Disclaimer: I always feel like I'm repeating myself and it's getting really annoying. Ah well, I'll just say it again... I DO NOT own Furuba. The only people I own on here are Masami, Bao, Haruko, and any other OC I created, and forgot in the earlier chapters. But I'm sure everyone already noticed that, hahaha.

Well, this one took a while didn't it? I'm not going to attempt and message each and every one of you who reviewed, since I know that I owe each of you an apology.

This took a great while to get out and I know that half of you who began reading this is probably looooong gone, but for those who have stuck around and kept me on your writer's notice list, thank you so much.

This chapter is dedicaded to those who kept with me this whole... year long exclusion.

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'How Pathetic.'

The sunlight played with the white fabric of the hospital curtains. From the other side of the window, birds chirped and fluttered from branch to branch, and remained under the watchful emerald eyes of the sick young woman.

Her once sunkissed skin had faded into a soft pale tone, but she still had that playful smile plastered across her lips. At the moment, her fingers were busy folding paper cranes out of the orange and green squares she requested. There wasn't much do keep her young mind entertained all the time.

In her slumber, dreams about God and the Jyuunishi filled her mind. The haunting gagaku echoing throughout the banquet hall and from outside, sitting in the cold by the icy lake, the cat stared into the water at his reflection. His long orange tail still flicking limply through the air.

This was enough to break her heart into. Those hopeless and sorrow filled eyes clouded and hazed over, were enough to make her sick heart stop beating. And most of all, it angered her. These 'restrants', as Rin had put it, were starting to show their true purpose...

"Don't look now, but here comes the Mistress." A maid spoke quietly signalling to another who stood close-by, "She looks faint..."

"Oh, Masami-sama? We tried to tell that poor mother to leave her at the Main House, but she kept going on about a party." The other maid replied ditastefully, "She doesn't know how to raise her children. Just look at what happened to Kureno-san."

The small girl felt the pressure building from her mother's grip onto her small hands, "Mommy... why do those people say such things?"

"Come along, and don't listen to them. They're just all talk... besides, it's your birthday! Aren't you excided to see Kyo?" A cheerful smiled graced her slender mouth and she gave her daughter's hand a firm and reassuring squeeze, "Come on, let's go home."

To her, the passing days were another wish granted from the heaven.

-/ Masami's POV /-

I awoke to the setting sun blaring in my face, the news playing on the television postitioned high upon the opposite wall. The cheery woman basically sang out the weather, a healthy pink tint shading her cheeks making my heart drop in my chest. Despite all the low confidence I was suffering, I still felt fine. Everything still felt normal, like it was just an average day... but they told me otherwise. A cold metallic instrument pressed uncomfortably upon the skin above my breast.

"Masami-sama, are you feeling well?" The doctor asked, jotting down information into his notebook. His cold rough hand pulled away from my forehead to scribble down other notes into my records, "Ill, faint, nautious?"

"No..." I answered fumbling with my fingers, a light blush over my cheeks from that unexpected contact with my bare skin, 'But... something isn't right...'

My eyes paved a path towards Rin's cot which rested peacefully in the other corner. However, the cot was empty. Neat and polished up, possibly for the next patient to come.

"Doctor?" I spoke swallowing the ignored saliva in my mouth, "What happened to Isuzu?"

The doctor's lazy blue eyes followed mine to Rin's bed, "Oh, I'm sorry I over-looked that... it seems that you're families head, Akito-sama, ordered the sudden move."

"Akito-san is here?" I asked, my pupils diatlating as those horrid memories rushed back.

"Hai." The doctor nodded and pet my head, "The young master is waiting outside actually. He wished to meet you once your check-up is complete."

"I see..." I sighed and rested back onto my pillows, "Has anyone else come to visit?"

"No, but if they do so, I'll tell one of the nurses to inform you." The doctor answered and smiled warmly, "Why? Is there someone in particular that you want to see?"

"Actually, yes... yes there is." I blushed and glanced away nervously and embarrassed, "You might have seen him before... Kyo? Kyo Sohma?"

"A boy, eh?" The doctor chuckled and patted my head playfully, "Is he someone special? A boyfriend?" I blushed and leaned back onto the sheets, feeling the dark aura of the person behind the door... just waiting for my check-up to come to it's end. The Doctor turned towards the door and looked back at me, "If you need anything, just call. I'll let your visitor in now, Masami-sama."

The door to my room closed slowly as I stared at it blankly, wishing in the deepest pits of my mind that it wouldn't open again. But only moments later, the knob rattled... and the old hinges and the oak door creaked. An icy presence seemed to flow through the crack, chills running down my arms and legs at the cold feeling.

"Heh. A hospital room, again? How annoying."

