Darkdreams: AAHHHH! Sorry sorry sorry sorry!!!!!!! I haven't updated in a million years, I know! And I even promised to be more diligant about this story! I had the hugest case of writers block, and it wasn't until today when I was going through my reviews that I realized how long it's been...and that's when I cracked my whip and sent my muse to work! So, my apologies guys!

Review responses:

TeArDroPs Of ThE MoOn: nyah...I'm so sorry! Momiji is fine, and there will be more about him later on...I don't know who I'll pair him with but don't worry, he'll be happy :)

Fire/Ice Fox Goddess: Thank you, I try my best on it :)

animelover630: Glad I inspired you, but I hope I don't inspire you to never update! T-T I'm terrible with updates...

Kyolover91: thanks, hopefully I can pick up the pace a bit more though. Sorry about the slowly driving insane thingy...

Snorkiest of Them All: Thank you very much :D And I'm sorry for such the long wait!

raiza: I'm so happy you like it! And here's the long awaited update...

Cannonballboy: Wow, It's good to hear that people are noticing how much I try to keep this thing balanced :) Here's your chapter!

MaNgA-bOy-LoVeR: Nope, I hear you loud and clear. I love the YukiTohru pairing, and somewhere in my computer I have a fic with that pairing...I just have to find it, haha! It means a lot to me that even though you didn't like the way the pairing turned out that you still read it :) But Tohru will be happy, she just needs to find the right Sohma to make her happy! hehe.

And on to chapter number 12!

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The ending credits rolled but Haru was reluctant to move and turn it off. Yuki's weight was a soft pressure on him, but not painful. He was too light to crush Haru. Soft, deep breathing reached Haru's ears and he knew that Yuki was asleep. And that left Haru alone to turn to his thoughts.

Poor Tohru, he really was sorry for being so mean to her. The look on her face just kept flashing through his head, over and over again. The phone rang.

"Hello," he said, pressing the receiver to his ear. "What?" He began to grip the phone so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "Yeah, ok. Ok. Uh huh, yup."

Yuki opened his eye a crack, hearing Haru's strained voice. He was warm, but the cool air around him made for a pleasant contrast. He wondered about who was on the phone, and sat up. Haru glanced over.

"Yeah, ok we'll be right over. Yeah. Yup. Yeah. Bye already!" Haru hung up the phone.

"Who was that, Koi?"

"Your brother. We need to get to Shigure's right away." Yuki didn't even have time to scowl; Haru pulled his half-naked body off the couch and threw his shirt and shoes at him.

"What's all this about," puffed Yuki as they hurried through the woods in the direction of Shigure's.

"To sum it up, Kyo's been taken away to the Main House by Kureno to see Akito. Everyone's gathering at Shigure's."

Yuki felt shock run up his spine in slow, purposeful chills. Kyo taken to see Akito? He could see that Haru was badly shaken up. He grasped Haru's hand lightly, giving it a reassuring squeeze. It was all he could do for the boy.

Haru could only smile down at Yuki, a hollow smile. He kept getting flashes of Akito's chambers, and what Akito could be doing to Kyo right now…it made him shudder. He didn't like Kyo, oh no not at all, but he did admire him and he knew that Yuki did as well. And didn't he have a girlfriend?

They reached the house at record speed and hurried through the front door. Sweat ran down their faces from walking so fast in the smothering heat. Haru steadied himself on the doorframe and slowly observed all that were in the room.

Ayame sat on the arm of a chair, while Shigure sat in the chair. Both had unnaturally serious expressions on. And Ayame's eyes looked slightly red, from crying maybe. Tohru sat on the floor, her eyes red and puffy, tears streaming down her cheeks, but she quickly covered her face with her hands and leaned into Uo, who sat beside her. Uo's arm was wrapped protectively around her, and she looked lost. Kisa and Hiro sat on the steps and just stared at Haru as he slipped his shoes off. It was creeping him out. Kagura was taking off her shoes slightly in front of them, and Momiji took them and out them out of the way. Haru tried to avoid their expressions, he felt bad enough as it was. Ritsu looked exceptionally calm, tracing a pattern on the floor with his finger, every so often mumbling an apology.

He sat down across from Uo and Tohru, letting Yuki rest on his shoulder. Tohru avoided looking at them, but Haru didn't mind. No one spoke. It was an unsaid agreement that no one would say anything until everyone was there.

Hatori arrived a few minutes later.

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Sometimes life just surprises you, and stabs you from behind.

Ah, the lovely thoughts of one Kyo Sohma.

"Where're we go---goin'?" His voice, it seemed, was still slurred and his tongue felt heavy and swollen. His mouth was dry, as if he had just eaten cotton or sawdust. Or a mix.

Had they drugged him? He could only remember putting up a fight, and then falling, and then some blurry shapes. And finally it was darkness. Until now.

He couldn't even remember why he had been fighting.

But slowly he began to awake, and then entire thing rushed back at him. Uo. Not transforming, going to Shigure, Momiji bursting in. Kureno almost right behind him. And then Momiji tripping Kureno, kicking him. And screaming for Kyo to run.

Kyo had never liked that energetic twerp; he was too much like a little brother. Or a little sister, depending on how he dressed. But he had to admit, Momiji had tried. Tried his hardest. And for that Kyo was grateful, at least.

"Though it doesn't help me out right now," he muttered. "What're you staring at?" he snarled at the bodyguard, stationed right across from him in the plush limo. Kyo took a second to take everything in and scoff in disgust.

