I don't really have any important author notes this time. Simply Review, Read, and well, Thanks for reading! :)

His eyes were dark grey, but not cold like she expected. She remembered suddenly who this person was, and what he had done to her. She remembered hating him for mistreating her family and loved ones. She hated him for locking up her beloved older brother Kyo, and she hated him for being as cruel as he was. She wanted him to die.

But he didn't look normal. His black hair that usually spiked in a way that looked as though it could pierce you didn't look as scary. His face wasn't angry, or happy, or prideful. In fact, it looked.. sad. Almost filled with remorse.

"What is Akito doing here?" Kyo shouted angrily, stepping in front of Aloe.

Akito turned his face and frowned bitterly, then turned his face back towards them. It wasn't like he wanted them to hurt, but as if he were the one hurting. Feeling the pain of everything he had done. And seeing his younger sister, who inside shared many of his qualities, stare at him with a loathing that couldn't be replaced with love, made him want to break down and weep.

"I brought him here on his own accord." Hatori said. Akito whispered under his breath to Hatori, who nodded. "He says he wants to speak with you all, privately."

Nobody moved.

"Who goes first?" Hatori turned to Akito.

Akito thought for a moment. He wanted to avoid Aloe until the very last, knowing that would probably be the hardest. Instead, Akito looked among them, and chose the one who seemed to hate him the least at the moment. "Tohru."

Kyo and Yuki both flashed their eyes angrily and argued, but Tohru walked outside onto the porch with Akito. Akito sat down, and looked up at Tohru, then back down at the ground. He looked up, then down.

Finally he looked up. "Tohru, I'm sorry." He looked back down. "I know there's nothing that could ever excuse what I've done to you, and I don't expect you to forgive me for all the grief I've caused you, but.." He balled his hands into fists, trying to say what he meant. Why is this so hard?

But Tohru's comforting hand found it's way to his fist. Akito's first instinct would be to slap her hand and jerk away angrily, then scream at her about what a disgrace she was and how dare she touch him. But, in this moment, it felt comforting. Why on earth had he ever rejected those that he loved?

He looked up, and in her eyes, he saw that he was forgiven. She smiled at him.

"Akito, it must have taken you a lot to be able to apologize. And, if you're able to go through all that to apologize, then I'm sure you've changed. I forgive you." She said, seeming very bubbly.

Her words almost made Akito's heart melt. He was so happy. He wasn't happy enough to hug her like he had Hatori, but he was happy enough to return a small smile. He struggled with the words, since he hadn't ever really used them, but he seemed to get them out, "Thank You."

She nodded.

Akito looked back at the door. "You, er, can go if you want now. I'll talk to someone else."

"Who d'you want me to get?" Tohru asked, getting up and straightening her skirt.

He thought for a moment, and settled on, "Yuki."

Yuki came out after a moment, staring at Akito. Akito had his eyes settled on the ground, and he began his apology as he had with Tohru. "Yuki,"

He continued, apologizing to Yuki, and Shigure. Shigure accepted and smiled. As usual. Yuki accepted his apology and forgave him, but he didn't comfort him. He wasn't very open, but that's all that AKito could accept. He needed to be nice to him and over time he would gradually earn his trust and full forgiveness.

Kyo sat down about five feet away from Akito, keeping his distance for Akito's sake. He knew that if he sat too close to him, his feelings for what Akito did to Aloe would take over and make him attack Akito.

"I'm sorry." His words shocked Kyo. "I.. I shouldn't have mistreated you as I did. I shouldn't have locked you up in that wretched cat's room. I should never have mistreated your- I mean, our sister." His words were very bitter. At first Kyo thought he was being sarcastic, or maybe Hatori was forcing him to apologize, but his eyes said differently.

They were suffering. It was as though all he could see was the accident; over, and over, and over. He looked at Kyo and realized that he had been watching him, so he turned his head sharply to the other side.

"I know that you won't believe me, but I did love her. Not to the extent you did, but I did love her." Akito looked into Kyo's eyes. "I do love her, I mean." He thought for a moment. Apologizing to Kyo was much harder than apologizing to the other three.

For some reason, Kyo did see a little of it. He saw it in his face, in his eyes. It was a bit like Aloe's eyes when she looked up at Kyo. Except, different colors and a lot less.

"I truly am sorry for.. for what happened because of me." Akito finished.

Kyo struggled to say it, since he thought to the depths of his heart that Akito didn't deserve it, "I forgive you Akito." Akito brightened a shade, and he looked into Kyo's eyes. He saw that somehow, they might be friends. But that, in itself, would take months if not years.

"Could.. could you ask Aloe to come out here?" Akito asked.

For a moment, Kyo flashed a protective look, but the feeling in Akito's eyes wasn't a violent one. He wouldn't do that to Aloe again. Not after apologizing to everyone.

"Alright." Kyo said reluctantly. He watched Akito as he walked back inside the house.

Aloe appeared a moment later, but instead of sitting down by Akito, she stayed standing near the door, as if she were going to have to run back inside.

"Aloe-"

"What's this about, Akito?" She asked angrily, holding the door handle in case she needed to come back inside. "Haven't you done enough already?"

Her words struck him harshly. He glared up at her, but held his tongue. He flashed back his memories, what he had done, and how he had treated her. If he had been in her case, he wouldn't have wanted to do anything with him either. He stopped glaring, and started trying to think of the right words.

"When you were younger," He began, trying to say what he meant the right way. "I thought you couldn't be my sister, since you looked nothing like me, but instead like Kyo. But when I saw what you could do, I started to be prouder and prouder. But, I mistreated you since you continued to resemble Kyo. And I learned that, you aren't Kyo or me, but yourself. And I punished you for that." He sighed.

"I punished you for my insecurities. And.. and I'm.." He looked up at her, and to his surprise, she had moved. Silently too. She did that a lot actually, instantly appearing in the least wanted places. She was sitting beside him, her crutches laying beside her on the ground.

Her eyes stared at him inquisitively, figuring out if what he said was what he meant. So like Kyo, Akito thought grudgingly. She looked over him, and he felt as though she examining his soul and heart. Finally, she smiled.

"I'm sorry." Akito said quietly.

She reached out her hand and patted him on the shoulder. "So you've never.. er, actually hated me like you said?"

He stared at her. "Well.. I mean, I do sometimes, but.." She raised one eyebrow. "Yes, I have." He crossed his arms. "But you've hated me too." He said protectively.

"You've given me reason to."

Fine. Akito thought. I'll let her have that one.

"So do you.." Akito said, not sure how this whole 'apology' thing was supposed to work.

She nodded. "I'll forgive you, if-" he sighed. He knew he would live to regret this if. "-you stop mistreating everyone and apologize to everyone." She said almost forcefully.

"I will." Akito said. "I promise."

And with that, Akito and Aloe came inside. Nobody really spoke much, since having Akito there was uncomfortable at best for everyone except Hatori, who seemed as though it were normal, since it was for him.

No, I'm still not done! But I hope you liked the chapter! Yes, I know that Akito wouldn't ever really say anything like this, but cut me some slack. I can't watch fruits baskets where I am and I haven't seen it in forever, so imagine like you haven't ;)

I hope it works out for you, and I can't wait to get out the next chapter! :D