Yuki stared at his cousin as Shigure placed all of Tohru's belongings on paper bags, as Hatori ordered him to. "Do we have to do this? Do we have to let him?" Yuki asked.

"I have no choice, Yuki." He said as carried the bags downstairs. "Maybe Hatori was right. She needs time to calm down after that… thing you did."

Yuki kept his silence. He knew that he was the one that should be blamed. But he didn't really know what he was doing, like he was possessed or something.

"I might meet Tohru." Shigure whispered. "Do you want to say something to her?"

The nezumi looked away. "Nothing… take care, I guess…"

It had been a week since Tohru left Shigure's residence. Their house became quiet and peaceful while she was gone. But there was one person who was a bit uncomfortable of the new atmosphere around him.

"You don't look so good." Kagura touched her cousin's forehead. "Are you okay?"

"He's just acting that way because he misses Tohru very much." Kyou cooed.

"Shut up, Baka neko."

"But you do miss her, right, Yuki?" the boar asked but he looked away.

"I… don't know."

"If you want to call her, then just do it." Haru pointed the phone. "It's just a phone call away."

"Ne, I don't think our beloved Yuki just wanted to hear her voice." Shigure sipped from his cup and looked at his cousin. "I think he wants more…"

The nezumi grinned at the inu. "I had no idea on what you are saying but…" he stood up, "I'll visit her."

"That's the spirit!" Kagura said happily.

"Where is she?" Yuki asked furiously for the third time as he stood firmly in front of Hatori in his office that day. The doctor seemed to ignore him and continued to read his daily papers and some of his paperwork.

"Well, where is she?!" His eyes flared as he noticed that his cousin was ignoring him. "I want to know where she is!"

"What's wrong of not telling?" the doctor asked coldly. "I want Celeste to be peaceful."

"You already gave her enough peace."

"What do you know, Yuki? Have you seen her when she came to me? Have you seen her cry?" Hatori asked him. "I'm afraid not. Once you do, you'll understand why I'm acting this way. I don't want her to cry anymore."

"I just want to see her… even if I'm not allowed to speak." Yuki pleaded. "Please, I just want to see if she's doing fine---"

"Fine?" Hatori smirked. "Tell me Yuki. Why would I separate Celeste from you when she's fine with you? I just did that for her to calm down."

"Do you think you could keep her away from me forever? I'm her master, for goodness' sake!"

"Yes you are, but that doesn't mean that you going to keep her inside your world forever." The doctor explained. "If you do, it brings back memories… cruel memories for her. And besides, to remind you, she's here for a mission and not to be ordered by some master. You're just there to guide her, not to play her around, understood?"

"Yes, I know." Yuki replied. "I don't know what you're up to but I want Tohru back at my house---"

"Your house?"

"Shigure's house." Yuki corrected himself.

"Are you ordering me, Yuki?" he asked.

"Maybe not." The nezumi looked away. "I… just want her back… just to tell her that I'm sorry."

"Yuki, she's afraid of you… afraid on what you're going to say next." He reminded once more. "Do you expect that she'll be happy to see you?"

He thought for a moment and grinned at the doctor. "There's no harm in trying and besides, I still promised that I would give her something… that Akito didn't give."

Freedom…Hatori stared at the young clan head. Are you really serious about this?

"Very well…" Hatori nodded. "Just to remind you that you should be conscious on what you're saying. You might be surprised but try to tell yourself that she has feelings like a real human being does. She also can get hurt, understood?"

"I won't create the same mistake twice." Yuki swore. "Of course, I'll remember."

"Shame on you when you fool me once; Shame on me when you'll fool me twice." The dragon whispered huskily. "I don't want Celeste to--"

"Tori-san, her name is Tohru. It was strictly prohibited to say her real name here on earth. It's against their rules. Besides, like what you mentioned, I won't do it again… I'll try not to do it again." Yuki replied.

"Good…" the doctor smiled in amusement as he took off his glasses and stared at his cousin. "I can see that the real Yuki is back… the one whom Celeste---I mean, Tohru met back at the forest."

Yuki felt a little happier when he heard that. "SO, can I meet her?"

"No."

"Hatori…"

Hatori laughed briefly. "I'm sorry Yuki. I just wasted your precious time but… I think you won't see her---"

"You jerk!" Yuki said furiously.

"---here." The doctor ended his sentence. "You won't see and find her here in my office."

