Disclaimer:not mine

A/N:The long-anticipated, twelfth chapter of the summer's hottest fanfic. Now at a website near you. (I'm a loser)

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The room spun in slow-motion circles. Tohru found it hard to stand, let alone make sense of what had just happened.

It wasn't real. They were just, just joking. But it didn't seem to fit. Any excuse she thought of didn't work. Bottom line was: Yuki was in trouble.

She hurried out of the house and into the woods, not even realizing where she was going, just letting her subconscious mind take her there.

He's been lying to me. This whole time. His sickness . . . why he always had bruises . . . But why? . . .

Nothing made sense. Why would they do that? How long has it been going on? What were they doing to him now? She shuddered at the thought. . .

Hot tears streamed down her face, blurring her vision. She came around a turn and tripped on a branch. She sputtered dirt out of her mouth and the branch grunted. Looking back she saw that it was Kyo's leg she had tripped on. She was surprised to see Uo there with him.

They looked startled at each other for a moment until Uo spoke. "Tohru. What's wrong?"

"Men took Yuki," was all she could manage, but Kyo understood.

"Let's go," Kyo said, standing up and holding out a hand for each girl.

Uo took it, looking confused and slightly irritated.

Tohru stood, looking at the two of them. Realization of where she was and who was there dawned on her.

"What are you guys doing here?" She asked, momentarily distracted.

Kyo looked at Uo before he spoke. "We were . . . um . . . both . . . uh . . ." he spoke to his feet.

Uo rolled her eyes. "Tohru, Kyo and I are dating. We didn't tell you because we didn't want to upset you . . ."

Tohru looked at her for a moment, processing. Uo thought she was going to cry, but a smile broke out on her face as she drew them both into a hug. Kyo poofed into cat form at Tohru put her hand over her mouth.

"Sorry Kyo."

He just looked up at her irritated.

"Kyo," she said, suddenly serious, "tell me everything you know."

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When the front gate was in sight, Kyo had poofed back and changed, telling Tohru everything he knew about Yuki and his past.

Tohru felt weak. She found a bush and threw up, sobbing. How is this possible? She thought of Yuki, smiling like always.

He always seemed so together. He never told anyone . . . he always acted like it was okay. Always smiled. He was so worried about me all the time, I just couldn't see it. I thought it was the stress of school and student council. God, why am I so dumb?

She knew it wasn't her fault. Even if he had told her everything, there was nothing she could do about it besides keep smiling at him. They probably would have done the same to her if they found out she knew.

His smile always seemed so . . . distant . . . forced . . . She had only really seen him happy once.

She held onto that image of him smiling, truly smiling. Slowly she got up, wiping her mouth on a Kleenex. Determined she started walking towards the house.

She could hear Kyo and Uo call after her, but she didn't care. Yuki was all she could think about.

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She walked through the front door, startling some guards who rushed towards her, weapons drawn.

"What do you think you're doing?" One of them yelled.

She fixated her gaze on him. "Where's Akito?" Her tone seemed unnatural.

He faultered a step, then regained composure. "He's not seeing anyone. Go home." He forcefully pointed a chubby finger at the door.

Tohru looked at him for a moment then smirked, continuing to walk down the hallway.

"Hey!" he yelled, grabbing her by the shoulder and whipping her around.

Her glare bore through him, making him wet his lips nervously. Slowly the grip on her arm slackened until his arm dropped to his side with a soft thud.

Once again she started down the hallway.

"Good luck," he whispered, as she disappeared around a corner.

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Halfway down the third hallway, she found a room. She could hear Akito's cold laugh echoeing through the fourth room on the left. She entered, bursting through the doorway. Another door was cracked open on the opposite wall. She pushed through it, and ran down the stairs just behind it. Twisting through the hallways under the main house, she followed Akito's piercing laugh, growing louder. She kept traveling, faster each step. Her only thought on Yuki smiling.

Finally she approached his room. Not caring she flew the door open and was greeted clay to skull by a flying bowl. It smashed to the floor. Tohru staggered, dropping to one knee. Looking up through glazed eyes she saw Akito moving towards her.

How could I have been so stupid? She asked. He knew I would come for Yuki . . .

His laugh droned on. Softly he approached her, grabbing her hair and throwing her down onto the cold stone.

She screamed as blood seeped into her mouth, her teeth were numb.

"Come here to save him did you? You did well," he said, his words thick with sarcasm.

"He's mine. Ask him yourself."

For the first time she realized Yuki was there, in the corner. She sobbed at the sight of him.

His shirt was torn, cuts oozed blood through the open gashes in his shirt. His arms were tied, hanging like a crucifix, the ropes cutting into his skin. His head was bowed and he was breathing heavily.

"Tohru," he breathed. Slowly he looked up.

The hope seemed to drain from her. Looking into his eyes, she saw no life in them. Just a cold grey.

"Why did you come? Can't you see, I don't want you here."

She knew he was lying. The tone in his voice was more pleading than convincing.

She played along.

"Yuki, I – "

"Just leave! You've already ruined everything, so just go! You think you save everybody? You can't! You're not a hero! You're just a coward! You couldn't even . . . " his voice trailed off into coughs. She could hear him sob.

Akito crouched down in front of her face, their noses touching.

"He's mine." He smirked at her.

He got up and walked towards Yuki, slowly, enjoying the effect he had on the two. The horror and pain he caused.

"Yuki," she said, her voice hoarse. "I . . . thank you . . . in case . . . I just wanted you to know . . . "

He was silent. Even Akito had stopped moving.

Nothing happened for a few moments.

Then, from the corner, a small voice whispered, "I love you."

All Tohru saw was Akito flying rushing towards her, then flying through the wall, then everything went dark.

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A/N:Yay! Cliffhanger! At least I updated . . . right . . . RIGHT?