Title: Doumeki Kohane

Author: Gypsy Dancing Girl

Fandom: xxxholic

Pairings or Characters: No pairings intended . . . Watanuki, Doumeki, Himawari, Kohane, Yuko

Genres: Family, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort

Rating: T

Warnings: Spoilers through Chapter 146, although I've read 147. Child Abuse.

A/N: I really like Kohane, and the moment Himawari stopped and said "About Kohane-chan . . . " end of chapter . . . well, I knew what was coming. This disregards Chapter 147, although that only reaffirmed my belief that Doumeki became attached to Kohane too. And Watanuki really isn't in a position where he can babysit the rescued Kohane . . . so . . . yeah. Instant story idea.

"Kohane-chan!" Watanuki cried in dismay, crouching to hug her, mindful of the injuries. "What happened? Surely not stairs again!"

Kohane rested her head against his shoulder softly. "Yes. They were a bit higher this time. I hurt my wrist quite badly."

Watanuki cradled her slim wrist in his hands. "Surely you went to the hospital for this, Kohane-chan?"

She shook her head solemnly.

"Don't touch her! She'll lose her powers!" the mother screamed as she caught sight of them at the door.

Doumeki reached out suddenly, pulling Watanuki and Kohane behind him. "Rather . . . " he said coldly, " . . . don't you touch her."

The woman stopped short. Doumeki gazed at her levelly. "Kohane, would you like to visit my family's temple? Watanuki has some business with Yuuko-san."

"Hai . . . Doumeki-san."

Kohane reached forward to take the archer's hand in her good one. The mother squawked and Doumeki silenced her with another cold look. In a sudden rustle of petticoats, Kohane was tucked in one of Doumeki's arms, her good hand around Doumeki's neck and her bad one resting against his chest.

"Then it's time to go. Say good-bye."

"But we have an appointment!"

Watanuki looked from Doumeki to the woman and shrugged. "Then, I guess you better cancel it. Say good-bye, Kohane-chan."

"Good-bye, mother," the girl whispered, resting her cheek against Doumeki's.

They were half-way to the temple before the silence was broken-surprisingly, by Doumeki. "You should have told us last time that it was your mother who pushed you down the stairs."

"I'm sorry."

Watanuki wanted to protest, to pitch a fit at the unfairness of it, and shout about how calmly Doumeki was dealing with the matter. But he didn't know what to say. He just put a hand comfortingly on her back.

They paused at the temple gates.

"Oi."

"That's not my name! I am the Great Watanuki-sama!"

"Loud."

"Ungrateful wretch!"

"Can you make it to the shop without getting into trouble?"

"Of course I can make it to the shop! I am the Great Watanuki-sama!"

"He's going to get eaten halfway there," Doumeki sighed, cutting off Watanuki mid-rant. Kohane giggled.

"I will not!"

"Talk to Yuko-san. I'll pay the price."

"I will pay for Kohane-chan!"

"No. You don't have the price that Yuko-san will ask."

Watanuki glared, Domeki stared back, and Kohane watched the battle of wills.

"Fine. I'll talk to Yuko-san."

"Thank you."

"No. You can not pay the price, Watanuki. But I will accept it from Doumeki. We'll have to go to the temple to grant the wish though. Come along."

"What's the price?"

"Altering his parents' memories forever . . . altering nearly everyone's memories forever . . . but since Kohane was magically disowned by her mother, the price isn't nearly as heavy as it could have been-no, Watanuki. I'll need the good pipe."

"Kohane was magically disowned by her mother?" Watanuki asked in astonishment.

"She rejected her child, did she not? Deliberately caused Kohane harm? That is grounds for a magical disownment . . . once I grant Doumeki's wish, magic in and of itself, will forever protect Kohane from her mother. Come along."

Doumeki was waiting for them at the gate. "Kohane is out back examining the cherry blossom tree."

"That is fine," Yuko nodded. "We do not need her for this."

"How long will this take, Yuko-san? Kohane-chan needs to have her injuries looked at by a doctor," Watanuki worried.

