit in anywhere." She whispered from her spot on the roof. The sky was turning beautiful arrays of orange, purple, reds and pinks. Her vampire eyes picking up the soft flows of colors in between like a rainbow. The good thing about being a vampire in summer was that she didn't sweat. Even in the 98 degree heat, she barely felt it. It was like a feather being touched all over her exposed skin. The great thing of having a heighten sense of smell was that summer smelled wonderful. Like a mixture of fruits and roses all blending together. If a human could smell it their mouths would surely water.

"Clear Night." A sultry voice reached Sakura's ears. She wasn't surprised that she hadn't heard the female vampire approach. She was too lost in thought. In truth, she hadn't even realized it was full dark either. Raven hair as long as Sakura's whipped in the light breeze as a beautiful woman stepped up next to her. The woman's crimson eyes glowed a bright ruby red, and her fangs showed slightly as she inhaled the fragrance of summer.

"Are the others up yet, Mei Lin?" Sakura asked the girl without turning her gaze from the star dotted sky. Full dark meant it was somewhere around 9:45pm. She would have to get the others out of the club before Tobias's party began.

"Yes. Tomoyo is having Jamie help her control Eriol. There's a lot of new blood in the bar tonight." Mei Lin answered. "What was it like tonight?" She asked meaning the sunset.

"Your kind of sunset Mei. The sky was on fire, just the way you like it." Sakura spoke. "Tobias's bar is hosting some kind of party. I told him we would leave before it starts. We should get going." Sakura noticed Mei Lin's smile. Humans would have only seen the scowl, but to a vampire, Sakura could see the small lift in Mei Lin's lips. The tiny twinkle in her eye.

"What shall we do tonight then?" Mei Lin asked, still not moving from the roof. Mei Lin always liked to have a plan. Sakura had a feeling she was getting tired of always having to accommodate Tobias's human customers. Since they technically owned the land, and he just owned the bar. Mei Lin liked being able to sit and listen to the loud music and watch the fleshlings dance, not realizing the danger that lurked there.

"Tomoyo will have to take Eriol to a park or something. Maybe we could catch a movie." Sakura suggested. The cool breeze moving her hair about her form.

"We need to find you a man…" Mei Lin said in a laugh. Sakura felt her weird, beating heart skip. A mate would be wonderful. Someone to live out eternity with. Someone to love her. Mei Lin had no idea how long she had actually been looking for a man. Longer than Mei Lin had been alive for sure.

"Most vampire men that are single are complete ass holes, or so old they still think women are for their bed and can do nothing other than cook, clean and fuck. These humans are dull and boring. Mocho men… thinking the universe revolves around them and their gym equipment." Sakura sighed. "I need a man that is sweet and kind. Smart, but athletic. Someone that will challenge me and keep me interested. Do you know of anyone like that?"

"Not that I have run across this century, but if I spot one I'll send him your way." Mei Lin smirked as she headed down the stairs, back into the club. Sakura could see people arriving for the party. That meant it was way past time to get Eriol out of there. With another sigh she headed down to help her family out.

There were about 30 fleshlings already dancing and drinking by the time Sakura made it down to her family's lair. Eriol's bloodlust was apparent in his red-rimmed eyes, but he was keeping a good composure thus far. His blue hair, a brilliant contrast to his pale, vampire, skin. His high-end glasses giving him a nerdy look that served well in fooling humans into thinking him innocent. His mate stood next to him, holding his hand in her iron grip. Tomoyo, her sister… the 3rd oldest in their family. Her violet eyes glowed as she looked with concern at her mate. Her raven hair up in an intricate bun atop her head. Sakura remembered the girl being pale before she was turned 100 years ago… becoming a vampire only served to make her porcelain skin more flawless.

"The party has started. It's time to go before the scent gets the better of all of us." Sakura spoke to the group. Jamie, Mei Lin's mate, held Eriols' opposite arm as they began to leave the club. Sakura always marveled, and joked on how even as a vampire, Jamie's tan skin barely paled. He would always retort by saying the vampire gene didn't want to mess with his sexiness. His silver eyes would glow as he laughed.

"Eli and I are going to the beach tonight." Tomoyo's bell-like voice rang out as she smiled. Eriol only smiled back. They had a bond, they swore to Sakura was what she would have one day too. When a vampire bonded with their true mate they shared a mental communication. Sakura always hated when her brothers and sisters would have their own mental conversation in front of her. It made her feel left out and even more alone.

