Summery; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.
I just wanted to say that when I started this fic, I didn't think it'd (a) be so popular; (b) be so long! Guess I got lucky. Oh, review replies will now be at the bottom. Now, here's another chapter for you guys!
Please review if you read. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and criticism is welcome. No flames.
A few more days passed quietly at the hot springs. Ayame and Ritsu kept me lots of company – I swear, they're both crazy. Hatori was in and out several times, and Haru eventually had to go back to school. They eventually told me how I got the hot springs, and I'd be lying if I said I cared.
how
"I have to admit, I'm kind of worried about Haru," Ritsu told Hatori at dinner. Ayame was helping Rayne eat in her room, and Haru was at Shigure's.
"Why?"
"His frustrations are getting pent up," he said, "Since he hasn't been Black Haru for so long, all his anger is being kept back. I'm worried he's going to explode soon."
"Good point," Hatori nodded, and thought. "Perhaps we can persuade Kyo to taunt him. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to help."
"I'll get it," Ritsu offered, as the phone suddenly rang. Hatori continued to eat as his cousin picked up the phone, and then looked up as Ritsu asked "why".
"Hatori will be right there," he promised before hanging up.
"What was that?" Hatori asked, placing his silverware back on the plate.
"Hatsuharu got into a fight at school, and went Black."
"Oh dear."
"He was beaten up by a gang of boys. Apparently, they provoked him somehow, and he snapped instantly," Ritsu continued, "Kyo and Yuki got him to Shigure, and Shigure took him to the main house. That was Momiji – they want you to look him over."
"Of course," Hatori stood up, and then glanced in the direction of Rayne's room. "Don't let her know. Tell Aya, of course, but she doesn't need to know yet."
"All right," Ritsu nodded, and watched as Hatori went to get his coat. "Will you be coming back?"
"I'll spend the night there," he said shortly, before leaving. Ritsu stared at the table for a moment, and then began to clear it.
"…and Hatori's never forgiven us for it," Ayame finished with a smirk. Rayne wiped the tears from her eyes and calmed down from laughing so hard.
"That was so funny, Ayame!" she exclaimed, "Did it really happen?"
"Of course!" he replied, affected a dignified posture, "Do you doubt me?"
Rayne looked skeptically at him, and then turned toward to the door as Ritsu came in.
"Hatori wants you to take these and go to sleep," Ritsu told her, handing her several pills. "They're for the pain, he said."
"Where'd he go?" Ayame asked curiously, and Ritsu blinked, his mind racing.
"He's going to stay the night at the main house," he said finally, "Apparently, Akito was asking for him."
Ayame snorted, and stood up as Rayne swallowed the pills with a bitter look. Drinking some water, she turned over and pulled the blankets to her chin.
"Good night," Ayame said, following Ritsu out the door.
"Good night," she replied, and closed her eyes as they turned the lights off.
"So, why did Hatori leave?" Ayame asked calmly, as he ate his late dinner, "You're a poor liar, Ritsu. Luckily, Rayne couldn't tell."
"Haru turned Black at school when a gang provoked him, according to Momiji," Ritsu told, "He was beat up fairly bad, and they wanted Hatori at the main house to check up on him."
"I see," Ayame pondered this for a moment, and then looked at Ritsu. "It seems that your guesses about his pent-up anger was right, Ritsu."
Ritsu shrugged, and turned back to the dishes. "Are you going to spend the night here?"
"I suppose," Ayame nodded, "I have to check up on my store tomorrow morning, though. I'll return for lunch, and stay longer if needed. I've been away for far too long. What about you, Ritsu? I thought you had classes."
"No," Ritsu shook his head, "I'm taking a break, while I try to…gather myself together, I think. I'm still adjusting."
Ayame nodded, remembering that Ritsu was still adjusting to dressing like a male again and gaining confidence.
"Haru, what did you do?" Hatori asked in exasperation, as the teen sat up in the bed stubbornly.
"They look worse," Momiji offered, "Maybe. It was twelve against Black Haru. Usually I'd say those are fair odds, but they had some chains as well."
"How on earth did you get involved with a gang fight?" Hatori pressed, peering sternly at Haru, who shrugged. Hatori turned to Momiji, who happily supplied the information.
"He beat up one of their members a few weeks ago when they started to make fun of me, and I guess they were waiting for revenge," the rabbit told him, "They waited until school was out, and jumped us when we were walking home. Luckily, Kyo, Yuki, and Tohru were with us, so Kyo and Yuki helped out."
"I didn't need any," Haru retorted, and Hatori shot him a glance.
"Your fractured ribs say a different story," he sighed, "This is the last thing I need – another teenager beat up badly. Haru, you're out of school, correct?"
"Suspended for a month," Momiji answered, "The other guys were expelled. Even though it was after school, it was on the grounds."
"Good," Hatori nodded, stood up. "I have an idea. I'll have to run it by Akito, but I think it's for the best. Go to bed, Momiji. And Haru, you too."
"Whatever," he replied, some Black still in his attitude. Hatori sighed in exasperation and left the room, dragging Momiji behind him.