Yuuko sat down on the steps and lit her pipe. "This won't take very long at all, Watanuki. Now be quiet. Doumeki-kun, do you understand the price?"

"Yes."

Yuko handed him a very small sphere made out of spun glass. "Hold onto that a moment, fill it with your memories, and what you want to change." The glass began to fill with silvery-purple light as Doumeki obeyed. "When you are finished, you must break it, but remember, there is no way to undo this."

Without hesitation, Doumeki cracked the sphere in half with his bare hands, the light dissipating quickly as the glass dissolved away.

"Doumeki-san?" Kohane appeared around the corner of the house, a cherry blossom in her good hand and more twisted in her hair.

At that moment, Doumeki's mother returned from the market with her bags and hastily dumped them on Doumeki and Watanuki. "Kohane! You weren't climbing the sakura trees again, were you? Look, you've gotten hurt!"

"I'm fine . . ." Kohane started in confusion.

Behind Doumeki's mother, Watanuki mouthed, "Okaa-san."

Kohane blinked. "Okaa-san."

"Don't be ridiculous! We'll go have it looked at right away. What have I told you about looking out for your sister, Shizuka?!" she demanded.

"It's not nii-san's fault," Kohane protested, prompted by Yuko.

"It better not be," the woman muttered, but took the sting out of her words by standing on tiptoe to kiss Doumeki's cheek. "Go on in with your friend and put away those groceries, while I get Kohane's jacket and my keys." She hurried inside, and Yuko laughed in delight before melting into the shadows.

Watanuki crouched beside Kohane. "Yuko-san has made it so that Doumeki's family is your family now. And everyone will remember it that way. So this is your home, and Doumeki will look after you . . . or I'll stop making him bentos," came the pointed threat, which Doumeki graciously ignored as he put away groceries.

"I want octopus tomorrow."

"You always make things difficult! I have four bentos to make . . . I can't make special ones just for you because you want strange things!"

Kohane smiled blissfully, and when Doumeki's mother . . . her mother now . . . came out into the kitchen, she was embraced warmly, before being led out to the car. Things would be so much better now.

"I heard Kohane-chan got hurt again," one of the girls sighed. "I think I'm going to make her a treat to encourage her to get better soon."

"Those television producers should have done something about it," Himawari stated firmly. "People can't go around hurting television stars that disappoint them."

"Television stars? I'm talking about Doumeki Kohane, not the famous medium who disappeared. Good riddance, I say."

"Doumeki Kohane?"

"Don't you know anything, Kunogi?" another girl teased. "Kohane-chan . . . as in Doumeki-kun's little sister."

"You'd think Kunogi would remember that since they eat lunch together every day with Watanuki-kun . . . but isn't it so sweet how Doumeki-kun looks after Kohane-chan all the time," another fangirl gushed. "He obviously worships the ground she walks on."

"I think it's sweet how she's the only one he gives an honorific. Three words without even being prompted," the first girl giggled. "Kohane-nee-chan. It's just so cute."

Himawari smiled broadly. "Sometimes I just mix-up the strangest things. It is adorable, isn't it?"

The object of the other girls affections walked by, one hand in Kohane's and the other protecting his ear as Watanuki raged on the other side of him. Himawari smiled and got up to join them for lunch, Tanpopo giving a soft chirp of approval.

"Watanuki-kun and Doumeki-kun are such good friends," she said brightly, resting one hand on Kohane's shoulder since her wrist was in a sling. "Just like Kohane-chan and me," she winked down at the little blonde, who smiled back.

"You're babysitting when I have to help him run errands for Yuko-san tonight," Doumeki answered bluntly.

Watanuki started over with a new rant, jumping about in the air. "That's not how you ask a favor, you big imbecile! You don't order them around! And who said I needed help with Yuko-san's errands? And I happen to have a name you know! Really, you-"

"Kimihiro-kun and Shizuka-nii-san are such good friends," Kohane giggled, but only Doumeki and Himawari heard her. Watanuki was lost in his own world of ranting.

The End.