"I'm taking Mei Lin to her first real rock concert of the year." Jamie spoke, flashing two tickets to Linkin Park. There went the idea of catching a movie. "Sorry about the movie Sakura… rain check?" There was that damn telepathic shit again.

"Yea kid… rain check sounds good." Sakura spoke, smiling at how Jamie fumed about being called "kid". He had only been around 50-ish years… still looked 22 though…

"See ya around dawn then." Me Lin nodded before they all disappeared at lightning speed. With another sigh Sakura walked, at human speed, up the stairs. Alone never felt more lonely than it did right now. 2 months ago, before Tomoyo had found Eriol, it wasn't so bad. Her and Tomoyo would spend the night hours hanging out. Spending some sister time when Mei Lin and Jamie went off. But now that Tomoyo had found her true mate, Sakura was once again alone. As she walked out of the small, hidden, door by the DJ booth she sighed again. The fleshling party was in full force. Dancing and drinking. The music blasted and some even sang along. The plethora of voices all spoke in her head, as her delicate hearing picked up multiple conversations at once. It helped drown out her lonely thoughts.

"Thought you were skipping the party?" Aki said. He had learned that even through the blaring music he only needed to talk at a normal level for her to hear. She shrugged, but mostly ignored his question. He didn't actually care anyways. This "private party" seemed a little less high-end then what Tobias normally hosted. There were over two dozen women dressed in super short dresses that barely covered their asses. All they needed was a pole, and the men drooling over them would gladly slip them some dollar bills. Deciding that she wanted to skip the tramp show, she slowly made her way through the crowd and out the door.

Living in a city meant that places were open a little longer than most out of town businesses. Although the thought of finding a cute new outfit at the mall was appealing, a quiet walk through the park sounded much better. There would be little to no people there, so she wouldn't have to worry about being too normal. Plus the sounds and smells of nature would ease her pain.

She had opted for a flowing, pink dress for the summer night. It blew slightly in the breeze as she walked. Unlike the slutty girls at the bar, her dress went right above her knees. It was spaghetti strap, but only revealed a little cleavage. Just enough to make men want to see more. She laughed to herself knowing how hard it was for her to understand these new age fashions. Women went from showing as little as possible, to showing as much as they could. She noticed a bum sleeping on a bench, using only a piece of newspaper as a blanket. He would have been an easy meal, had she not had one two nights ago. As an older vampire she didn't need blood every night. She could go days or weeks between feedings if she wanted to.

Her vampire hearing picked up another couple sets of footsteps. Probably someone on a date taking a romantic stroll in the park. She froze in her walking when a gun got pressed against her head, the sound of the gun being cocked, ready to blow her brains out. This human had picked the wrong girl…

"Don't move pretty lady, and I promise not to shoot you." A creapy voice of a drunk male sounded way to close to her ear. Just as she was about to disarm him and properly kill him, another man stepped out from a tree in front of them.

"Let the woman go scumbag!" The man spoke. Sakura now stood frozen for a different reason. The man's' voice was soothing, but commanding. She had never heard a voice like that before. The thug chuckled, pulling her closer to his body. Eww…

"Get out of here dude. Don't try to play hero." Thug said in a mocking voice. So fast, she almost didn't believe a human could move that fast, her rescuer pulled out a weird gun, and shot the Thug right through the head. She stood there watching as the man walked toward her. As he came into the light, her breath caught in her chest, and her heart skipped for a 2nd time that night. It was him! The man in her day mare… Chestnut hair, amber eyes, and a body to make the gods jealous. As Mei Lin would say, "Hottie has entered the building!"

"Are you alright miss?" Hottie asked as he lightly touched her cheek. She had to use all her will power to make sure her eyes did not glow, and her fangs stayed retracted. He even smelled good, and that caused her to lean toward him. He must have taken that as her fainting, because his arm wrapped around her waist to keep her on her feet. She took a deep breath, and smelled him. Sandlewood, Aqua Di Gio, and man. She shook her head to try and clear her brain… he had asked her a question.

"Sakura… not miss, and yes I'm fine." She answered. She smiled sweetly at him, and took pleasure in how his eyes widened slightly and a blush crept up to his cheeks. "Thank you for your assistance, but I had everything perfectly under control." She partially glared. She didn't want Mr. Hottie to think she was some poor human female that couldn't defend herself. She was a 214 year old vampire that could have disarmed Thug Man before he even had a chance to blink.