"So… she's back at the main house?"

"No, she's not in the main house either."

"Then where is she?" Yuki asked. "I asked this question at the very beginning and you won't even answer it!"

"Well, I told you that I would keep her away from you so I decided to keep her in a place where you forbidden yourself to enter." Hatori grinned at him. "I hope you won't get angry but at least she's having fun there."

"Eh?" Yuki thought for a while then… "You… bastard! WHY?!"

"He's willing to take care of her." The doctor laughed. "She's happy to be around him."

"You're worried that Shigure might touch her differently. Now, you're not worried that he would touch her differently!"

"Because it's you're job to scold him about it." He leaned back on his chair. "Don't worry Yuki. If you're here to visit her, why won't you go there and visit her? It sounds the same thing. Why? Are you afraid?"

"What I'm afraid of is meeting him again rather than seeing her." Yuki grumbled.

Meanwhile…

"Ne, Ayame-san…" Tohru twirled around in front of a mirror while wearing a blue gown with satin ribbons on it. "I think it's too tight."

"It isn't! It's made that way!" Ayame stood behind her and adjusted the zipper on her back. "You look fabulous in it! A real replica of a goddess! A model of a true princess!"

"Really?" he eyes glowed in excitement. "Demo, I can't buy this. It's too---"

"Ne, Tohru-san, as long as you're here," Ayame leaned close to her, "You're allowed to wear anything you like and you can even take any for free."

"But, Aya-san… I think I'm not worthy of it…"

"Don't listen to those irrational thought in your mind. Look at yourself! You look beautiful in it!" he pointed at the mirror. "No one will notice that you're homeless!"

"Homeless?" Tohru chuckled. "Aya-san, I'm not homeless!"

"Yes, yes, I know that but if Yuki haven't found you in the forest, you could be lost!" he replied. It took her a few seconds to stop herself from laughing. Once she did, her face saddened and looked away from him.

Before she would even think of something else, she felt Ayame hug her from behind. She let out a little "eep" as he hugged her even tighter. "Gure's right. We don't transform when we hug you."

"So you thought he was lying?"

"I was just trying to make sure…" he hugged even tighter. His arms encircled her waist, pulling her closer to him. "…and you have my brother's waistline…"

"…Yuki…" she whispered. She broke away from him and stared at him.

"Do you hate my brother, Tohru-chan?" he asked.

"Eh??? I… I don't know." She whispered. " I guess not…"

"You guess?" Ayame raised an eyebrow. "You don't know? Then why did you run away from him?"

"He… said some words that…"

"Did he scare you, Tohru-chan?"

"Yeah… I guess he did…" she replied.

"Sorry if I am asking all of this questions. I'm just curious about my brother's actions." He apologized. "We don't really get to talk each other."

"Really?"

"Yeah… I wish I didn't…" he began but shook his head. "Please ignore what I said. It's not my wish."

"Don't worry…" she smiled at him. "Take your time."

He laughed when he heard that. "You know, I feel like talking to you, if you don't mind.

"No, not at all." She replied. "Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, the tea bags are on the kitchen."

"Ok." She bowed low and left the room.

Ayame chuckled as she left the room. "She didn't notice that she's still wearing the dress…"

Tohru quickly but wisely made the tea. She hummed as she finished and placed 2 cups on a tray and so did the teapot, filled with hot water. She turned around to get the tea bags but stopped as she saw someone on the door.

"Tohru…" he whispered. It was Yuki who was staring back at her. She stared at him silently and almost fell into a deep trance that she clumsily knocked off a cup from her tray. They both jumped from their place as the cup ended into pieces.

"I'll get it for you." Yuki started to reach some broken pieces.

"No, don't pick it up! You might get hurt." She placed the tray back on the table and reached out the pieces as well.

"How are you here?" he whispered. "Did my brother treat you well?"

"Yes, very well." She replied. This made him look at her.

"Did he touch you?" he quickly asked.

"Well… yes--"

"Where is he?" he stood up angrily. "If he comes close to you again, I'll---"

She giggled silently. "He didn't do anything wrong. He just treated me well, like an ordinary person… except that he used me as a model for his creations."

"Did you dress up in front of him?" he asked.

"No, silly. That would be seductive!" She laughed.

"I'm glad you know…" he whispered back. "Anyway, you look wonderful on that outfit."

