Love Remains 10.

~~~~~~~~

by girl_starfish

Finally.

Kyou shut the library door behind him with relief. It had taken a lot of effort to prise himself from Kagura's grip and it was bliss to be able to hear himself think again.

The library looked exactly the same as when he'd last seen it--not a book out of place. Only this time he would not find Shigure leaning casually against the bookcase smirking, or sprawled on the floor, oblivious to the world as he read.

A book caught his attention and he ran his finger along the spine. The autographed Ngaio Marsh that Shigure had been so proud of. He smiled as he remembered how Shigure had showed it off to him, Aya and Hatori ("Like hell I'm letting you guys get greasy fingerprints all over it!"). Ten years was enough distance to ensure that he felt only a mild regret for a friend lost. It was hard to think of Shigure as dead at all--the library felt very much occupied still.

It was not with that much surprise then that Kyou heard a quiet voice behind him.

"I'm sorry about Kisa."

"You knew she was my mother, didn't you?" Kyou said.

"I guessed," the voice said carefully. It definitely sounded like Shigure--

"You could have told me--"

"If you remember we didn't really see much of each other after that. And your father--I thought it was the sort of thing that might be best coming from him."

Kyou ground his fingers into a fist. "I found out a week ago exactly, when they found the skeleton. He waited ten years--"

"Picking the right moment?"

Kyou snorted.

It had always been like this, he realised. He could tell Shigure anything that was troubling and instead of attempting to placate, reason or appeal to Kyou, the older teen would simply listen, perhaps teasing him into a better humour with light comments. Of course, that didn't mean he wasn't irritating as heck sometimes--but--at least he listened and always gave Kyou an honest opinion--even if said opinion was not what Kyou wanted to hear.

"I've been thinking about the time I was locked in the cupboard. The woman who was with me--that could have been her, couldn't it?" he said abruptly.

Shigure didn't need to ask who 'her' was. "It could be. I've never known Rin to come into the house and since there's no other contender--"

"You don't know? How can you not--"

"I can't sense her unless she's active." Without sounding annoyed, Shigure managed to imply that Kyou should have known this already. "Being a ghost doesn't make me omniscient. Just dead."

So he was--Kyou swallowed. "I'm sorry too. No one told me--I didn't know--"

"It's not your fault." Kyou could hear a soft thud behind him--as if a book was being taken from the shelf. "I made a mistake." There was a soft creak from the armchair and then the whisper of turning pages.

"So, what's it like being dead?" Kyou could have kicked himself. Of all the stupid, tactless things to say--

"Dull," Shigure said flatly. "If it were possible I'd die of boredom. It drives me nuts. If it wasn't for Tohru--" he sighed then said. "Cold. It's always cold."

Kyou shivered. "If I turn around," he said slowly. "Will I--will I see--"

"You'll see nothing," Shigure said matter-of-factly. "But my rotting decomposing corpse, of course. I'm really hideous--you'll probably have nightmares."

"Ah." Kyou swallowed again. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end, and the library seemed to have got colder.

"I don't blame you for not wanting to look at me--it's probably a wise decision," Shigure continued condescendingly. "After all, the way my skin has gone mouldy is really quite disgusting--and you were rather sensitive to ghost stories--"

Kyou clenched his fists. "I was not!"

"Then why haven't you turned around?" Shigure sounded as though he were amused, irritating Kyou further. "Of course, no one could blame you for being scared of a ghost--especially one with who is leaking mucus and whose eye cavities are home to any number of worms--"

"Will you shut up?"

"I'm sorry, Kyou, am I scaring you with my hideous appearance? Oh dear, oh dear, poor Kyou is afraid!"

"I am not!" Kyou yelled angrily at Shigure. "You come over here and say that!"

With the smirk that Kyou remembered, Shigure replied. "Methinks the lady doth protest too much--"

"Who are you calling a lady?" Kyou snapped. Then blinked.

Shigure was sitting in the red backed chair, grinning inanely--in other words, looking exactly as he had when Kyou had seen him last. All vital organs were intact, and there was no sign of decomposition at all--Kyou's ears reddened and he stepped towards Shigure angrily. "Why you--"

When Tohru entered the library, it was to find Kyou strangling Shigure who did not seem at all put out by this. It didn't seem to make any difference to his laughter.

"I see you two are getting reacquainted," Tohru said happily, shutting the door behind her.

"Kyou can't contain his joy," Shigure sighed melodramatically. "Look, he can't keep his hands off me--"

"Ewww!" Kyou jumped backwards. "As if!"

