Capture My Heart by Kira

This story is for Saffy who has a website by the same name.

Sakura woke up with a start, thinking she was late for school she jumped out of bed. She headed for her closet before she realised that it was summer vacation. She sighed and crawled back into bed. Hugging her pillow she tried to pick up the threads of the dream she was having. For now that's all she had of him... were her dreams. Trying hard not to cry again, so she wouldn't wake anyone, she closed her eyes so she could see his face again. That was when Kero snuck up behind her & pushed the teddy bear on her head.

"OH! Kero! I'm gonna ...KILL you!" Sakura cried.

"You were thinking about him again, and you know how sad you get when you do. You know Sakura if he really loved you he would have tried to stay! I bet that brat went back to be with Meilin! Instead of killing me, you should be killing him!"

"Sakura! Who are talking to? I'm telling Dad you've got a boy in your room!", Tori said as he poked his head into her room.

"No one silly! Now get out of here before I tell Dad you're hiding girls in your room!" Sakura and Tori both looked at each other like "you do & you're dead!" before they burst out laughing!

"Seeya Squirt! I'm off to work, and I'll be back later with Dad in time for dinner. The stuff you need is all in the fridge. Just try not to burn the house down when you make it!"

"TORI!!!" Sakura grabbed the nearest thing handy and threw it at him. Luckily Kero didn't get too hurt when he hit the floor.

"Kero are you ok?" She picked him up and cuddled him. Kissing the top of his head, she held him out away from her and surveyed the lump on his head. Kero just glared at her.

"OK, ok! I promise to get dressed and make two stacks of pancakes and your favorite pudding for desert!"

"Ok Sakura! And don't the whipped cream and cherry on top!"

She smiled at him and got dressed. They ate in silence which worried Kero. He could see she was very distracted and sometimes she wouldn't make sense when they talked. Kero thought to himself, "How can I get upstairs and call Madison without Sakura missing me? I hope Madison can help" Kero flew silently up the stairs to Sakura's room. Sakura standing at the sink washing up the breakfast dishes, never noticed him leaving.

Meanwhile somewhere in Hong Kong.....

Li too found it hard to sleep at night without seeing her face. He also found it hard to be around his sisters as they reminded him of Sakura and her friends and the way they would all chatter like birds. With a heavy sigh, he got up and ready for the day. His Mother had invited Meilin over in an attempt to lift his spirits. "Just what I needed, " he thought. "Maybe I can pretend it's Sakura I'm with... but that wouldn't be fair to Meilin. I can just imagine the fireworks if I called her Sakura by mistake! Not only would Meilin never let me live it down, but my mother and sisiters would give me a hard time of it too!" He looked in the mirror and as he combed his hair he wished the mirror was really the mirror card. "If only..." he sighed, "then I can ask her to look like Sakura for me and I can be with her again, even if it really isn't her."

He walked over to the balcony and looked out imagining he could see Sakura as clearly as if she were really there in front of him. Not realising he was talking out loud, he said softy,"I love you Sakura..."

Meilin who heard him felt her heart break again into tiny pieces. "He must really love her a lot. I wish he could love me that way." She put a pleasant smile on her lips and called his name. Li turned around with a start, for he thought it was Sakura who called him. He started towards her and he flashed one of his rare smiles. Unfortunately Meilin had the tendancy to melt when evere she saw one of those smiles directed at her. "Umm... umm...why are you here Meilin?"

"Silly we have to go to the market to get all the stuff for your birthday feast! Your mom handed me a list a mile lond for all the stuff needed to make dim sum! And we need to remember to get a duck too from the butcher in case anyone has any room left in their stomaches for more food! You know no one ever leaves you house hungry and if they did it's their own fault!" Meilin smiled up at him. "My how tall he got!", she thought. "I wonder what it would be like to reach up and kiss him?" She sighed and shook her head at his puzzled look. They Left the house together and headed for the market area. They walked up and down looking in at various stalls, and slowly Li's dark mood lifted. Before they knew it their arms were full of stuff and they headed home.

As they headed home, some where in Readington Sakura was busy with her own thoughts.....