She smiled at him. "Thank you. Aya-san made this dress for a girl whose birthday is near. Her parents planned all of this."

"I see. I believe that that girl will be happy to wear that dress… as you are happy to wear it." He said handsomely. She blushed lightly after he said that.

"Thanks for the compliment."

"You need one," He replied. "After what I said to you."

She placed all the broken pieces on the waste basket and held his hand. "I forgot all about it. Care to share it again?"

"Tohru, what did you feel… after I said those words to you?" he asked.

"I just told you. I forgot all about it." She replied. "Demo, I could remember something like fear… fear of hearing it again… but it made me even more curious…"

"Do you… like being here?"

She looked at him. "Why? Is there a place where is much better than here?"

He stood there silently as he thought about what she said. Maybe I'm not worthy enough…

Tohru went towards him and hugged him loosely. "Ne, I was just joking about that."

"EH?"

"I know that I'm scared… that I might get hurt again but… what's the use of facing something good if you haven't seen the bad side of it?" she whispered. "I thought about it for a week and… Hatori did a lot for me and so did Aya-san. They kept on comforting me and making me forget about what happen a week ago but… once I forget that, I won't be alarmed… I won't see the Yuki that I knew."

"Tohru-san, this is not the real me…" he explained.

"The greatest fear any person can face is regret. We are afraid that if we do something that we think is not under our control, we would find that something will go wrong and we'll be looking forward on facing a regret. But to look on a bright side, we won't know if something is right if we see the wrong side of it." She explained.

"But, I did this twice already." He held her close to him. "How am I supposed to know if I do is against my will?"

"It's up to you to find out, Yuki." She whispered. "Many people dared to forget the bad memories, the things that made them change their view of life. They keep the happy memories with them while the bad things are thrown away. But, little did they know, one of the important things in life is to learn to face something not only your fear… but also the consequences." She smiled briefly. "And I learned that when I met you… when I met the other side of you…"

"Tohru, would you even forgive me?"

"You didn't do anything wrong, Yuki. That's how Akito raised you… that's how Akito treated me." She continued. "I noticed that from the very beginning. What was learned will be applied. What you know was right is what you do, even if the others think it's wrong. I don't blame you for that Yuki."

"But you cried…"

"I faced the fact that you will be like him. It was my decision to follow you. So… I think… that I finally fell on your little trap, Yuki-kun." She looked at him. "You made me happy, just like him and the same way with the rest of the Sohmas, even if in their eyes saw that you hurt me. But to me, this is a little experience that happened before… and I won't forget this…"

Yuki couldn't help it but to hug her even tighter, like it was his last day of his life. Small tears fell from his eyes but he intended to hold everything back. "Will you come back to Shigure's house… with me… Tohru?"

"I would be delighted… to live with you again…" she whispered.

"I promise that I won't make you cry again…"

"Don't promise. Promises are meant to be broken."

"Don't say that. I don't believe that saying." He replied. "All I wanted was for you to come back. I… missed you so much, Tohru…"

"Same here." She giggled.

"Thank you for understanding me." He whispered

"Thank you for giving me a home… and your trust…as friend." She whispered back.

"I hope Hatori will let you come with me."

"He will… he was hoping for so long." She explained.

Yuki looked at her. "Really?" That sounds very deceiving.

"Yeah, he believes that you would think clear when this is over…"

"I see…" he grinned. "Well, it's not over yet, is it?"

"Yes I know. But once it is, I hope you'll be still there for me."

"I hope so…" he smiled. That was the sweetest smile she ever saw and it reminded her of somebody else.

I'm not thinking wrong… but I think I'm falling for him… just like the time I fell for Akito.

Both of them look good… and sounded very kind… I hope I'm feeling this way for a reason… not to get hurt a again…but to experience love… here on earth..

Even if I'm forbidden to…

"Oh my!" she snapped herself out of her daydream. "I forgot Ayame-san! I told him I would bring him some tea!"

"You're serving him?" he asked sternly.

"Yuki…"

"My brother won't learn. Where is he?"

"He's…in his office…." she stopped talking and closed her eyes. She felt something really weird… like something empty… and silent…lurking around the room… haunting something…

"Are you alright, Tohru?"

"I… can't… feel… Ayame anymore…" she whispered as she collapse on her knees.

"What's wrong?"

Before she could even answer, she lost consciousness.