A/N: The other night I watched episode 22, 23, & 24 of xxxHolic and got inspired. My version of the ghost woman's background comes from the Akira Kurosawa's "High and Low" movie- so, I used all the names from that movie. I loved that movie so much; Kurosawa just rocks! Basically, the ghost woman is the mother of the child that almost gets kidnapped.

Also, I included some references to X/1999. I just fell in love with that manga. I just adore Fuuma and Seishirou. I really want a bumper sticker that says, "Hey, at least you aren't Sabura." Then again, what CLAMP fan doesn't?

I do have to claim I got inspired by my hubby's story Miyuki-chan & Watanuki. I did kind of take a little page from him. Go read his story that's now out. It's fun.

And the first volume of Rei came out yesterday! Anyone else read it yet?

Part 12:

Watanuki had fallen asleep beside Misao and he knew he was now deep in his dreamscape. Inky shadows never bothered him here. His dreamscape was a place he had never been attacked, but when he saw her, he froze. It was her!

The woman in traditional dress he'd spent his holiday with. She was the... no, she wasn't a woman. He had to stop thinking of her as human. She was something he had befriended that he had desperately wanted to keep company and make happy.

She was something that had been draining his physical strength, not by her own volition. Watanuki felt his stomach twist remembering she was something Doumeki had destroyed. It was all to save Watanuki's existence, but he was still so raw with hurt and anger.

It was only weeks ago Doumeki had destroyed her in front of his eyes. He had reluctantly started to forgive Doumeki, but he still had some real resentment towards the archer. Watanuki was still struggling with grief over Doumeki snatching this woman from his life.

"It's you?" he asked barely above a whisper. "But how? Doumeki... he, he banished you."

"When your friend shot me with his spirit arrow I left just this little bit of me behind in your dreams. Remember the one, silver thread that you held in your hands as the last of me drifted away? I was allowed to leave the smallest bit of me in your dreamscape so I could help you one, last time.

"When we finish talking this time, my soul will be gone from your realm. I just felt so incredibly guilty making you so sick. I wanted to help you one day to make it up to you. That's why I asked a fragment of my soul be embed into your dreamscape until you needed it. You need me right now to fill in the gap for your mother, so please tell me why you're in such pain."

He never knew her name or anything about her, other than she'd lost a son. He also knew she was so motherly to him, and he craved that love more than anything right now. He hated it, because he wanted to be strong, but he burst into tears and clung onto her tightly. He sobbed and wailed, burying his face on her shoulder as she rocked him gently.

"There are two men asking for my attention. I guess that's not what you thought I'd say?" He steeled himself against her upcoming scorn.

The woman chuckled, but it was gentle and not with recrimination. "No, because I thought you had a crush on a girl."

"I did, and I still do. I still like her, but there is this man named Misao that's been seeing me. And my friend Doumeki's been competing against Misao for my attention all of the sudden. The last couple of week I've been so confused. It's like all I can think of is having... with... just any..." Watanuki blushed horribly. He said, "I'm sorry, you shouldn't hear this." She wrapped her arms around him tighter. Watanuki asked, "What did your son die of?"

"You're curious about him?"

"If you have to leave me, I wanted to know something about him. I just want to hold onto a piece of you. I have a chance of that again, not like my parents." He stepped back from her arms and frowned. "I can never really remember their faces, just some of the kind things they used to do. I just need a clear memory of someone who cares about me. Please let that be you. I need you right now, and I'm so grateful to have a second chance at being with you."

"Okay, but you may change your mind after you hear about me."

Watanuki smiled softly and shook his head. "Nothing you say will change my feelings for you."

"My name was Gondo Reiko, the wife of a business man. His company made shoes, but there was a dispute and he worked to silence the his rivals. There was a kidnapping attempt on our son, Jun, but they kidnapped our chauffeur's son, Shinichi, instead. There was a lot of strife, but Kingo did the right things and got the boy back. The kidnapper, it turned out, was jealous of Kingo and our beautiful house."

She grew gloomy so Watanuki asked, "What happened then?"

"The kidnapper went to prison and my husband changed companies to a lesser known one. The brother of the kidnapper was convinced to take revenge. He hit Jun with a car as he was walking to school." She shook her head, sorrowful. "The man who killed Jun was never brought to justice. He hung himself before the trial. Kingo and I were never the same."

"When was this? I don't remember hearing about it on the news." Watanuki asked, confused.

"It happened back in 1963."

