"Raimundo?" asked the blonde woman sitting opposite him.

Raimundo blinked and looked up at his fiancé. She was pretty, blonde hair, brown eyes and a kind expression.

"Sara?" He asked, watching her quizzical expression.

"You've been staring into space for about five minutes straight." She said, "What's wrong?"

Raimundo smiled at her and shook his head.

"It's nothing much," He said.

"Don't try and lie to me Raimundo," She said, taking his hand, "Something's bothering you. What is it?"

"Just a hard day," Said Raimundo.

"It's more than that," said Sara.

Raimundo laughed at her for a moment.

"Stop trying to shrink me," He said, "that's for your patients."

Sara laughed and flicked her blonde hair out of her eyes.

"How long do you think before they release her?" She asked.

"I can't release her until I come and get her," Said Raimundo, "She won't act normally otherwise."

"So, you'll consider letting her stay here with us?" She asked.

"No, Sara." Said Raimundo, "I don't want her back in my life again … not now."

"Raimundo, she's your friend and she deserves the chance to get used to a normal life before you just cast her aside." Said Sara.

"You just want an extra patient." Said Raimundo.

"It'll be an advantage to her, having someone there who she can talk to," Said Sara, "it is my job after all."

Raimundo tapped his fingers on the table. He hadn't touched his food and had hardly spoken since getting back from the mental hospital. His thoughts kept going back to that dark night, six years ago … no, he didn't want to have to think about it.

"Raimundo, will you please just let her stay here for a little while?" Asked Sara, "I'd feel terrible if you just left her there."

"Why?" asked Raimundo.

"Because, she sees you as her knight in shining armour," Said Sara, "She needs to feel safe and besides, she doesn't have anyone else."

He looked into her brown eyes and smiled the smile of a defeated man. Sara knew she had gotten her own way.

"If this is how it goes before we're married, what's it going to be like when we are married?" He asked.

"Just get used to it, I'm always going to win!" She smiled.

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It wasn't for another couple of weeks after Kimiko finally had to operation that the bandages were finally able to come off. She really didn't think she was going to be any different. In the moments that her thoughts were back to normal, she kept telling herself that it could all go wrong and in the moments that they weren't, she had nightmares of the bandages being removed to reveal a face covered in blood and gashes. She often woke screaming and crying.

However, the nurses and Doctor Tokita all agreed that since Mr Pedrosa's visit Kimiko had made staggering improvements to her life. She was starting to practice control her powers and it wasn't long before she started having perfectly normal conversations with the nurses, asking about the weather and what was now on the television. But she would still slip back into the darkness and it would all seem to go horribly wrong. Doctor Tokita just said that the fact that she had moments of sanity proved that she was trying to slip back into normality and so it was still to be expected that she would sometimes had difficulties. The nurses chatted and the rumours spread that it was just because he was so scared of her that he couldn't wait to get rid of her.

The day before the bandages were due to come off, he went to visit her in the hospital. He smiled brightly, even though she couldn't see him through the bandages. The only gaps she had were at her mouth for eating and at her nose for breathing.

"Doctor Tokita," Said Kimiko, the moment he had sat down.

"You knew it was me?" Asked Doctor Tokita.

"Yes, but not because I used my powers," She said, knowing what he was thinking without reading his thoughts, "It's the aftershave."

"Ah, I see." Said the Doctor, sweating slightly, "Well, how are you feeling?"

Kimiko shrugged.

"It still hurts," She said.

"That will stop after time," Said the Doctor.

"I suppose." Said Kimiko.

"Have you been using your powers?" Asked Tokita.

"I try not to …" Said Kimiko trailing off.

"But?" asked Doctor Tokita.

"Sometimes things go wrong and I don't feel right … the darkness swoops in and takes my mind away." She sighed, "But I've been meditating to try and control it."

"That's good," Said Doctor Tokita, "Trying to control it is a good step."

"It seems that I take two steps forward and one step back," She said, "Everything is moving too slowly."

"It's almost finished now," Said the Doctor, "And it's going to take time for you to get better. They say you've been having nightmares?"

"It's all irrelevant." She sighed.

"No it's not." Said Doctor Tokita, "What do you dream about?"

"Just the past," Said Kimiko, "always the past."

Doctor Tokita wiped his brow with his handkerchief. He decided it was best to give her the good news now. He had put it off to prevent her getting over excited and exhausting herself.

"Kimiko, I've got good news!" He said, smiling.

Kimiko turned her head to face him, even though she couldn't see him.

"Raimundo Pedrosa has called," Said Doctor Tokita.

"Raimundo?" Kimiko asked.

