please look at chapter nine if you need refreshers on what's going on…

Chapter 10: Memories

Kyo looked at Tohru. Her face was wet from tears, her eyes bloodshot, her hair was a mess and her expression was a mixture of worried-ness, nervousness and fear. Kyo took hold of her hands. He smiled at her, "Don't worry, everything will be fine. As long as I'm here, no one can get to your memories." A rustling in the bushes made Kyo jump up and become tense. "Who's there?" He called out. Hatori ran into the clearing, "Oh good, there you two are. Akito's on his way, I was just informed by Shigure." Hatori moved towards Tohru and Kyo. Kyo blocked him from getting too close to the two of them. "Is that all you're here for?"

Hatori, first looked confused, then understood, "Kyo, how many times do I have to tell you, I'm not here to take Tohru's memories away from her. You can relax." Kyo looked from Hatori to Tohru.

"Kyo, he's telling the truth, he's the one who drove me here." Tohru said, getting up.

"Well, fine. But I'm not leaving, it's past the time to end everything." Kyo said, "and I will end it…."

Hatori sighed, "as a doctor I cannot allow you to fight Akito again. He's already in bad enough health, but I do have a car and I can get you two out of here, back to safety."

Kyo gave Tohru's hand a reassuring squeeze. She was scared again, at the thought of Akito. "Don't worry," Kyo assured her, "as long as I'm here I'm not going to let him hurt you."

"But Kyo…." Tohru started.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I'm used to getting a beat down by now." Tohru nodded, but she could sense that Kyo was mostly just trying to put on a carefree face so that she wouldn't worry.

"If you two are ready, we better go." Hatori suggested. The three of them walked to Hatori's car and got in.

"How's Yuki?" Tohru asked.

"He's fine," Hatori said, "mostly he's worried about you."

"Hmmm..." Tohru agreed. Sitting in the car suddenly made her tired, and she rested her head on Kyo's shoulder. Kyo, who was startled at first, let her head stay there. He grabbed her hand.

"Yo, Hatori, what are you planning on doing when Akito wants Tohru's memories erased?"

"I'm not sure yet."

"You better not… ya know… go through with it and all."

"I have no intentions of doing that. But one never knows with Akito."

Kyo looked at Tohru who had fallen asleep, "I'd never forgive you if you did, erase them I mean."

"I'm sure if it came to that, you, Yuki, Kisa, Shigure, Kagura. Momiji, Haru, Ayame, and all the other people whom Tohru has become friends with would not forgive me, and I'm not sure I'd be able to live with myself. You and Yuki have to be stronger than I was with Kana. Don't just accept what Akito says, and be careful that Tohru doesn't believe that anything that's happening is her own fault."

Kyo nodded, and looked out the window. After about fifteen minutes, Hatori stopped the car. Tohru woke up from the jolt.

"You two get out here." He said.

"Wha? Where the hell are we? What's going on Hatori?"

"I'm not sure, I just have a bad feeling about this whole situation. I don't think it wise that you two return to Shigure's tonight."

"Where do you want us to go?" Kyo asked.

"Look where we are." Hatori answered.

Kyo looked out the window to see Ayame's shop.

"No way. Hatori- I can't…"

"If you want to protect Tohru, go there."

Kyo looked at Tohru, who had fallen asleep on his shoulder. "Hari…" he started.

"None of that, now get out, it's best if we stay split up tonight so that we're not all found."

"Hatori…" Tohru said, waking up, "Hatori please, can we just go home?"

Hatori looked at her pained, tired face. "It may not be safe there right now…"

"I don't care…. I just want to go home."

"No, the plan was for you to go here and be safe, away from everyone."

"I… I would only worry more about everyone getting hurt because of what's going on…" Tohru said weakly.

"Tohru, do not worry about us. We are members of the Zodiac. We have all dealt with Akito's wrath before. There's no need for you to experience any more pain than you already have. Please, for us, so that we're not worried about you, stay here tonight."

"Will I be alone?" She asked.

"No way! I'm staying too Hatori." Kyo said, "To protect Tohru here in case something happens…"

"I don't have a problem with it, actually it will be easier for both of you that way. Try to sleep and not worry about us too much."

"Wait!" Tohru exclaimed, "Hana and Uo are still at Shigure's house…"

"They'll be ok, don't worry, we'll keep them safe, they're not entangled in this, so I may have to erase their memories of this evening when all this calms down. It's for their own sake Tohru, please don't get upset, we don't know If it will be necessary or not yet." Hatori gave Tohru the tissue box, Kyo an umbrella and a key and watched the two of them walked up to the dark storefront. When he saw they were saftely inside, he turned the car around and headed back for Hana's house to pick up Akito and Yuki.

He arrived to see Yuki walking slowly down the sidewalk. "Yuki!" he called out the window, "Is Akito still inside?"