Shigure laughed. "Still so easily annoyed--you haven't changed a bit." He shook his head, resuming his place in the chair. "Whatever will we do with him, Tohru? At this rate poor Kyou will never find a girlfriend!"

Inexplicably Tohru felt herself blushing. And for some reason, Kyou's cheeks seemed to be pink. They stared at each other a second, then looked quickly away.

The movement wasn't lost on Shigure. Tohru saw his teasing grin falter and he looked as though he was about to say something--

"Kyou!"

The library door was flung open and Kagura emerged. "Where have you been? I've been looking for you--"

There was a thud as the book Shigure had been holding fell to the ground. The ghost had vanished--Tohru hastily picked it up.

"Oops," she said, hoping that Kagura would think that her fault--but attracting the older girl's attention did not seem to have been a good idea.

Kagura glared at her, lip curled. "What are you doing here?"

"I came by to get a book," Tohru explained as Kyou said, "Why are you snapping at Tohru? She didn't do anything wrong."

"I just want us to spend some time together--like we used to," Kagura said. "Any every time I track you down--she's there! It's not fair--"

"I can leave--" Tohru said hastily but Kyou was already snapping a reply.

"What's not fair about it? We need to talk about stuff that has nothing to do with you--"

"This house I suppose and its supposed inhabitants." Kagura's eyes flashed. "I don't know how you can do that, Tohru--capitalise on people's grief and memories to gain attention?"

"I didn't--" Tohru started, taking a step back in the face of Kagura's anger.

"I don't know how you can live with yourself," the Souma girl hissed. "And not only do you have Yuki obsessed with this ghost business but you have to take Kyou as well--"

Thwack!

Kagura stumbled back a step. Tohru stared.

Kyou shook with anger. "You don't know anything Kagura--you can't talk to Tohru like that!"

Kagura didn't seem to hear him. Slowly--as if in a daze--she put her hand up to her cheek. Where Kyou had slapped her was just starting to redden.

"Kagura?" Tohru's worried whisper was ignored or just not heard.

Kagura continued to stare at Kyou.

Alarmed at his actions, Kyou dropped his hand. "I didn't mean--I'm sorry--"

"You jerk!" Kagura finally snapped out of her trance, shoving Kyou backwards into a bookcase. Before Kyou could recover she'd turned and run from the library--but not before Tohru had seen tears running down her cheeks.

"Of all the stupid--" Kyou muttered rubbing his elbow.

"Go after her!" Tohru urged desperately.

"Me? Why should I have to run after that idiotic girl?" Kyou demanded. "Besides, I'm probably the last person she wants to see right now."

"Which is why you have to go after her!" Tohru insisted. "Hatori left Ayame alone with his anger --and he's regretted it ever since--"

"Fine," Kyou said grudgingly. "But only because you asked me to." He stomped off down the hallway.

Tohru sat down quickly once he'd gone. Her legs felt suddenly unsteady. Arguments always affected her this way--she hated to see people so upset. Her eyes felt teary and she pulled out the handkerchief to dab at them--

"I'm sorry." She felt Shigure's presence manifest beside her, and a cool arm slip around her shoulders. "I didn't realise my presence was causing you problems."

"It's only with Kagura," Tohru said, wiping her eyes. "She--everything I do is wrong, it doesn't matter what I try, whether I mention you or not."

"It's not your fault," Shigure said. "Kagura's been like that since she was a child. She's very passionate in everything--her likes, dislikes--it's not you."

Tohru blew her nose. "Thanks Shigure."

He smiled. "Any time."

"Did you see the book I left you?" Tohru asked, changing the subject quickly. "Have you read it?"

"Twice!" Shigure beamed at her. "Tohru--you have no idea how good it was to be reading something new after all these years! I could kiss you!"

Tohru blushed happily. "I'm so glad you liked your present!"

"Liked it?" Tohru squealed as she was pulled onto her feet and twirled around the room. "I loved it!"

Tohru laughed as Shigure let her go. Thoroughly dizzy, she plopped into the nearest armchair. "Oh, I can't forget! Your handkerchief--"

"Eh?" Shigure said, flopping onto the window seat. "Handkerchief?"

"You gave it to me last night--here--" Tohru held it out to him.

All joviality gone, Shigure stared at it. "Tohru--how did you get that?"

