Hatori returns, and deals with Yuki's presence. A less serious chapter, featuring the younger cast. _________

Hatori walked into his room. Yuki was there, holding Tohru's hand. Momiji was at the other side of her, and Kyou was a little ways off, in a chair.

"Tohru woke up for a minute." Momiji said when he saw Hatori.

"Mmmmm," confirmed Yuki, "she was confused, but she reached for my hand, then calmed down and slept again." Kyou harrumphed in his chair. Hatori stared intensely at Yuki, then walked to the back door and looked at the rock garden.

"Strange, I could have sworn I saw Yuki, but it's just a little gray mouse. Obviously isn't Yuki, is it, Momiji?"

"No-o," said Momiji slowly, "It's just...... a mouse. Like you said."

"Good. It would have been a great inconvenience for me to have to go tell Akito. After all, he told me he would like to see Yuki not ten minutes earlier, I couldn't possibly have ignored that. But mice are so common, one being in here isn't anything Akito would be concerned with. I guess Yuki isn't coming after all."

There was a popping noise behind Hatori and he turned around. The 'mouse' was sitting on Tohru's chest, and a set of clothes were being quickly folded by Momiji.

"Just doing some laundry!" chirped Momiji.

"No need to make excuses," muttered Kyou.

"Good. That mouse seems to naturally belong there, sitting on her chest. I would suggest it shouldn't move. Excuse me while I go and....... go wash up." Hatori said absently, ignoring Kyou. He walked into the adjacent bathroom. "What was that about?" said Kyou.

"He has to pretend very hard he didn't see Yuki. You know how hard it is to lie to Akito. I think it gets even harder the more time you spend with him. Hatori spends the most time with him, out of almost anyone."

"Yes," said Yuki, "It gets very hard, after a while........"

"He'd still be lying to Akito!" said Kyou.

"No," said Momiji, "he's lying to himself, which to him, might be easier than lying to Akito. And Hatori doesn't like lying to himself like some people, so it's still an effort. While we're here, you're going to have to stay sitting on her, so you don't change back, and not talk. You can't be seen again while we're here. As Yuki, I mean, because he can't pretend if he sees you twice, or hears you talk. Kyou, we can't talk to or about Yuki directly. If we have to, it has to be in a way that you could have been talking about something else."

"You want subtlety from Kyou? Ahhh, I wish I wasn't the one who has to keep quiet."

"You don't have to, if you'd rather just go make nice with Akito!"

"Shut up, Baka-neko!"

"No fighting!" yelled Momiji above Yuki and Kyou. They all froze and looked at the bathroom door. Tohru stirred.

"Nnnnnnh?" she said as her eyes fluttered half open.

"Tohru-chan, it's us, Momiji, Kyou and Yuki." said Momiji.

"Yuki-kun.......?" she said quietly.

"Yes, he's a mouse now, but he's right here," Momiji picked up Yuki and showed him to her before putting him back on her stomach.

"I'm..... I'm not- I should....." she said, and tried to sit up, but was too tired to do it. She began to try and turn over to crawl.

"Kyou, help us calm her down. Hold her hand" said Momiji.

"W-what? Why don't you!?"

"Tohru-chan doesn't know me as well, and I don't think she totally recognizes me. But you and Yuki she does."

Kyou hesitated.

"Come on, Cat, or do I have to change back and beat your head on straight?" said Yuki.

"Fine!" He walked over, kneeled by her and grabbed her hand. Tohru stopped fidgeting and looked at him.

"Kyou-kun, you're here......"

"Yeah, Momiji said I was, didn't he?"

"Uh huh. But you really are............" she smiled a little and her head went back on the pillow. She was asleep again.

"Good," said Hatori, and Kyou and Yuki jumped. Hatori was standing in the bathroom doorway. His hands and arms were red, and the tips of his fingers and palms were rubbed raw. He had also splashed water on his face, and his hair was damp. He looked tired and sallow. "You did well, Kyou."

"How long have you been there?" said Kyou.

"Since you took her hand, but not before. Did I hear a commotion?"

"Nah, nothing much!" said Momiji.

"Good. What would you tell someone if they wanted to know what happened?"

"That she got sick and fainted, and you got help taking care of her. And that nothing sick or indecent or whatever happened, cause you weren't alone with her after we showed up."

Yuki narrowed his eyes at Hatori.

"Yup, I was here too, and I know nothing bad happened! Hatori was a saint and we helped him out!"

Yuki calmed a little.

"What time is it?" said Kyou

"We missed dinner, and the sun's set. About 8:30. I can go get something for us from the kitchens, and extra in case Tohru wakes up enough to be able to eat." replied Hatori.

"Fine. What about sleep?"

"Whatever happens, we can't move her out the back. She wouldn't be strong enough to climb up for another day at least, and we obviously can't carry her. She'll have to walk out the gate on her own steam early tomorrow morning, and then I'll drive you all back."

"Walk out?" asked Momiji

"Yes. Appearances, I'm afraid. If anyone does see, they'll see Tohru-kun walking out. Not her half dragged away from my residence at four in the morning to my car, then driven off. I can't drive it up to my house, so we'd haven't to get at least to the car park. Also, the number of young men carrying her may make it worse if she looks, for lack of a better word, drugged. It's better if she isn't seen at all, but her walking would be the best way if she is."

"And what happens if she can't walk?" Kyou said.

"She'll walk. I'll do anything to get her out while Akito's asleep and doesn't know she's still here."

Momiji and Kyou looked at eachother.

"You didn't tell him Ha'ri?" said Momiji.

"Not specifically. Akito may have misunderstood me, but I am not sure if he did. I would, of course, clarify if I knew for certain he did misunderstand. He didn't ask to see her, which I gather he might have otherwise."

"Oh."

"I'll get the dinner and some drinks. If the mouse is thirsty or hungry, there's a saucer around here you can fill with water, and it can have some rice. But they don't like tea, and I'm not wasting meat on an ordinary mouse." Hatori left.

"Ahhh. I guess nothing very nice for me to eat. If nothing else, the food was good here. I guess I can't complain, but he could be less strict about it."

"Can you imagine him letting a regular mouse in here at all?" said Momiji.

"Mmmmmm. No, not really. I guess he is going a little easy on me. So, um, what didn't happen with Tohru?"

"Didn't happen? All sorts of things didn't happen!" said Momiji. Yuki froze, "What? A-all sorts of things?"

"Yeah! They didn't eat octopus, or go sky diving, or sing enka folksongs, or make-"

"That isn't what I meant, Momiji," said Yuki, relieved.

"Momiji means that...... that Hatori got someone right away to help him carry her to the shower to cool her off. He gave her a shot and an I. V., then got her dressed. He wasn't alone with her after-" he thought a moment, "Momiji and me showed up. He made sure she was always covered, even while he dressed her, and that we could see he never once touched her funny. That it or you want to know little details?"

Yuki narrowed his eyes and clenched his teeth together, but said, "Okeh.............. I guess you all had to...... do what you could. Whether I like it or not doesn't matter if Honda-san needs help. And no, what you told me was quite _detailed_ enough for my taste."

"You asked me!"

"You did ask Yuki, and you answered Kyou. Nothing to argue about, then!" said Momiji. Yuki and Kyou considered this, then turned away form eachother, Kyou still holding Tohru's hand.

"Fine."

"Whatever."