(Chapter Nine: Heart to Heart)

From outside on the deck Hatsuharu leaned against the railing. He was steamed inside and it had taken all his will power not to explode at this very moment. He took a deep sigh and placed his hands in his pockets. He remembered how worried Momiji, Hiro, and Kisa had all been when Yuki and he had arrived home hours ago. Tohru and Kyo still hadn't shown up and right now Hatsuharu was the one who was worried. He strode back inside the house. But as he entered the main room Tohru and Kyo came back from the outer door. Kyo was leaning on Tohru, covered in several bandages. Momiji, Yuki, and Kisa hurried over to examine him. For a moment Hatsuharu stood there as Kyo and Tohru explained to them all that everything was all right. Then with one loud scream of anger he dashed back out of the house.

"Haru!" Yuki called seeing his cousin's fit of rage.

Hatsuharu didn't hear him though. He had run back onto the deck, jumped off it, landed on his feet on the wet grass below, and was now running into the woods screaming, and cursing angrily the entire way.

"What was that all about?" Hiro wondered aloud as Momiji and Yuki just merely looked at each other and shook their heads with a frown.

From up in the girl's bedroom Rin had seen Haru running towards the woods. She had seen this sort of reaction before and thought to herself what could possibly haveupset him this time. Walking past the bedroom Momiji and Tohru helped Kyo into the boy's room with Yuki right behind them. Rin stared in shock at the sight of Kyo's wounds and then ran over to the door just as Hiro and Kisa were walking by.

"What happened to him?" she asked.

"I think" Kisa replied, "Cousin Kyo tried to save Sissy from Akito" she explained.

"Yea" Hiro nodded, "And he got hurt in the process of it."

Rin watched with a sad look on her face as they both disappeared into the boy's room to help out. With not much thought Rin ran downstairs and threw on her coat. Then she grabbed the doorknob and walked out the door, heading in the direction of the woods behind the house.

(Next Scene)

"You're kidding me?" Ayame raised his eyebrow as Shigure finished telling him everything that Hatori and he had seen that afternoon, "Lucky Kyo did all that?"

"Yes" Shigure nodded, "He was quite brave. In fact I do have to say I never thought I would see the day when a member of the Zodiac would stand up to the god of the Zodiac."

"Very true" Hatori added, "It is a rare thing indeed. Still I have to wonder, what drove Kyo to say some of the things he did?"

"My guess Hari" Shigure replied, "Would be that without our knowledge Akito has been secretly attacking Tohru in some way. I mean it makes perfect sense why Kyo said to leave her alone."

"But how on earth could he be doing that?"

"Hmm" Shigure thought, "Well there was the couple of months where Tohru was receiving several letters from the main house. She didn't know that I knew about it, but I did read the address on each letter."

"You mean to say that Akito was sending her messages?" Ayame said, "Why? What do you think that he wanted?"

"I don't know" Shigure shook his head.

"It really is difficult to say exactly what Akito had in mind" Hatori replied, "These days no one really knows what is going on with him besides Kureno."

"Then maybe we should ask Kureno?" Ayame suggested.

"Mnm" Shigure shook his head again, "That wouldn't do us any good either. Kureno is always by Akito's side. He never lets him speak let alone interact with anyone else in the family. No. We are just going to have to figure it out on our own."

"What are you implying Shigure?" Hatori said a bit suspicious, "That we spy on Akito?"

"No not spy on him" Shigure grinned, "Merely keep a close watch on his activities. After all Kyo is right about one thing. Tohru is an outsider. Therefore she should not be made to suffer like the rest of us."

"I agree" Hatori nodded, "All right. We will watch Akito's actions the best we can. And if he gets out of line we'll handle it in our way."

"Okay" Ayame agreed, "I'm not around much but I will do my part when I can."

"That's the spirit Aya" Shigure smiled, "What would I do without you?" he replied joking.

"Oh no Shigure" Ayame said playing along, "It is I who can not live without you.

"Yes" they held up their thumbs.

Hatori sighed, picked up a nearby newspaper, and began to read, while the silly little play that had went on since they were kids continued for a at least ten more minutes.