"Hatori's study--he was talking--you pressed it into my hands? Didn't you?" Tohru looked from Shigure to the handkerchief. For the first time she noticed the initials in one corner--S. A. in fine black thread--

"Tohru, this is bad," Shigure said urgently, calling her attention back to him. "Very bad." He stood, shaking his head. "I should have known--what happened to Momo had a reason of course--but I thought we had more time--"

"Shigure?" None of what he said made sense. "What does this mean?"

Shigure looked her full in the face, his grey eyes absorbing the surrounding shadows. "That this house is no longer safe for you Tohru--for anyone."

--oOo--

"He thinks we should leave," Tohru finished.

Yuki nodded thoughtfully, absently turning the handkerchief over and over. They were sitting at the top of the attic stairs, out of everyone's way. "Does he now? Interesting--"

"What do you think we should do?" Tohru asked worriedly. "We can't leave--this is the best job we've ever got--"

"Think nothing of it," Yuki assured her. "Hatori has our flights booked for tomorrow--as soon as we're gone, there'll be nothing to worry about--the only people affected by the curse are Soumas after all--"

"But Shigure said--"

"I know what Shigure said," Yuki said. "It just strikes me that we can't take for granted that what Shigure wants is what we want--"

"But--of course it is!" Tohru protested. "The diary--Shigure wants to end the cycle just like we do--"

"But he didn't, and he's dead," Yuki said. "It might be in his interests to keep the cycle going--after all, as long as it remains he stays in this world."

"But--" Tohru wavered.

"I've found out some stuff about Hatsuharu in the old family histories," Yuki continued. "I even went to the vault. Hatsuharu is described as a pretty poor sort of guy--about average intelligence and a laid back attitude. He was generally good-natured and easy going--in fact, perhaps too easygoing. No drive, no ambition--spent his life in Souma Akito's shadow. It sounds like he'd have plenty of reasons to resent Akito--especially if he was in love with Rin. I think he's the node point for sure."

"But if he had a laid back attitude, surely he couldn't be," Tohru said. "I mean, he doesn't sound as though he could hold a grudge--"

"But he was also prone to dark fits of anger in which he became irrational and violent. He injured several people quite severely--and his own father didn't doubt his guilt. There was a letter in the vault, his father writing to the family lawyers to authorise an appeal--he had no illusions that his son was innocent, but said that he believed Hatsuharu had acted in an uncharacteristic fit of passion, and begged that all be done to ensure that his son got the best treatment possible."

"But--even if he did murder them--that doesn't mean he would be the node point. I mean, to keep them here so long, that would require a lot of anger--and it looks as though Haru was the type to let his anger out explosively and then be fine--" Tohru looked over Yuki's notes. "I'd have thought Akito more likely--"

"Just because he was sickly doesn't mean that he would be resentful of Hatsuharu," Yuki said. "All the family records agree that he was a genius--despite his youth he nearly tripled the family fortune. And he was a master of wit and conversation--much sought after at dinner parties and balls, when his health would permit. Why would someone like that be envious of his younger cousin--who did not have half his intelligence or charm or position?"

"Perhaps Rin--" Tohru suggested.

"Rin came between them?" Yuki said thoughtfully. "Perhaps--but I don't believe it. I think Hatsuharu loved her but couldn't have her--he wasn't a prominent member of the family, and his share of the inheritance was small. He had nothing to offer her--how could she prefer him?"

"I don't think love works that way," Tohru said slowly. "And they had to be in love--that's the deciding factor in all the cases so far--"

"Except Shigure." Yuki said.

"Unless he took Hatori's place when he died--in his journal he said something like that--if I don't do this Hatori will never be safe in this house--or something--"

"You're right," Yuki frowned. "I need to look at that again--if only we had the journal."

"I'll ask Hatori for it," Tohru said standing up.

"That won't be any good," the silver-haired boy told her. "You know how he gets--"

"We won't know unless we try," Tohru proclaimed. "I'll be right back."

--oOo--

Ayame was bored. He was lying on his back on the river bottom, staring up at reflections of the sky and willow trees in the water's surface. It was one of his favourite pastimes--being able to observe the marbled patterns made by the current and wind was somehow soothing--and of course, as a ghost, he did not have to come to the surface to take breaths. If being dead could have a good side, this would be it--

But it was not soothing now.

Ayame shifted uncomfortably. Since talking to Tohru he couldn't dispel this nagging feeling--

He'd been so hurt, he'd concentrated his anger on Shigure--but he hadn't stopped to consider how his cousin was--and learning that Gure still thought about him--

Ayame stood up, creating ripples in the water's surface. He climbed out of the water, prepared to try something that he had not attempted in ten years--going inside the house.

