Forget Me Not

by AssassinedAngel

Yuki is the prince of Kaze and Tohru,the princess of Daichi. Their families are the worst of enemies but destiny seems to have its own plans for them. Fate brought them together but will their love be able to withstand all their problems?

36. The Loveliest Creation

It was past midnight, nearly four in the morning, and Yuki was still wide awake. Yuki glared at the clock before glancing back at moon. Irritably, he shoved his lamp off its stand, letting it crash to the floor and shatter into tiny shards of glass. He had waited patiently all day for news of Haru's visit with Tohru, but no one had bothered to give him any information. Peering at the broken pieces on the ground, Yuki picked the largest piece up, contemplating it as a tool to use to liberate himself. He was sure he could tolerate the pain, but he doubted he would be of much help to Tohru if he were missing his hand. Besides, he wasn't even sure how Tohru would feel about that. Maybe she'd be disgusted enough to leave him. He cringed at the thought and instantly dropped the glass fragment.

Who was he kidding? Tohru wasn't that kind of woman. She'd rather give him her hands than leave him for that. His Tohru was too sweet and kind for that. He sighed, missing his wife terribly. He hadn't been alone since he got here, but he had never felt so lonely. It had been days since their phone conversation. Two days exactly since his carefully hidden cell phone had been taken from him. Nearly two weeks since he had last seen her, twelve days since he had last held her, two hundred and eighty-eight hours since he had last kissed her. He was completely devoid of her presence. If there were a disease in which the lack of Tohru was the cause, he was sure he'd be dead by now.

Yuki sat up rigidly and tugged at the chains around his wrists helplessly. He had planned to have her rescued by now. She was supposed to be safely in his arms, but she was miles away with another man. He could tell she was frightened half to death. Despite that he had only had a couple of brief encounters with Akito, Yuki had no doubt in his mind that Akito wasn't going to forgive Tohru for eloping with him. Akito would be anything but hospitable. Tohru was probably bruised already, but there was absolutely nothing he could do while he was locked up in his room.

Today was the day he had set out to escape, but his mother seemed to catch onto his plan, and now he had a new bed without any damage to the bed posts. There were new guards as well, and they didn't end their shifts until another set of guards arrived. None fell asleep either. They didn't even talk. They just stared at him, keeping their guns in plain sight. His plans to escape on his own disappeared after that. It just seemed impossible now. Getting out was the last thing on his mind.

That is, until his door came crashing down.

Ayame stood there between Hatori and Shigure. Each was armed with a small handgun. Not out of fear of superior firepower but rather out of shock, the two guards seated by the door froze. This gave Hatori and Shigure enough time to unarm them and restrain them in case they tried to stop them. Ayame grinned as he aimed towards his little brother and fired twice. Yuki jolted up in shock and gawked at Ayame, outraged until he heard pieces of the chains once tying him down drop noisily onto the ground. The chains that had been attached to the wall and bed posts were shattered. The shackles around his ankles and wrists were still in place, but at least he could move now.

Yuki hopped out of bed instantly. He didn't bother to ask what was going on, instead darting over to them. Ayame dropped a set of keys into Yuki's palm before Yuki rushed down the peculiarly deserted hallway. Three guards were strewn about, unconscious on the ground by the door beside a discarded napkin drenched in chloroform. His thoughts flickered to what Ayame, Hatori, and Shigure had done to get him out before they returned to Tohru and the prospect of his escape.

"Thanks!" Yuki called behind him.

"Haru's waiting for you down the street! He'll explain!" Ayame told him.

Yuki nodded, but he had hardly heard what Ayame had told him. He was already lost in his own thoughts as he skidded around the corner and nearly ran into the guards coming to replace the ones currently being held hostage in his room and the ones lying on the ground in slumber. Yuki only paused for a split second before he slid past them and ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He could hear them start to chase after him, but because of their small delay, Yuki was a good distance ahead of them. Yuki couldn't remember the last time he had run so quickly.

He could tell they were new guards by the way they stumbled around the place in confusion, and he used this to his advantage, jumping over railings and running through hidden doors. By the time he climbed over the wall, they were more than twenty feet behind him and struggling through the thick shrubbery. He raced down the road and spotted Haru seated in a black sports car with the engine running. Yuki hopped in, and Haru sped off as soon as the door was closed, not even waiting for Yuki to put his seatbelt on or to even fully sit down. Yuki nearly toppled out of the roofless vehicle, but he could hardly complain.

"What's going on?" Yuki questioned anxiously as he finally got settled in the vehicle.

"We need to help Tohru. She's basically locked up in a jail cell-"

"What?!" Yuki interrupted furiously.

"Exactly. She's locked in a dungeon in the basement of the castle. There are two guards watching her, and they say rather rude things," Haru informed Yuki as casually as he could.

"Like what? Things I should kill them for?"

Haru glanced at Yuki before nodding, "Yep. Knowing you, yes. They were talking about 'having fun' with her."

Yuki straightened up in his seat angrily. He glared at nothing in particular. Just imagining what had been said was enough to make his blood boil. He wasn't even sure what he'd do when he actually saw the faces of those who dared to speak to Tohru in such a manner. They'd be punished. He just wasn't sure how. Luckily for him, he had the twelve hour ride to Akito's home to formulate his plans. The long ride came as a relief to him, yet it caused him a great deal of anxiety. They could do a lot of things to Tohru in half a day.

"Can't you drive faster?" Yuki demanded impatiently.

"I'm driving eighty. That's already fifty miles over the speed limit," Haru pointed out.

"Drive sixty over. Drive a hundred over!" Yuki barked irritably.

Haru sped up obediently, swerving past a slower car a few feet ahead. He ignored the annoyed honks he received as he dodged three other vehicles as he drove past a red light, maneuvered into the wrong lane to get further ahead, and nearly hit an old lady trying to cross the street. As the arrow of his speedometer hovered at black, three digit speeds, he idly played with the radio until he found a station he liked. Glancing at Yuki, he noticed the key in his hands. He gestured to Yuki's clenched fists, nonchalantly removing a hand from the steering wheel.

"Why don't you free yourself?" Haru suggested.

Yuki did so eagerly, shoving the key in and tearing off the heavy chains. His hands and feet felt strangely light now. He dropped the shackles onto the ground in relief. Yuki lifted his arms and legs a couple of times, awed by the simplicity of the movement now. He froze when he noticed only one of Haru's hands on the steering wheel. Taking another glance at the gauges in the dashboard, he grabbed Haru's wrist and shoved his hand back towards the wheel. Haru laughed lightly, but he obeyed.

"There's food in the backseat," Haru announced.

"I'm not hungry."

"Eat before you worry Tohru," Haru commanded.

Hearing that was enough to make Yuki eat. He reached into the backseat and grabbed the paper bag. He pulled out a plastic container filled with unidentifiable food. Lifting the lid, he couldn't decide if the sight before him looked appealing. At least, there was nothing gray colored growing on the food or anything moving. However, shifting the contents around, he still couldn't identify the dish further than vegetables and meat. Bringing the platter to his nose didn't help either. At least it was still warm.

"What is this?" Yuki asked wearily.

Haru shrugged, "Leftovers."

"You don't know?"

"Just eat it. It's a mix of yesterday's lunch and dinner, I think. So that's probably fish, and I think that's chicken," Haru told him, pointing at various things in the container.

"I got the point! Now just keep your eyes on the road," Yuki ordered before they crashed.

Haru turned his head back towards the windshield, a bit reluctantly, but he continued to watch Yuki out of the corner of his eye to make sure he actually ate. Tohru would kill him if he returned Yuki to her in this condition. Yuki was already injured, and Haru had belittled the wounds to Tohru. Although she couldn't even hold a grudge against Akito after all he had done to her, she'd never forgive him after he had assured her that Yuki was fine so many times. Haru was praying that getting her husband back would make her ecstatic enough to forget that she should be infuriated with him.

They were speeding by ridiculously, and Yuki got his hopes up for getting there in less than six hours, but to his utter horror, down the road, he could see a seemingly endless line of cars that didn't seem to be moving. He muttered a curse under his breath and crossed his arms angrily as they slowed to a stop at the end of the line. The stream of vehicles really wasn't moving. Yuki sank his head down into his palms, shutting his eyes in annoyance. Out of all days for there to be a traffic jam, it had to be today at the precise moment he was trying to get to Tohru.

"Don't worry. It can't be that bad. We'll get out soon enough!" Haru said hopefully.

To the contrary, they moved about a foot in an entire hour. Tow trucks and ambulances were squeezing their way through the aisles of cars, and they were forced to back up quite a distance to allow them room at the scene of an accident up in the front. Yuki sat there impatiently, fiddling with the door handle. He let his fingers dance on the edge of his seat to the upbeat song of irritation. Most of the drivers stuck here had already turned off their engines. Yuki shook his head in disappointment.