"He has said that after the operation, you are to go and stay with him and his fiancé," Said Doctor Tokita, "Isn't that good news?"

"Yes," Said Kimiko simply, turning her head to face forwards again.

"Aren't you excited?" He asked.

"Yes," Said Kimiko, "But my emotions are manipulated, I need to keep them in check."

"He also said he would be here tomorrow so you can see him when your bandages are taken off." Said Doctor Tokita.

"Good," Said Kimiko, "I want him to see me."

"And you want to see him?" asked Doctor Tokita.

"Yes," said Kimiko.

Doctor Tokita stood up.

"Well you must be tired, you should rest." He said.

"Yes … thank you." Said Kimiko, staying sitting up.

She sat there like that for a long while after the Doctor had left, just thinking and thinking. Anything that could keep her thoughts off the results of her operation.

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Raimundo knocked on the door of Kimiko's room. He entered, but when he went to say something his throat was too dry and he just couldn't.

"Hello?" Asked Kimiko, looking around, "Is someone there?"

He bit his lip and took a breath, shaking his head.

"Hello … I … please answer." She said.

Raimundo could see her trying to refrain from using her powers to see who it was. He couldn't let her break all her good work like that.

"It's me, Kimiko." He said.

"Ra … Raimundo?" She asked.

"Yeah, it's me." He said, smiling.

"Please! Come in!" She said, "There's a chair … somewhere in here."

"I've got it," He said, walking forwards and moving the chair closer to the bed.

They sat in silence for a moment.

"Did they tell you I was coming?" asked Raimundo.

"I … I think so …" She said, "Yes … doctor Tokita came in yesterday … at least I think it was yesterday. It's difficult to tell when you can't tell the different between night and day."

Raimundo laughed quietly.

"They said at the front desk that you've been doing better," He said, "You've been taking control?"

"To an extent." Said Kimiko, "I still slip … I can still see … the darkness is still here."

"Well, it's a start." Said Raimundo.

"They said you agreed to take me out of the hospital." Said Kimiko, "Is that true?"

"Yes," Said Raimundo, "You're coming to stay with me and Sara."

"Doesn't … Sara, was it?" Said Kimiko, "Doesn't she mind?"

"She persuaded me it would be best to get you out of here." Said Raimundo.

"Y … you weren't sure?" Asked Kimiko.

"I was just worried." Said Raimundo, "but Sara is a psychologist. She says she wants to help you because we're old friends."

"She must … must really care about you." Said Kimiko.

"Yeah," said Raimundo.

The door opened and a nurse walked in.

"Kimiko, we're ready to take your bandages off." She said.

"Raimundo!" Cried Kimiko.

"I'm here." Said Raimundo, taking her hand, "you'll be fine."

The nurse stepped forward. As she unravelled the bandages, Kimiko held her breath. She didn't know it, but Raimundo was holding his too. Slowly she could see the light through the thinner layers of bandages and she winced, screwing up her eyes against the bright light. She felt the last of the bandages fall away and she turned to face Raimundo. She heard him let out his breath.

"You can open your eyes, Kimiko." Said the nurse.

Slowly, the lids of her eyes parted and everything became bright. It took a moment for everything to adjust. She saw Raimundo smiling at her brightly. It was the first time she had seen him smile properly for the longest time.

"Am I … do I …" She stammered.

"You're beautiful Kimiko," He said.

The nurse held up a mirror and she looked around. She hadn't seen her own reflection for years and was taken aback by the pale girl with the long black hair and startling blue eyes staring back at her. She slowly raised a hand to her face. The skin was smooth. It was still slightly bruised from the procedure, but it was like she had gone back in time. A single tear ran down her face as she continued to grip hold of Raimundo's hand.

"I'd call that a success," Said the nurse, "I'll go and tell the doctors."

"When can we leave?" Asked Raimundo.

"When everything's been filled out and completed." Said the nurse, "but she can stay here over night if she wants."

"No!" Said Kimiko, gripping Raimundo's hand still tighter, "Please don't leave me here any longer."

"She won't be staying," Said Raimundo.

"Alright," Said the nurse leaving.

Kimiko picked up the mirror and stared at her own reflection again. It was her … she was Kimiko Tohomiko again.

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(A/N) So that's that. I'm still trying to think of the best way to explain what happened, so if sometimes it doesn't make entire sense it'll all be explained. And if it's not explainable, it's because of magic: ) I had to use 8888888888 to seperate the sections because it's being bitchy and deciding not to let me do it anymore. It might have screwed u pall my other stories as well, but unfortunatley I don't have the time to go through them all.

Tell me what you think.

Lots of luv,

Becky.

XxX