Everything froze.

My breath caught in my chest, the bile in the pits of my stomach beginning to crawl it's way up to my mouth. I could feel my veins pulsing beneath my skin and the liquid in my throat mixing with the blood leaking from my weakened lungs. I gasped for air.

All I could do was lay back on my side, my labored breathing seeming to relax. I let a trail of blood trickle down from the corner of my mouth and onto the white hospital sheets.

The room began to swirl, my eyes aching in their sockets to close and roll back into my skull. The feeling of my pupils hazing over and the urge to rub at them to keep my vision clear was cancled out by the sudden urge for sleep.

Maybe that would keep him from approaching my bedside... maybe he would be repulsed and stay away! Please... please god...

'Akito.'

"Akito."

That familiar voice filled my being with the sudden warmth... but at the same time, it only spiked my anxiety. The muscles in my face began to weaken from keeping my eyes clenched shut to avoid looking at Akito, but they only tensed when I felt a cold hand pass through my hair and ruffle it gently.

A metallic taste filled my mouth, making me realize I had been biting my lip; that hand wasn't the one I had been expecting... it was gentle and comforting.

"Kureno, what are you doing?"

My vision was still cloudy as I felt the hand leave my head. The urge to reach out and envelope my brother's hand was strong, and I found myself calling out in a series of labored whispers for him to come back, "K-Kureno-nii... come back."

"How sickening..." I could see the blur of bright red hair walking away from me to stand next to a blur of pure black, that made me clamp my eyelids shut once more in cowardice.

This was getting out of hand... I could feel my heartbeat speeding up every step the figures took closer to the door, that horrible taste of copper and iron filling my mouth once more. I choked.

Kureno paused in the door before looking back at me. I could feel the confused emotions tugging at his heartstrings... like we had an invisible connection. The decision of whether to help me physically or to lead Akito out of the room and keep me out of harm's reach.

"Leave her to rest, Akito." Kureno spoke and turned away from me, arm around Akito's waist. He lead her out the door, "Besides, I know you'd want to see her when she's fully awake."

"Kuren-"

But the door closed behind them and I dropped my limp hand to my side, letting it roll off the edge of the bed. The tingling sensation at the ends of all my nerves dialated, the cold feeling leaving the room at its average temperature. The heart monitor beeped at a normal rate, my breaths coming in calm whispers from my chapped lips.

"Damn."

And the darkness once again, took ahold of my body and greedily claimed it.

-/ Kyou's POV /-

In the living room I sat tapping my foot, a stressful feeling grinding at stomach. Shigure would be off the phone with the hospital in a moment; he was waiting to know when he could go see Masami and whether or not there had been any changes in her health.

"Stupid cat... glaring a hole in the floor isnt going to solve anything." I heard the Rats voice say across the room in the doorway between the kitchen and the room where I was seated.

"Shut up, you Damn Rat!" I shouted shaking a clenched fist at the silver, grey haired nemesis, " It has nothing to do with you!

Yuki only sighed and turned around, going back into the kitchen to get some tea. How can he drink tea right now?! Tohru was upstairs cleaning the bathroom and working her way down stairs to clean the blood that Masami had shed. I couldn't stand to even look at the spots where the crimson stained the floor and walls... knowing that those stains came from her...
Hearing footsteps come into the living room I turned to see Shigure looking slightly grim. His hands clutched at his hips, eyes closed as if he was trying to search for the right words to say before he spoke.

"Masami is very sick right now." The dog said as if he was unsure if he was supposed to say anything more.

"We know that much!" I shouted standing with my hands clenched into tight fists at my sides, "Whats wrong with her!" And why didnt she tell me?

Almost in a glare, Shigure turned his gaze to me and sighed. I knew this was an extremely serious moment and hoped he would act to abide the situation. Shigure closed his eyes and began, "Ever since Masami was about four months old she was diagnosed with a terrible disease. It is known as pulmonary tuberculosis."

He paused as if to see how we would take it and began again, "She was given treatments for it but the doctors were unsure if it would come back or not... as you know, it did. We are free to see her."

Just as I was about to get up and go to the door Shigure stopped me with his voice, "Except for Kyou."

Turning in horror, but covering my emotions I was about to yell when he continued, "You are allowed at the hospital but you are not permitted to see her."

"Why the hell not?!" I shouted angrily stepping toward him menacingly.

Shigure only closed his eyes again. "Do you really think your yelling is best for her right now?" he asked calmly and slipped on his shoes while grabbing for his car keys in his pocket.

About to retort to his statement, I missed my chance as Tohru came over and said, "Im finished. May I, if its not too much trouble for you, possibly come as well? I wish to see how Masami is doing." Tohru had her hand to her mouth worriedly.

