Summary: Tohru gets kidnapped and after she gets back she starts acting different. She cuts her hair, wears baggy clothes... What will happen and what did happen before?

Note: I will start a couple of days after Tohru is saved, but I will include flashbacks at certain times. It may be a bit confusing in the beginning, but I will give explanations later.

Warning: This story will take up the subject of rape, it has some bad language, and mild violence, if you are a sensitive person or get offended by such things you should not read this. Nothing of this will be brought up in this chapter though. I probably will change the rating to R later.

Chapter I: Hair, a girl's Treasure

It was a warm night, very beautiful as well. Millions of stars could be seen in the pitch black sky and the air was thick with the scent of flowers and nature.

On the roof a boy could be seen. He was lying there looking troubled; his face had traces of sadness. He reached out with his hand, it looked like he was trying to grab something, perhaps he was trying to catch the stars?

He let the hand fall down and yawned, he was tired, but something bothered him, thus he couldn't sleep.

Inside a girl was trying to sleep, but she kept seeing horrible pictures, she tried to shut them out.

Go away, she thought, please... She shut her eyes tightly, tears falling down from her closed lids. Her body was trembling and sobs escaped from her lips.

She reached for a picture, portraying a beautiful woman with short blonde hair. The girl hugged it tightly.

Downstairs in the same house a man and a beautiful boy were talking.

They both looked bothered by something.

"She hasn't left her room for three days..." the boy with gray hair said. He looked down and gulped. "Honda san... she won't say what happened there."

The older one scratched his head.

"Did she eat anything today?"

"No," the boy sighed. "She just lies in her bed, she doesn't even answer when you talk to her."

"She's been through a lot, Yuki, let's give her some time."

The gray haired boy named Yuki looked at the man angrily.

"Are you mad, Shigure! There is no time! What is she starves!" Yuki was trembling with anger.

Shigure backed away surprised by the sudden verbal attack against him.

"Calm down, you will wake her up. Listen to me, Yuki, what else is there to do? We can't force her to eat or talk to us."

"Hmph, and that stupid baka neko just lying on the roof all the time, gazing at the sky. It's like he doesn't care!"

"Hey, hey, don't vent your anger towards Kyo, he's been with Tohru as well. He told me he got the same result, she won't speak to him."

Yuki looked a bit surprised.

"Oh... I didn't know..."

"Tohru kun needs our support now, just show her you care, she'll come around eventually and talk to us."

"I hope so... After the police questioned her she just closed in like a shell. I hope she doesn't feel ashamed to speak to us..."

Shigure nodded.

"Well, it's getting late now. We all should get some sleep."

"Night..."

Yuki went upstairs and stopped outside Tohru's room. Is she sleeping peacefully, or having nightmares about her abduction?

He thought he heard some sobs and put his ear against the door. He must have been mistaken, he couldn't hear it anymore.

Maybe he should open the door? No, leave her alone, there wasn't anything he could do.

He yawned. So tired...

**ยค**

'Tohru, never lose you strength,' her mother had told her.

It was time to leave this bed, she had to fight against this weakness of hers. She could taste salt in her mouth as the tears poured down.

She dried them of, furious with herself. She must look awful, her eyes was surely all puffy now. She put back the picture of her Mother at her nightstand and gazed at it for awhile.

'Tohru, I believe in you.' Yes, Mother! She wouldn't let her down. With great effort she rose and felt dizzy, she almost fell to the floor. She was breathing heavily, cold sweat covering her body.

Her stomach growled. She was so hungry... She hadn't eaten in days...

She opened a drawer and took out a scissor. She stumbled to the other side of her room where a small mirror was placed.

She caressed her hair gently, it was so long... She took up a handful and cut it, then another handful and cut it, and another one, and another one, and another one.

She saw her reflection in the mirror, her hair was so short now... It felt a bit empty. It was now reaching her ears. She could have been mistaken for a young boy.

She removed her dirty sweaty clothes and started to throw out all her clothes that was in the closet. None of these would do!

But she couldn't very well walk around naked. She finally settled with a T-shirt that was too big for her and baggy shorts. Ayame had by accident found them in his store and was terrified to see such poor clothing.

He had wanted to throw it away but she had insisted on taking it. She had thought about giving the clothes away to homeless people but she must have forgotten about it and left it in the closet.

It was time now to meet everyone. Maybe she should practice?

"H-hello..." Her voice was just awful! Barely a husky low whisper. She touched her throat. It was so dry... Don't be stupid, Tohru, she said to herself.

Just go down and get over with it! These are people you love you shouldn't be embarrassed.

She opened the door and walked uneasy out, down the stairs and she decided to go the kitchen first, she needed some tea for her throat.

She heard a gasp.

"T-Thoru! Your, your walking! I, I mean of course you can walk but I mean you're not in your bed just lying there..." Kyo stopped rambling when he realized. "Your.. hair..."

She touched it.

"H-h-hello, Kyo kun," she managed to press out. "I-I, came down to make some tea, you see my voice-"

"QUIET! Don't talk, it's hurting you! Sit down, let me make the tea for you." Tohru nodded weakly.

"Thanks..."

"DON'T TALK I said!" He turned around and started to boil some water. "You know, I've been... really worried..."

"Huh?" She felt tears stinging in her eyes, not again... She had cried so much. "I'm sorry... I made you worried."

He poured the tea down in a cup and gave it to her. "It's not too hot, I put some milk and honey in it."

Kyo looked worried at her. He just couldn't get used to her hair... It was so short, she looked almost like a boy. If you weren't aware of the fact she was a girl you probably would assume that.

She gratefully took it and drank.

"Mmm..." she mumbled.

Where had she found those clothes? He had never seen those, it looked more like it belonged to him than Tohru.

"Kyo kun, I have a favor," she said. Her voice sounded much better, she didn't even whisper. Anything, Tohru, I'll do anything!

"What?" he turned around and opened the fridge, she probably was hungry since she hadn't eaten for so long. Hmm, how about soup?

"I want you to teach me... Teach me how to fight, I want to be able to defend myself." What? He turned around and forgot to close the fridge.

"Y-you want to learn how to fight?"

"Please, Kyo kun! I'll make sure I don't take much of your time and hopefully I'll learn quickly!" She looked desperate at him.

"Eh, I really don't have time..." He shouldn't have to! He should have protected her in the first place, he should have been with her! This should never have happened.

"Please, Kyo kun! I'll do anything!" she begged him. He couldn't stand the sorrow in her voice.

"Fine, fine! I'll do it!"

Yuki entered the room and his eyes went wide.

"Honda san your-" he stopped, her hair? What had happened?! "Oh my God, Honda san, what has happened!? Did you fall, did something rip it of?" He glared at Kyo.

"No.. I cut it," she said and looked at the floor.

"Huh... Oh, I'm so sorry, Honda san. I was just surprised..."

A sudden tension was filling the room and suddenly Tohru fell to the floor, dropping her mug causing it to shatter, giving her cuts as she landed on the broken glass.

Blood covered the floor, not much though but enough to scare the boys.

They rushed to her and called for Shigure, telling him to get Hatori fast.