He had tried it, once, before he knew he was dead. He'd been alarmed to find himself in the river with no memory of how he got there, and had headed back to the house to see if anyone could explain the curiously numb sensation that hung over his body, the way he didn't feel wet even though he knew he had to be--

But it had been as if there was a wall in his way. He couldn't go beyond the Willows. He'd tried hard, pushing at the invisible barrier, and had managed to struggle a few centimetres beyond it--only to look down and discover that his body was almost completely see-through. The shock of that was enough that he had not tried it since.

This time--

Apprehensively, and leaving a trail of river water and pondweed in his wake, Ayame crossed the garden. Once he'd passed the willows it did get harder--like he was wading through treacle. But there was no barrier to stop him.

The side door handle posed a bit of a problem. It was indistinct, hard to grab a hold of. Ayame concentrated on it, trying to imagine himself in the same reality as the door handle--and finally managed to get a proper hold. It opened and he stepped into the hallway.

Automatically, Ayame turned around to kick off his shoes--he was momentarily startled by the row of unfamiliar sneakers. Of course, ten years had passed. He shrugged, setting off down the hallway. Gure would be in the library of course--he could have gone straight there through the patio if he'd thought but force of habit was still so strong. Gure would probably find that amusing. At any rate, it gave him the opportunity to observe the house he'd grown up in again.

Ten years had made few changes--it didn't look as though anything had changed from when he'd been alive. He paused a moment to look at the pile of suitcases in the coatroom by the front door.

Finally, the library. Ayame was nervous, it took him three tries to get the door handle. Eventually it swung open and he stepped into the library.

He had the pleasure of seeing Shigure so surprised he dropped his book.

"Aya," his cousin breathed. "Is that--is that really you? You're here?"

"What?" Ayame said. "Am I not allowed to come visit?"

Shigure grinned, scrubbing at his eyes hastily. "Of course not! It's just--I'm glad to see you."

Ayame shrugged placidly. "I know. I am wonderful, aren't I." As no response was forthcoming from his cousin he looked about the room. "So, what do you want to do?"

--oOo--

The smell of cigarette smoke let Tohru know that Hatori was in the study, even before he'd answered her knock. "Tohru," he greeted her. "What can I do for you?"

"When I was in the cemetery this afternoon, I met a woman who used to know Shigure. She asked me to pass on her regards," Tohru said. "She said you'd know her--Mit-chan."

Hatori laughed, leaning back in the chair. "Mit-chan--well, well."

"So, you do know her?" Tohru asked.

"Yes, she was a schoolmate of mine." Hatori shook his head. "And how is she?"

"She seemed well. We didn't really talk long. She said she's got a job in another city, so she's leaving soon--"

Hatori chuckled again. "Mit-chan with a job--it sounds so unlikely. I still picture her as the skinny girl with braces who cried when Shigure told her he'd lost their science project."

Tohru gasped. "Had he? What did they do?"

Hatori waved at her to calm down. "He was only joking. He liked to tease her--and she fell for it every time. It was very amusing the way the two of them carried on. I think he even put a toad in her lunchbox once--she chased him round the school twice swearing she'd make him eat it--"

"I was under the impression that she had a crush on Shigure," Tohru said hesitantly. "I thought--"

"Oh, they obviously liked each other," Hatori continued to chuckle. "Mit-chan would not have put up with his teasing otherwise. And Gure--" the doctor shook his head. "Let's just say my cousin had a rather convoluted way of expressing affection--usually by annoying anyone he liked."

"Oh dear," Tohru had to smile as she pictured it.

"It's nice to know that Mit-chan is still around--I'm sorry we didn't get the opportunity to meet in person, but thank-you for passing that message on Tohru." Hatori picked up the book he was reading, apparently intending to resume his work.

"I'm sorry, there's one more thing," Tohru said, hurriedly. "The journal--We--that is, I--"

"I see," Hatori took his glasses off. "I don't mind that the two of you took it back but I must say I would have appreciated it if you had asked before entering my study. I'm a fastidious person, and I had to spend quite a bit of time, reordering my papers after that."

"But--" Tohru started.

Kyoko interrupted then. "Sorry, Hatori-san, but there is someone from the airline on the phone for you."

"Thank-you, Honda-san," Hatori nodded to Tohru. "Pass my message on to Yuki."

Tohru walked slowly down the hallway. She hadn't taken the journal, and Yuki hadn't--so who . . . ?

