Being super emotional I love the reviews I got and cried. Thanks to all of those who support me!

Chapter 3: Memories

Ichigo stepped inside the dark room and looked at Hatori's shelved wall. Pictures sat on the hand painted planks of wood. Kana was there next to the picture of the Mabudachi Trio.

"Wow, is this my father?" Ichigo asked.

Hatori looked up and picked up the picture. He touched Shigure's face and stared at Ichigo.

"Can you see the resemblance? You and your father are alike in many ways," Hatori told him.

"I hope this isn't rude but, how did my father die?"

"You have the right to know. He was shot to death. Actually, I myself am not sure how he died. It was quite sudden. Do you know that your mother and father fled from here so that they could all try to escape the family?"

"Yes," Ichigo replied quietly.

"Well, they killed him when he went out. That's what your mother wrote in a letter about a year after they left. Are you afraid?"

"Of what?"

"That you'll always be alone? That bastard, that dead bastard took everything away from me. He took my fiancée and my best friends but I wouldn't let him take me. No, now he's dead and I'm glad. I killed the man that murdered your father."

Ichigo backed away a little as Hatori began to look sadistic.

"I'm sorry," Hatori apologized. "You should go right now things get a little strange with me now. Good- bye."

Ichigo left the room and made his way back to Kyo.

"How'd it go?" Kyo inquired from behind a magazine.

"It went pretty well. How strange do things get with Hatori?"

"Well, last time I spent about an hour with him and he thought he saw Akito and threw a chair at me. My mom says he wasn't always like that but something is head screwed up when my uncle was killed."

"So… He's crazy?"

"A little but he's a nice guy. We're going to your dad's old house tomorrow. My mom and dad used to live there too. Kyo was there and random people would just wonder in or outside. Do you want to come? Hatori is coming. The house was on fire once but my dad saved it in case we ever got to meet you. A lot of stuff is left."

"Sure, maybe I can find out more about my dad."

" I'm going to take a short cat nap just before lunch. Good night."

Kyo tuned around and slipped under the covers. Kyo stared out his window and at the sea.

"Sometimes I wish that we could all be a free as the ocean. That way everyone would be alive and we could all be happy," Kyo told him. "Don't tell anyone I said that or I'll kill you."

"I won't. It's a nice thought though. Maybe then my dad would still be alive."

"Yeah."

The boys fell asleep just as Yuki sat in the kitchen watching Tohru began to cook the rice.

"So, tomorrow we're going back? We haven't been there in fifteen years. Do you think it's okay to take Hatori there? He's not exactly stable," Yuki asked.

"I'm sure he'll be fine! It'll remind us of all the good times we had in that house. Now that he's gone we should think of all the fun times we've had!"

"Right, we'll have to remember that stupid cat."

"Don't be like that."

The day finished and made it's way into night, night turned into morning and it pried open Kyo's sleeping eyes. Kyo looked over and saw Ichigo's bed made. Kyo got up and went into Hatori's room.

"Hatori, we're going to Shigure's house today," Kyo announced.

"I know," Hatori replied from his desk.

"Was he really your best friend?"

"Yes, him, Ayame, and I grew up together. I wish I wasn't the last one left. Once I lost a woman that I loved more than life. I thought that I would never feel pain like that ever again, then Shigure died and it hurt even more. That woman didn't die she went away and Shigure is dead. It's a big difference and it hurts me more than losing Kana ever could," Hatori began and then drifted into talking to himself.

Kyo left and met his mother in the kitchen.

"Good morning, Kyo. Ichigo is packing the car with your dad. Would you like some breakfast before we leave?" Tohru greeted.

"I'll just take a bagel with me."

Hatori came out of his room and followed Tohru to the car with Kyo trailing behind. Tohru sat behind the wheel and the car moved up the hill and into the city. Ichigo watched the scenery speed past him in a blur. The city was much bigger than the one that he used to live in with his mother. The car voomed to the edge of a forest and the car drove through a hidden driveway. Hatori could see himself driving down this same rode with Ayame next to him.

"I remember this place," Hatori muttered.

They got out of the car and walked onto the familiar wooden porch. They took of their shoes and stepped inside the old house. Tohru walked up to her old room and sat on the memorable plush bed. She reached for the hat that she had left behind and put her head down. Kyo helped his father up the stairs and Yuki went into his own room. His desk was still there but his windowed wall was nothing but ash.

"This is where you slept, Dad?" Kyo asked.

"Yes, this is where I used to live in this room away from everyone else. It was quiet and peaceful," Yuki recalled.

Hatori wandered into Shigure's old office with Ichigo behind him. The office was still intact and the books assembled full of dust on the shelves. Ichigo picked up a book and Hatori snatched it away.

"You don't want to read that," he warned remembering Shigure's writing very clearly.

"Why?"

"It's not appropriate for someone your age."

"Oh."

"You're father was very interesting. He was a writer he had various pen names and sold many books while he lived here. He wrote almost everything on these shelves. He fooled around and drove his editor to a point that made her suicidal. When he fled she did miss him. She became nothing and got married to another writer. She loved your father. She comes here often," Hatori explained. "Well, what a coincidence. Hello, Mitchan."

Mitchan looked up and smiled, "Hatori! It's so good to see you! I was afraid you were dead!"

Hatori looked at her as she stared at Ichigo.

"Sensei! Sensei! Is that you? Hatori said you were dead!"

Mitchan reached out and grabbed at Ichigo's arm.

"I'm not Shigure. I'm his son, Ichigo," Ichigo interrupted.

Mitchan looked him over again and blinked, "Oh, I see it now. You kind of look like that woman that I saw a picture of."

"Thanks."

Hatori picked up a pen and started to stab at Shigure's desk.

"What are you doing?" Mitchan requested.

"I have to step outside, excuse me."

"I guess Hatori just doesn't do well with others around," Ichigo thought.

Yuki and Tohru set off into Kyo's old room. The old cat's books were still around the room but something was new. A woman's clothes were in the room and they weren't coated in dust like everything else. All of Kyo's clothes were clean and the room was tidy.

Downstairs their son searched for the bathroom and when found he entered it.

"Man, I gotta pee," Kyo breathed.

Kyo began to unzip he pants and he began to pee.

"Wow, that feels better."

He zipped his pants back up and stared down at the toilet and flushed. A withered rose petal slipped off of the sink and a curtain opened.

"Mom? Dad?" Kyo tried. "Ichigo? Hatori?"

No reply came and he flushed the toilet. He looked into the mirror as he washed his hands and saw a hand come out from behind the curtain. It grabbed a towel and Kyo turned around and slid the curtain open. A gun was pointed at his head and he stopped.

This is fun! I'm on a role! I just hope I can get this done by the end of summer! Bye- bye, now!