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Open My Heart: Truth Be Seen

'What am I to do?' Annika thought to herself as she started her run home. 'He's mad at me, but i can't tell him why. I can't stand him knowing how weak I am'humiliation spread through out her aching body. She stopped beside a building to ease the pain caused by her bruises. Tears threatened to come forth, but Annika used all her will power to keep them from falling. 'It's no use crying over it. There's nothing you can do to stop him' Taking a deep breathe, Annika once again began running.
It didn't take long for her to reach home. Quietly she walked inside, careful not to disturb anyone. She gathered clean clothes and headed for the shower. Undressing, she put her sweaty clothes by the door before standing underneither the water. Annika looked down at herself and winced, the bruises were ugly shades of purple, black and blue. They were deep, and they were painful. Looking up, she silently thanked anyone up there that it was only her eye that was visable to everyone else. After washing herself, she dried herself off before putting her clothes that covered her bruises on and walked downstairs just in time for the phone to ring.
She looked around and realized that no one was going to pick it up. Walking over to the phone she picked it up and held it to her ear.
"Moshi Moshi(sp?) Sohma Residence." Her voice sounded happy and chipper.
"Annika?" Annika's entire body stiffened.
"What do you want?" Her voice lowered to a quiet threatening icy tone.
"To talk to you and to beg your forgiveness. Please, let us meet once more and I promise not to lay a hand on you" Her father's voice seemed to sound sad. But there was no moving on Annika's part.

Kyo finally climbed down the ladder and headed into the kitchen just in time to hear Annika one the phone in the other room. Her voice sounded nothing like that he had ever heard before. It was a deadly tone of voice that even to a point frightened him. He stood still not wanting to inturupt anything.

"Forgiveness? What makes you think that you'd ever get that from me?"(A/N! I'm going to put the part that Kyo can't hear in italics just so you know)
"Please, Annika let me make it up to you!"
"I honestly can't believe you. Who do you think you are? How dare you call yourself my father"
"Please, I beg you. I didn't mean to do that to you"
"Where have I heard that before?" sarcasim dripped with ever word, "I don't see how you could have even thought i would go to dinner with you again? As far as I am concerned, I never want to see you again. You hear me? You'll never change old man, and don'e plan on picking up Isabella and Tyson. They'll be staying with me until I arrange flights home for them."
Kyo heard the phone placed back onto the reciever, and quickly went back outside when he heard Annika coming towards kitchen. (A/N: I know the kitchen doesn't ahve a door... but i'm putting one there because i want one there! ) Walking around to the front of the house, Kyo was deep in thought.
'What happened last night? What did he do to her?' an uneasy feeling knotted within his chest, mentally Kyo made a vow to find out what happened as he began to practice some kicks and punches in the yard.

Annika looked at the phone not sure she just said what she said to the man that could very well kill her. But she didn't get much time to think it over when she heard someone come in the front door. She put her happy carefree face on and greated Kyo.
"KYO!" She ran up to him and kissed his cheek. Just then Isabella and Tyson came down the stairs with Torhu and Yuki right behind them. Isabella went up to Annika and hugged her.
"Yuki, Tohru and I are going to the store," Then she looked over at Kyo, "And Tyson would like it if you took him to the dojo. He would like to see what it's like" Tyson shyly looked up at Kyo. Sighing heavily, Kyo nodded his head, and motioned for the kid to follow him. Tyson enthusiasticly followed Kyo, excited that he would finally be able to see his first dojo.
Annika smiled at her little brother. Tohru walked up to her and smiled at her.
"You wanna come? Shigure went to his editor's while you were gone so no one will be here if we go without you"
Annika laughed, "No, go! I'll stay here. I don't feel like going anywhere. Have fun!" With that said, the others started on there way to the dojo and the store. Sighing with relief, Annika went upstairs and got into the beautiful Yukata that Kyo had given her for her birthday months ago and sat on the porch in the back.
She sat there for over an hour when she heard footsteps in front of her. Looking up she gasped when the man in front of her was her father, his father red with agner. Standing up quickly she glared at him.
"I said I never wanted to see you again. Get out of here" She felt stronger then she ever had in her father's presence. She felt as if he could not do anything to her.
"Did you really think that I would let you get away with the way you spoke to me on the phone. No daughter of mine will speak to me like that" Mr. Conte took a step towards her.
"I am not your daughter! And you are NOT by father! My father died 13 years ago!" Her voice trembled with rage. Clenching her fists, she took a step forward, not allowing him frighten her.
"We'll see about that" He craked his knuckles as her closed the distance between them. He threw his fist at her but it was caught by her hand a few inches from her face.
"Don't you think you've given me enough bruises" She twisted his hand back and around behind his back. A leg came and pulled her feet out from under her causing her to let his hand go. Quickly the man turned around and grabbed Annika by the hair.
"You little whore, I'll have to teach you a lesson in obedience!" Yanking her hair once again, he threw her out onto the lawn. Not waisting any time, he rushed forward and kicked her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Gasping, Annika got up, eye burning with hatred for the man before her.
"You won't get away with this" Annika gasped out. Using all the will power and strength with in her, she started attacking her father. For a while they actually paired off, but not for long. Mr. Conte landed a veery powerful blow to her head, causing her to fall over. And fisted rained down on her already bruised body. Knowing she could not get back up she covered her head, once again letting him have his way. But... then, they blows ended.

Kyo had come back with Tyson having completed the tour of the dojo to hear fighting the back. He had opened the door right as Mr. Conte gave Annika the final blow to bring her down. When he had recovered from his bone deep shock, he took everything that he had learned and put it to use on this man.
"You brat! You have no right to interfere with family matters!"
"It's no longer a family matter when hitting Annika is the case! You will pay for what you have done to her!" Kyo punched the older man's face as hard as he could. With no mercy in him, Kyo landed one more blow before Mr. Conte went out cold, falling to the ground. Breathing hard, Kyo looked at the man, wondering if he should just kill him. He was brought out of his thinking when he heard a soft moan coming from behind him. He turned and say that Annika had not moved. As quick as he could he ran over to Annika and gathered her into his arms.
"Annika..." Kyo held her tight to his chest and carried her inside, walking past Tyson who had watched the scene from the door. Kyo walked up the stairs and into his room. Where he laid Annka on his bed. Then he went back downstairs, found some rope and tied the unconcious man so he couldn't get away when he woke up. After this, Kyo walked back upstairs, said on the bed and laid Annika's head in his lap. After a few minutes Annika began to stur, she opened her eyes and looked up into Kyo's face. Her eyes wide with humiliation and discust, Annika tried to sit up and groaned and fell back to the bed. With more ditermination, Annika once again tried to sit up. Once she got there, she stood up, Kyo made to stop her, but the look on her face stopped him.
"Please... Kyo.." And she took a step towards the door just as it burst open.
"ANNIKA!" Isabella ran into the room and just barely managed to catch Annika when she fell, once again unconcsious.

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