Chapter Four: Dealing in Secrets and Promises

Arisa sighed as the door shut. "Damn, that man is weird."

"He's like us." Megumi's voice was thoughtful.

She blinked. "What? You think he sees waves or something, the way Hana does?"

Megumi shook his head. "No...it isn't exactly like Saki. And he doesn't have my power either. But...there's certainly something unusual about him. And his energy patterns are very unusual, just like the other man's, and the girl's."

Arisa sighed again and leaned back into the wall. "Yeah. Hana says the same thing all the time. That the Sohmas have weird waves. She said once that it was practically inhuman." She'd thought the other girl was over-reacting at the time, but she wasn't sure about Hatori. There was just something about him that made her nerves itch.

"I don't think it's quite that." Megumi sat a moment longer, then stepped carefully off the bed. "Can you watch Saki for a while? There's something I'd like to verify, and something I want to ask the master of the house."

Arisa frowned. It surprised her that Megumi would leave his sister's side. Still, she understood. Maybe the kid would have better luck than she did. "Yeah, sure. Go ahead."

"Thank you." Megumi ran his hand over his sister's face once more, then left the room. Arisa watched him go, then settled back and closed her eyes, one hand resting near her friend so she would know if anything changed.

***CK***

Megumi made his way downstairs. Shigure and Hatori were seated in the living room. Hatori had opened his bag, and was in the process of administering another shot to Shigure's arm. Shigure winced. "Really, if you're going to make it that uncomfortable..."

"Stop whining. You know it isn't that bad. Besides, I wouldn't have to give you that shot, if you hadn't gone running around in the rain like that." Hatori put the bag away.

"Yes, well...circumstances being what they are..." Shigure sighed as he lowered his sleeve. "It really couldn't be helped. And speaking of running around...how is Tohru's friend?"

Hatori sighed as well. "It's probably too soon to tell. I did what I could for her, but she never really woke up, so there's a limited amount of information I can give you."

Megumi knocked on the door, then stepped forward and settled himself on the floor. "Saki won't wake until things are resolved."

Shigure blinked. "Ah...Megumi...I'm sorry, I didn't hear you come down. Is there something I can do for you?"

"Perhaps." Megumi regarded both men with solemn eyes.

Hatori met his gaze, then nodded slightly. "You mentioned it before, that your sister was waiting for something to be decided. Perhaps you could explain a little more, what you meant by that."

"I told you. Saki chose to let Tohru go, and forced her to make a choice. That choice carries a heavy price. Now she won't wake, until Tohru has made her own choice, and the outcome is resolved." Megumi's voice was slow, thoughtful, quiet. "Saki...this isn't easy for her."

"I imagine." Shigure brushed back a lock of damp hair. "Still, I'm afraid I don't understand, really. Why would sending Tohru away affect her so deeply? I mean, I can understand if she was upset, but to become sick like this..."

"Tohru is Saki's light." Megumi shifted.

"Perhaps you might explain what that means, in more concrete terms." Hatori drew a drag from a cigarette he'd lit, exhaled, then stopped and crushed it out, as if he'd changed his mind. "It would be easier for me to help your sister, if I had more information on what exactly caused her collapse."

Megumi blinked. "You want to know, then...what Tohru means to her."

"Well, yes. I know they're friends, but Saki never did tell us more than that. Well, that she was transferred into Tohru's class, I suppose, but she didn't really tell us how it happened." Shigure smiled nervously.

"That story...isn't just for everyone." Megumi considered. "If I told you...the truth about Saki and Tohru...would you tell me the truth in return? Would you tell Saki, and Arisa, the secret you carry?"

Hatori sat up straighter, and Shigure tensed. "What do you mean?"

"You..." Megumi tilted his head. "You're cursed. Both of you. So was the brown haired girl, Kagura."

Shigure shot up straight. "That..." He relaxed suddenly, ran a hand through his hair with a weak smile on his face. "Really? Now why would you think that, Megumi-kun?"

"Indeed." Hatori was frowning.

"I can see it." Megumi tilted his head a fraction of an inch further. "It's in your aura."

"In our aura? Strange...I thought your sister saw auras, and she's never mentioned it."

Megumi shook his head. "Saki and I both see auras. But her specialty and mine are quite different. She reads electric waves and currents. I, on the other hand, specialize in curses. I can tell...you are both cursed."

Shigure opened his mouth to protest, but Hatori held up his hand. "I was wondering about the strange impressions I was receiving from you and that girl. Now I understand." He sighed. "Can you tell what the curse is?"

"I can't. But I can tell that it's very powerful." He paused. "Saki told me there was something strange about the waves she felt from the Sohma family, but she couldn't tell me what it was. Now I understand."

"You do realize, this is a very closely guarded secret." Hatori's eyes were sharp, almost apprehensive, though his voice was controlled.

"Of course. Still...if I tell you what the bond between Saki and Tohru is, will you tell them what your curse is?" Megumi's eyes were every bit as serious as Hatori's. "Will you let them help Tohru?"