"You'll get nowhere if you get out," Haru warned.

"I know…" Yuki muttered.

Yuki tapped his fingers against the arm rest as he glanced out the window. Spotting one of his mother's guards running about ten feet from the car, Yuki flinched and ducked, hiding behind the car door. Haru watched Yuki oddly and was about to question Yuki about his hiding when he noticed guards stopping by cars with a picture of Yuki. He understood immediately and shook his head when one of them peered at Haru and pointed at Yuki's picture urgently. Dismayed, the guards moved down the queue of traffic.

"Is the guy still there?" Yuki whispered after five minutes.

Haru nodded subtly, murmuring out of the corner of his mouth, "Don't move."

Yuki leaned over as far as he could and kept still to the best of his ability. The position stretched the skin on his back, and he could feel his stitched wounds trying to open. He winced and tried to raise himself a little to ease his discomfort, but Haru placed his elbow on Yuki's shoulders, pushing him back down. Yuki muttered a complaint under his breath but didn't attempt to move again. Pain was preferable to being caught and brought back after all the effort he had put into escaping.

"Are you kidding?" Yuki demanded after twenty minutes had passed.

"Look! They finally finished moving those bashed up cars! We can go!" Haru declared cheerfully, ignoring Yuki's question.

Yuki flew back in his seat as Haru sped forward. Although they were moving again, they only managed to go speed limit at most. He slowed again as they approached another long line of cars. Yuki groaned and rubbed his head in frustration. Thanks to the traffic, several detours they took thanks to Haru's knack for misreading directions, and the numerous police cars that tried to stop them for their reckless driving, they didn't manage to get close to Akito's palace for another twelve hours, despite their constant speeding.

They were finally only five miles from Akito's castle, and Yuki was already sitting on the edge of his seat. However, to his shock and annoyance, the vehicle broke down in the middle of the deserted road leading to the castle. The black car slowed and refused to move any further as smoke began to descend from the front of the vehicle. Yuki swallowed down strings of profanities as he stepped out of the car. Glancing around, he could hear no sound of nearby cars or even see distant towns or any other signs of civilization.

"Great…" he muttered.

Haru grimaced as he lifted the hood, disappearing in the clouds of smoke that climbed out. He pulled back and dropped the cover before stepping back towards Yuki. Haru kicked the wheel with a scowl. The engine groaned loudly before smoke began sprouting from of the back of the car as well. Yuki and Haru both distanced themselves from the vehicle in case a fire triggered an explosion. It was needless to say they wouldn't be getting any further in Haru's new sports car.

Yuki stood there hopelessly for a minute before asking, "We're only about five miles away, right?"

As soon as Haru nodded, Yuki started to bolt down the road.

"Where are you going?" Haru questioned.

"To get Tohru. You call for someone to pick us up," Yuki ordered briefly before darting away.

"Wait! Take this!" Haru shouted.

Yuki turned around in time to catch the cold metal Haru had hurled at him. Turning his palm to face him, Yuki realized it was a gun. He nodded in gratitude before he raced down the road again. He sprinted down the rocky roads until his lungs burned and his legs begged to slow. Regardless, he continued, managing to ignore the pain. All that mattered was rescuing Tohru. They had already wasted enough time. Nothing bothered him. Not the rocks and pebbles on the ground cutting his bare feet –he hadn't had time to grab shoes- not the blazing sun that scorched his skin or his weariness.

The simple thought of reaching Tohru filled him with vigor, and he sped up his pace, despite the protest of his enervated body. Tohru was in his grasp, he couldn't stop now. He could already hear her soft voice cooing happily. He could already feel her thin form enveloped in his arms, perhaps the tiniest bit larger in the abdominal area. He could smell that sweet floral scent that clung to her body. He was already envisioning those beautiful, dark eyes of hers and the large smile that never seemed to leave her face.

Yuki had absolutely no idea where he was. Luckily, there were no turns or curves in the road. It just went down, straight ahead.

His breathing became harsh, and he was having a difficult time catching his breath, but he refused to stop. He could already see the outline of the castle. Yuki clutched his chest, swallowing the pain.

It took him half an hour to arrive at the back of the castle –remarkable with his body in such a feeble state. Yuki stared at the wall for a second, only catching his breath in that short moment before he began to climb over the old structure. He slid down smoothly. He stopped where he was, behind some foliage, and examined the area. Though the land was hardly as large as his back home, it was expansive enough that it was difficult to see what lay at the opposite end of the palace. He had no idea where to start his search. To his luck, an ear piercing scream told him where his beloved was. Without a second thought needed, he ran to his right, to the source of her screech.

--

Tohru shivered in her dark cell, despite the hot, summer heat. She hadn't eaten since Monday afternoon, over forty-eight hours ago. Her stomach growled hungrily. She rubbed it sadly, praying her child was still fine. Lowering her head, she plopped her chin down onto her knees. She watched the two guards snore for a minute before sighing. They were sleeping sitting up in chairs. It didn't look very comfortable, but surely they were more comfortable than she was. She couldn't even keep her eyes shut for over a second. She didn't trust those guards, and Akito could come along any second.

She was tired though and could hardly manage to keep her eyes open any longer.

The slamming of a door awoke her with a start. She jumped to her feet, as did the guards in shock. A shadow crept out of the darkness, and Tohru began to shudder. There was no doubt in her mind about the identity of the black abyss. Trembling, she dropped to the ground, losing control of her body. She couldn't move as a pale hand lifted an old fashioned key to the lock of the door to her miniature prison. That bolt at the door had been her only friend during her stay here, but now that key was ruining that wisp of a relation.

Finally, Akito's dark hair slid out of the darkness, and he smiled wickedly at her. Tohru scooted to the corner furthest from him, but he just laughed. He swung open the barred door and pulled something out from behind his back. The sun glared off the shiny metal, making the object unknown to her until he moved it. She could see it was a knife now. She gasped, covering her mouth with both of her hands. Her shaking morphed into convulsions of terror, rocking her body from her head to the tips of her toes. He seemed to be grinning as he approached her.

"Unlike Motoko, I'm not much of a hair stylist. I consider myself more of an abortionist. Let me lend you my talents," Akito offered with a cruel smile.

"No!" Tohru screeched, covering her midriff.

He kneeled down before her, waving the knife before her face.

She shook her head fervently, "No! P-Please don't! I w-want my b-baby…"

"That's where you have me and your precious lover confused. He may care about your opinions and feelings, but I really couldn't care less."

Akito lowered the blade to her lower abdomen, about to dig the knife into her uterus, but Tohru turned the last second. The blade struck her arm instead, leaving a deep gash. Tohru cried out in pain, not bothering to even conceal her tears, but she didn't dare move her hand from her stomach to even brush her fingers across the slit in her flesh. Infuriated by her defiance, Akito twisted the blade before yanking it out from her arm. A tremor shook her body, but she couldn't make herself move away from the incensed man.

"How dare you?!" Akito snarled.

He reached forward and stabbed the knife at her blindly. Tohru wailed when the edge pierced her thigh, but she kept her arms firmly around her abdomen, keeping a shield between Akito and her baby. Furious and wild, Akito went crazed at the sight of blood trailing down her limbs. He began to laugh as puncture wounds began to coat her body, painting her skin red. Half his attacks missed, but that didn't lessen the blood that was beginning to collect in a puddle where she sat. Red liquid seeped through her white gown, and her blurry eyes could see nothing but red anymore.

She dropped to the ground, not strong enough to keep upright anymore. Her eyes shut and she curled into a ball, using her legs as protection for her baby now. She couldn't even scream anymore. Tohru was hardly even conscious, barely even aware when the blade struck at her. She felt the room spinning and darkening as a sudden warmth and numbness enveloped her frigid body. Was it her blanket of blood or was she dying? She couldn't tell, and she wasn't sure whether she cared or not anymore.

The guards stood uneasily by their seats, unsure of what to do.

--

Yuki found a large old looking wooden door at the bottom of broken, stone stairs. He threw it open with a loud crash, appalled by the sight before him. Akito's arm was raised above his head with a bloody knife in hand. His eyes resembled those of a murderous villain, and they were peering at Tohru's heart. It was too late to pull her away, but he was just in time to block it. He dove towards Tohru, covering her limp body with his own as the knife came crashing down, cutting through his thin shirt and sinking into his flesh.

The pain didn't even register in his head as he stood, carrying an unconscious Tohru in his arms. Akito blinked in confusion, slowly drifting out of his bout of hysteria. He stared blankly at Yuki, not even able to react yet. Yuki used his disorientation to his advantage and rushed to the door. He froze there and pulled out the gun Haru had given to him. He pointed it at the first guard before sliding it over to the second and then finally to Akito. All three shakily lifted their arms in surrender. Their guns were on the desk, just out of reach.