(Next Scene)

Rin walked slowly through the woods scanning for any sign of Hatsuharu. She finally found him punching and tearing at a large tree that was right in front of her. On the ground were thousands of tree shavings, which he had, tore off. She could tell because of the blood trickling from his fingernails. His knuckles were also bruised and bleeding. He was screaming as loud as he could, punching the tree over and over. When he was getting ready to hit the tree once more he heard a soft sigh behind him.

"Haru" Rin said slowly as he looked back over his shoulder, "Stop this now. You're only hurting yourself."

Haru turned all the way round and Rin could now see the tears that had been falling down his face and cheeks. She took a step back quite surprised as he fell to his knees and just continued to sob, very lightly.

"No. No. No." he kept saying over and over to the ground.

Rin sighed once more and squatted down stroking his back as he cried and kept repeating the word.

"Haru" she replied finally, "What are you saying no for?"

"It's not fair" he cried, "I wanted them to be the ones. The ones to make it. Of all the things I wanted in this world this was one of them. I wanted them to be happy. I didn't want them to end up suffering as I have. Because of Him. DAMN HIM!" Haru punched the ground, "DOES HE HAVE TO RUIN EVERY GOOD THING THAT COMES ALONG FOR US! WHY THEM? WHY HER? WHY HIM? I JUST DON'T GET IT!" Haru hit the ground once more.

"Haru stop!" Rin shouted holding onto his shoulders tightly, "You're gonna make your injuries even more worse then they are. Haru" she replied softly, "You can't change what happens in the past. All you can do is move on, remember? Don't you remember those were the exact words you said to me when I was upset? You told me to look ahead. And now I am asking you to look ahead."

"How can I look ahead?" he said slowly, "When everything ahead seems so dark and lonely" he looked up into her face the last tear falling down his cheek, "I'm tired of always trying to be the positive one. Like Momiji I just explain things away as if they will somehow get better. Right now I don't feel like being that person. I just wish."

"You just wish?" she replied.

"I just wish for once that someone could feel how they want and it wouldn't be a problem" Haru sat up, "I was so happy the day I found out that Tohru and Kyo had gotten together."

"Why Haru? Didn't you know that they would only suffer as we did?"

"Of course I knew that. But I wanted to believe more than anything that they would be the ones to make it. That they would have the kind of relationship that I still longed for" he once more looked her in the eye, "The kind of relationship I lost with you."

"Oh Haru" she said sadly.

"And I know why I lost it" Hatsuharu replied bitterly, "I lost it because of Him. Because of Akito. And I'll be damned if he is going to ruin their lives like he ruined mine."

"What does Akito have to do with us Haru?" Rin said surprised.

"Come on Rin" Haru looked at her, "I'm not stupid you know. I know what he did to you. How he was the reason you ended up in the hospital in the first place. And also that you stopped talking and generally having anything to do with me, because you are afraid that I will get hurt."

She stared at him stunned and then stood up, turning her back.

"That's ridiculous. I just fell out of love with you that's all."

"Oh really" he stood up, "Then you turn around and tell me to my face that you don't love me anymore. Because if that is the truth Rin, I will walk away and forget all about you. I will never bother you again. I swear I won't. Just tell me" he spun her around, "And I want the absolute truth. Do you love me or don't you Suzu?"

Rin stared at him, shocked once more that he had used the nickname he gave her a long time ago. She looked him in the eye and let the tears settle in her eyelids.

"I don't love you Haru," she replied as one tear slid down her face.

Haru stared into her eyes and nodded his head, placing his hand on her shoulder. Then he walked past her without another word. As he walked his eyes were closed and he thought.

"I'm never gonna give up Suzu. I know you still love me. No matter how many times you say it, I know now, that you still do. There is no way in this world that you could ever lie to me and I wouldn't know it. You're still trying to protect me. So protect me" he opened his eyes as he approached the house, "But know this, I will still love you and someday I will find a way to prove it to you."

(Till Next Time)

Authors Note: Hey guys! One more chapter of Book Eleven!

Next Chapter: At Peace for Now

Back home once more and everyone is feeling much more relaxed then they had before. But is that true? Tohru and Kyo wonder will their last two months really not be interrupted? Lots of questions going on in the minds of the characters. See what they are when the story continues!