Yo~!! And Welcome to My Little World of Weirdness!

I state for the record that, despite the fact I really, really wish I did, I don't own any of the official characters that will grace this story; the wonderful creator of Fruits Basket, how I love thee! How can I show my appreciation? By borrowing your characters and putting them in weird situations, of course!! Oh, oh!! I do own the small poem that is in this though . . . it's dedicated to a close friend. [Laughs] Also I don't pretend to have any Mastery over the language of Japanese or any clue as to correct grammatical structure. I put it in and hope it gets across the point I'm trying to make! And I don't pretend to be able to write any sort of accents so please don't hate me!!

"Speaking"

*Stress/emphasis*

//Thinking//

++Titles – timewise ++

Poem

~ Just a Little Something ~

By Doctor Megalomania

~ Chapter dedicated to Tam Chronin, for her continued brilliant support! Thank you for beta reading this chapter!!

Part Six: Revenge

He pushes open the door, carefully carrying my lunch on a tray.

His own, interestingly, is meagre compared to mine. I raise an eyebrow and look at him frankly. He's becoming very thin, even the feminine curve of his cheeks is beginning to disappear. I know Hatori has talked to him about it before. I heard them one evening, Hatori's concerned about him, hasn't he been taking care of himself? Hasn't he been sleeping well?

Well, actually . . . to be precise all I heard was Hatori. I think Ritsu has stopped talking.

My plan is progressing excellently. I'll make him realise what a fool he's been . . . but I can't do that if he dies, or collapses from starvation. I make up my mind; I will fatten the ugly monkey up again, besides it just adds to my plan! I smile as I look at him and fold my bookmark into my book. Ritsu blinks and blushes slightly; already he's feeling the effects of my plan. Wonderful.

"Good. I was thinking maybe you got lost."

Ritsu shakes his head in the negative, I bid him to come over and show me what I'll be having for lunch. It is a small salad, complete with healthy chunks of chicken, it smells wonderful. I smile slightly for him and nod my approval. He helps me to sit up and rests the tray delicately on my lap.

I eat slowly, savouring the ability to feed myself once more. You never really appreciate the ability to move, until it has been taken from you. I glance at him as he picks at his small portion of food, and notice how introspective he's turning. He's thinking . . . about what I can't exactly tell . . . Does he wonder about my apparent 180-degree turn in my attitude? Perhaps. Can he understand why I've started smiling at him more, looking at him, *flirting* at him? Never. No, I like playing with him . . . I've never openly flirted with anyone like this before. Always they've been aware that I own them, Ritsu has grown to believe that I don't own him as much as I do the others. I've never given him the benefit of having my attention as I would the others.

His little confession has drawn my attention, and he will learn what it is to be in my control . . . but first, I must break him. And to do that . . . I will have to raise his hopes to a level so far above, that when they smash back down to earth, they will break into pieces so small, he'll never be able to put them back together again.

A little like Humpty Dumpty . . .

Only the idiot egg didn't have a great fall, the King pushed the moron.

If you're delicate, stay on the ground. Live in a glass house? Don't mock the children next door. Like a China Doll? Don't let me know.

I smile as I raise a small piece of chicken up and offer it to him. It takes a few moments for him to realise that I've stopped eating and look up at me. Poor dear, his eyes look like a kicked puppy, awww . . . poor diddems.

I smile slightly as I nudge it against his lips.

"Eat." I command softly, and obediently he opens his mouth and starts to eat. I watch with interest as he slowly chews. His lips move against one another, they are slightly red. I blink as I realise he's started wearing make up again. I don't realise I'm staring until his thin red lips part and the tip of his tongue pokes out daringly, running along the very edges of his teeth and brushing his top lip slowly. 

I swallow as a curl of disgust tickles my stomach, does he think that is seductive? Yuck. Ritsu sighs and his white teeth disappear again. He thinks this moment is over but I've not had my fun yet. I lift my fork again to his lips, and once again he takes the food. This time I stare into his eyes, his amber eyes stare at me, carefully blank and yet . . . yes, I believe I can see it, I can see that tiny little flicker of hope that I've been feeding . . . excellent, it's not yet bright enough for me to extinguish just yet, but . . . soon . . . I'll make my move when it will hurt him most . . .

It feels strangely good to be sitting up.