"Don't follow," Yuki warned gravely.

Staring at his blood drenched wife as he ran away from that chamber, he didn't bother to head to the area where he had come in. There was no where he could climb over with her in this condition. Holding the gun out, he easily got the old, defenseless man in charge of the gate to open the barricade.

Yuki didn't take a second glance back at the horrid place as he ran with his Tohru. He ran until he could no longer see the castle before pausing to yank out the knife from his back. He heaved in pain, breathing with difficulty before tossing it aside. He glanced to where Tohru lay on the grass before he shrugged out of his pajama-top and ripped it to shreds, using them as makeshift bandages to hinder the flow of her blood. Partially satisfied, he picked her up and continued down the path. He diverged from the route, deciding Tohru wouldn't make it if he brought her to the car.

She needed a hospital immediately. He swiftly crossed the grassy meadow to a small town he could see beyond the horizon. He stumbled into a tiny village. Yuki wasn't the least bit shocked to find people begin to scream and run for their houses when they spotted him. He was holding a bloody body after all, but nonetheless, the reactions enraged him. He simply needed to know where the hospital was. Yuki swallowed nervously as he glanced down the now deserted roads. He could barely feel Tohru's heart beat against his chest anymore.

Yuki trudged helplessly down the street, leaving a trail of blood behind him. The town was completely still now. All he could see were the corners of people's faces when they peeked out of the curtains at him. He quickly tossed aside the gun he was still holding in hope the townspeople would be comforted by this enough to help him, but nobody stirred from their hiding places. He muttered curse after curse, begging some superior power to have mercy on him. It was torture enough to see his wife so battered. Must she also die in his arms?

He gasped when he saw a car speeding down the road. Without clearly thinking, he jumped out into the road, forcing the car to screech to a sudden stop in front of him. The woman sitting behind the steering wheel nearly hopped out of her seat. Her hands were held a couple of inches off the wheel, and her foot was still pressed firmly against the brakes. Her mouth hung open while she tried to steady her erratically beating heart. For a moment, all she could do was stare at Yuki in shock.

"W-What are you doing?" she finally choked out of her already rolled down windows.

"Please… Just tell me where the nearest hospital is," Yuki pleaded.

"Get in. I'll take you there," she offered after scrutinizing him.

Yuki gratefully slid in, clutching Tohru protectively against his chest. Her breathing was labored and coming out less frequently now. He could tell her pulse was weakening before he even placed his fingers against her neck. He held her cautiously, trying to keep as much of her body levitated in attempt to lessen the pain. Tohru lay motionless in his arms, limp and void of life until they turned or hit a pothole. He wouldn't have been able to tell she was alive if it weren't for her muffled cries of pain and wincing.

The kind woman didn't ask any questions as she drove down the streets, understanding his chaotic state of mind. It took no more than five minutes, but it seemed to take an eternity before they arrived at the hospital. The car hadn't even fully slowed to a stop when Yuki hopped out. In his haste, he forgot any words of appreciation as he sprinted into the building. Everyone in the first room gawked at him when he entered. Pens and magazines made a soft clash as they hit floors and desks in unison. Nobody even moved to help him.

"Help her!" he barked.

The hospital staff recovered first and were at his side with a stretcher soon enough. Yuki gently set her down, and an oxygen mask was quickly placed over her mouth as she was rolled down to the emergency room. Paramedics ran aside, stabbing her arm with a shot and an IV. Tohru's head lolled lifelessly to the side as she was shoved into a room with a flashing sign above that identified it as the emergency room. Yuki followed anxiously only to be greeted by closed doors. A nearby employee stuck out her hand when he tried to enter.

"You can't go further, sir," the nurse there told him.

"But-" Yuki began to protest.

"They'll take care of her, so why don't I get someone to help you?"

"I don't need help! I need to see my wife!" Yuki argued angrily.

"I can't let you do that. Let's go get someone to look at your wound," she insisted.

She took him by the arm and tried to lead him elsewhere, but Yuki firmly shook her off. He kept his feet planted where they were as he stubbornly stared at the shut doors. Yuki mentally debated offering them a large sum of money to let him stay with Tohru, but he discarded that idea when he realized he was still wearing his pajamas. Even if they accepted his offer, he'd have no money to give them. The nurse let out an exasperated sigh as he glared at forbidden room.

"I'm not leaving here," Yuki told her.
"That won't help, sir."

"I'm not leaving here," Yuki repeated, "Now leave."

The nurse did as he instructed, but she was back within a minute with another man at her side. He had a small cart beside him filled with gauze, bandages, needles, alcohol, and other medical supplies obscured by a shut box. Yuki hardly noticed them arrive and didn't bother to acknowledge their presence. All he was focusing on was those two doors.

"May I treat you here then?" the doctor questioned softly.

Yuki didn't give any word of agreement, but the doctor began since Yuki hadn't protested either. The doctor removed Yuki's t-shirt carefully and examined the injury. Yuki just stared at the doors where Tohru had just been wheeled through, completely unaware of the stitches he was receiving, the disinfectant, or the bandaging. When the doctor began to give him instructions about caring for his wound, Yuki interrupted impatiently. He didn't care about his own condition when he wasn't sure if Tohru was even alive.

"Let me see her."

"Sir, you're not allowed in there," the doctor informed him.

"I don't care! Let me see her!" Yuki snapped, grasping the doctor by the collar of his shirt.

Yuki was yanked away by three security guards before he could make any progress and was forced into the waiting room several feet from the emergency room. The guards stood around him, monitoring him in case of another display of violence. Yuki kept silent, burying his face in his hands. They had no right to keep him from Tohru. They had no right at all, and for that, they would surely pay. He didn't even notice when the chair beside him creaked from the weight of another person. Yuki didn't even acknowledge the person as gentle hands touched his shoulders.

"Sweetie, she's going to be all right."

He could recognize the voice. The woman who had driven him here was now seated beside him and trying to comfort him. He took no notice of her soothing words. His ears were strained, focused on one sound only: the opening of the doors to the emergency room. So when the doors quietly opened an unknown period of time later, he looked up immediately. He stood up and would have rushed over to the doctor if the guards hadn't stopped him. Yuki stopped where he was, fighting to retain what was left of his patience.

"How is she?"

"She's fine, mister. No vital organs were damaged. The wounds, although deep, won't kill her. She's gotten stitches and is receiving a blood transfusion. She'll be fine," he assured Yuki calmly.

"She- She's pregnant. Is the baby still a-alive?" Yuki could hardly bring himself to voice his question.

"I don't know, sir," the doctor replied honestly.

"Why not?" Yuki demanded, his voice rising.

"We didn't check. But there weren't any wounds to her abdomen. I'd assume her pregnancy wasn't affected."

Yuki nodded. The doctor smiled faintly back before the doors opened again and Tohru was wheeled out of the room in a clean stretcher. Yuki shoved past the guards around him and followed the attendees as they brought Tohru to an empty room on the second floor. They set Tohru gently onto the one bed in the room and set the IV with the bag of blood by the nightstand. She was dressed in a thin, white, papery, hospital gown and had bandages snaked around her arms and legs. Yuki draped the blanket over her worriedly.

He kneeled down by the bed and took both of Tohru's hands into his. The oxygen mask had been removed and the blood transfusion was bringing the color back to her white face. Her breathing had returned to a slow, peaceful pace. He smiled as he felt her frigid hands make the slightest movement. Yuki brought his fingertips to her face and brushed the long strands from her eyes. She stirred the slightest bit, moving away from the motion as if she were dodging an attack. He could only imagine what she had been through these past days with Akito. Not wanting to disturb her, he lowered his hand fretfully.

"Tohru…" he breathed slowly, "Please don't scare me like that ever again."

"Are you okay then?"

Yuki turned around to face the woman in the room. He hadn't even known she had followed him from the waiting room. His expression softened when he noticed her concerned eyes, directed at both him and Tohru. Yuki had never met a person who worried about strangers so much. It must have been a commoner thing. Besides Tohru, he had never known someone who was this kind. Everyone else had simply ignored him, not wanting to get involved, but she had driven him here without even knowing a thing about him. She had no obligation to help him, yet she did anyways.

"There's nothing wrong with me," Yuki disagreed.

"Really? But this is the most alive I've seen you since I've met you."

"Well, she's all right now, so I am too," Yuki responded slowly.

"I see… I'm glad," the woman smiled broadly.

"I… I-um… Thank you," Yuki stuttered.

"It was my pleasure."

Yuki let the corners of his mouth raise ever so slightly, smiling in gratitude. It was nice to be able to feel emotions other than distress and anger. He had almost forgotten what happiness felt like in Tohru's absence. Reveling in the warmth he found in this emotion, he wondered how he had even managed to live without her. How had he sustained himself with one short phone call with his beloved? He couldn't even imagine the past twelve days. They seemed so distant and irrelevant now that he had Tohru. He really couldn't thank his savior enough.

