Well, after making y'all wait awhile I have an emotional chappie for y'all. I actually almost cried writing the Rin/Hatori scene. Just read, you'll see what I mean.

Chapter 17

The first thing to do was talk to Hatori. He was the one who had been keeping a careful eye on Haru. However, Rin knew this required her to submit. There was no way Hatori would tell her anything without her having the correct attitude. The two were too much alike and she'd never be able to get anything out of him unless she showed him her true desires. For some reason she didn't mind; he had seen her weak before. He was solemn and firm, but not coarse and hard. He would listen to her, even love her, he already did though this was almost impossible for her to accept. Hatori cared about her relationship with Hatsuharu so much it would have scared her had she known. That was it; she would go to Hatori, humble herself, and pour out her heart to him.

"I want to see where you live," Hana said firmly, staring into Hatori's eyes as he just stared back at her blankly. "You know I desire to grow closer to my true family, so naturally I want to see where they dwell, this place you call 'the house of Sohma'."

"It's dangerous," Hatori said plainly. "I cannot allow you to put yourself in that position."

"I am not a child Hatori; I am capable of deciding what dangers to tangle with for myself," Hana said, leaving Hatori speechless for a moment. "I want to be closer to my family, Hatori. Can you not understand that?" She looked pleadingly into her older brother's eyes. "I am a part of a family whose existence has never mattered to me until a month ago and now that I am aware of them, and, in fact, am a part of them, I am not allowed to learn more, to draw closer. Hatori, I'm not scared, even of Akito."

"Hana, I will not allow you to be hurt, it would hurt me too much," he said softly.

"Hatori, please," she murmured, moving closer to the man. His eyes met hers and she felt his waves shudder.

What are you afraid of, Hatori? And why?

"All right, Hana, all right," he sighed dejectedly. "There's a large hole in the wall that surrounds the main house, one Akito does not know of. The first house you'll see belongs to Momiji-"

"The rabbit," she interrupted. He nodded.

"The house directly to the left is mine. I will leave a small figurine in the shape of a seahorse by the front door. You may visit only when I have the seahorse there, understand?" Hatori explained.

"Yes, Hatori," she nodded.

"So this is your house," Hana said observantly, taking in every little detail of the man's abode, though there wasn't much to look at. It was painfully clean and organized, though she hadn't expected anything less. Once thing did catch her eye, however. It was a picture, a picture similar to the one in Hatori's wallet, the one of the beautiful brunette, the picture he wouldn't talk about. Hana's curiosity got the better of her. She had to know because she felt that this was the source of all his pain.

"Hatori, who is that woman?" she asked, pointing to the picture.

"Her name is Kana," he replied softly, knowing he couldn't deny her second request.

"No, I mean who is she?" she repeated as he sighed, knowing he couldn't avoid it any longer. Hana knew the darkness that surrounded Kana based solely on her ability to feel humans' waves; plus, she was his sister, what had he to fear in telling her? The remembrance of painful memories, but she had to know someday. It was better to get it over with now.

"She was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with," he replied.

"What happened?" Hana asked delicately.

"Well, it's a long story, why don't we go back on the porch and I'll get us some drinks," he suggested as she nodded. Soon the two were sitting side by side, sipping delicious ice tea, and though the setting seemed cheerful Hana was afraid it wouldn't stay this way for long. The two sat in silence for a while, not wanting to destroy this momentary feeling of peace.

"So, are you going to tell me?" Hana asked finally. Hatori took a heavy sigh and began.

"I opened my own medical office right after I graduated from medical school. Kana was my intern, there to learn from my teaching. We never planned on falling in love," he started. "Of course I was reluctant to move forward; I couldn't even hold her, I could barely touch her without having to worry about the curse, but one night I let my guard down. Her reaction, however, was not what I had expected. She didn't care about the curse. She loved me; she wanted to be with me, stay with me. We finally came before Akito, desiring to be married. I should have known that it couldn't have lasted. Akito's rage destroyed Kana to the point where she couldn't even look at me without breaking down, so Akito ordered me to erase he memories of our love. She's married now and happy, which is all I ever wanted her to be, so I suppose you could say that everything turned out fine." Hana shook her head vehemently.

"Everything turned out fine for everyone but you; that hardly equals a happy ending, Hatori. Kana is only happy now, only able to move on because she doesn't know any better; she can't remember. You've been left to suffer, so how can that ending be happy? How can everything be fine when you are still left alone?" she cried, tears coming to her eyes.

"Hana, please, don't cry. Erasing Kana's memory was all that could be done, she was in too much pain due to Akito's rage," he explained.

"And what did Akito's rage do to you, Hatori?" Hana asked solemnly. "Does it have anything to do with the fact that I've never seen your entire face?"

