When I arrived at Shigure's house with Yuki, Hatori and the others where waiting for us well for Yuki, I guess.
"Anna! You came back!" Tohru yelled.
"I had to, I have no where else to go. The cells are on fire as we speak." "Huh?"
"I mean I set the place on fire. Yuki watched me do it."
"You did what? Why are you covered in blood!"
"They killed them… Nora and the others. This is Nora's blood, she died in my arms."
"Come on in, I'll run you a bath." I went inside.
I saw Kyo for real this time. His eyes got big when he saw me. He was cuter then in the pictures that I had seen years before.
"What's wrong with you?" he asked.
"Ask your rival," I said and walked away.
I found Tohru making me a bath. I had only taken on once, and that was when I was a baby.
"Oh you found me! Here's the tub and soap."
"Ummm…this is awkward but what soaps do what? I have never taken a bath. They would only let me shower with cold water with no soap."
"How about I bathe you and then next time you'll know!"
"Would you really do that for me?"
"Of course! I mean we are friends aren't we?"
"Yeah I guess we are."
After my bath I felt great! All the blood and dirt came off with a little scrub. Tohru helped me so much and asked for nothing in return. My chest was hurting again; I thought that I pulled out the thread. I saw Yuki talking to Shigure. Yuki saw me and ran over. He leaned over me.
"Hug me and show him…," he whispered.
"Are you ok with me hugging you again?"
"Yeah if you hugged him… He is the biggest perv on the planet." I looked at Shigure. He nodded. I turned and looked Yuki.
"You hug me!" I loudly whispered.
He did. It felt wonderful. No one had ever hugged me. I held on as long as possible. He let go. Shigure's eyes got big like everyone else's had.
"He was telling the truth. You can stay, but I have to tell Akito."
"No you can't! She mustn't know where I am."
"So you know the truth about Akito."
"Of course I do!"
"How? No one but myself, Kureno, Aaya, and Hatori know about that." "Drop it! You can't tell!"
"I won't tell on one condition."
"What is that?"
"I'll tell you later, for now I think Ha`ri is waiting to tell you something. I turned around. Hatori was standing in the door way.
"Anna you need to go to my doctor's office. I can take a look at your wounds. I can tell that you have more."
"I don't have any money, so I can't pay you."
"Answer me this…, are you a Sohma?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"What am I?"
"The Sohma family doctor."
"Now how much would you owe me?"
"Nothing, but I can't go back to the main house! If she finds me… I'm a dead person."
Hatori then held my face.
"I won't let anyone hurt you. Trust me." He hugged me. I was blushing, but I didn't care.
"Thank you," I said against him.
We stood there embracing, with the whole house watching. I waited for him to let go. We continued to embrace for a few minutes more and he let go.
"If you're done talking to Shigure, we better be on our way," he said.
"Yes, he was just about to tell me something, are we going to walk?"
"No the car is outside."
"Ok wait for me." Hatori left the room.
"Shigure what was it that I need to do?"
"When the time is right, I want you to kiss Yuki."
"What?"
"I can tell he's got a crush on you. If you lie and say you did it, but didn't I'll turn you into Akito."
"Ok…"
I walked outside the house. I smelled smoke. I was probably the fire I started. I saw Tohru caring a coat.
"It's cold put this on," she said.
"Thanks Tohru, could you do me a favor, can you call in the fire. I don't want the woods to burn down."
"Of course!" she said running back into the house.
"Hurry Anna!" Hatori called from the car.
"Coming!" I shouted back.
I sat down in the front seat next to Hatori. The leather seat was cool and comfortable. Hatori started the car and drove down the road.
"So, I heard you know about Akito being a woman?"
"Yeah… She did so many horrid things I stood up for myself and Nora and paid the price with this," I said pointing to my scar.
"So he did this to you?"
"Yeah… she did."
"Please not very many people know her as a woman, so, when around the others refer to her as a man."
"Ok, I will Hatori." He stopped the car.
"Why did you stop?" I asked.
"Could you lie in the backseat? They won't see you that way."
"That's fine I'll take a nap."
"Yes go and do that. I'll carry you into the house when we get there."
"Just wake me up."
"No, you need your sleep. I have an extra room at my house. You could stay there if Shigure is being an ass."
"He said that I had to kiss Yuki." His face was blank and expressionless.
"I'll ask Aaya if he and Mine could make you some clothes. There's a bed in the extra room. I advise you to stay with me."
"I couldn't impose on you! And she's there!"
"Remember what I said, I won't let them hurt you no matter what."
I opened the door and got in the back seat, slamming the door to make a point that I was mad. I lied down and tried to sleep, but I couldn't my mind was racing.
"Why does Hatori want to protect me? Why did Shigure want me to kiss Yuki? Why does anyone care that I'm alive, I should just shrivel up and die!"
My thoughts consumed me so much that I barely noticed when Hatori opened the door.
"Are you awake?" he asked. When I didn't answer he looked around to see my face. My eyes where open and I didn't blink when he waved a hand in front of my face. He felt my pulse with his hand and then sat me up. He picked me up like a baby. I felt like clinging to him, but my body and brain wouldn't cooperate with each other. So I laid in his arms staring blankly into space.
When I realized that I was in Hatori's house, I snapped out of my trance.
"So, you came back to Earth?" he asked. I shook my head and dropped from his arms. I stumbled and fell. Hatori bent down and picked me up again. Out of my childish desire I clung to him. I figured out one thing, I had a huge crush on Hatori and it showed. He walked me into a small bedroom and sat me on the bed.
"You can stay here, on one condition," he said.
"And that might be? You sound like Shigure," I replied sarcastically.
"I'm gonna forget that you said that. The condition is I can hug you as much I want."
My mind started racing. I figured out another thing, Hatori said that because he knows that I liked him. I nodded my head. He sat down next to me and put his arm around me. I leaned on him.
"I am going to go call Aaya. You wait here." he said and got up.
He came back a few minutes later.
"We need to be at Aaya's shop tomorrow at noon," he said as he sat down.
I put my hand to my chest. My locket was missing.
"Hatori, could we leave early and stop at Shigure's and let him know that I'm staying with you. I also left my locket."
"That's fine are you hungry? I'll order take out and invite Momiji."
"That sounds like a plan." I laid down on the blanket taking in everything in. So much had happened in one day.