"Of course you could have." He winked and her heart did that skipping thing again. He was teasing her… "I just wanted to make sure you didn't have to ruin your pretty dress." His smile was perfection! All white and straight. They were either fake, or he had an awesome dentist.

"I'm sure that a drunken thug isn't the worst thing in this park." She shot back, getting slightly irritated that he thought she was worried about her appearance, or something as silly. He actually had the gall to laugh a little at her.

"Right you are Miss Sakura. He could have been a vampire." He said almost serious. Like he believed they existed. Most humans thought it was funny to joke about her kind. They didn't actually believe in them.

"Vampires… right… I'm pretty sure this isn't Hollywood, and I'm pretty sure we're not in some movie." She spoke back, rolling her eyes at him. In truth she was wondering where he was going with this, and why she suddenly felt afraid for herself more than when the thug had a gun to her head. He merely shrugged.

"We all have our own opinions. Now, what is a pretty girl like you doing out alone in the dark? Where's your boyfriend or someone?" He got serious. She couldn't really get past him calling her pretty.

"No boyfriend, and like I said I can take care of myself. I walk the park a lot." She smiled at him as if he were ignorant.

"I'll walk you to your car then." He offered. How sweet… she moved wayyy faster than a silly car. She shook her head.

"No car. I walked from the Bar over there. My friend is the owner and I'm crashing with his girlfriend. They're having a…"

"…private party. I know." He finished for her. She cocked her head to the side and looked him up and down. Dark jeans and a forest green button down, dress shirt. Yea he looked like the guys at the party. "I was just heading to it. I'll walk you."

"Very sweet of you, but I don't even know your name? How do I know you won't try something like that Thug clearly was going to?" She asked in a giggle. He flashed that smile again, and she felt her knees turn a bit like jell-o.

"Li Syaoran, but you can just call me Syaoran. And I promise I will not try anything. I'm sure my girlfriend would be very upset with me if I did." Syaoran said with humor in his voice. She felt her humor vanish as quickly as she could move. "Girlfriend"… of course Mr. Hotti Syaoran had a girlfriend… she was probably gorgeous and nice and perfect too. She also probably drank soda and milk, not blood. She was probably warm too… and tan. He must have sensed her mood drop too. "Did I say something to offend you?" He asked, with concern in his eyes. Well yes he had offended her a couple times, but that was not why she was upset. She quickly quieted the conversation in her head and smiled.

"Of course not. Probably just after effects of being held at gun point." Sakura said with ease. "But you can walk me back to the bar. Thank you." She said as she turned around and headed back toward the bar. Well at least she knew now that the day mare was nothing but junk… except for the hottie. He was totally real!

As soon as they made it to the door Sakura insisted that he let her go in first so he wouldn't get in trouble with his girlfriend. In truth she was going to go hide by Aki and find out which of the sluts was his and then probably sit and compare herself with the woman until the party ended in two hours. He agreed and she walked in. As soon as she reached the DJ booth, she promptly hid in the shadows and waited for Syaoran to come in. When he came in, scanning the area, she figured he was looking for his girlfriend. She tuned out the background noise and tried to catch just his words. He went up to Tomicka and asked for a whiskey sour, then turned to look around again. The sluttiest looking girl walked up to him, and kissed him. Good to know… he liked easy women. The blonde, known as Gwen, she caught him call her, did some dirty dancing with him as he sipped on his drink.

"Come on baby! Come dance with me!" Sakura heard Gwen say. The woman's' voice sounded as close to nails on a chalk board as Sakura could think. She was also whiney and annoying from what Sakura could gather. She was pretty, but Sakura figured that even she was prettier than that.

"Not tonight Gwen… I'm tired. You're lucky I showed up." Syaoran responded as he took another gulp of liquor. Sakura watched the girl do some kind of pout, that contorted her face and made her even less pretty. Why would Mr. Hottie be with her? Oh right… she was easy.

"Killing Vampires can't be that tiring… pleaseeeeee?" Gwen whined. Sakura lost the rest of the conversation. He was a slayer? Mr. Hottie who saved her life would have killed her, or at least let the thug try, had he known. He really wasn't kidding about vampires. She needed more information. She watched Gwen go back to the dance floor. She also felt when Mei Lin and Jamie came into the club and over to her. From what she could tell they had not heard the conversation. That was good. She didn't want them freaking out yet. She also knew Mei Lin's temper, and she didn't want Mr. Hottie dead… yet.

