Shigure was jolted from his nap by the loud sound of his office room being thrown open. A frantic Yuki and Kyo stood panting in the doorway. Arching an eyebrow and begging to ask what was so important he stopped dead as a single word fell from Kyo's lips.

"Tohru." He was on his feet in a second. Posture rigged he felt fear dripping into his system.

"Tohru?" His hands clutched as Hatori appeared behind the boys. "Tori?" his knuckles went white. "Wh-"

"Tohru's in the hospital. There's been a… a problem." Before he could speak he was cut off by Hatori's hand, "I'll explain in the car. Lets go." He turned leaving not waiting, even though he wouldn't have had to. The three men were at his heels as the left the house not bothering to lock up as they left.

Worry and fear was evident on the younger boys faces. Kyo's silence and Yuki's posture told just how worried they were. Climbing into the car there was a moment of silence as Hatori drove. His driving did nothing to pacify the others with his sharp movements and uncharacteristic speed.

"Do you know where Tohru was this evening?" Hatori lit his cigarette one handed as he broke the silence.

"She said she needed to run an errand." Yuki's soft words rang hollow.

"She was at the main house. Apparently she needed to talk to Akito." He took a long drag ignoring the eyes on him.

"Akito?" Kyo's face was cold and blank. The hatred and fear was thrown into that one word. Hatori's eye went to the rearview mirror, he nodded as he pulled into the hospitals emergency lot.

"I don't know much else. Kureno called me." Another drag off his cigarette as he exited the car followed by the other members. "I couldn't help her by myself." He threw his cigarette down, crushing it with his foot.

They went through the sliding doors, entering a white world. Bright and sterile, it stabbed into the heart of Shigure, This was no place for his little flower.

Approaching the desk the three men waited as Hatori got directions. Following his back there was no more explanation. No one questioned this, even though it should have seemed strange, it wasn't. Stopping outside a door Hatori turned gaze falling on Yuki and Kyo.

"Even if she isn't awake, it'd be best not to make a scene about what you see." Two boys nodded, faces blanched by his words. "Good." Pushing open the door Hatori and Shigure entered. Shigure stopped in the doorway, extending his hand to Kyo and Yuki, drawing them in the room and whispering to them,

"Be strong for her." They understood his words as their eyes fell onto her unconscious form. Neither moved from their spot as Hatori closed the door.

Lying against painfully white sheets was what they knew was their Tohru. Once creamy skin was littered with harsh shades of purples and blacks. Bandages covered her neck and cheek. One hand was completely bandaged, the other fell limply over the sheet. Shigure gripped the back of a chair, teeth grinding. Yuki sunk to the floor unable to move forward.

"Akito?" Shigure hissed the name. Hatori was busy checking Tohru's chart but nodded to his cousin.

"What… Why did…" Kyo stood unashamed of the tears on his cheeks as his hand ghosted over the arm of Tohru.

"Tohru!"

Screams were heard coming from the hall, and before Hatori could answer the question the door flew open and a frantic Momiji entered only to join Yuki on the floor after he saw the girl lying on the bed. Soon Hatsuharu followed by Kisa, Hiro, Kagura, Ritsu, and Ayame entered. None approached the bed but seemed to cluster by the door staring. The only sound in the room was Momiji's weak weeping echoed by Ritsu. Hatsuharu weakly slid down the wall. His mouth clamped over the back of his hand, and his knees drew up to his chest, a lanky arms wrapped around them.

Yuki wrapped his body around Momiji's comforting the younger boy. Kisa buried her face in Hiro's neck whimpering softly.

"Tori-san…" Ayame looked torn. "Tohru?" He stepped forward, fingers petting Yuki as spoke.

"Well, we're all here now. Get on with it." Kyo's cat eyes glared at the dragon as his growl rumbled in the room.

"Ahhh." Hatori placed Tohru's chart back on the small table and moved over to a chair sitting. His fingers made a steeple as he gazed unfocused into the room. The eyes of all the Sohmas rested on his, waiting.

"Well?" There was a threat lacing Haru's words.

"From what I gathered from Kureno, it seems Tohru went to speak to Akito." he paused. "What about I can guess now…" He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "But needless to say Akito wasn't pleased. Kureno called me when he found out. I sedated Akito, but I then noticed Tohru was bleeding."

He paused looking at the girl on the table. Rising and moving to her side he brushed her hair absently. "The beating Akito gave her was mainly focused on her abdomen." He removed his hand from the silent girl. "The blunt trauma received was enough to cause her body to abort her pregnancy." The room became eerily quiet. "That was the worst part. We gave her some drugs to help her sleep, and to help with the pain…"

"Tohru's… pregnant?" The shock in Kyo's voice carried.