"Is there any way I can repay you? I'm sure I ruined your car seats with all of that blood, and I wasted so much of your time."

"Really, there's no need. I didn't help you with a reward in mind. Hiro-chan will be so proud!" she exclaimed happily.

"Hiro-chan?"

"My son. My name is Satsuki, by the way," she added.

"I'm Yuki… And this is Tohru, my wife," Yuki informed her, glancing back at Tohru.

"I know. Everyone knows you two. Well maybe I didn't know you two were married, but I saw your ring, so I naturally assumed," she rambled.

Yuki nodded. Satsuki carefully sat down on the edge of the hospital bed. She eyed Tohru with a motherly gaze and straightened the blanket gently. Tohru flipped over, facing Yuki with a pained expression. Her lips parted, and she muttered something unintelligible. Her fingers crept toward him, seeming to search for him. They froze abruptly and clenched the blanket tightly. Her face was scrunched together in agony. She was whimpering softly until he slipped his hand into hers. Tohru instantly relaxed and slid back into her deep slumber.

"What happened to the poor princess?" Satsuki inquired quietly.

"Akito… He tried to k-kill her," Yuki stammered, trying to suppress his fury.

"Oh my… The poor dear," Satsuki murmured sympathetically.

"Yuki…?"

Yuki turned back towards Tohru as she whispered his name again in her sleep. Her hand tightened its hold around his. He stroked the back of her hand gently. She almost smiled as she tugged his fingers closer to her. He brushed his hand against her pale cheek, relieved to find that she didn't pull away from his touch. She didn't lean towards him, but he could almost feel her usual warm blush. Her cheeks darkened slightly. He wouldn't have noticed if he didn't know her face so well, but he was sure it was due to her aches rather than embarrassment. She whispered his name again in a strained voice.

"I'm here," he breathed softly.

"I'll leave you two. I better get back to my kids," Satsuki announced before she left.

Yuki sat there, perfectly motionless as he held Tohru's hands for a couple of hours. He only left her side once to call Haru and tell him where they were. He didn't stir or stop muttering calming words to Tohru until a nurse entered the room with papers for him to fill out about Tohru and him, seeing as he had refused to do so while Tohru was in the emergency room. He finished quickly, gave her the papers, and returned back to talking to Tohru. At some point, he had pulled over a chair and was sitting beside her with her hands pressed against his face.

"Wake up, Tohru… Open your eyes for me. Don't make me worry anymore…" he murmured.

It was night already and Tohru hadn't even cracked an eye open yet. Visiting hours had long been over, but nobody bothered to try to pry him away. Besides a couple of nurses who came to check on Tohru, the only other person who dared to come into the room was a group of police officers who were here to investigate Tohru's injuries. They interrogated him for an hour, suspecting him to be the one who had harmed Tohru. He continually denied their accusations, but no one listened. Yuki had never been so offended before.

"Who did it if it weren't you?" one of the three officers demanded.

"Why should I bother telling you? You wouldn't apprehend your prince," Yuki finally muttered.

The officers froze when they heard what he said. Surprised, they gawked, not even bothering to conceal their disbelief or even shut their open mouths. It took a total of five minutes before even one of the three officers here to investigate could recover and even speak. Even then, they were still struggling over words and tripping over their own bewilderment. Yuki just watched, partially amused by their reactions, but he was also annoyed by how much of his time they were wasting.

"What?" they could only manage to stutter weakly.

"Your prince, Akito, did this to my wife," Yuki explained slowly.

"What connection does your wife have with the prince to make him do this to her?"

Yuki raised his eyebrows in shock, "Don't you know your ruler's fiancée?"

"P-Princess Tohru?" they all squeaked in shock.

Yuki nodded nonchalantly. He turned back to Tohru, who was still sleeping soundly, and gazed at her longingly. The cops turned their wide eyes to Tohru, suddenly recognizing her face. They jumped back in shock and openly gaped at her. One grabbed Tohru's charts that were hanging off the end of the bed and confirmed that it was Tohru's name there. He dropped the clipboard, letting it clamor against the wooden bed frame loudly. Tohru cringed at the sound, sending the three police force members into a cautious fright.

"So y-you're Yuki-sama?" they squeaked nervously.

Again, Yuki nodded, "Who else?"

They all started to bow, but Yuki interrupted them with a wave of his hand. Trying to treat him with respect now after all their crude questioning was more rude than anything. They stood uneasily around Yuki, suddenly jittery and uncertain of how they should act. Yuki observed them as they shifted their weight from one foot to another and exchanged confused glances with each other. They were acting more like entertainment to him rather than professionals here to solve the case of a near murder.

"Just leave. You have no reason to be here since you won't arrest your prince," Yuki ordered irritably.

"Actually, we can if you have any proof. We have a constitutional monarchy, and there are specific rules that even he can not break."

"Proof… hmm… My account isn't enough… Can't you ask Tohru when she wakes up?" Yuki asked hopefully.

"We can, but with your relationship with her, she's bound to support you."

"She can't lie."

Yuki almost laughed at that statement as he remembered all of those times she had tried to lie. Her face would flush, she would shake, and she wouldn't even be able to look him in the eye. Who couldn't trust her when she lied like that? She didn't lie much either. Tohru was far too kind and honest. Of course, they looked skeptical when he told them that. He could have beat them up for that, but he refrained from doing so in hopes that they'd deal with Akito for him. Yuki would have preferred to hurt Akito at the least, but he decided Tohru would like it more if Akito were locked up in jail instead.

"We don't know that," one finally dared to say.

"So the blood in his basement… No, he probably washed that already. He's clean… Oh! What about those two guards of his that were watching Tohru? They saw the whole thing, and they have absolutely no reason to lie for me. They may support Akito though since if he's arrested, they'll be out of jobs," Yuki mused.

"Can you describe these men?"

"Umm… One had black hair, a thick mustache, green eyes, and he had to be around five and a half feet tall. I think he probably weighs two hundred pounds. The other one had brown hair that reached his chin, dark brown eyes, no facial hair, and he's about six feet tall. He was pretty thin," Yuki told them, trying his best to recall the men he hadn't really been looking at.

"Thank you. We'll investigate it."

Yuki shrugged before giving Tohru his full attention again. He squeezed her hands firmly, wondering whether the doctor had given her too much anesthetic. It had been five hours since she got here, and she hadn't shown many signs of awakening yet, despite all the ruckus that had passed by the room already. He sighed and reached his hand forward to graze her arm, but he hesitated as he eyed the bandages. He could hardly see her skin. Bandages coated her body, leaving only patches of skin visible to him. Remembering all the blood that had once been splattered across her body, he kept his fingers on her hands, which had only a couple of minor scrapes.

He sighed, "Tohru… I miss you…. Wake up already… Can't you hear me? I'm right here. Open your eyes for me," he begged.

Tohru tossed on the bed for the second time in the last five minutes. She didn't look very comfortable. He extended his fingers toward her, about to try to soothe her, but he doubted brushing his fingers against her elbow would pacify her.

Suddenly, she shot up from her spot on the bed with beads of sweat dripping down her body. She peered around the unfamiliar darkness and shuddered, frightened and confused. When his arms wrapped around her, she nearly shrieked until she noticed the soft glimmer of silver hair reflecting off the light of the moon. Her eyes lit up for a brief moment before filling with tears. She fought to swallow back tears as she struggled to speak, her mouth letting her utter a soft, weak, mumble of his name. He turned towards her and pressed his lips to her cheek tenderly. He grasped her face between his hands and kissed her hungrily. He moved on when she gasped for air, planting kisses across her face, down her neck, across her collar bone. He paused when her small hands touched his cheeks, bringing his lips back to reintroduce them to her own.

She pulled away after a moment, breathing quickly, but she kept her nose against his. Tohru blinked a couple of times in disbelief. Her slender fingers ran across his face several times in shock. Yuki grinned and laughed as she continued to pat his face to make sure he was real. Tears sprouted onto her cheeks, which he instantly wiped away with his thumbs. Tohru couldn't restrain herself. Before she knew it, she had jumped on him, hugging him as tightly as she possibly could. He winced as she knocked him back onto the chair. Tohru flinched and pushed herself off apologetically.

"I'm so sorry! Did I hurt you?" Tohru asked in a panic.

"No-"

Tohru cut him off after she heard that, "I'm so glad! I was so worried!"

She embraced him tightly, pressing herself against him and holding him as close as she could. Tohru sniffled, struggling to hold back tears that begged to be released. She couldn't keep the tears from falling down her face as she glanced back up at Yuki. Yuki held her cautiously, patting her back carefully in attempt to avoid any of her wounds. Tohru glanced up at him shyly, unable to believe he was right here, enclosed in her arms. He pressed his lips to her cheek, one of the few places on her body that wasn't bandaged. Yuki was alarmed to find her skin wet.