"I don't see why you have such an interest in this," Akito said calmly to Hatori the next morning, "You know that I don't approve of relationships within the Sohmas."
"Yes," Hatori gritted his teeth, his left eye a constant reminder. "But this isn't about relationships in the least. Rayne is badly hurt. If they recover custody of her again, they may force her to reveal more about us than we'd like."
"Wipe her memory."
"I'd rather not," Hatori replied, "Not until it's absolutely necessary. And Hatsuharu needs a break as well – his other half needs some way to express his aggressiveness without getting into gang fights."
Akito remained silent for a few moments, considering the points Hatori made. The doctor waited, his pose betraying none of his nervousness. Suddenly, Akito looked back at him and nodded.
"All right. You may have full use of that property," he replied, "But if anything happens, wipe her mind and return immediately."
"Thank you, Akito," Hatori said, bowing low and leaving the room quickly.
"Are you sure this is a good idea, Hatori?" Shigure asked skeptically, after Hatori revealed his plan to him later that day.
"It's the only thing I can think of," Hatori said, "This was, Rayne is out of the country, and Hatsuharu will have plenty of room to beat things without being beaten in return. I'm going to ask Ritsu if he'll go with them."
"Why not Ayame or you?" Shigure asked, "I can see why not me – I have to watch Kyo and the others."
"Aya has his shop to run," Hatori reminded him, "I'll ask, but I doubt he'll go. And I should remain here, in case anything happens while they're gone. I can leave easily enough if needed."
"Good point," Shigure agreed, "So, when are you going to tell them?"
"First I'll see if Ritsu will go," Hatori said firmly, "I think they'll both be agreeable to the plan, however."
"I do too," Shigure nodded, and then looked as Hatori stood up. "Leaving so soon?"
"No time like the present," he replied dryly, "And the sooner we get this done with, the better."
"True," Shigure followed him to the door, and then grinned. "Good luck, Hatori. I think you'll need it."
"Thanks," he said dryly, returning to his car.
"Of course I'll go," Ritsu nodded eagerly, "I've always wanted to see that property, and it'll be a nice change from everything here. Have you talked to Rayne and Haru yet?"
"No, I wanted to make sure we were able to pull it off first," Hatori told him, and then looked around as Ayame came in.
"Pull what off?" the snake demanded, taking a sandwich Ritsu had made and sitting down.
"Hatori is planning to take Haru and Rayne to the property we own in Germany," Ritsu explained, "He just asked if I would accompany them."
"I think that's a marvelous idea!" Ayame exclaimed, "I'll pack immediately!"
"What about your store?" Hatori asked blankly. Ayame paused, and then smiled widely.
"My assistant can handle it for a bit longer," he said calmly, "I wouldn't miss the chance to see the property either. I haven't seen yet."
"But…"
"I went to Germany with Shigure, but we weren't able to visit the land before we had to leave," Ayame admitted, "What's the matter, Hatori? You don't look that well."
"Nothing," Hatori shook his head, and stood. "I'm going to talk to Rayne now. I would appreciate it if you didn't say a word of this to anyone yet – Ayame."
"Of course not!" he protested innocently as Hatori left the room, shaking his head.
"How are you feeling?" he asked Rayne, and she looked at him in surprise.
"Oh, hello, Hatori," she grinned at him, and then shrugged slightly. "A little better. The medication helps."
"Good," he nodded, and then continued, "Would you like to go to Germany for a bit, Rayne?"
"What?" she blinked in shock.
"I think it would be best if you were away from here for a bit, and the Sohmas own property in Germany," Hatori told her, "Haru should go too, and Ritsu and Ayame both want to go as well. I need to stay here, however."
"I'd love to go," she said eagerly, and then paused. "Hatori, why'd you have to go to the main house last night?"
"Haru got into a fight and was beaten up," he said, "But he's fine, just a few bruises. However, I think it best he get a change of scenery as well."
Rayne considered this for a moment, and then leaned forward to hug him.
"Thank you, Hatori!" she whispered, "I don't know how I'll repay all of you for this."
"No need to," he said calmly, as she sat back, a large smile on her face. "Just relax, and Tohru will be by after school to help you pack."
"Oh – Hatori?" she asked suddenly.
"Yes?" he turned around, a few feet from the door.
"Um…" Rayne turned red, and he quickly realized what the matter was.
"I didn't think of that," he rubbed his forehead in thought, and then heaved a sigh. "I'll have a () nurse waiting for you when you arrive, how's that? Tohru can't go, but I see your problem."
"Thank you," she said, still flushing in embarrassment. Smiling gently at her, he quickly left the room, mentally slapping himself for forgetting that key factor.
"How could I have forgotten?" he demanded to himself, "Rayne isn't able to dress or bathe herself with her injuries."
"Are you kidding me?" Haru demanded, once Hatori had finished telling him his idea. "Of course I want out of here! I can't believe I'll be stuck with Ritsu and Ayame, though," he added, and then shrugged.
"Good," Hatori nodded, and stood up, "Then it's settled. You four will leave tomorrow morning on the first flight out. Get packing – you'll stay over at the hot springs, so I don't have to worry about getting you all together before we leave."