Yuki's eyes widened, "Hatori? Yeah."

"Can you get home by yourself?"

"I can manage, where's Kyo and Tohru?"

"Tohru and Kyo are at Ayame's shop right now, but you should return home…."

"I'm going to where they are."

"Yuki, you can't do that. You're injured, and so you have to come home so I can look at your injuries."

"Right now I have to protect Tohru…" Yuki grimaced and held his side.

"In the shape you're in, you would only cause her more pain by knowing that your suffering this much." Hatori opened the door and stepped out of the car, "go home and don't say anything to Shigure."

"Um, ok."

"I'll be there shortly, after dropping off Akito at the Main House, he's exhausted and will probably sleep until the morning, which by the looks of it, isn't too far away."

"Then we'll have time to recuperate?"

"Yes, and Tohru and Kyo will be fine, so please, go home now."

Yuki sighed and walked down the street, "Thank-you Yuki" Hatori called out as he walked up to Hana's house. He opened the door to see Akito lying on the floor. Hatori sighed and picked him up easily. Akito's eyes opened for a moment, "Hatori, I want that girl's memories erased as soon as possible." He said in a soft, weak voice. Hatori lowered his head a little, but Akito had passed out again before he could answer. Hatori placed Akito gently on the back seat of the car, and carefully shut the door, "I'm very sorry, but I cannot do that, Akito" he said, looking through the glass. He got into the driver's seat and drove to the main house. After Akito was safely in his room, Hatori left, and drove back to Shigure's house to check on the people there. Upon arriving he saw that Uo and Hana went to Uo's apartment and Shigure and Yuki were both asleep. Hatori decided that it was best to let them sleep. He then collapsed into a chair. He looked at the group sleeping in the room a little longer before drifting off to sleep himself.

Meanwhile, Haru and Kagura were successful in getting Momiji safetly to the apartment complex of his father's as Kagura was the one who took responsibility for directions, after Haru led them down a wrong street. Once the rabbit was securely in the building with his father, Kagura and Hatsuharu decided to take a walk instead of returning to the main house, a place where neither of them really wanted to be. "are you worried about Tohru?" Kagura asked, looking at the pavement beneath them.

"mm…" Haru answered in a monotone groan.

"Haru!" Kagura said, "You can't be at least a little anxious…"

"I can't." He said, looking at her, "If I do, I'm afraid I'm going to go black, I almost did several times tonight. That wouldn't help anything. I'm not just worried about Tohru right now. This whole ordeal has put everyone in danger. That does not exclude us." Kagura looked up at him, as though the thought didn't occur to her sooner. Haru sighed, "Dammit I thought you were smarter than that..Akito's only doing this 'cause of Yuki, Kyo, and because we've all grown to like Tohru. He's scared and rightfully so. Yuki's not as scared as him as he used to be, and Kyo's found someone who doesn't think of him as garbage. Both of them are strong and I believe they will come out fine. But what about the rest of us? Kisa's in the Hospital right now because of this, how can you not worry at all?"

"I do…" Kagura said, "But I have to trust them. That they'll continue to be strong. The older ones, you, me, yuki and kyo, we know we possess enough strength to be ok we have to look out for them. Kisa, Hiro, and even Momiji…what do you think will happen to them because of this?"

"Oh… I had another question for you…" Haru looked at her, completely changing the subject, "Are you jealous?"

Kagura blinked, a small tear let out from her eye, "Jealous?"

"Of Tohru, haven't you always been like ' I'm going to Marry Kyo'"?

"Yeah…. But I could never make Kyo smile like that. I'm not jealous of them. I wonder if they do go out. what effect will that have on Yuki?"

"Yuki probably already suspects something's going on. But I'm not getting involved."

"Then why did you ask me if I was jealous?"

"I don't like serious you, you looked like you were going to cry, say it was your fault or something."

They walked again in silence. It wasn't lifted and for the rest of their walk, it seemed like a dark cloud hung over them. Finally, they reached the main house. Kagura broke the silence, "I'm not worried Haru. I'm actually scared…I've never been scared before, and I think this time I am. I don't know what's going on, why it escalated, what's going to happen" Kagura looked like she was going to cry again, so Haru hugged her.

"I don't know, we can only wait it out."

"I know."

"see you tomorrow." Haru said, letting her go and walking towards his house. Kagura looked after him for a few minutes then turned and walked to her own.

HEY! I'm back from seemingly dead! I first want to apoligize for the TOTAL lack of updating. See, I was in one of the worst writers blocks wondering where the heck I was going with this story, but since some random people reviewed it and I was like 'OMG I need to write that!" I finally got another chapter.

Hopefully I'll update again in the near future…but I'd feel bad if I made promises and broke them again…

Misty