She squealed suddenly. Her foot had encountered something wet and cold--looking down she was surprised to find herself standing in the middle of a large puddle. Further along the corridor she could see another . . . and another . . . a few willow leaves were scattered along the carpet. Mystified, Tohru followed the trail.

She was even more puzzled when she found herself outside the library door.

"Um, Shigure?" She said, poking her head round the door. "Do you happen to know why there is a trail of water leading to the library door?"

Shigure grinned at her. He was seated on the floor beside the library heater, which had been turned on full. Ayame was lying on the floor in front of the heater, apparently content as Shigure brushed his long silver-white hair. "I'll give you three guesses."

"Ayame!" Tohru was astonished. "What--what are you doing here?"

"I'm visiting Gure. What? There's no law against it."

"No but . . . " Tohru couldn't admit that she'd thought he was mad at Shigure so she substituted "Shigure, didn't you tell me it was harder to go far away from your . . . you know--the place where you--"

"Died?" Shigure filled in calmly, continuing to brush Ayame's hair. "It is-- you can see Aya is rather misty around his edges--you'll have to go soon, Aya."

"Already?" his cousin complained. "And I was just starting to feel warm again--" He sat up, pulling his hair across his shoulder. "Well, at least my hair is dry. Thank-you Gure." He frowned as he toyed with the end of his hair. "You know . . . I'd tried coming into the house before and couldn't--but this time--"

Tohru felt Shigure's gaze turn to her, thoughtfully. Instead of saying something on the subject, however, he merely said "You had something you wanted to ask Tohru, didn't you?"

"Of course! Tohru, you don't happen to have a hair dryer do you? For next time I visit? Oh well--"Ayame shrugged as Tohru shook her head. "Let's hope no one minds the heater in here being on."

"Oh--I just remembered," Tohru exclaimed. "When I was at the cemetery there was a woman leaving flowers by your grave, Shigure."

Ayame and Shigure stared at her.

"A woman?" Shigure said.

"Who'd be daft enough to waste money buying flowers for you?" Ayame wondered.

"She said her name was Mit-chan--"

"Mit-chan?"

Ayame began to laugh.

"Will you stop that?" Shigure asked. He turned back to Tohru. "How is she?"

"She seemed well--I didn't really talk to her--" Tohru was a little off put by the fact that Ayame continued to laugh hysterically.

"That's nice. I thought a lot of her--will you just give it up already?" Shigure snapped at Ayame. "It isn't that preposterous that a girl would send me flowers--"

"But--Mit-chan!" Ayame howled. "What kind of flowers, Tohru? Deadly nightshade? Weeds?"

"No," Tohru said. "It was lilac, I think, and gorse--"

"Ha!" crowed Ayame, as Shigure pushed him out the library window. "Gorse is a weed--"

"For your information," Shigure told his cousin, "Gorse symbolises enduring affection!"

"Whatever--it's a weed, Gure-kun! Bye Tohru--see you tomorrow, Gure!"

"Aya--" Shigure sighed, then smiled as he watched his cousin walk back towards the Willows. "I can't tell you how good it is to have him back. Thank-you, Tohru."

"I didn't do anything," Tohru protested.

"You must have," Shigure said. "We can't move forward, remember? I never found out what happened between Aya and Ha-san, but whatever it was it kept Aya and I apart this long--he wouldn't have suddenly decided to visit me unless you had somehow prepared the way--"

"I'm sure you're wrong," Tohru said, blushing. "I'm not nearly smart enough to do anything like that--"

"On the contrary," Shigure smiled at her. "You're smart in exactly the right way."

"What did you mean before--that gorse symbolises affection?" Tohru asked hastily, changing the subject.

"Different flowers have different meanings," Shigure explained. "Mit-chan and I were doing a research project together for biology and we found a book about them--apparently they were a big deal in Victorian times." He swung on the back of his usual armchair. "Did you know giving one rose means love at first sight, while two means the attraction is mutual? And a yellow rose can mean friendship or jealousy."

"What about lilac?" Tohru asked.

Shigure smiled. It was a quiet, secret smile, unlike his usual grins. "Purple Lilac means first love."

"Oh," Tohru said. "I'm sorry--"

Shigure opened the cupboard that the photo albums were kept in and stretched his arm inside. He felt around for a while, then pulled out a brown paper bag. "Here," he said.

"What is it?" Tohru asked, obediently taking the package.

"Open it and see," Shigure told her.

Mystified Tohru unfolded the paper bag. Inside was a photo frame, decorated with a collage of different flowers, cut out from magazines and photos. "It's beautiful--did you make this?"