"Sure," Haru agreed, and suddenly smirked. "What till I tell that stupid cat –"
"You won't tell anyone," Hatori interrupted him, "The less people who know about this, the better. Rayne's parents are still looking for her, remember. Shigure managed to scare them off for a bit, but it's only a matter of time before they find probable cause, and obtain a warrant to search our properties here. Luckily, they won't think to add anything else."
"Sorry," Haru muttered, but then was snapped out of his sullenness when Hatori put his hand on his shoulder.
"I know how you feel about Rayne," he said suddenly, "I'm glad – and I'll never wipe her memory no matter what, believe me."
"Thanks, Hatori," Haru nodded, knowing what had happened to Hatori's own love, and grateful that the adults would do everything in their power to stop it from happening to the teens.
"Hello, Rayne!" Tohru greeted her cheerfully as she skipped into the room. "How're you doing?..." Tohru trailed off, seeing the bruises on Rayne's face. They were fading, but still fairly prominent. Rayne smiled brightly at her.
"Hey, Tohru. Thanks for coming," she nodded, "Surprisingly – well, not so much so – Ayame started to help me pack. He says he wants to bring something for me try on…"
Tohru giggled, and then pulled Rayne's bag out. "I dragged Shigure shopping for some stuff for you, since you didn't have much. I had your sizes, so it wasn't too hard."
"Tohru, you shouldn't have," Rayne protested, "I don't need that much!"
"Oh, it's not a lot, but enough to get you through," Tohru replied, "The suitcase in already in Hatori's car – I put it in when he picked me up at Shigure's. So you just need a few more things, right?"
"Well, I need to pack the medication Hatori prescribed," Rayne thought, "And few extra stuff, but not much, if all my clothes are packed already."
"Hatori told me he's getting avisting nurse to stay there with you," Tohru mentioned, "I wish I could go, but Shigure and Hatori want me to stay here in school."
"I wish you could go too," Rayne said regretfully, but then cheered up. "But I'll bring you back something, I promise. For a thank-you."
"You don't have to," Tohru began, but stopped seeing Rayne's determined face. "So, what do we pack first?"
"They sound happy," Haru mentioned later, sitting in the kitchen with the three adults. Hatori had picked both he and Tohru up, and was preparing to leave.
"Good," he nodded, and looked at the clock. "Aya, go tell Tohru we have to leave. I promised Shigure to get her back before dinner, and we've been here almost two hours now."
"All right," Ayame nodded, and swept from the room. He returned shortly with Tohru in tow.
"I didn't tell her you were here, Haru," she mentioned, following Hatori out, "I thought you might want to surprise her."
Haru shot her a grateful look, and she grinned back at him before running to the car.
"Behave yourself, Haru!' Ayame called teasingly, as the teenager stood to leave the room.
"Cut it out, Ayame," he said through set teeth, before leaving. Ayame froze for a second, and then relaxed when he was sure Haru wasn't going to revert to Black on him.
"You shouldn't tease him like that, Ayame," Ritsu said quietly, "It's not fair to them."
"Haru! Tohru didn't tell me you were here!" Rayne exclaimed, as he strode in.
"Yeah, I know," he nodded, sitting on the edge of the bed. "All ready?"
"Yeah," she looked toward the duffel bag momentarily before glancing back at Haru. "I think there's one thing I regret," she admitted, and he was pretty sure he knew what it was.
"Leo?"
She nodded, and he lay on his back, careful to avoid her legs.
"I don't think he'll be hurt, Rayne," he told her finally, "I really don't. And trust me, Momiji's keeping an eye on him – they're in the same class."
"Really?" she asked curiously, and he nodded as best he could while he lay on his back. "That makes me feel better," she sighed, and leaned back as well.
"Don't worry," Haru assured her, "Everything'll work out. Just relax for now and enjoy our vacation."
"How're you feeling, anyway?" she asked, "Hatori told me you were in a fight."
"Eh," he shrugged, "A little sore, but nothing serious. Nothing to worry about."
"I'm glad," she nodded, and suddenly giggled. "That's all poor Hatori needs on his hands – two invalids."
"Yeah," he agreed with a grin. The two remained silent for a while longer, simply relaxing. Finally, Haru stood up and grinned at her.
"I better get going to bed, or else I'll sleep the whole way there," he told her, "I just hope I don't get lost while we're there."
Rayne laughed again, remembering that Hatsuharu had the unfortunate habit of getting lost when going anywhere more than two minutes away from the main house – which was why he walked with the others.
"You're right," she agreed, as he turned the lights off, "We don't need you getting lost period, much less in Germany."
"Good night."
"Good night, Haru."
Germany again! It looks like Haru and I are going back to where it all started. Talk about fate…I think Hatori did it on purpose. But I have to say, I'm enjoying Ayame and Ritsu's company, and it certainly won't be any hardship to put up with them in a foreign country. I just hope someone besides me can speak the language…uh-oh.
Xxrupert-grint-loverxX: I'm glad you like my story! Thanks for checking me out.
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That's all for now - I guess the others didn't get a chance to review yet. But I wanted to get this up for you guys quickly. Enjoy, and review!