"Why are you crying? You jump on me and knock me over all the time," he reminded her lightly.

"He beat you up… And you made me worry about you for a week…I thought you had died," she whimpered.

"I promised you we'd be together. I wouldn't die after that. Besides, you're the one who's hurt, not me."

Letting her hands roam his back as she hugged him, she could feel raised areas, bandages, and over those, she found long, rocky, ledges, stitches. He didn't make a sound or move as she touched his wounds, feigning indifference, but she knew he just didn't want to worry her. She pulled away from him and cupped his cheeks with her hands. Her eyes scrutinized the bruises and cuts that still covered his body and shook her head as new tears began to spill over. It was her fault. She should have done something. She should have gotten Akito to leave before he could lay an attack on her beloved. She should have argued more against leaving that night. There seemed to be so many options now that she thought about it, but she hadn't tried to do any of them.

"What's wrong, my little mummy?" he inquired fretfully.

Surprised, Tohru could only blink in response. Cocking her head to the side in confusion, she repeated the word he had referred to her as, "Mummy?"

He grinned, "Yep. What else do you call this?"

He laughed, lifting up her arm gently and showing her all the bandages. Tohru frowned, her face scrunching up with concern. She eyed him carefully, scrutinizing his face for the meaning of his words. Seeing the harmless, teasing dance glimmer in his bright, gray eyes, she shook her head with a grin. He laid her arm back at her side gently and pressed her back against his chest. Tohru laid her head on his shoulder with a dazed look. She lifted her head and peered at him, checking to see if he was still here or if he had vanished like the rest of her delusions.

"Am I dreaming?" she asked suddenly.

"What? No, why?"

"Good. I've been waiting to see you for so long," she murmured.

Smiling at her, he whispered in return, "I love you so much…"

"I love you too…"

Her face broke out with a large smile. He said those three words in such a way that left her breathless. His eyes would glisten. His lips would turn upward at the edges. She had to admire him for that sheer perfection. Unintentionally, he revealed the incompetence of everyone else who had ever professed his love to another. He was putting to shame every other declaration of these three sacred words. She would have considered her thoughts exaggerations because she had received a little too much morphine, but she clearly recalled thinking this before.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, noticing the dazed look in her eyes.

"It hurts… A lot," Tohru admitted.

"Do you need more pain medication?"

"No, no! I don't want to go back to sleep yet! I've been sleeping all day, haven't I?"

"Yes, but-"

She covered his mouth with her fingers. Tohru didn't dare to prolong the disagreement any further. Arguing with Yuki was pointless. She wasn't very talented at persuading anyone. The tacit begging she tried with her large, brown eyes seemed to be working though. She could see his determination waver as she jutted her bottom lip out in a slight pout she knew he could never resist. Relief flooded her when he settled back down in the chair, making no move to transport her to the bed. She couldn't waste these precious hours sleeping. Who knew what morning would bring?

"Please. I don't want to go back to sleep. I want to talk to you… I want to be with you, okay?"

He nodded, "What is it you want to talk about?"

She looked down. Today was the day she was finally reunited with her love, yet she didn't know what to say. Thinking back to the days she had spent apart from him, she had had so many things to tell him, but she couldn't recall a single phrase. Tohru simply wanted to be around him and have him hold her, regardless of how much it hurt to have him touch her. She pressed her side against his chest, hoping he would wrap his arms around her. Yuki did but not without hesitation. The last thing he wanted to do was inflict pain on her. He did anyways. Holding her, having her within reach was something he missed. She rested her head on his shoulder in bliss. The pain had only lasted a second, this warm feeling she got lasted.

"Thank you… for saving me… for caring for me… for kissing me… and for holding me…" Tohru whispered, shutting her eyes.

"Thank you for forgiving me for letting you get kidnapped and hurt like this."

"No need to forgive… I never blamed you for that," Tohru murmured tiredly.

She tried to choke back a yawn, but it came out anyways. He glanced at her momentarily before lifting her up and setting her back onto the bed. She grabbed onto his arm before he could pull away though. He gazed at her quizzically as she clutched his arm against her chest. She sat up and yanked closer. He warily stepped closer to the bed, eyeing her suspiciously. Yuki could remember a couple of situations similar to this one, and he wanted to avoid either this time. He gently eased her down by the shoulders before he spread the blanket back over her.

"Sleep," he ordered softly.

"Are you going to stay here?" she questioned fretfully.

"Of course. Where else would I go?"

"Where will you sleep?"

He looked around uncertainly. It was a one person room. There was only one bed. Yuki hadn't planned on sleeping at all. Sleeping seemed irrelevant when she was here in the hospital. She could easily be abducted by Akito or Motoko. He was positive they were both around here somewhere. Besides, he couldn't even consider sleeping when she was here. Yuki was too elated. He had finally rescued her, and now that she had awoken, the portion of his mind that was filled with concern was being crammed with excitement. How could he possibly sleep? But his body was betraying him. He was aware of how he could hardly keep his eyes open anymore, but he couldn't bring himself to let them shut.

"In the chair," he responded after a minute.

She shook her head and moved as far as she could to the left of the bed. Tohru patted the right side with a smile, inviting him to join her. When he hesitated, she tugged at his sleeve, but all she managed to do was get him to sit on the corner of the bed. Tohru sighed and crawled to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. She tried to pull him down, but she couldn't get him to move more than an inch. She'd have better luck with a marble statue. Placing her hands on her hips, she decided to reason with him rather than use force.

"The bed is big enough for two," she pointed out.

"Hardly. Besides, I don't want to hurt you."

"Please?"

"Why do you always do that to me?" Yuki groaned.

"Do what?" Tohru asked obliviously.

"Make me feel like I'm the worst person in the planet because I'm not giving you what you want," Yuki mumbled as he laid himself down beside her.

"Because I love you and I want you to be comfortable."

Tohru beamed and snuggled close to him, ignoring the throbbing sensation radiating from her arms as she gripped his arm tightly. Fretting she was cutting off his blood supply, she released his arm and hugged him. He flipped over after a second and enclosed her unharmed waist in his hold. Unused to sharing a bed with him after more than a week of separation, Tohru was oddly shy and suddenly very aware that there was a baby growing inside her. Yuki's child. The future heir to two thrones. The possible end to a long rivalry.

Unknowingly ending her serious thoughts, Yuki kissed her on the forehead with a murmur of a good night wish before shutting his eyes. He fell asleep instantly while Tohru lay there silently. She fingered his hair with a smile, glad to have convinced him to join her. He had to be tired after this long day. Tohru brushed his bangs off of his face, staring at the face she knew so well. She kissed his bruised cheek before closing her eyes and joining him in slumber.

When Tohru awoke in the morning, she could hear footsteps in the room. Tiredly, she patted the area to her right, shocked to find Yuki still there. It took her a minute for her muddled thoughts to make sense. If Yuki was still asleep, then someone else was in the room, she finally concluded. She gasped and sat up with wide eyes. The hooded figure in the corner stopped pacing and faced her slowly. They both stared at each other for a moment before Tohru jumped out of bed. She darted over and leapt into her brother's open arms.

"Haru-nii!" Tohru exclaimed cheerfully.

"Are you okay, Tohru? You look terrible," Haru said worriedly.

"I'm fine-"

She paused in the middle of her response and slid back down to her feet. Tohru stood there silently, not bothering to hide the nauseous look that overwhelmed her face. Haru flinched when he noticed her expression. Instantly, he led her back towards the bed and helped her lay down. She had only shut her eyes for a second before a cool hand covered her forehead. Opening her eyes, she found Yuki's concerned face hovering inches above hers. Not having expected Yuki to be awake, Tohru squeaked in fright and would have fallen off the bed if Yuki hadn't caught her by the arm.

"Should I get the doctor?" Yuki asked anxiously.

"I thought you were asleep!" she gasped.

"I was, but your screaming woke me," he responded to her comment first, "So should I get you more pain medication?"

"No, that's not what's bothering me."

"What's the matter then?"

"I'm still pregnant, so-"

"You're still pregnant?!" Yuki exclaimed.

Tohru blinked a couple of times in his direction, trying to decipher the intense emotion she could see in his face. She couldn't tell whether he was pleased by this or upset. Regardless, she nodded in response to his question. She was unable to evaluate his expression after that, for he pulled her into his arms instantly. Despite that she couldn't see the grin spreading across his face, she could tell he wasn't angered by her news one bit, even without a vocal confirmation of her thoughts, which he gave her anyways.

"I'm so happy…" he breathed into her hair.

"Excuse me. In case you have forgotten, I'm still here," Haru announced nonchalantly.

