This...is a strange chapter. um, enjoy

CHAPTER 14

Hatori was standing at the end of the aisle, watching anxiously as his veiled bride approached. Hatori studied the faces of the crowd, searching out all the members of the junishi. Akito didn't appear to be there, which struck Hatori as rather odd. He suddenly realized that his bride was standing beside him, and he lifted the veil back…revealing Akiko's face. He stumbled backward and tried to scream, but nothing came out. He grasped his throat frantically and sprinted back down the aisle, leaving Akiko sobbing in a heap at the altar. He pulled open the doors to the building, and bumped into Akito, who smiled sinisterly. The silence around Hatori was eerie; not a single member of the congregation was whispering, none of them had turned to watch his mad dash back down the aisle.

Then Akito spoke.

"Make sure she's happy."

Hatori's eyes widened and he whirled back to face the sobbing Akiko. She raised her head and stared at him with wet, accusing eyes.

Kana's eyes. Kana's face, her brownish hair framed by the white lace of the veil. Hatori whirled away and ran down the aisle, through the doors, out into the bright sunlight.

He blinked and found himself in another chapel. He was standing in the position of the preist, watching a bride draped in white lace approach. Akito, in a dark suit, stood to his left, evidently the groom. He had a wide, malicious grin on his face that no one else seemed to notice, except Yuki and Kyo, both of whom where sitting in the front row. As Akito's bride drew near, he leaned forward and lifted the lacy veil away from her face. It was Tohru, looking shocked, withdrawn and scared. Kyo and Yuki looked as though they were struggling to get up, trying tostop the wedding. Hatori stumbled backward, away from Akito and Tohru. Akito had his arms possesivly around her, and not in a romantic or protective way. His attitude toward her was one of a person towards a possestion that they didn't truly care about but wanted to flaunt. He would use her and discard her without a second glance, Hatori knew.

Akiko was sitting next to Hatori's futon, looking curiously at him as he tossed and turned. She hadn't been able to sleep, so she'd come into Hatori's room in the hopes that he'd be awake too. Instead, she's found him in the grasp of a nightmare. Hatori suddenly sat straight up and pointed an almost accusing finger directly at Akiko. Akiko started, taken aback. His blue eyes were wide open with no trace of sleep in them.

"Don't marry Tohru." he stated simply. He fell backward onto the futon, apparently still asleep.

The dream dissolved around Hatori, and he seemed merely to be floating in a pink haze. Then a swirl started, a pink that faded to clear and then to something like a window. Hatori peered through, catching glimpses of what appeared to be another wedding. Akiko, in a wedding dress, being held by Ayame. Both were laughing maniacally, and everyone around them was cringing. Hatori could understand why.

A few seconds passed as Akiko stared at Hatori's now-still form. She had just started to move slightly closer to Hatori again when he sat up.

"Or Ayame!" he said, his voice monotonous and firm. After he dropped back down onto the bed, Akiko simply shook her head and wandered from the room, into the kitchen.

Akiko pulled a tub of chocolate ice cream from the freezer, and a jar of pickled plums from a cupboard. It was around three in the morning, and she was hungry because she'd skipped dinner. Hatori, now awake due to the noise she'd made in the kitchen, got up and came into the room. Noting the plums and ice cream, he shuddered slightly and muttered "I thought only pregnant women ate weird things." He shook his head and turned to go back to his room. Akiko dropped the ice cream with a thunk. Her eyes were wide with panic.

She'd never really figured out what had happened that night when she got drunk. What if she was pregnant? She'd get Hatori to check.

Wait, if she was pregnant, he would be the father. She had the mental image of Hatori accidentally swallowing his cigarette, choking, and dying. She shuddered. If he was the father, she couldn't afford to have him die. Who could she go see? She mulled over the possibilities, starting to leave the room. Then she quickly turned and picked up the ice cream before she left.

That afternoon, she was sitting on the porch with Kagura and Rin, discussing her suspicions. Rin looked amused, while Kagura looked shocked. Akiko asked for suggestions.

"Well, we could check the phone book." Suggested Kagura hesitantly. Akiko shook her head. A possibility had just surfaced in her mind.

"Girls," She said. "It is time to see Hatori's old girlfriend."

Later that day...

Kana stepped back and pulled the mask from her face. "I have good news and bad news. Which would you like first?"

"The good news," said Akiko immediately.

"You're not pregnant."

Akiko sighed and slumped back against the wall in relief. "And, the bad news?"

"You are extremely underweight. And, you're anemic."

"Oh, I already knew that. I had a full checkup a little while ago."

"I see." Kana smiled at them. "Well, would you three like a ride home? I have to talk to Hatori-san about something. You live near him, right?"

Akiko decided not to mention that she lived with him. "Yes, thank you."

Author's Note:

AsI said...a strange chapter. My muses have fled. R&R