"Oh, that was little over forty years ago."

There were tears brimming in her eyes. "He was a kind boy. He was taken from me at such a such a tender age. He was only ten when it happened. We had such dreams he'd turn out honorable, like his father." She gave Watanuki a sweet smile. "I keep wanting to call you Jun and fall into a fantasy."

Watanuki felt his stomach grow hollow. How he pitied this poor woman. Now he knew why her spirit had lingered. She was restless and wanted to help her son. If she couldn't do that, she wanted to find another boy she could help find peace. He wanted to talk to her more about her situation, but he knew their time was growing short. She wasn't going to share any more about herself. He took a deep breath and refocused on why she was here.

"Gondo-san, I'm afraid I'm about to..." He then shook his head and grew firm in his decision. "No! I have! I've chosen a yakuza for my lover. My other choice would have been that person who shot you with the spirit arrow. I can't love him. He'd hurt me again and again! The latest thing he did to hurt me was when he shot you! He didn't understand what we had together and he destroyed it! He had no heart to shoot you like he did! He didn't understand that I made the choice to disappear for you!" He felt his dreamscape self get warm at the confession.

He hadn't even really known that he had wanted to sacrifice himself for this woman until now. It hadn't been a totally conscious choice. That's why he had kept ignoring Doumeki's badgering to take the pipe fox with him. He was afraid the pipe fox would have destroyed the woman instantly in a reflexive protectiveness.

Watanuki balled up his fists, and shouted, "I'll never forgive him for taking you away!"

"Oh, Watanuki-kun, you know that's not true. Please finish forgiving your friend. His heart was very large and very strong. He loved you a great deal to risk your hatred over banishing me." She embraced him and stroked his back. "Understand that he actually loved you more than I did."

Watanuki's heart filled with ice at that thought. His stomach sank and he started to doubt his decision to live with Misao. The woman smiled at him and said, "You could suffer because of that gangster's business. Please consider the man who had the courage to banish me from your life. His love for you is strong, honest, and pure."

Watanuki's heart felt so heavy and scraped up. She was asking him to give Doumeki a chance, when he kept hurting him over and over. Doumeki kept taking from him, over and over. At least, that's how Watanuki saw it.

"It's time for me to go. Take care of yourself, Watanuki. Please, I don't hold any bitterness towards your friend. It would do my heart good to know that you'll finish forgiving him."

Watanuki nodded, unable to speak. The ghostly lady turned into a silvery, smoky thread and disappeared. He sank to his knees and let himself weep over her again.

That's when his dreamscape shifted again. He looked around himself. In front of him was a large man with a monocle and a beard. He was frowning at Watanuki, obviously displeased by his presence. Beside Watanuki was Syaoran, looking baffled and as if he were in some sort of pain. Watanuki then looked over his shoulder to see Yuuko in that dimensional, traveling dress. Her expression was overly serious.

"This child..." the man said, tilting his head towards Watanuki.

Then Yuuko said firmly, "No. The future has yet to be ordained."

Syaoran was now looking at Watanuki, an almost horrified look on his face. He asked with an ashen complexion, "Who is... this...?"

Suddenly, there was a rush of purple butterflies and he was alone again, save for Yuuko. She now had her arms outstretched and there was concentration on her face.

"That was not for you to see, Watanuki."

"But what was it, Yuuko? Who was that man? He seemed so horrible. And Syaoran was upset about something. He didn't recognize me."

"This is not for you. Go back to sleep, and please remember to watch after yourself tomorrow."

Then that glowing disk formed under her feet, swallowed her, and she disappeared from his dreamscape. There was something about that dream; it wasn't the first time he'd dreamed this. Yuuko stopped it at the same place every time.

Misao stirred and wasn't surprised to see Watanuki was in that eerie, deep sleep again. He wondered what Watanuki was dreaming about. Whatever he was dreaming about, it was making Watanuki cry again.

Misao checked his cellphone. No calls from Kanou or Homare. He guessed he was still supposed to keep Watanuki from Yuuko. He put his hand on Watanuki's shoulder and shook him vigorously. Watanuki was just so limp and totally unresponsive.

Misao flopped back on the futon. Watanuki wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. That's the way Misao liked it. He'd make sure it was that way, and Watanuki understood that. Watanuki was too rare to let go.

Yuuko sat upright and tilted her head. "Your patience is the cost of the wish for Ayase's love. You must learn how to have more of it."

