The floor was harder and colder then usual; Tohru was silent from the pressure in the air. Shigure and Hatori; who were both tensely residing behind her outside of the room, anxiously smoked inside when they weren't supposed to. They both were silent, listening intently to the conversation they were blinded from.

The creaks in the floor had a noticeable effect in the atmosphere, because every time Akito would move, the ground would tell them. They all felt unsafe, and their leader made it none less comfortable by staring the girl down. Finally he asked his first abusive question.

"I imagine, you did some thinking." He made is slow way to stand in front of Tohru. He reached down and gently pulled a ribbon loose from her hair. "Fill me in; what else happened?"

Tohru stayed silent, not knowing what to do. Was she to lie? It wouldn't do any good. Akito had this planned; from the moment the possibility of emotions became clear. He had an evil heart. She knew what he was going to say; also knew that this morning was the last time she would see the man she reluctantly fell in love with the night before.

Oh Mom...what do I do? How can I see the light at the end of THIS tunnel; is there even a path? Tohru flintched as he webbed his fingers through her hair, gripping it tighter.

"You are taking to long. Answer me, before I get angry." He snickered.

Tohru squinted her eyes to keep the tears in. "I do love him," she coughed. "I'm sorry, I tried not to. I tried to stay away. But I can't, because..."

Akito pulled her head up and stared at her tightly closed eyes. "Because you love him?" He chuckled, tossing her head down. "Foolish child. Don't you see?" He raised his voice a few levels. "Don't you know I don't allow that? You scum. He thinks he needs you. But now he must be reminded that he really doesn't. He doesn't need you," he turned, yelling down at her in a more evil manner.

"He only needs me, to tell him that he doesn't need people like you." He grabbed her shirt, pulling it up to his face. "People like you who fall in love; and convince my chosen to turn against me. No one needs you, no one wants you. You should go back to the woods, where you belong, little girl." He let her shirt slide out of his grasp, letting her slip to the floor. He grinned down at her.

"I suggest you return to the house once." He turned his back on them all at the door to outside; Shigure and Hatori glued to the floor in the opposite doorway, still blocked by closed doors.

. "Do not speak to Kyo. If I find that you do, he will be punished. You don't want that, I assume." He then shut the door, leaving an evil black shadow on the rice paper. They watched it leave.

Tohru slowly broke down into tears. It was exactly what she knew would happen. She couldn't think about him. She couldn't think about anyone, or anything; at all. She felt herself stand and turn, running out the door. She heard a small amount of the pleading of the grown men in the background, begging her to stop. She couldn't concentrate, but soon the sight of him stopped her in her tracks.

Kyo watched her stop, her hair flowing in front of her face and the tears in her eyes. Her expression stunned him. He watched her stand there, and he felt a horrible sensation shooting through his veins. He clenched his fists and eyed Akito's doorway; but his ears twitched at the sound of movement. He looked over to the sight of her, running away. He called to her, holding out a hand; the only movement his body enabled him. His eyes thinned as he jerked his glance to Akito; the bastard was grinning with the eyes of a devil, staring back at him from a window. Kyo took a defensive step back, palms bleeding from his fists. He screamed.

"What do you want!" He panted from fear. "What... what did you do to her?" He growled, the devious cat's eyes boiling, his pupils slits. His blood felt like fire, nipping at his skin. He didn't know what to do; the stare of the satanic inhumane creature was bending him speechless.

"I want your loyalty," Akito sneered. "I want you to pay for being the stupid fool who fell in love with a worthless stranger like her. If you believe that you're going to see her ever again, you're going to find out by making me feel like you don't need it. Because everyone knows, I never give you anything you want."

Kyo panted, silently. The cord was struck; yet he could do nothing. Akito wasn't lyeing, it wasn't something he would underestimate about. Now he had to convince him that he didn't need her, that he no longer loved her. He couldn't tell her to wait for him now; his collar was placed around his neck as soon as he placed his eyes on her. He couldn't stand it any more, he had to leave. He turned and ran; he fled as fast as he could. He went to the only place he could trust.

He kicked off his sandals and tackled a weighted doll in his Master's Dojo. He punched the face, cracking it into pieces. He flipped back up to a standing position and kicked it into the floor, then began punching it as hard as he could. He lifted his hand from the rubble, the blood pouring out of his knuckles. The bone was raw, and the pain was indescribable. But that was nothing. He hardly cared.

Kuwabara stood in the doorway, hearing the commotion. He had felt something a while ago, and had been expecting his adoptive son to be crying on his floor. He stayed his distance. He didn't know and he didn't need to. He would see him in time.

Meanwhile; Tohru had been running for quiet a while. She burst into the house, collapsing to her knees and to the ground in the door way. Yuki heard the loud slam of the door and stepped down the stairs; he saw her and ran to her side, holding her up a little. Her eyes were swollen, and she was already sleeping. He picked her up and brought her to her bed, laying her down. He held her hand when she was under the covers, studying her. He kissed her forehead.

"I apologize. But I'm still a coward. I can't escape Akito," He clenched her hand, remembering her lessons she had taught him daily. "I'm still a coward. I can't do what Kyo did. I can't stand the pain." He let her hand go and let it drop to her side. "So, for that, I am truly sorry." He turned, reluctantly leaving her room; shutting the door to the last sight of her as how things might never be again.