"Well...that is...you know, that's a very difficult decision to make." Shigure grimaced. "It isn't just our secret, you know."

"You think the decision Saki made was easy?" Megumi's eyes met Shigure's and the older man winced at the sadness in them. "She chose to give you Tohru. How could that be easy for Saki?"

Hatori sighed. "The truth is, we're not sure how this night will end. It may be that Tohru's involvement with the Sohmas will be cut off as well. However, in the event that things this evening reach a successful conclusion...I propose a compromise." He folded his hands together and leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table. "Tell us about your sister and Tohru. In return, if we deem it necessary and possible, we'll tell your sister and the other girl about the Sohma secret. If it's not possible, we'll find another way to assist you."

"And if tonight ends badly?" Megumi's eyes locked on the doctor's face, solemn and older than his years.

"Then I will still give you my assistance, whatever may be required." Hatori met his gaze solidly.

Shigure shifted. "Hatori...you know...that's not the safest promise to make. Akito..."

Hatori didn't break eye contact with the young boy in front of him. "You broke the rules for Tohru, and took responsibility for her. I think I can manage this well enough." he turned his head slightly. "Unless, you're planning to stop me."

Shigure sighed and shook his head. "Well, no. I'm not, really. Still, it's unlike you to take such risks."

"Perhaps. But all things must change. You should know, since you started it." Hatori returned his gaze to Megumi. "Do you find my terms acceptable?"

"I do." Megumi nodded.

"Very well." Hatori straightened. "Begin whenever you feel ready."

Megumi shifted, getting more comfortable. When he spoke, his words were slow, thoughtful. "Saki...her power has always been very difficult for her to control. Even when she was a child. Because of her ability to sense waves, and thoughts, she was often in a great deal of discomfort. Out parents tried to comfort her, but...they had no idea what to do for her."

He paused a moment, then continued. "At school, she was often isolated, or treated with great cruelty. Saki...she didn't know how to protect herself from them. And there was no one to teach her ow to control her powers. I am much younger than Saki, but my own powers are far more easily controlled, and she was there to help me, or at least to allow me to learn from her mistakes. She would...talk to me, tell me where she had problems. And I could watch her, see where things went wrong. But...I was too young to help her."

Shigure sighed. "I can see where that might be difficult. It isn't easy, being different from everyone else."

"No." Megumi swallowed.

Shigure watched him. "Megumi...perhaps you'd like a glass of water? If you're going to tell us things, it's the least we can do."

Megumi nodded. "That would be good. Or tea, if you have any."

"Right." Shigure rose. "I think Kagura made some earlier. I'll be right back." He turned and ducked through the doorway, to return moments later with a steaming cup. "It might have steeped a little too long, but it should be all right." He set the cup in front of Megumi, then returned to his seat. "So then...about Saki..."

Megumi took a long sip of his tea and returned the cup to the table. "When she was in fourth grade, something happened. Some of the other children pushed her too far. I don't know what they said, or did, but somehow, they made Saki angry. She lost control and lashed out at them. The boy who hurt her, was knocked into a coma."

Hatori inhaled sharply. "That's...a very serious condition. And you said fourth grade, correct? She must have been very young then." His face was solemn.

"She was. More than that...she felt extremely guilty about it." Megumi took another sip of his tea. His voice was sad when he continued. "Of course, there was no way to prove that she had hurt that boy. And since the authorities could not punish her, and our parents refused to, Saki began to punish herself. She wore only black, and she refused to defend herself against the other children. During that time, many things happened to her. Her books were continually destroyed. She often came home with wounds. And I know her classmates said many terrible things about her. But worst of all, no matter what was done...Saki refused to fight back. She believed, that she deserved it. Just as she believed she deserved the pain of feeling other's thoughts, of being constantly subjected to their waves, to their negativity and cruelty."

Shigure winced. "Even if she did hurt someone else...it was most likely an accident." he leaned against his arm. "I doubt any child truly deserves that kind of life."

"I know. I tried many times to tell her. So did our parents. She wouldn't listen to any of us." Megumi took a long drink. "During that time, I began to explore my own powers. Our grandmother wasn't like Saki and I, but she had begun studying when she realized that we had those powers. She gave me books to read, taught me how to identify and hone my own talents. Along the way, I discovered something."

"What was that?"

"A curse is nothing more than words used to control energy, to affect a person's life. A blessing is the same thing, with different intentions. If it is possible for a person to curse someone, then it is possible for someone to deliver a blessing as well. Even though curses are almost always easier, I discovered that I did, in fact, possess both forms of power. All I need, is a person's name."

"I see. An interesting application." Hatori shifted, his expression thoughtful.

"Indeed. I was worried about Saki. I was afraid that she would die, if things continued the way they were. So...I cast a blessing on her." Megumi's eyes were dark, older than the eyes of a child his age should have been. "I cast a blessing, that Saki would find, or be found by, the one person in the world who could accept her. Who could save her and give her peace. However...it takes time for a curse, or a blessing, to take effect. For me, the delay is three days. And in that time...something terrible happened."