"So you can't just make Ayase change his mind about me?" Kanou asked, sipping his sake on the deck with the woman. They had moved out to the deck so she could watch the moon. It was very lovely, he had to admit, and her sake was the highest quality available.

Something caught his eye. It slithered past his foot in the grass and shadows. It let out a small hiss, and it slithered on. "What was that?" he asked, flinching.

"Only a creature that loves Watanuki with his whole, loyal heart. I'm afraid that creature is rather ill tempered since Kuba-san is taking up so much of Watanuki's time. He gets very jealous, you see. That's why I said to make sure Kuba-san, the younger, doesn't get near my shop. He'll know Watanuki is mating with him, but more importantly, he'll know that the coupling with Kuba-san is causing Watanuki a great deal of pain and harm. That creature would not stop until Kuba-san was dead because of that reason."

"A little, bitty, fuzzy snake kill Kuba?" He then chuckled. "Mating and coupling? You make what they do sound so mechanical. Then again, Misao has all the personality of wallpaper paste. I'm sure it doesn't get better than mating and coupling."

"Still waters run deep, so don't be too sure." She swirled her sake and said, "That creep with glasses was quite an adept lover. Watanuki is just rediscovering his body memories. The creep with glasses never did pick drab people to bed. Judging by that, I'm sure Watanuki wouldn't be captivated by a boring lover."

Kanou wasn't even going to pretend he knew what she was babbling about. Frankly, he was more interested in his wish with Ayase, anyway. After some more moon gazing and sake sipping, he asked, "So, if you're a witch, you could wave a wand and make Ayase feel about me differently."

"I could. I could even make it seem like he loves you. But the price of doing things in your impatient way would cost you dearly. If you do things my way, gradually, you'll earn his true love, eventually. Your relationship won't always be what you want, but you both will have the potential to be happy with one another. That starts with you, Kanou-san. When you change, Ayase-kun will start to change."

He gave her a slight glance. The part of him that liked to push the envelope asked, "Tell me, if you could wave a wand and make Ayase love me tomorrow, what would be the price?"

"You want to haggle? Fine. The price would be your inborn luck, but if you were to give that to me, your business would fail. People like Hayashida, that corrupt casino owner, would easily take you over without your inborn ability. You'd be reduced to ultimately selling off Ayase-kun's debt to you. In the end, he'd be the only thing that you had of worth.

"He could end up in the hands of that Saki guy they wanted you to resell him to. And what do you think would happen to a tender morsel like Ayase-kun at that man's no-so-tender mercies? You said it yourself to Hayashida, he would end up a sadist's toy or being cannibalized. If you hang onto your luck, you have a greater chance of protecting Ayase-kun.

"If you give up your good luck for his instant love, your cities will end up in the dust. The real tragedy?" Yuuko then gave him the most piercing look he'd ever seen. "He'd then love you, if I were to grant the wish, and willingly sacrifice himself for you. He would sink as low as to willingly prostitute himself to any man you said, and he'd end up like a hollow puppet after a while. The love would turn cold and not be what you're looking for. Better for you to earn it than to steal it. Earned love is much sweeter."

He shivered. "Fine," he snarled. "I want to protect him, above all else. If I have to deal with his fear of me for a little while longer, I'll do it. I just won't tolerate the idea of him going back to that auction. He's mine. I paid money for his body. If I have to pay some in patience to earn that heart of his, so be it."

"Fine then. The price is set. This is the trail marker." She held up the white, stuffed animal with Alice in Wonderland trim. It flared with purple sparks and disappeared. "One day you'll see that stuffed, toy rabbit and buy it for Ayase. If he accepts it, then you know you're going in the right direction. Keep doing what you're doing, and his love will be yours."

"So you're just giving me romance advice?"

"That toy will remain picked over hundreds of times, thanks to Sakura's magic. What more did you want?"

"I don't know." Kanou was getting irritable with the woman. "Something more?"

"I told you, you can't afford something more. Besides, be grateful you won't end up like Kurogane."

"That red-eyed guy?"

"One day, he'll chop off his own, left arm for the love of his life. You'll only gain and not lose too much with the bargain we have. Now, are you going to be reasonable?"

"Okay, okay! Fine, I'll take the deal you offer." Then Kurogane shivered. "Damn, if you don't drive a hard bargain, Lady. Hey, is that Kurogane guy really going to chop off his arm for that nauseating, blond twit?"

