Standard disclaimers apply!

Wow, I made it to chapter 12. I never would have thought that when I started. Listen up guys, this is the second to last chapter of this story. But I might write a sequeal...if that's what you guys want. It's totally up to you.

"Yuki-kun, what's wrong?" Tohru startled Yuki. He hadn't realized she had followed him outside.

"Nothing…I just…I don't know."

"You can talk to me Yuki-kun." Tohru said gently. "I'll listen."

Yuki looked at Tohru's face. It was always so sincere. She helps all of us so much. But I'm not the one who needs her most right now.

He smiled at her. "Honda-san, I know I can always talk to you. But right now, Kyou's the one that needs you most. Go in and see him."

"Yuki-kun…."

"Come on, go." He said.

"Okay."

Quietly, Tohru slipped into Kyou's room. He was asleep, or so it seemed. His chest rose and fell weakly, and it pained Tohru to see Kyou so immobile.

He's always so energetic. Seeing him like this, it just doesn't fit.

"Kyou-kun, can you hear me?" She whispered.

"He hasn't been responding." Tohru jumped. She had not been aware Hatori was in the room.

"What does that mean?" Tohru asked worriedly.

"It could mean nothing." Hatori said slowly. "It could mean he won't wake up."

Tears sprang into Tohru's eyes, and cascaded down her cheeks. She made no effort to stop the flood of water. "But it could mean nothing. He's probably just tired, right Hatori-san?"

He shook his head. "Honda-kun, I'm a doctor, not a psychic. I have no way of knowing what the future holds."

Tohru nodded, tears still flowing down her face like tiny rivers carving themselves into canyons. "I understand. Can I…spend some time alone with him?"

"Of course." Hatori left the room, and Tohru erupted with a new surge of tears.

"Oh Kyou-kun!" she cried. "Please don't leave us. I don't know what I'll do. Everyone is so worried. Kyou-kun, this wasn't supposed to happen. Akito-san, he's angry. But you shouldn't be the one to suffer because of his curse. Kyou-kun, please, don't make everyone else suffer too. Please come back to us, to me."

Her tears fell onto his face, and they glistened from the light shining through the window. Tohru tenderly brushed them away. When her hand touched his face, she felt the warmth of his body. Tentatively, she moved closer to him.

"I'm here, Kyou-kun. If you need strength, I'm here to give it."

She had no way of knowing Yuki was watching. He was, and what he saw tugged at his heart. I was right. She wouldn't just come out and say it, but she really and truly loves him. He felt a strange sensation in his chest, then realized it was his heart. It was breaking.

Tohru spent the rest of the night with Kyou. No one tried to convince her to leave. In fact, everyone had something else to worry about.

Haru has suffered mild dehydration and malnutrition, and felt feeble and groggy. He fell asleep in the living room, and no one wanted to wake him, although they figured he could answer quite a few of their questions.

Shigure and Hatori were trying to decide on what to do, and spent a great deal of the night trying to come up with a solid plan.

As for Kagura, she cooked dinner for everyone, then joined Tohru in Kyou's room. Yuki disappeared to brood over everything that had happened. Momiji was trying to entertain Hiro and Kisa, and above all, make them feel safe. It a strange way, what Akito was doing was bringing everyone together, even as it ripped them apart.

Hatori woke the next morning to someone calling his name.

"Hatori-san!" It was Tohru. Without a thought, he hopped up and rushed into Kyou's room. But her call wasn't of alarm, rather that of joy. Kyou had opened his eyes and was trying to sit up.

"Don't even think of moving, Kyou." Hatori said, smiling to show his relief. "Your body is weak. You need to rest."

"Aw come on! You could at least explain what's happening to me then." Kyou was his old self, and very cranky at that.

Hatori sighed. "You want to know everything that's happened?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah." Kyou said impatiently.

Rather reluctantly, Hatori explained.

"That bastard Akito." Kyou clenched his fists. "If I ever see him again I don't know what I might do." His whole body shook in rage.

"Kyou-kun, um, you should take it easy." Tohru said. "We were all very worried about you and you shouldn't push yourself and get fatigued again."

Kyou was about to say something, but he saw the concern in Tohru's eyes. "Fine, I'll stay in bed. If that's what you really want. Just don't let anyone in here, okay?"

Tohru smiled. "Thank goodness."

Over a few days Kyou steadily improved to the point he insisted on going to school. Aside from that, nothing had changed. Shigure and Hatori had cautioned the other members of the zodiac, but no one could think of a solution. So everyone continued living at Shigure's house.

"Hurry up, we're going to be late." Kyou said to Yuki, Tohru, Haru, and Momiji.

"I've never seen him so eager to go to school." Tohru said to Momiji. "It's wonderful to see him well again."

Momiji smiled. "It sure is. If only everything else could be resolved as quickly as Kyou can recover."

Arisa and Hanajima were waiting at the school gate.

"Hey orange-top, good to have you back." Arisa grinned at him. "You sure had Tohru here worried. Don't go getting sick like that again."

"Whatever. Let's get inside."

The day dragged by. For one reason or another, Hanajima found herself outside during lunch, away from the others. She noticed a man standing by a car, staring at the school.

"Ah, miss?" He called out to her. He was quite handsome, but appeared rather frail.

She turned towards him slowly. "Yes?"

"I was wondering if you might know a Miss Tohru Honda?" he asked.

"Why ye-" She stopped mid-sentence. She had sensed something in this man she did not trust at all. Almost as if a dark cloud of bitterness and vengeance hung around him.

"I'm sorry sir, but I have never heard of anyone by that name." She said, on guard. "Perhaps you're in the wrong place."

He stared at her with cold, lightless eyes. "If you don't know her, I suppose I should stop bothering you. Thank you for your time." He smiled, but only with his mouth. His eyes remained cold as stone.

"Good day." She quickly returned to the school.

"Tohru," she said slowly, "There's a strange man outside inquiring about you. I sensed dangerous waves coming from him. Please be careful."

"Oh, a man? Who could that be?"