The dog smiled, "Of course, Tohru! We wouldnt leave you here all alone!" His attitude completely changing when he talked to her.

My eyes downcast to the floor as they shut the door behind them. I could hear the faint roar of the engine and the rumble it gave before they put it into reverse and pulled out of the parking lot. The silence inside the empty house was deafening... my ears ringing at the lack of sound.

And I ran.

I ran out of the house and down the dirt path that lead out of the forest surrounding the little hell hole of a house. I had to see her.

Why didnt she tell me? We were so close!

At least I thought we were.

My breath caught in my throat as my legs pumped onward until I could see the lights from the city getting closer, and closer I was to the city, the closer I was to where they were keeping her. That damned hospital.

Coming to a stop infront of the large revolving doors of the white building I paused, glancing up at it's large exterior. The rumbling in my chest from lack of breath and anger caught my attention, my feet treading right through those revolving doors into the white lobby, "Where is she?!"

People to turn their heads in curiousity and stared. I could feel their faint breaths against my burning skin as they begin whispering, each word they said flowing into my eardrums; my fingernails began to dug into the palm of my hands. Why weren't they giving me an answer?!

"Sir, I think you need to calm down and tell me who she is," the nurse said calmly, glaring at me for drawing attention to myself and her.

"I dont need to calm down!" I shouted at her again as I continued, feeling the blood tricking down from my palms onto the fancy brown stone beneath my aching feet, "Her name is Masami Sohma! Where is she?!"

"Masami Sohma?" After a long pause she seemed to have a light bulb go off in her head, "Oh! You must mean the red haired girl. Poor thing. She was just covered in blood. The nurse began to ramble and I felt the growl inside my chest grow louder making her pause once more in fright. "S-sir?"

"Where the Hell is she?!" I screamed, watching as she flinched in her swivel-chair, flipping through files a little quicker than before, glaring at me all the while as she said, Sir, if you cant calm yourself down I will have you escorted out of the building myself.

'Like hell, she will.' My fists shook wanting to punch something, preferably her face, but held myself back, shoulders straightening back in defiance.

But I had to see her.

"Thats better." The nurse said as if she was gloating, bringing a fresh stack of papers out from under her desk, thumbing through them, "Now, Sohma-san is in a reserved room for Sohmas along with a girl name Rin Sohma. Its upstairs to the fourth floor and its the third room down on the right."

I didnt bother to thank her and I immediately ran to the elevator, pushing a few waiting patients out of the way. Pressing the button I saw the light flashing above head on the 7th floor; damnit! I began savagely pressing the button until I heard the angry nurse scream at me from behind her desk, "Sir, if you can't wait, take the stairs!"

"Why didn't she tell me that first?" I grumbled in anger and yanked open the door to the stairs, allowing it to crash against the white brick wall; this earned me another cride retort from the nurse in the lobby, but I didn't care at all as I continued racing all the way up the stairs until I finally came to the fourth floor.

However, I came to a halt in the hallway, a few doors away from where they were holding her... and saw exactly what I had been fearing in the recesses of my imagination

"Akito."

-/ Akitos Pov /-

Looking up from my chair my eyes landed on the source of my name. That irressistable urge to burst out into laughter, or purge at the site of the creature I hoped wouldn't showed up, was masked by my smile. I turned my head to the Cat whose vertical pupils seemed to dialate in their sockets. "Aw, the monster came to visit the other monster. How sweet..." I flipped my raven hair over my shoulder, turning to Kureno at my side, "Dont you think?"

All he did was nod making me frown; his eyes didn't even budge from the thick oak door seperating that girl from this small, confined waiting room. Turning my attention back to the cat I smirked.

"Too bad I hate sweet things. I think it's time I said my farewells, right?" I chuckled, standing as I shoved my hands into my pockets, kicking my leg forward to nudge at the door of her room, "But... dont even think about coming in you stupid, ugly monster. Im sure the she wouldnt want to see you anyways. She didnt even bother to tell you, so why would she want to see you now?"

Satisfied with the grim expression falling over his face, I made my way into the room seeing Masami on the bed closest to the door. The beeping from the machines echoed out into the waiting room along with the faint breaths coming from her parted mouth.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Kyou's head perk up at the sounds, trying to catch a poor glimpse at that wretched girl. Glaring at the frail body in the hospital cot once more, I snarled and slamed the door behind me into that Cat's face and locked it.

If this disease wouldn't rid her from the face of the Earth... I'd be gracious enough to do it myself.

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Yet another apology. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, but don't expect the next chapter for a while. That does not exclude every one from leaving messages though! I want to see who all stuck with me.

Read, Enjoy, Review

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