"Was." He glanced around the room glance resting on the ox. His shoulders were shaking, and there was water streaming down his face. "I assume the reason Tohru went to Akito was because it was the child of one of us." The entire room froze, wary eyes looking from one man to the next. Everyone's settled on the man who got up and made his way to the side of the bed.

"You should have told me." His words were distant and pained. "Tohru…"

"This is your fault." Kyo hissed as his hand bent the rail of the bed. Haru didn't seem to hear the angry cat, his eyes focused on Tohru.

"It is."

"You didn't know." It wasn't a question. "I apologize." Hatori's voice was soft.

"You and Tohru?" This came from Momiji who still was cocooned in Yuki's arms. "Since when?"

Haru looked over to the rabbit. His face was dry again, and empty of emotion. "Almost a year."

Various stages of shock registered on the face of the zodiacs.

"How didn't we know?" Yuki seemed confused.

"We, no… I was afraid of what Akito would do to her." He touched her unbandaged cheek lovingly. "I didn't want her to be hurt." Kyo bristled.

"To late for that you damn cow." His eyes narrowed, becoming more upset as Haru nodded in agreement.

"Please stop." Kisa's soft voice floated softly in the room. "Tohru wouldn't want this." The room became silent once again except for the sound of the machines humming.

Fitting his hand into Tohru's, Haru looked up. "Can I stay here tonight?"

Hatori nodded. Haru's gaze stayed on the older man.

"How far was she along?"

"About 3 months from what we could tell." He nodded numbly.

He had been sitting there for what seemed like forever.

It was still hard to see her like this. But he stayed. A light squeeze on his hand interrupted his vacant stare.

Drowsy half lidded eyes smiled down on him. There was no mistaking the pain looming behind her gaze. Standing, hand still entwined he softly brushed his hand along her face. She licked her lips, offering a weak smile.

"H-Haru…"

"I'm here. The others are outside." his voice softened. "Want me to get them?" she shook her head, wincing.

"Are you mad?" A raspy whisper seemed to echo in the white room. Her eyes were glued to his.

"I don't know." he seated himself next to Tohru on the bed. "Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?" There was no anger in his voice, only a sad longing as he played with the broken girls hair.

"I-" she avoided his gaze now, studding the small vase of flowers next to her bed. "I thought you'd be mad." A throaty chuckle caressed her ears, encouraging her to look back at him.

"You should know better." He smiled weakly at her. "I would never be mad at you." He paused. "But I do think I'm upset you went to Akito with out me."

"If I was there I could have protected you…" his other hand went to her stomach, laying lightly above the sheets. "Booth of you." Tears ran down Tohru's face as the weak sobs were chocked from her throat.

"I'm… I'm so…" Gently minding the IV's he pulled her to him where she latched on to him for dear life sobbing.

"I know." He petted her hair whispering sweet assurances to her. "Me too, me too."

From outside the room Hatori nodded to no one before moving back to the waiting room. He'd give them some more time, then tell the others. They would be anxious to see her.

"I cant believe how far he went." Momiji's voice cracked the silence in the family waiting room. They had been here almost 10 hours, all of them unable to tear themselves from the hospital. Especially now that she was awake. They had each gone in one at a time after Hatsuharu was convinced to go eat and let the others go see her.

No one had approached the subject of Haru and Tohru yet. It plagued the minds of every member, many openly watching the Ox who had shut himself off to them, sitting alone in the corner.

"He needs to pay for this." Surprisingly this came from Shigure.

"We should just hand him over to the cops." Kyo was sitting on the arm of his chair staring at the wall, anger radiating off his body.

"Why don't we?" Now everyone looked at the young man in the corner. "He's never going to stop. And he went to far this time."

Ayame studied the young punk. "This is serious." he folded his hand in his lap and continued. "If you were serious about this it would have to be very careful about how you approached it."

"I say we do it." Yuki's voice was tight . Mummers went around the room.

"Its one thing to try and hurt us…" Kisa's weak voice gained confidence. "But not Tohru. Never Tohru."

Hatori cleared his throat. "If we do this there's no going back. He IS the leader of our family. That means a successor would have to take of the role." A pointed glance a Yuki. "And I think that we should get a complete agreement from all the cursed members." He paused after a thought. "Or at least a majority rule. I doubt Kureno would ever be able to put an unbiased answer in."

"What about Rin? She isn't here."

"I'll call her after the rest of us vote." Haru's voice held determination.

Shigure stood. One by one he went around the room. One by one the Joujinshi gave their answers.

Shigure turned to Hatori. "Its settled then. We don't need Rin's vote if we all agree."

Hatori sighed. "I'll handle this." Running a hand through his hair he departed through the door.

"Welcome to the new world order." Shigure mused aloud. An uneasy silence hung in the air.