"I suppose," he drawled, "That Akito couldn't find a crappier car in time to pick me up?"

The guard said nothing.

"Who's driving this thing anyway?"

Still nothing.

"Are you one of those British Imperial Guards? Where's your fluffy hat?"

There, he had accomplished a glare. At least he knew the guy was—partly—human. You just never knew with Akito.

"This is bullshit," Kyo said darkly. He demanded to know where he was being taken.

"Hey, pipe down!" Kureno's voice came from the front as the tinted window rolled down. "We're almost there to meet Akito. I hope you look presentable."

Kyo just smirked and flexed his biceps, just imagining punching Akito's two lackeys until he could hear the flesh tearing and their bones breaking. But he did nothing and waited. What did Akito want?

Besides, he could never do such a thing. It was mainly talk. Even to the rat, he couldn't. Kyo could barely contain his bitter laugh. Who would have ever thought that the cat would be admitting a weakness? To admit that he was mostly talk in his head was just another way that he could punish himself.

They pulled up to the main house and Kyo was shoved out of the car. He stumbled forwards and his face slammed against the pavement, since his hands didn't brace him effectively. He was hauled up again and literally dragged in through the doors. Once he was able to stand properly he snatched his arms away from the two lackeys, snarling. "I don't have to be dragged," he bristled.

With as much dignity as he could muster he threw his head up defiantly and entered Akito's chambers.

"Ah, the cat." Akito smirked. "Well, did you take a good look around the main house? Because this is the last you'll ever see it."

"Whatever," Kyo snarled. He heard the wind whistle and a slap was thrown across his cheek, stinging him. Without realizing he took a step back and stumbled over something, falling into the bed. And then he heard the snap of metal against metal, and in a shock he realized that he couldn't move his arms much.

Akito had handcuffed him to the bed. Struggling he tried to fight the urge to just lay passively there. He knew he had to get away, somehow. But no matter how he pulled and tugged, in every direction, all that he succeeded in doing was cutting into his wrists with the metal, so that a trickle of blood had begun to make its way in rivets down his arms.

"Now now you disgusting cat, don't be so hasty. Look, you're hurting yourself…" Akito leaned forwards and licked the blood off Kyo's arm in one long swipe. Kyo shivered as the cool air hit the moist skin.

"On second though," Akito said, looking off into the distance, "continue if you please, this will all be easier for me if you're tired out."

In that spilt second Kyo realized what was to be done to him. The sound of his beating heart pounded in his ears like a relentless drum and he could feel all the blood rushing to his head as his mind raced and his eyes widened in horror.

"God…" he whispered, before he slumped down onto the bed, unconscious.

Akito made his way towards him, with a suspiciously calm look on his face as he untied his robe and let it drop.

"Yes Kyo," he cackled, "I am your god."

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Tohru tried to hold back the gasping sobs that were threatening to rip out of her as soon as she let her guard down. Once Hatori arrived and everyone was seated, she stood; dazed, knowing that she was supposed to ask something that would make them all feel more comfortable.

"Oh, uh…" she wracked her brain, trying to think of what she meant to say.

"Tea, Tohru?" prompted Momiji gently. She looked down at him, as he smiled up at her from his place on the floor. Quickly she straightened up.

"Yes, I'm going to go make some tea!" She hurried off into the kitchen and busied herself with finding the kettle and filling it with water. But she couldn't help hearing them in the living room, as much as she tried not to.

"Shouldn't she be here, while we talk about this?" asked Haru.

"No, let her keep herself busy. It's what she needs right now."

"You sure?" Haru asked again.

"She said that she was sure," huffed Momiji.

Tohru could feel her eyes brimming with tears again, and slowly one fell onto the counter.

"Mom," she cried, her voice cracking. "Mom, what should I do? Akito has taken Kyo, mom. And I don't think that he's going to let him come back alive. Not on the inside, at least."

Hot tears scalded her cheeks, and she shakily lifted the kettle and placed it on the stove, and then stepped back. With her blurry vision she knew that she couldn't light it safely.

"What if…" she whispered, wiping tears away almost as fast as they slid down her cheeks, "What if Akito never lets him out again? What if this is the end, and no one will ever see him again?"

She collapsed in the middle of the kitchen floor, shakily beginning to cry, and then to let out her heartfelt sobs. She covered her face with her hands, ashamed that she couldn't be stronger then this.

"T—Tohru?" came a tentative plea. Ritsu stood in the doorway, frowning.

"Ritsu! I'm so sorry!" Tohru gasped, standing up quickly.

"No no no, I'm sorry!" he cried. The kitchen was silent as the two stared at each other, their eyes large and confused dots. And then Tohru smiled.

"Are you waiting for the tea?" she asked.

"Actually, I…I came to see if you'd like…well if you'd like for me to...would you like some help Tohru?"

"That would be nice, thank you Ritsu."

A few minutes later they came out, carrying teacups. And the meeting began.

"So…what are we doing then?" Hiro asked.

"We're going to create a diversion first…" Ayame got a strange glimmer in his eye as he looked at Hiro, who scowled back.

"NO! I will not be a diversion! No! No no no!"

Kisa looked up at him, her eyes wide and adorable. "But Hiro-kun…"

"Oh…fine, I'll do the stupid plan…"

"YAY!" Kisa smiled. And they all started to formulate their plot…

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::twidles thumbs:: so...good? bad? Poor Tohru? review!!!??? I want to know what you guys think. :)