I wait patiently as the worthless monkey washes my back; one hand rests on my shoulder for support as he leans over me. His hair is down today, making it a bit of a pain whenever he leans over to do something I command . . . naturally today, everything I ask for is on the floor. Heh. He is wearing a light green kimono today, with spring-like shrubs and blossoms embroidered over it. How sweet. It's one of the most formal bridal kimonos I've ever seen, and I wouldn't have put it past Ayame's creative abilities. It suits him; the pale green is well matched to his hair, and his pale features. I feed him with scraps from my plate, and he seems to have taken the hint.

While I've become strong enough to sit up in bed, he has regained some of his more feminine curves; it almost makes his girlishly long eyelashes look nice against his cheek again. He keeps glancing at me out the very corner of his eye, no doubt worried how I am doing.

Today is the first day I've been strong enough to actually sit up for any length of time.

He keeps glancing at me with worried eyes, awww . . . I almost smirk, is he worried for his love? Well, soon the day is coming when I can get my bloody revenge on the disgusting creature. I stare at him openly, memorising each little detail about his hideous face. The way he demurely lowers his gaze as he washes me, the way he keeps one side of his hair brushed back over his shoulder, but allows the other side to fall freely. It's almost like he's keeping himself all for me, no one else can see through his curtain of hair but me. His face is still a little gaunt and the angry red marks of my attack on him are melting away. Just the tiniest hint of makeup adorns his face, his lips are a glossy pale pink, and his cheeks are powdery red. A slight smile tugging at his lips suggest he knows what I am looking at, but other than that he tries to keep his expression blank.

He finishes by reapplying my bandages to my chest, I note that the clumsy creature is being very gentle with me, his hands don't touch me more than they should, but I feel shivers of disgust roll over my skin as he glides his hands down my sides. I can't bare it, when he has to come so close to me. His perfume, irritatingly not the one he wore for me that first time, is lightly dabbed over him, masking him, hiding his real scent. It's heady, and makes me feel uneasy to be so close to him. He straightens, and stares at my chest, no doubt wondering if he's tied it tight enough, his lips purse together, his eyebrows draw closer. He blinks as he kneels, and ties the lowest run of bandages slightly tighter.

As he kneels before me, I notice that the sunlight catches some highlights in his bland hair. It gives him a crown of gold, and with his eyes focused else where for a moment, I can make believe my little china doll has returned to me. She's knelt before me in gentle worship.

Of its own volition, my hand comes and touches her golden brown hair. Her gentle hands still, and she blinks looking up at me with little contained surprise. I start to stroke her head lovingly, just gazing into those wide warm brown eyes. Her soft pink mouth falls open, revealing kittenish white teeth. I feel a stir of desire in my stomach as her head tilts into my hand, and her warm eyes start to slide shut. But not before I catch a glimmer of desire, my china doll wants me too.

How I missed her . . .

A soft sigh escapes her lips, as she brings her dainty hands up to meet mine. So daring! She drags my hand down from her head and along her neck. She reaches for my other hand and I pull it away from her, no . . . I am in control of this, I smile at my china doll as I reach for her hair again, I run it through my fingers.

How I wanted her . . .

I see her flat bosom swell slightly as she curves into my caresses, so desperate for more of my touch. She's loosing herself to me, I see her smile, as she opens her eyes a crack to gaze at me with heated eyes. Oh, I want to groan, she wants me so much, I can see it!

Her heavenly voice breathes a quiet sigh, as she starts to talk, "Aki—"

The moment is shattered when a loud knock summons me back from my daydream. Ritsu too is startled, and I have to fight violent recoil as I realise the hideous, disgusting monkey's bland hair is mussed, and his cheeks are stained with blotchy blushes. He quickly finger combs his hair, and stands. He glances from me to the door as whoever is knocking knocks again.

"Well answer it!" I snap, fairly irritated that I lost so much control of my daydream.

The damned monkey scrambles to answer the door and Hatori comes in. strangely, I don't feel like talking to him, I should be falling over myself thanking him from stopping me from falling too deeply into my daydream and actually touching the stupid monkey. My plan is to break him, but even having contact with the stupid creature is too much too ask. My plan will never include anything but the odd smile at that disgusting thing, perhaps even the odd touch, but never am I kissing it, much less going further with it.

Ritsu quietly picks up the bowl of water and balances it on his hip; I glare at Hatori until finally I glance at Ritsu's back as he walks to the door. He seems to feel my gaze and glances over his shoulder. He stares back at me, his hand coming up to touch his cheek, stroking it as if he can't quiet believe I touched him.

As he disappears around the corner, I can't help but glare at Hatori with the absurd furious idea that he scared away my china doll.

The worthless monkey looks up with surprise as I am wheeled back into the room.