Jumping at the sound of Haru's voice, Tohru broke the embrace abruptly with a bright red face. Self-consciously, she moved to the corner of the bed, as far from Yuki as she possibly could without winding up on the floor. She had forgotten that Haru was only a mere two feet from where she was, obviously able to see everything going on between her and Yuki. Sneaking a glance towards Yuki, she was comforted by the faint, pink tint to his pale cheeks, but she was hardly pacified enough to budge from her spot. Recovering more quickly than she did as usual, Yuki chuckled as he slid off the bed and stood.

"Ready to go home?" Yuki asked her.

"Home…" Tohru repeated the word uncertainly, "Where would that be?"

"To my house," Yuki clarified, "I want to speak to my mom about you."

"About me?"

He nodded calmly in attempt to keep Tohru placid, but she freaked out anyways. She crawled over to him and clutched at his arm fretfully. Shaking her head vehemently, she tried to get him to reconsider his idea, but he didn't seem the least bit bothered by her protests. Tohru frowned worriedly. She could see no point in returning home to simply talk to his mother when it was obvious that nobody would listen to what they had to say. If they'd even consider their opinions, she would have talked to both of their families until they relinquished whatever grudge they held and let her be with Yuki.

"Do we have to go back? We'll just get separated, you know that," Tohru added solemnly.

"No, we won't. I promise you won't ever have to go back to Akito," Yuki vowed.

"That's not what I want you to promise!" Tohru cried fervently.

"I thought it was a given that we'd end up together," Yuki responded innocently.

"You promise though, right?"

"Of course."

Tohru smiled faintly and embraced him tightly, trying her best to ignore Haru's blank face she could see over Yuki's shoulder. She shut her eyes and focused all her attention on the warmth of the embrace and the consolation it provided. It was embarrassing to be hugging Yuki in front of Haru, but what did it matter when they might be separated before the day was over? Yuki patted her back reassuringly for a moment before sliding his hands under her knees and getting her to sit back down, concerned about her exhaustion.

"Are the doctors really going to release me this early?" Tohru inquired.

"They don't want to, but I convinced them by assuring them our family doctor would treat you," Yuki told her.

"We don't have a family doctor though," Tohru pointed out.

"You don't. I do," Yuki smiled.

"And he really will treat me when I'm not part of your family?"

"What do you mean? You're my wife! Of course you're part of my family," Yuki assured her.

Her already flushed face darkened at the mention of their marital bonds. It was true that she was now technically a part of his family, in the legal sense at least, but she doubted anyone besides them would accept that, especially not his parents and her aunt and uncle. Despite how much her marriage to Yuki meant to her, she knew their families wouldn't care one bit about how they were joined. A marriage was so easily dissolved. Theirs would be even easier to crumble. They were in no need of divorce papers, an annulment could easily be forced upon them since only a brief period of time had passed since their wedding date.

Not wanting to be part of this conversation any longer, Haru wandered over to the door and called over his shoulder, "I'll go get a wheelchair then, and we'll get out of here."

"That's really unnecessary! I can walk!" Tohru insisted.

"I'll carry her, Haru. By the time you get back with a wheelchair, we could be back home," Yuki reminded him of his poor navigational skills.

Haru turned back around and nodded in agreement, not quite paying attention as a nurse entered to do some finishing procedures before they could leave. He was handed paperwork to fill out while Tohru was given another dose of anesthetic and pain medication to take at home. The nurse slid the IV out of Tohru's arm and unhooked the equipment that had been attached to Tohru's body. Tohru tried to disagree against Yuki's carrying her, but he ignored her as he swept her up into his arms carefully. Too groggy to press the issue further, she sighed and locked one arm around Yuki's neck as he started for the door.

After gently carrying Tohru out of the hospital and to the replacement car Haru had gotten, Yuki set Tohru down gently in the middle of the backseat before he joined her. He let her curl up on the seat and lay her head on his lap as they began heading back. Tohru slept for most of the ride, still dazed and tired from all the medication she had been forced to take. She awoke when they were driving through the town that separated their two home countries. .

When she opened her eyes, Yuki's hand was lying gently, yet firmly, over her ear, as if he were keeping her out of some private conversation. As she drifted out of her state of semiconscious, she could hear the remnants of a muted exchange, but she could make out no words. She lifted her head off of Yuki, still in a state of half sleep. Regardless of her daze, she could see the dagger Haru was handing Yuki very clearly. Tohru stared as Yuki took the weapon in horror. Alarmed, she reached forward to take it away from Yuki, but he shoved it somewhere before she could make contact with it.

"W-What are you doing?" Tohru squeaked.

Nobody answered her questions. Tohru tensed as she grasped Yuki's arm, gripping it tightly. Spotting tears starting to make their way out, he pulled her to him and kissed the top of her head.

"Yuki-kun? Promise me you won't do anything that might hurt you," Tohru pled.

He didn't answer at first, not wanting to make a promise he wouldn't keep. In the back of his mind, he knew he didn't care about what happened to himself if it kept Tohru from having to go back to her supposed fiancé. However, seeing tears ready to burst from her eyes, he nodded to reassure her. She seemed satisfied with this, wrapping both of her arms around his and resting her head on his shoulder. As calm as he appeared to be, his physical appearance was in disagreement with the chaos spiraling around his head. Yuki embraced her tightly, hoping this wouldn't be the last time he held her.

"I don't want to lose you again, Yuki. I love you. Don't leave me, okay?" Tohru breathed, clinging to him desperately.

"I love you too… I don't want to lose you either," Yuki murmured as he tightened his grip around her.

He could see the outline of his home in the distance. They weren't too far now. The streets were completely empty, not a single person was out, not even the birds were chirping. It was too quite to be soothing or even normal. Hearing a gunshot rip the silence to shreds, Tohru tensed and buried her face in the crook of Yuki's arm, suddenly frightened of what they were up against. Yuki kept his arms tightly around her, trying his hardest to make her feel safe. He stared out the window, feeling death breathing down his neck as they slowed to a stop at the gate of his palace. Tohru lifted her head, looking around in confusion. Yuki quickly took her hands in his, pulling her near and pecking her on the lips.

"Stay here. I love you…"

"What? Wait! Where are you going?!" Tohru squealed.

Yuki smiled at her faintly before quickly slipping out of the car. He fiddled with something on the door before he shut it quickly. Haru locked the doors, leaving Tohru with a shocked and confused expression. She struggled with her seatbelt frantically, taking several minutes to unlatch the buckle. Tohru hurriedly scooted over to the door, unlocking it and pushing the door in vain. She stared at it angrily. It was locked from the outside. How childish. She glared at it, pulling at the handle one last time before climbing to the front seat. Haru's hand grabbed her wrist, pulling her back before she got to the handle.

"Tohru, stay here please… Listen to him. Listen to me."

"Then tell me… What's Yuki-kun planning to do?" Tohru whispered in a frightened voice.

Haru looked away, "I can't say."

Tohru's eyes weld up with tears. She trembled as she pulled Haru's hand off of her and hopped out of the car. She swung the door open and raced down the road. A small rock in the middle of the path made her fall and scrape her knees. The bandages that were once there ripped, revealing to her the deep slits inches above her knees. Yuki was no where close enough to notice she had fallen, too far to even hear her pleas for him to stop. Haru bent over, helping her back to her feet. Again, she fell as she tried to move forward, and again he lifted her up.

"Yuki! Wait for me! Don't leave me! You- You can't go!" Tohru sobbed, feeling helpless.

"Tohru, I don't want you to go either," Haru told her.

Tohru shook her head, jerking her arm out of his. Stubbornly, she darted down the path before Haru could grab her again. She ran awkwardly, limping from her scrapes and wounds. Added to that, every ounce of her body stung. Tohru was determined to get to Yuki. She had to keep him from doing anything dangerous. She had to get to him in time. Tohru kept her eyes straight ahead, averting the blood that was beginning to seep out onto her bandages. She moved slowly, and it was easy for Haru to catch her again and restrain her, despite her wails and shrieks.

Yuki wasn't sure what he was going to do. He knew she didn't want to be left behind. He knew that, yet he still abandoned her. Even if she were mad at him, he couldn't bring her with. He couldn't let her come in harm's range. Her safety mattered most to him. Why couldn't she see that? Why did she have to insist on staying with him? Couldn't she see that all he wanted was to keep her safe? He felt stupid, running to his mother to speak about Tohru, ally-less, and plan-less. All he knew was that he had to find Ayame. Ayame could help with his erratic ideas. Unfortunately for him, he didn't run into Ayame. He ran right into his parents and who he could guess were Tohru's aunt and uncle. The silence he was greeted with was deafening, louder than a thousand gunshots. Yuki swore under his breath, cursing himself for acting so foolishly.

"Yuki! What are you doing here?" his mother demanded.

"I'm the cause of this, aren't I? If you're angry at me, then do something to me. Don't hurt anyone else," Yuki declared, trying to sound like he had actually thought through this.

"Where's the girl?"