"It was a present for Mit-chan," Shigure's expression was rueful, and he ran his hand through his hair in an embarrassed fashion. "Somehow I never quite worked up the courage to give it to her--I want you to have it."

"Me?" Tohru stared at him in astonishment. "But--I couldn't!"

"Of course you can!" the dark haired boy grinned at her. "I want you to have it--so what's the problem?"

Flustered, Tohru put the photo frame back in the bag. "Thank-you--I'll take good care of it." Casting around for something to say before the moment go too awkward, she remembered the journal. "Um, Shigure--you didn't take your journal out of Hatori's room, did you?"

"What--that old thing?" Shigure was startled. "I haven't seen that in years."

"I see," Tohru walked down the hallway lost in thought.

She was still distracted that night as she walked around the house, helping her mother by checking all the windows were fastened. It was dark, but Tohru didn't turn on the lights. She didn't want to disturb the Soumas' sleep and her flashlight provided just enough illumination for her to see by.

It was on the second storey that it happened. As always since the dream she'd had about it, Tohru gave the locked door to the master bedroom a wide berth.

She was on the right hand landing when her torch went out.

Tohru flicked the on/off switch, fighting a sense of panic as it refused to light. She had no idea where the nearest light switch was. Gingerly, she began to feel her around the landing.

"Don't move," A cool voice told her suddenly. "You're about to go over the stairs."

Tohru froze. The voice wasn't one she knew--

A moment later a candle flickered into light. Tohru saw that she was poised just above the first stair--if she'd taken one more step--

She shivered, drawing back.

"I trust you are unharmed?" the cool voice continued.

"Yes--Thank you! If you hadn't--" Tohru stopped as she saw who she was speaking to.

The boy holding the candle was pale, and dressed in a dark suit of an era long past. He was tall and whip thin, but with a grace to his face and movements that reminded her of Yuki. The eyes were dark and she recognised them at once from the photograph Arisa had found.

Souma Akito--

"It was nothing. You seemed to be a lady in need of assistance--and I am happy to oblige," he bowed to her, taking her hand. "I am the master of this house, Souma Akito."

"Honda T-tohru." She shivered. His touch was like ice.

"It is a pleasure," Akito's fingers lingered over hers. "This house is deceptive at night, the shadows can be very tricky--and you have no light. Would you allow me to escort you back to your quarters?" He smiled. "It is no hardship, I assure you."

"T-thank-you." Tohru had no choice but to take the arm that Akito offered. He was very different from how she'd imagined him--politer, even handsome--but his touch was so cold--

"Tell me, Honda Tohru," he asked, politely, leading her down the stairs. "How you are enjoying this house? It is not to everyone's tastes, I know."

"Not at all--I think its lovely!" Tohru said hastily. "The gardens--the house itself--My mother and I feel very lucky to live here!"

"I hope that doesn't change--this house seems to have an unfortunate habit of not letting people leave." Akito smiled. "You must be careful it doesn't take a hold of you too."

"Eh?" Tohru stared at her guide.

"We're here," Akito said, and Tohru saw the kitchen light up ahead. "I shall leave you now. Good evening, Honda Tohru--it's been a delight to make your acquaintance." He raised the candle and blew it out, plunging them both into darkness.

"Akito-san?"

The kitchen door opened. "Tohru? What are you doing out there in the dark?"

The hallway was now empty. With a shiver, Tohru joined her mother in the well-lit kitchen.

"My torch went out."

"Probably needs new batteries. Give it here."

Tohru obeyed. Akito's sudden appearance puzzled her--not to mention she was no nearer to finding out who had taken Shigure's journal. She accepted the hot chocolate her mother gave her absently.

"Tohru, sweetheart, the batteries are fine."

"Eh?" Tohru blinked.

"Look." Her mother held up the torch, now shining strongly. "There's nothing wrong with it--you must have turned it off by accident, silly girl. I think you've spent too many late nights worrying about these ghost friends of yours. You're going to bed now."

That was easy for her mother to say.

Tohru lay in bed, the covers pulled up to her chin. She had tried turning the torch on and off--and that hadn't made a difference. Someone hadn't wanted her to see--had she been meant to fall down those stairs? And who would want her to? Akito had been there--but he'd stopped her before she could get hurt--

None of this made sense.

Tohru pulled the covers over her head. Maybe she was imagining it all--but she wished fleetingly that she was somewhere else--

No! She couldn't think such ungrateful things--not when her mother had worked so hard--Feeling more determined, Tohru settled down to sleep.

She would not be frightened of the house.