He's sitting on the end of my bed, reading some stupid book of his and clearly he didn't expect me. He looks at me with concern, noting my furious expression. I have to hold my tongue as he takes the handles off my orderly and wheels me over to my bed. I am back early, but I would rather spend my time with the loathsome monkey than with the idiot outsider of a nurse Hatori had arranged for my physical therapy. "Idiot outsider woman! She was hideous, repulsive! Her perfume made me feel ill, and having her support me as she instructed me nearly drove me to killing her! How dare Hatori arrange such a person to help me recover my ability to walk!"

The damned monkey is careful as he lowers me back into my bed, and I can't help but feel much better. Much as I hate him, Ritsu's perfume is a refreshing change from hers.

I feel drained.

So drained, that I can barely help the monkey as he moves me. I just want to lie here, sleep, die . . .

I blink my eyes open as I hear soft, soothing words, and feel a cool, damp cloth press against my fevered brow. I felt my bed dip, and Ritsu's hands slowly unbuttoned the shirt he'd put on me only an hour ago. Once he reaches half way, I feel him slip the damp cloth over my eyes, and his hands then move onto my shoulders. His hands are tight as they begin to work over them.

I hear him mumble something, catching only, 'Ha-san' and 'might help'.

She works over the knots in my shoulders gently, and her warm hands start to send me into a doze. She starts to hum quietly, moving so she kneels on the bed. She'll fall off like that, and I raise a hand to press against her side, her back, sliding over her body, pushing her to a safer place on the bed. I can't see her, but I can almost feel the radiance of her smile as she moves to kneel over me. She's careful though, careful not to touch me. I feel the dip in the mattress where her knees are, and I can feel the warmth of her thighs barely brushing my hips, but aside from that . . . it's not enough . . .

She's so concentrated on my shoulders, she doesn't realise how much she is frustrating me. I want to feel her so closely, my eyes covered, my hands wander over her hips. They are stark, not completely feminine, there is strength in those hips, they move almost as if they were trying to avoid my hands, avoid pressing up against them. She's so playful today!

I feel her hands pause as I grasp her hips more firmly, then hear a startled gasp as I slowly lower her.

"You can't have been very comfortable . . ." I whisper to her softly, I feel a smile build on my lips as I stroke up her torso. I want to take this further, I want to break her . . . make her mine . . . but something holds me back, I don't want to hurt my china doll.

I hear her sigh quietly, she's happy, perhaps even pleasured by our chaste contact. I am warmed by her presence there, just sitting on my own hips, her knees touching gently either side of my chest. Her hands rest on my shoulders, as mine do on her hips. She strokes my shoulders reverently, as she shifts, bends until her hair spools over my chest. She lowers herself, and her head rests on my chest. She listens to my heartbeat, and I hear a contented sigh.

I raise my hand from her hip, and cup her head to me, I don't want her to leave me again . . . not again . . . never . . .

The evening sun is red, and glows evenly through my window, as I awaken again.

My china doll is . . .

A movement at the foot of the bed invites my attention.

I blink as I realise she's not actually gone. My china doll almost takes my breath away; she sits at the end of my bed, clutching a towel about her body protectively watching the sunset with a contented gaze. The dying sunlight is so beautiful when reflected on her face. A warm smile flits over her lips as a lock of her wet hair falls from the clumsy bun she's piled it into. Closing her warm eyes, she brushes it back with a hand and reaches for a brush.

Then the spell broke.

The towel fell away, and instead of a woman's swell of bosom, Ritsu's disgusting flat chest reveals itself to taunt me. I resisted the urge to throw something at him, something sharp, something hurtful. My plan wasn't completely yet, and already I was *slipping*! How could I forget, my graceful china doll was this disgusting monkey. I force myself not to throw up when he blinks and realises I was awake. He smiles radiantly, unaware he's making me sick, as he speaks quietly, "I spoke to Ha-san. . ."

"Did you . . ." I have to restrain myself so much, to keep my plan in motion. I couldn't let him see how much he disgusted me until the moment was right.

He brushes through his hair quickly, the water dripping off his bland golden brown hair, "Hai!" He was happy, as he announced that Hatori was going to allow him to accompany me to my Physical Therapy, so that the woman would be tutor for me, and tutor alone. He was going to provide any support I needed. I stopped a smirk, him? Support me? He was weaker than I was!

But still it was better than that idiot outsider.

The lessons were hard, and every time afterward, I had Ritsu work out the tense muscles. I had to grudgingly admit that he was very good with his hands, apparently all that training with his foolish mother at the health spa and hot springs must have sunk in at sometime. If only he wasn't so stupid and clumsy, Ritsu would make a good masseuse.