"She has nothing to do with this either. She's innocent. It was all my idea. You can punish me however you wish now, but just leave her be, okay?" Yuki bargained.

He looked around, spotting Ayame between Hatori, Shigure, and Kyo before them. Nice family reunion this was. They were standing against the palace, not entirely part of the scene but not excluded either. It was too dark out to make out much further, but he thought he could see one of the men beside his mother shove a gun back into his holster. He swallowed anxiously but kept an indifferent look across his face. Showing his fear would just give his mother an advantage, and she was in no need of more leverage. His only comfort was that Tohru was safely out of sight.

"Yuki, you have no idea what you just said," his mother coolly responded.

"I do know what I just said…" Yuki confirmed calmly.

She pushed her way through her barricade of protection and arched her eyebrow at him before smiling. She hadn't expected Yuki to make this so simple for her.

"You heard him men. Make sure he regrets every single word he just said-"

"WAIT!"

Everyone turned around to face the source of the cry. The short brunette ran forward as quickly as her legs would carry her only to trip on a lump grass. Luckily, she was a step from Yuki, and he caught her in his arms. Tears continued to fall down her cheeks in what seemed to be endless rivers as he held her. She pressed her face into his chest, sobbing bitterly. At least, she had made it in time. Her fist hit his chest lightly in frustration. Yuki stroked her back, instantly regretting leaving her alone. No one made a sound. They all watched the young couple embracing.

"Tohru?" he said softly into her ear.

"I hate you… I hate you so much… Don't leave me alone and go run off to try and help me… You aren't helping me! I want you to stay with me! I want- I want us to face our problems together. Can't you understand that? I thought you knew me best… So why do you keep doing this?" she wept into his shirt.

"I'm sorry Tohru… I know… I just… I don't know…" he muttered, continuing to try to sooth her.

I hate you. Those three words rang in his ears. He despised to hear such detest directed at him out of her mouth. Was it so wrong to want to protect her? She had a point, but he didn't want her to get hurt. He couldn't stand to see her in pain. She had enough injuries to last her a lifetime. Yuki listened to her cry as she struggled to calm herself. Tohru glanced up at him, unable to stay mad any longer. He touched her chin with the tips of his fingers before leaning towards her and kissing the tears off her pale face. She shied away from his touch, hiding her face against his chest.

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to say that. I don't hate you… I-I just love you so much," Tohru whispered shakily.

"Don't apologize. If you do anything for me, anything at all, just don't apologize. You were right, and I was wrong, so don't say sorry. That just makes me want to apologize a hundred times more because even if you forgive me, I can't forgive myself for making you cry again. But I'll always love you… That won't ever change…" he breathed delicately raking his fingers through her hair.

No one said anything. A hush blew past the small crowd, leaving them utterly speechless. Everyone here knew the story of Yuki and Tohru. It was hard to find someone who didn't. But nobody knew they had gotten back together a year prior. This shocked everyone into silence, even his parents. Haru caught up to them at this moment, appearing behind Kisa. She jumped up at his presence. She had been peeking through the arms of two guards to see what was happening. They wouldn't let her get any closer. He laughed quietly and picked her up, setting her on his shoulders to have a better look. She clung to his head, both pleased and scared.

"What's happening, Haru-nii? I can't hear them," Kisa stated disappointedly.

Haru shrugged, making Kisa lurch forward. She hung onto his neck tighter, listening to him respond, "I don't think anyone can hear them…"

Yuki stood perfectly still as Tohru clung to him with both of her arms. He could feel her legs wobble unsteadily. He could tell she was hardly able to stand. He could even feel his pants dampen as her blood dripped onto his clothing. Yuki cringed at the sound of a quiet whimper escaping from her mouth. The last dose of morphine she had been given must have worn off. Glancing down at her shut eyes, he could tell she was trying to keep him from noticing her pain, but it was evident in her furrowed eyebrows. He was about to beg for time to give Tohru her pain medication, but when he looked up, all he could see was apathy in both of their families' eyes. No one seemed to care that Tohru was hurt besides him.

"You would force your niece to marry someone who does this to her?" Yuki demanded, facing Tohru's aunt and uncle as he raised her bandaged arms up to their sight.

Neither of them responded. Yuki swore softly under his breath, angered to have his suspicions confirmed. They really didn't care that Tohru was injured, and they didn't mind that she'd probably always be in a condition similar to the one she was in now, if not worse. Clenching his fists, he fought to keep his anger at their insensibility under control. Tohru deserved a better family than that. Although his parents wouldn't treat her much better, at least with him, he could constantly protect her. His mother would be a danger, and one glance up into her cold eyes confirmed that.

"What has Machi done to you, then?" his mother snarled.

"Nothing. But I'm not going to force her to marry a man who'll treat her badly. I'm not going to make her marry a man who's in love with another woman. I won't force her to bear with me as I long for a different woman. She doesn't deserve that, mother," Yuki replied seriously.

Yuki smiled when he heard several people standing around murmur in consideration of his words, but his mother seemed displeased with all the attention. She slapped the guard directly to her left on the shoulder before stomping on the foot of the one to her right. They flinched and jumped away from her, revealing to Yuki for the first time that Machi had been standing there the whole time. Machi smiled faintly at him as she spun around and walked back into the palace, tacitly announcing she had no wish to marry him either. Noticing this, Yuki's mother lost all her composure.

"What are you all standing around for? Go do something already! You heard him!" she hollered loudly.

"No! I-I won't let you have him… H-He's mine!" Tohru screeched, clutching him closely to her.

She squeezed him tightly, her head pressed against his chest. Nobody moved. They couldn't hurt a girl, let alone a princess, and it didn't look like they could pry her off without force. Yuki took a deep breath and shifted his hands quickly, ignoring the confused look Tohru shot at him. He supported most of her weight with one of his arms as he freed one hand. Yuki carefully held her in place as he reached into his pocket to grasp the handle of the stiletto hiding inside. He tightly pressed Tohru to his chest, ready to restrain her as he freed the weapon from the sheath.

"Why aren't you moving!? Get to it! Don't ignore me!" she screamed.

She stomped her foot impatiently, about to rip Tohru from her son herself. Just as she was about to do so, Yuki raised his other hand, poising the blade to his own neck. She froze where she was, unable to even lower her raised fingers. Too startled to do much else, she shut her once gaping mouth and took a step away from her son, trying her best to keep him from doing anything drastic. Nobody else dared to move a muscle, let alone make a noise as Yuki tightened his hold around the dagger, keeping the blade no more than a centimeter from his own flesh.

"Don't come any closer," Yuki warned slowly, making sure they were aware that he was serious.

A gasp erupted from everyone watching. His mother stiffened. Tohru peeked up, confused. She shrieked when she noticed the very knife Haru had given him at his neck. She reached for the knife frantically, but he raised it out of her reach. He grasped her two hands in one of his, locking them in place. Tears flooded down her face as she stood there, unable to even get him to look her way. She just stood there helplessly, a foot away from him yet not capable of preventing him from taking his life if he chose to.

"Y-Yuki! D-Don't!" Tohru wailed.

"What do you want, Yuki?" his mother questioned coolly.

"Leave us be, or I'll leave you with Ayame as your only heir," Yuki threatened.

Tohru gawked, thrashing in his hold, but she couldn't break free. She bit her lip worriedly, unable to see whether the knife had gotten any closer to his throat through the towers of tears built up on the edges of her eyes. Her lips twisted downwards in anguish. She opened her mouth twice only to shut it both times, too petrified to find words to say. Tohru finally shut her eyes in attempt to try to convince herself that she was just imaging things, but when she finally blinked away the tears, nothing had changed before her. Except, his mother didn't seem bothered by her son's imminent suicide anymore.

His mother smiled, "I don't think you would."

"Why is that?"

"Could you really hurt her like that?"

"I can be selfish," he responded calmly.

"Don't… Y-Yuki-kun… Please…" Tohru pleaded softly in vain.

He ignored her again, "What will it be, mother?"

The queen glared at him, fighting an internal battle. She couldn't let a death threat win her over. He couldn't be serious, not with Tohru crying there beside him. But, she didn't want to take her chances. Yuki was her only heir. Ayame was a helpless case, and she was too old to try for another child. She gritted her teeth together, keeping her face void of emotion. What could she do? She knew her current daughter-in-law well enough to know that she wasn't much of an actress.

Tohru glanced helplessly at the people around her, standing there and doing absolutely nothing to save her precious husband. She eyed them all, but none seemed to feel any sympathy towards her. Haru wouldn't even meet her eyes. He even restrained Kisa when she had tried to help Tohru, but after he whispered something into her ear, Kisa settled down and remained where she was. Tohru's eyebrows knitted together with confusion when she saw that. She had no idea what they were planning, but their calmness did nothing to dispel her panic.