All Hatori would do was look at her uncomfortably; he didn't want to answer this question; he knew it would hurt her. She inched her hand delicately toward his face and slowly began to pull back the tuft of hair that covered his left eye. He closed his eyes, knowing he wouldn't be able to look at the expression on her face when she saw it. He heard her gasp. Hana's face was immediately filled with pain. Behind the hair, across his eye, was a huge scar stretching from the tip of his eyebrow and across his eyelid. It didn't take a genius to know that this was done by Akito, and it didn't also didn't take a genius to know that it would never heal.

"Oh, Hatori!" she cried, tears beginning to flow down her face as she drew away. He opened his eyes reluctantly, knowing he had to bear it.

"Oh, Hana," he whispered.

"Hatori, can you see me?" she asked with a quivering voice.

"Through my right eye," he said truthfully. "My left eye isn't completely blind but enough." Hana couldn't help herself; she threw herself into his arms knowing that he would be transformed into the small seahorse. She cried into his shirt for a split second before he disappeared.

"Hatori!" she cried, picking up the small seahorse and sobbing harder.

"Hana," he whispered gently as tears now began to grow in his eyes.

"Hatori!" came a fierce cry from inside his house. Hatori immediately transformed back into a human as Hana turned her head, face instantly turning bring red. Hatori was dressed in a matter of seconds and stood up stealthfully, placing a hand on Hana's shoulder. She turned her head and looked up over her shoulder to see the already tall man now looming over her.

"Will you be all right?" he asked tenderly and worriedly. She nodded faintly and sniffed as he wiped a tear from her cheek and then entered the house.

"Hatori," the voice repeated as the man walked through the door, adjusting his tie.

"Rin, this is a surprise," he said.

"I know; I hardly ever visit you of my own free will, so I would listen if I were you because I am about to do something else I never do," she said.

"What would that be, Rin?" he asked.

"Beg," she replied, her face loosing its hardness, something hardly anyone saw. Rin was absolutely beautiful when she lost her scornful manner.

"Oh?" came Hatori's response, urging her to go on.

"Please, Hatori, please tell me about Hatsuharu, his health," she begged.

"That depends on the state of your health," he replied.

"Damn my health!" she shouted fiercely. "I could be sicker than hell and you couldn't get me to go back to the hospital. I hate it, confined, held back, being stuck with needles constantly. They released me when I was just well enough to stand because they hated me and I hated them, not to say I hadn't left the hospital enough, that's why they kept me as long as they did. I will never be well, Hatori, so there's really no point in mentioning my so-called health, why would you even mention it, you know my health better than anyone, you're a doctor. The only person whose health I care about is Hatsuharu."

"Why?" Hatori asked, already knowing the answer.

"Because I can't stand to see him suffer," she said softly, her voice quivering and her eyes filling with tears. "I can't draw any closer without destroying him but if I stay away I destroy him too. I, I need to know exactly how he's doing, how much I'm tearing his soul out. Akito con do whatever he wants to with me, he could throw me out of a dozen windows, but if he hurts Haru I wouldn't be able to stand it, but now it's my fault. I can't stand to be the one hurting him, so that's why I need to know, Hatori, how is he doing?"

"Do you want my answer as a doctor or a brother?" he asked solemnly. When she didn't respond but stood there shaking he looked upon her kindly and smiled faintly. "I commend you upon coming to me like this; it must have taken a lot of courage."

"Damn you, Hatori! Why do you continue my pain?" she demanded. "Can't you see the pain I am enduring?"

"Why?" Hatori asked. "For if I recall you scolded me for living in my own pain."

"Because I love him!" she screamed at him, bursting out into a full sob. "Hatori, I love him so much, not a day had gone by when I haven't thought of him. Hatori, what do you do when you love someone you can't have?" She was just a trembling mass, hunched over in agony, face in her hands.

"Rin," Hatori whispered tenderly. "Isuzu."

"Hatori!" Rin cried, rushing into his arms, pressing into his body as he wrapped his arms around her tightly as if to assure her she had his love, always had and always would. He would never let her go. Her tears were soaking his shirt but he could care less; she was in his arms; that was all that mattered. He squeezed still tighter, hardly believing this was happening. Tears grew in his eyes but he managed to hold them in. He bent his head and kissed the top of her head ever so gently, ever so sweetly. He knew she had felt it because he felt her grasp him tighter. He began rocking her back and forth ever so slightly, holder her and kissing the top of her head every so often.

"Rin," he breathed.

"Don't ever let me go, Hatori!" he heard her mumble. "Ever." He held her even closer and caressed her head gently, using all of his willpower to hold back the tears.

"I never have, Rin," he said softly, feeling her shake even harder upon these words. Suddenly a soft noise that only Hatori and Rin could detect came to their ears. Hatori prayed that she hadn't heard it but knew it was useless. Rin's violent shaking stopped and she lifted her head to look around.

"What was that?" she asked, staring in the direction of the back porch door. When Hatori didn't say anything she pulled away completely. "What was that?" She glared at the man, seeing fear hidden in his expression. She stomped past him and threw the door open only to see Hana sitting there.