I was careful though; I tried hard not to fall into my pitiful daydreams. I was never going to have my China Doll back, and there was no sense in trying to turn Ritsu into her. She was forever gone.

I allowed myself a few times though, just make believing that she was there, sometimes I would wake to the monkey's humming. I could lie there and listen to him and pretend, just for a few moments, that she was returned to me. I wanted her so much, so much, she was the only one who ever really cared for me . . .

The therapy lessons, as I said, were hard and draining. But I kept at them; I didn't want to have to depend on the monkey forever. After the lessons, rather than wheel me to the bed, I would lean on the monkey as we walked to it. The pain in my legs was intense, but when I did it for the first time, fluidly, without having to stop for breath or until my vision cleared, it was so wonderful.

"You did it!" I hear Ritsu whisper happily, as he bent over with me, lowering me onto the bed. I felt so unsteady, my vision was blanking out, and I felt the threat of passing out. My arms remained tightly wrapped around his neck, as I struggled to get my breath back. I felt his hands move in slow circles on my back, and as my lungs began to work again, my rather frazzled mind took a moment to realise that he was wearing the perfume I'd ordered him to get. He'd not been able to fulfil my order, the shop apparently not stocking that particular brand anymore, but he found some. I don't know how, but he found some . . . I felt a smile build on my lips, it smelt wonderful . . .

My plan was working . . .

. . . I turned my head, smelling his hair . . .

I was in control of him.

. . . his hands stilled, and he began to kneel before me. . .

I could break him at any moment.

. . . He smiled up at me so happily, taking one of my hands and pressing it against his cheek. . .

I would crush his hope soon.

. . . his warm eyes slid shut, as I leant forward, his smiling soft lips inviting me . . .

I should . . . hurt him . . .

. . . I couldn't close my own eyes until our lips met, his happiness just radiating around me . . .

I will have his heart because . . .

A blush stole across his cheeks, as he lifted his hands up and braced himself against my thighs, as I cupped the back of his head in my hands and pulled him closer, kissed him deeper, breathed in the sweet perfume, my china doll's hands tightened as our passion rose.

I will have his heart because . . .

My hands tugged at him, pulled him up, slid down his back, pulled his knees forward, forcing him to kneel on the bed, forcing him to sit with me. My china doll, oh, how I desire her! My china doll, so willing, so passionate, I would never have guessed. We lay back, my china doll's innocent hands came to my face and stroked the sides of my face, in my hair, my neck as I kissed her so hard, bruised his lips, I wanted her to wield to me, I wanted him to submit to me . . .

I will have his heart because . . .

My china doll sat, lips a passionate rose red, her eyes warmed only for me, his breath a husky rasp as my china doll rolled over, and lay down beside me. Arms inviting as I leant over her, his eyes watching me, her lips parted. I felt my vision blur, I couldn't tell anymore . . . the exertion of the day, the passion of the moment, made me light headed, and I . . . I . . .

My last thought before all around me went crashing out of my awareness was that . . .

I will have his heart because he is mine.

~Are you the one, whose heart is calling mine?

I don't understand, please tell me.

My heart's calling out, my eyes are blurred,

Whose heart is calling out to me, are you the one?~

------

And Now It's Time To LEAVE IT TO DOCTOR MEGALOMANIA!!!

DrM: [just grins with happiness]

Akito: [sourly] Why are you so happy?

DrM: [squeals quietly as she points at the reviews]

Akito: [rolls eyes] So you get a few nice words, you realise that they are actually praising MY acting abilities . . .

Ritsu: [bites lips] do you think we'll get any more reviews, Akito-sama?

Akito: [sneers] Of course we will! It's a story about ME after all!

DrM: [raises eyebrow] Riiiiiiiight. . . okay. . . [turns to readers] have you ever had a day when your characters suddenly pretend that they are real?

Akito: we are real.

DrM: [blinks] really?

Akito: Yes.

DrM: [confused] uh, well. . . that's erm, good. . . I think . . . [shakes head] Anyway, thank you very much for your time, please leave a review!! And also, can I just give a great big round of thanks to Tam Chronin, who very kindly beta-read this chapter for me because beloved blue – who doesn't really beta read my FB fics very much - was too busy . . .

Akito: [raises eyebrow] with what?

DrM: [mumbles] In This Tainted Soul. . . Find Redemption . . .

Akito: [shakes head] oh dear me. [glares at readers] So? Please R&R!!