Shigure blinked, straightening at the darkness in the boy's tone. "By something...I assume you mean something more serious than the trouble she was already facing at school."

"Yes." Megumi's eyes shifted to Hatori. "You saw it, didn't you? Saki's arm."

"If you mean the scars...I did notice them, yes." Hatori's face was suddenly carefully blank.

Shigure started, looking between the two of them. "Scars?"

Megumi nodded. "Saki...had done nothing with her powers in over three years. The children in her class...they were afraid of her, but they felt foolish, because there was no proof that she was dangerous. So, they decided to prove that they were right to fear her. They decided to try to force Saki to use her powers, to attack them."

Shigure swallowed, a sick expression on his face. "You mean they...they did something to her?"

"They cornered her after school, and pinned her down. When she didn't fight back, they used matches." Megumi's voice was a flat monotone, but there was grief in his eyes.

Even Hatori flinched. "You mean that those scars on her arm...her classmates burned her, deliberately, in an attempt to force her to react."

"They did. Saki...she was too afraid of hurting anyone to do anything. She let them hurt her. Even when a teacher found them, she didn't defend herself when the other children blamed her for her injuries."

"I see." Shigure looked pale. "Something like that..."

Megumi nodded. "The day after that...my blessing was enforced. And our parents decided to transfer her to a new school."

"Where she met Tohru, I'm guessing." Shigure sighed.

"Yes." Megumi drained the last of his tea. "Tohru...and Arisa, they accepted Saki. Even when she tried to drive them away, even when she told them she didn't deserve friends, they stayed with her. Arisa protected her. Tohru cared for her, even drew her into her family. When they discovered Saki's powers, they didn't abandon her. Instead...Tohru told her she loved her. Arisa told her she had the right to choose, that she only had to leave them if it was what she wanted. The two of them...they gave Saki her life back."

He set the tea-cup back on the table. "Tohru's strength, the bond that was forged between the three of them...that is what finally helped Saki control her powers. Because Tohru accepts her for who and what she is, without any fear, Saki is finally able to accept herself."

"I see." A sad half-smile crossed Shigure's features. "I was surprised when she stopped us at New Years. But now, I suppose it's understandable. And she did say she wanted to support Tohru the way Tohru supported her."

"Yes." Megumi shifted. "Earlier this year, some of the girls from their school...objected to Tohru's friendship with your family. Saki defended it. She told me then, that she didn't want to let Tohru go, but she understood. In order to truly love Tohru, she had to be willing to let her go to you, to help you. She had to be willing to entrust Tohru to you, even if it was not her first choice. And tonight..."

"Tohru's mind was in chaos." Hatori spoke thoughtfully.

"Yes. There is a choice that Tohru must make, a painful and difficult one. Saki was forced to choose between protecting Tohru, between taking her from your family, and returning her to you, forcing her to make the choice that must be made. To choose to give Tohru to you, she had to first block her own bond to Tohru, and then force her to follow you, even if it meant hurting her deeply in the process. Because true love is doing what is best for a person. Even if that decision is a source of pain, it is one that you must accept. Saki understood that. So...she gave Tohru to you, even though that decision may cost her everything that saved her, the thing she loves and cherishes most in this world."

Silence fell between them. Then Shigure shifted, leaning back against the wall. "Well, I knew that Kazuma's decision would be difficult for Tohru. But something like this...I think I might have tried to persuade him to be more careful if I'd known."

"There is no way to be more careful. Not if he truly planned to fore Kyo to face his fears. However...I agree that we ought to have made some sort of plan to protect those involved." Hatori sighed, fingers interlaced in front of him. "I'd wondered how that girl could accept the Sohma curse so easily. I think I understand now. Choosing to befriend a psychic, particularly one with difficult powers...she must have already witnessed many strange things."

"Tohru accepts things because that is who she is." Megumi spoke softly. "While it may be true that her involvement with Saki gives her a greater understanding of your condition, the truth is that Tohru would probably have accepted you, even if she and Saki had never met."

"I don't doubt that." Shigure closed his eyes briefly, his expression weary and worn. "Still...that isn't really the question here." He sighed. "I did tell Tohru that her friends were important to us." He glanced at his companion. "Do you still intend to go through with this bargain?"

Hatori nodded. "Now more than ever."

Shigure nodded. "All right then. If things resolve the way we hope they will, we'll tell Saki and Arisa." He smiled at Megumi. "And you, of course."

Megumi considered him for a moment, then nodded. "That would be...acceptable." He rose to his feet. "Now...if you don't mind, I need to return to Saki."

"Of course. We won't keep you." Hatori inclined his head. "Thank you for clarifying matters for me."

Megumi paused at the door. "Thank you, for your promise. And your compassion for Saki." Then he left, leaving the two men alone once more.

Author's Note: Borrowed heavily from the manga here, but it's all in a good cause. So...how was the delivery?