"Stop him, please," Tohru begged, her voice hardly audible to the guards around her.

"Don't come near me," Yuki told them, his voice malicious though his words held no threat.

That was the first time he had acknowledged a thing coming out of her mouth, though he still wasn't exactly talking to her. He stole a glance at her, making sure she wasn't in pain, but looked away before she even noticed. Sniffling, Tohru glared at her shoes. He had told her she was capable of making him do anything she wanted him to, but that ability was of no use to her if he wasn't regarding her. He wouldn't take note of the obvious misery she displayed or even hear her distressed cries.

"Let go of me…" Tohru whispered.

His grip loosened slightly, but she still couldn't free herself. He knew her too well to free her. She wasn't sure what she would be able to do even if he freed her. Even without restraints, she doubted she'd be much of a match against him. He was too quick and strong for her to even think about snatching the weapon from him. He'd slit his throat if she were to try. She had no idea what she'd do if he ceased to live. Just thinking about living in a world where he didn't exist made her heart throb, but how could she consider terminating her own life when she was responsible for their unborn child?

"Y-Yuki…" Tohru sniffled, her voice cracking.

Yuki almost dropped the whole plan he had formed with Haru just to comfort her, but he resisted. Barely. He kept his eyes firmly ahead, trying not to focus on the teary girl he could see out of the corner of his eyes. He didn't come all the way here and hurt her this much just to back out now. Yuki couldn't consider himself much more than a wimp now. He was weakened by the sight of her tears, despite how often he had already seen them. It wasn't rare to find Tohru crying, but it was the one thing he handled worst.

"What will it be, mother?" Yuki questioned with a cruel smile.

Before his mother could react, the sound of a gun rang viciously.

"Give me back my fiancée," Akito's dark voice strummed cruelly.

Noting the gun Akito held was pointed directly at the back of Yuki's head, the six guards at his mother's side instantly raised their guns at Akito. Akito simply laughed at this gesture without even hesitating. The gun he held didn't even waver, not even when Tohru screamed. Tohru was fighting harder against Yuki's grip now, desperate to get him out of harm's range, but he disregarded her actions, refusing to even turn around. He was well aware of what Akito was pointing at him, but his efforts would have gone to waste if he showed his fear now. What he was afraid of, though, wasn't his own possible death but instead, what it might do to Tohru.

"Let's see who gets killed first. The Prince of Kaze or me. Shoot me," Akito dared them.

"Stop it! Akito-san! I'll go back with you! Don't shoot!" Tohru pleaded.

She would have begged further, pled with anyone around her, but her sobs constricted her throat and she couldn't utter a single coherent word anymore. She settled for what she could manage, which came out mostly as unintelligible squabbles and shouts. Tohru leaned away from Yuki, trying to use her weight against his hold, but he easily held her up with one hand. In defeat, she retreated back towards him quietly and leaned her forehead against his chest, trying to make the most of whatever time she had left with her only love.

The silence seemed to begin to suffocate everyone around. No one made a move.

A band of police officers broke the delicate stillness as they fired at Akito's hand, forcing him to drop his gun out of pain. Everyone stared in shock as an officer jumped onto Akito and slipped handcuffs around his wrists. Yuki was nearly smiling, recognizing the officers as the ones who had interviewed him yesterday. The first step of his plan had gone quite smoothly. Akito was officially out of the picture. Surely he was more favorable than a murderer, but from the deadly glares he received from Tohru's aunt, his hopes plummeted. At least Tohru would be separated from Akito for a few years.

"Your highness, you're under arrest for attempted murder," one officer announced.

"What proof do you have of such action?!" Akito demanded angrily.

"Actually, we found the weapon you used. We found this knife covered with the princess' blood and your fingerprints not too far from your palace," another officer announced as he held up the bloody weapon sealed in a plastic bag.

After a screaming Akito was led into the back of a police car, everyone's attention was returned to Yuki. The guards all lowered their guns, but Yuki kept the knife at his neck. All signs of his previous joy and disappointment were erased and had already been replaced by a steady, cold gaze. He wasn't going to let Tohru down. He couldn't let all that pain he was forcing her to suffer though be for nothing. He'd guarantee a safe future for his child and Tohru if it were the last thing he did. It was the least they deserved, not this conflict ridden life he had already made Tohru endure.

"What will it be?" Yuki repeated his question seriously.

"I'll shoot her," his mother threatened.

She snatched the gun from a nearby guard and aimed it at Tohru. The gun wavered in her feeble grip. She had no experience with guns, but she kept her expression fierce. Yuki simply smiled in return. He wasn't worried. He doubted his mother would be able to land a bullet where she wanted. If she did manage to fire correctly, he was ready to toss Tohru behind him. Tohru wouldn't get another scratch so long as he was still breathing. He hadn't been able to protect her from Akito, but he refused to allow his mother to finish what Akito had started.

"Would you really want to be deemed the murderer of your grandchild?" Yuki inquired nonchalantly, playing off of her fondness for the opinion of the public.

His mother seemed to shake out of her fury. When his father dared to grasp her shoulder, she nearly attacked him, but he kept his hand where it lay, using it as a restraint. Yuki peered at his father questioningly, not sure whether he should be appreciative or worried. The king's face was stoic Yuki could read no intent in his dark eyes. Even Tohru peeled her face off of Yuki's shirt to check on the scene behind her. She too was shocked by what she saw and gasped when Yuki's father dismissed the guards with a brief flick of his wrist.

"Enough. Let the boy be," he ordered.

"No! He's marrying Machi!" she snapped in disagreement.

"Tohru-chan is perfectly suitable. Don't force him. Enough," he almost growled.

Her jaw dropped at the sound of his defiance. She raised her hand to him, extending a shaky finger towards him. Threats of all sorts formed in her head, but she couldn't voice any of them. She slapped his hands away and stormed away in defeat.

Yuki almost lowered his dagger and released Tohru until her aunt and uncle stepped forward. He was tense again, but tossed the weapon aside as he pulled Tohru tightly against his chest. A threat on his own life would mean nothing to them. Tohru choked back sobs as she wrapped her arms around his back. Unaware of the conflict still brewing behind her, she assumed Yuki's embrace was out of excitement, not as form of protection. Her heart fluttered brightly only to stutter to a stop when her aunt reminded her of her presence.

"Give me my niece. She already has a fiancée," her aunt commanded through her gritted teeth.

"She already has me as her husband. I'm not giving her to you," Yuki told them stubbornly.

"She's ours! And she'll do as we say so long as we're king and queen!" she screeched.

"Oh, then Tohru," Haru finally spoke, "Go be with Yuki. Don't listen to either of them."

The queen snapped her head around and glared at him ferociously, "What do you mean by that?"

Haru held up a document with a smile, "You signed this two years ago. Mom and dad asked you to sign this in case something happened to them. It says here that you two would rule until I was eighteen. And would you look at that, I'm nineteen. So you two are no longer the rulers here, and I grant Tohru permission to be with Yuki."

Those two gaped. Unable to formulate words, they rushed off the scene in a manner similar to Yuki's mother. Entertained, Haru watched with a chuckled, glad he had done some snooping around the castle during Tohru's absence. He seemed to be the only one watching the fleeing monarchs. Everyone else was staring at the elated couple standing in the middle of the large lawn, laughing and embracing. Tohru gasped as Yuki suddenly picked her up by the waist and lifted her up into the air. He swung her around cheerfully. She giggled, releasing pent up tears.

"You're mine, mine, mine," Yuki grinned wide enough to make his face hurt.

"You're mine, mine, mine!" Tohru repeated happily.

"Yes, I'm yours, yours, yours," he laughed.

Yuki set her back down on the ground and held her tightly in his arms, muttering, "It's over."

She pulled back and stared at him with a beseechingly sweet smile. Yuki could only beam at her for a couple of seconds before he leaned forward and captured her lips with his own. For now, he didn't care about the embarrassment he'd feel later for kissing her in front of people he didn't know. He just wanted to claim her as his own and no one else's. Helplessly caught in the moment, Tohru kissed him back. Her weak knees gave in. She felt as if she were melting. Yuki kept his arm firmly around her waist, keeping her upright. Tohru snaked her arms around his neck happily, hopelessly head over heels in love.

Along with everyone else around, a certain someone watched from her bedroom three stories up in the palace. For the first time in years, a motherly smile came across her face. Unwilling to admit it, she closed her curtains, shutting herself away from the exuberant pair. The look in their eyes had changed. She could see their feelings painted across their faces. Love lived in them, twice as large and bright as before, showing only how much closer they had grown in the past year. She had been wrong in thinking she could keep them apart by force. Love wasn't something that could be hidden or destroyed, and Yuki and Tohru's love would just grow over the years, striving to bloom into the loveliest creation.

The End

Look for epilogue? :D I hope all readers review and tell me their thoughts on the entire story/chapter.