Sakura opened the fridge and looked inside. She moved a few things around to make room for the pudding and then she started taking things out that she would need for dinner. When she was done she had assembled a beautiful assortment of dim sum. "All we need is a pu-pu platter!" she laughed.

"I bet Li is having the same thing for dinner, Sakura"

"Madison why would or why wouldn't Li be eating dim sum......Oh my gosh! Madison do you think it's too late to call him?! I've been so preoccupied today that I nearly forgot today's his birthday! I HAVE to call him!" Sakura raced around the kitchen searching for the phone which was over by Madison.

"Look silly it's right here,"Madison said. "And no it's not too late to call, but what if he went out for dinner or something?"

"No, I don't think he'd go anywhere until I called first!", Sakura said more to herself than Madison. Madison just looked at her friend and shook her head.

"Kero was right, " she tought. "Sakura's in love with Li big time!" She looked down in time to see Kero fly in and sent down beside her. They both looked at Sakura rushing around looking for the phone. When she finally found it, Sakura flashed them a look that said"Do you mind!" and they left her alone.

"Hello. This is Sakura, I hope I'm not calling too late?"

On the other end of the line, Li's sister Fumei picked up the phone. She and Sakura spoke for a few minutes before Sakura heard her call out for someone to get Li. Sakura held her breath until...

"Hi Sakura! Sakura? Are you there?"

"Oh, hi Li! I just called to wish you Happy Birthday."

Both of them were blushing by now, with Kero just as mad about it as Meilin!

"Umm.. Thanks! What are up to? ...Nothing much? Oh sounds like you're in for a long summer, uh? Me/ nothing much here. OH Meilin says hello." Li put his hand over the reciever and Gave Meilin a look and said, "Sakura says hello too. She wants you to write." He motioned her away with his hand and turned back to to talk to Sakura.

"I was hoping to come back and visit before school starts again. I thought you'd like that. umm.. What? Madison and Kero...Kero? What? Oh tell them thanks for the birthday wishes. Are you sure Kero wished me a happy birthday?" They both laugh.

"Li, I have to go now my Dad and Tori are home And we have to eat dinner. Umm... I ...I lo.. I..what? Umm.. I'll call you soon I have to go bye!" Sakura hung up the phone with a very soft "I love you Li."

Li staring at the phone, whispered "I love you too, Sakura." He looked at Meilin and smiled. Grabbing her arm they headed back to the party. They walked over to a group of people. When the guy in front turned around, Meilin thought she would die! "He looks like sooo Much like my Li! They could be twins!" She thought. "I wonder who he is?"

"Hi! I'm your cousin Jackie from America! And who is this darling little blossom?"

"This is your cousin Mei-Mei from Hong Kong! And no she doesn't run around looking like a goldfish with her mouth open like that!" Everyone laughs and Li excuses himself. Meilin and Jackie however don't seem to notice he's gone.

"Jing-Mei! Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Of course you can Li-Li. What can I do for you?"

" Well I was wondering if you can make something special for me. I need to get a few details first, but I was wondering if you can make me a ring?"

"You gonna ask Mei-Mei to marry you? I think you better ask fast before she runs off wioth that American boy!", Jing-Mei laughs and Shkes her head.

"No cousin, I'm going to ask this girl I left behind in Readington."

"Ahhh. That explains it. Your Mother and I thought you were going to ask Mei-Mei, but then she sensed that something changed between you two. Well you changed and she doesn't seem to have noticed. I know she called off the wedding before but everyone thought that's becuase she wanted you to ask her yourself. Not all that arrangements and things. So Li-Li tell me who is this special girl? I want to hear all about the girl wh finally captured your heart!" Jing-Mei put her arm around Li's shoulder as he poured out his heart to her.

Meanwhile in Readington....

"Tori!" Sakura yelled as she closed the door after watching Madison drive off in her limo. "Tori can we talk?"

"What is it Squirt?"

"Well...ummm..well.." Sakura sighed. "I don't know where to begin."

"You're not going to marry Julian are you?"

"No! Whatever gave you that idea? I mean I liked a lot a long time ago, but I know what he is, who he is and that would never work, Tori. Besides someone else has captured my heart...."

Sakura sat down and Tori made some tea as they sat there. He listening to her as she poured out her heart just like Li was doing in Hong Kong.