1. the serious but ultimately happy version: what you need to start with is Sakura being told by G and M to go to school and then hitting a roadblock when she tried to register. So go down the adoption path (with all heartbreak, the character building, the moments of doubt, but also all the comedy of trying to fill out paperwork "...zoner, what did you say our occupation was on our tax returns?") to find out it isn't going work. So Z. and G. play cat and mouse with the authorities and Sakura gets harassed by law enforcement. After all she is (a) an illegal immigrant, (b) a minor, and (c) a runaway. It would be interesting to see how G and Z negotiate all that (and all the allies who would suddenly not be their allies) while trying to raise her and solve whatever the mystery is these days

2. wacky, but semi-serious version. Same as above, but then Sakura either goes "underground" by taking on new disguises, the perils of fake ids, hiding out from the HSO, and all the well meaning friends of G and Z who think they're saving her by intervening against them, etc. It's takes the whole "fugitive from justice" thing and messes with it. Eventually it become background color as they all get used to hiding her and getting her in the school system...just like the parents of illegal immigrants do all the time.

3. the ninja version. (Because there must be ninjas). Give her rich grandparents (ala Irene Chen of Bubblegum crisis) who demand her dad gets her back.

4. the tragic version. In the words of Lois McMaster Bujold "“what’s the worst thing that could happen to Miles?” Have G and Z go through the struggle of making the mental adjustment to parents, and the right thing by adoption. Have it fail and Sakura forcibly repatriated to Japan. Then let's see what happens. The story gets more interesting with adversity, and really, what's more heroic than being the good guy who is painted as the bad guy?

5. the get of jail free card version. Sakura refuses to be adopted, and sues to become an independent minor. Then you can invent both a diplomatic crisis (japanese law, us law), and back burner it 'cause it's in the hands of the lawyers.

my thoughts,
t.

Trigger Argee
trigger_argee@hotmail.com
Manon, Maccadon, Orado, etc.
Denton, never leave home without it.

"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me." - HST