"How was the concert?" She asked Mei Lin as Jamie headed toward their lair. Her sister shrugged as she looked at the crowed. Mei Lin always enjoyed staying in far more than going out. Jamie was good for her.

"I liked them. It ended earlier than we thought. Why are you still here?" Mei Lin asked as she looked at the dance floor. Mei Lin LOVED to dance. So did Sakura when she was in the mood. "And why is your heart rate accelerated?" Crap… thinking of Mr. Hottie had gotten her a little nervous. Sakura had to make herself calm down.

"I went for a walk in the park and some idiot human tried to steal from me. Before I could disarm him another man shot him in the head." Sakura said as nonchalantly as possible. "Then he walked me back to the bar, afraid that I would get attacked again. A real gentleman."

"Which guy?" Mei Lin asked looking around at all the people. She was always hoping that some guy would sweep Sakura off her feet. Well she was close this time, but Sakura could not go for this guy… slayer… However, Sakura figured it wouldn't hurt to let Mei Lin have a heads up on the guy. He would, hopefully, not be back after tonight.

"Guy at the bar ordering another drink from Tomicka." Sakura said nodding toward the bar. She watched Mei Lin glance over to the bar, and a small smile appear. Mei Lin approved for sure… too bad Mei Lin was not going to get her wish. "Yes, Mr. Hottie is in the building." Mei Lin laughed.

"For sure on that. So why aren't you over there flirting your little heart out?" Mei Lin asked. Sakura rolled her eyes, before sighing. Mei Lin was always nosey, but she was a great sister and friend.

"He's taken… and he likes the easy sluts." Sakura said looking at Gwen. Mei Lin followed her line of sight. Mei Lin visibly flinched and hissed. Her fangs showing slightly. Mei Lin did not approve.

"Ok never mind. You know she should have just worn a bra and panties to the party…" Mei Lin said. "I'm going down with Jamie. Party should be over in the next 45 minutes. You want to come play a board game or something?" Mei Lin asked. Sakura knew it was only out of courtesy. She shook her head, and Mei Lin disappeared.

"You're in town on business?" Sakura heard Tomicka's voice, and her eyes shot to the bar top… to Syaoran. Tomicka was cleaning a glass and smiling at Syaoran as they had their conversation.

"Yea just until the end of the week." Syaoran said as he sipped his 2nd or maybe 3rd whiskey sour. Sakura could see his skin turning red from the heat of the alcohol. Her fangs descended and throbbed. She wanted to bite him and see if his blood tasted as sweet as he smelled. He was going to be gone at the end of the week. Good.

"What business are you in?" Tomicka asked as she dried the glass. She was always curious and wanting to learn. Sakura was jealous at her passion for education. Sakura wondered if Syaoran would tell her the truth or make something up. Telling people he was a vampire slayer sounded a bit crazy to the general public.

"I'm in an odd sort of practice. I travel around the world trying to rid it of evil." He answered. "It doesn't really have a name like lawyer or bar tender." He joked. Sakura would have laughed too. It most definitely had a name. Slayer. Like Buffy… the ridiculous show Tomoyo insisted on watching every night. She scoffed at how the vampires faces turned all weird when they were about to attack. The lights in the club flashed on and off. Last call for the humans. Aki turned off the music as soon as the song finished, then promptly let the fleshlings know that their party was over, and to drive home safe. Sakura had a plan… She watched as Gwen and Syaoran got together to head out. He was carrying her stumbling ass the whole way. Chick needed to learn how to control her liquor.

With her super, vampire speed she followed them out of the club, keeping to the shadows. They got into a cab going uptown, and she followed, keeping an eye on their vehicle. It was nice knowing that at 2am not many people were driving. Made her life easier. They stopped and got out at a high-rise building. Sakura knew from the internet that it housed private condos for rent. So one of them had some money. She supposed that made sense seeing as his job wasn't a real paying job. She watched through the window seeing the elevator stop at the top floor. So he was in the penthouse… figured. The Gwen chick looked needy after all. Sakura turned and went back to the lair. Tomoyo and Eriol should be back soon at least. Maybe she could sleep today for a bit…

Authors Note: This is my sample chapter. I'm not gonna update for a while only because I'm working on "Tattooed Family". But depending on the amount of reviews I get, I'll try to get another chapter up as soon as I can.