"Oh yes." Then Yuuko let out a sinister chuckle. "And he won't regret a minute of it."

"I'll learn to be patient with Ayase, then. That's a lot better than that kind of stuff. Damn, that's hard, though. To learn to have something I've never bothered with."

"Ayase-kun has the potential to give you back the love you truly want. But it comes with coaxing, not force. Just be steadfast. That book you received about pets isn't too far off the mark, right?" She drained her glass and offered, "More?"

"Yeah. Hey... Back to your worker... I've had this feeling he isn't what he seems."

She gave him a sly glance. "You're asking if Watanuki is human?"

"Yeah, I guess so. He's so strange."

She chuckled and swirled her ice around in her cup. "I guess a human with an acute sense like you would wonder if Watanuki is human." She gave Kanou a sorrowful frown. "If I tell you, and you tell him, you will loose everything you desire in life and you will suffer with the last curse I'm able to grant."

"Fine, I'm just curious. I won't ever breath a word. Don't worry about cursing me!"

"I know you won't tell anyone after this. You'd be considered insane, anyway, and you'd be bringing people around an empty lot. I'll tell you this so you'll understand how important it is to get my Watanuki away from your business.

"No, he isn't a born human. Technically, he's a magical construct. He's a piece of my former lover, Clow Reid, taken from Syaoran, who's a decedent of Clow. Clow was a very powerful magician, and Watanuki doesn't remember anything about that life he lived as Clow. That is, up until now," she said in an aggravated tone. "It seems, he's having a sexual reawakening I didn't count on. Of all the things for Watanuki to remember..."

She then shook her head in aggravation. "All Watanuki remembers are the artificial memories of being an orphan I made for him when I pulled him into this dimension. He was created to be the age of eight years old when he was taken from Syaoran. He woke up at a hospital, thinking his parents died in a car accident. I modified his landlady and got him into school. He doesn't remember me helping him at first. I disguised myself as someone he would only remember as a girl named Miyuki-chan." She then chuckled. "I was really a fun girl once upon a time."

"So, Watanuki-kun's life is a lie?" Kanou asked, feeling really sorry for this kid.

"Everything before eight. He has no clue, though. It's important he remains that way. If he doesn't, well..." She took a deep breath and shook her head. "The world will crumble. You see, if he doesn't remain ignorant of who he is, he will likely grow out of control with power and could grow corrupt. He could join the Angels trying to destroy this world, or the Seals trying to save this world."

Kanou glowered and accepted more sake. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You don't need to. Just know that Watanuki is a linchpin. So long as he stays with me and buried in this shop, he'll not affect the balance of life on earth. You know all those earthquakes lately? If you don't like them, you'll make sure Watanuki stays ignorant of who he is."

Kanou felt a shiver as he looked at her. She was placid about the statement. He drew in a deep breath. "You want him to give up Misao for that reason, don't you? If he stays with Misao, he could be discovered by those... Angels?"

"You're a very bright man. Yes. It's more than just Watanuki's happiness at stake. If he quits my shop, like Misao will ask, Watanuki will eventually submit to a man named Fuuma and become his lover. And Fuuma will easily seduce Watanuki at this stage of his sexual reawakening. Right now, Watanuki isn't aware enough to resist what Fuuma says. He has no restraint on his sexuality, right now. Watanuki, with his magic, could tip the balance into the Angels' favor and invite world wide destruction in all sorts or natural disasters.

"Watanuki has incredible power within himself he doesn't know about. Kamui, Watanuki's other potential lover, would have a hard time to convince Watanuki to come to him, right now. He'd be too much like Doumeki, too soft and too tender. All Watanuki knows now is to crave pain. He doesn't know how to blend pain and tenderness into a beneficial coupling.

"Kamui is the head of the Seals that could keep Watanuki out of the Angels' hands. Kamui just wouldn't be able to satisfy Watanuki's sexuality at this time. More time is needed for Kamui and Watanuki, and it's not there; Hitsuzen binds them to never become lovers. So, Watanuki needs to stay with me to stay out of a cosmic tug-of-war."

"That sounds crazy, but..." Kanou said, took a swig of sake, and said, "I believe you."

"Two minutes, twenty-three seconds. Another earthquake."

Sure enough; it happened the very second she said. There was a light rumbling underneath them. Kanou clenched his sake cup. "Don't worry about Misao. I'll make sure he quits fucking Watanuki. I hate these damn earthquakes."

"Good," she said, before sipping on her cup.

To be continued.