All right everyone, here's the second to last chappie. I actually do have the last chappie written but you'll have to wait for that one until I get back from Chicago. I'm going on a mission trip with my church until July 28th, so you'll have to wait until then. Sorry. LOL. I know, I'm cruel. Anyway, enjoy! Notes! Yay!

Red Kitsune Flames: Well, Hiro was far to young to really understand a true hatred to his mother and father, all he knew was that he was abandoned, but without truly knowing them it would be impossible for him to build up an extreme hatred for them. Rin, as you'll see in this chappie, will take a bit longer.

duziekat: I'm not a big fan of killing Akito off either, but my reason becomes clear in the last chappie, so just keep reading. I do like to believe he could be turned good, but it's hard to pull that off sometimes.

Chapter 30

"Miroku! Miroku!" Satsuki shouted as she burst through the door to his office, wild-eyed and hair flying in every direction.

"Satsuki?" he exclaimed questioningly, leaping up from his desk, startled.

"Hatori is in the hospital," she said immediately.

"What?" he asked, shocked.

"O-our son," she elaborated.

"Yes, I know who he is, Satsuki," he said, voice hardening. "I fail to see why this troubles you; in fact, I wonder how you even came to know his."

"Hiro came to the door today, along with the girl who I believe is the tiger. Anyway, they came to tell Megumi that Hatori was in the hospital. Don't ask me how Megumi found out about Hatori and Hiro; I don't know. I was in too much of a tizzy to care at the time. Hiro said that Hatori could be dying. All of a sudden it hit me; my son could be dying, our son, Miroku," she explained, utter remorse reflected in her eyes. Miroku stared into them, hoping to find something that would help him search his own soul. He had rejected Hatori as his son for so long that he no longer gave him a second thought; until the last few months he had even forgotten that the man ever existed.

What if Megumi were dying? He shuddered; the thought pained him. Hatori was no different; he was his son. His foolish contempt that had had hardly any basis in the first place had gone on for too long. If Hatori was willing they could start over. If Rin would still have him he would resume his position as her father. If Hiro still had an ounce of love in his heart left for him he was ready to love him too.

"Satsuki, let's go to him," he said, taking her hand. "Our son."

Hana and Rin sat together in the floor in front of Hatori's hospital room. Hatsuharu sat on the other side of Rin, left hand holding hers, right arm wrapped around Kisa comfortingly; she was sitting in his lap. She clung to his arm with her left arm wrapped around his, her right hand held by Hiro's, who was sitting on the floor between Haru and Megumi. Yuki sat on the other side of Hana, holding her hand. By this point Hana had told him the whole story and he was filled with admiration for her. Nothing but silence filled the hall, a silence wrought with grief, sorrow, and uncertainty. Suddenly all the heads turned to see Mayu hurrying down the hall toward them, face flushed with worry. She stopped short when she saw the six sitting in the floor, dejected and ragged.

"H-how's Hatori?" she asked timidly.

"We don't know," Yuki replied, looking up at her sadly. She nodded slowly.

"Did I miss all the fun?" cried an upbeat voice, startling the group. Mayu jumped and whipped around to see Shigure standing behind her.

"Shigure!" she exclaimed.

"Mayu," he returned, a sly smile on his face. "You can't honestly be surprised to see me; after all, I am one of Hatori's dearest friends; nothing could keep me from his side, especially at this critical moment. But I wonder, Mayu, what brings you here." Her face turned scarlet and she scowled at him.

"For one of his closest friends you don't seem very concerned at all for his well-being, or his life," she spat at him accusingly.

"On the contrary, Mayu, I care a great deal, perhaps more than anyone else here, but I, however, have more faith in our dear Hatori than the rest," he said as Mayu rolled her eyes.

"Oh, dear Mayu, how good to see you again!" came another cry down the hall. Mayu sighed heavily as she watched Ayame Sohma flying down the hall toward her. "It had been far too long, wouldn't you agree?" He bent down, took her hand tenderly in his, and drew it to his lips lightly. "You are far luckier than I am; able to see my dear younger brother every day, and here I am, deprived of his presence." Yuki rolled his eyes from his position on the floor as Mayu repeated the action herself.

"Really, Ayame," she said, drawing her hand away from his.

"Shigure, it's been far too long since I've seen you as well; have I been forgotten by the lovely Mayuko?" Ayame questioned tenderly, moving incredibly close to the man.

"Aaya, how could I forget you?" Shigure asked, grasping the man's hands. "You are my life."

"Oh, please," Mayu sighed, hand over her face in embarrassment. Yuki's free hand was also over his face as he hid behind Hana's figure, hoping his brother wouldn't see him.

"How is our dear Hari?" Ayame questioned, looking around the group.

"We don't know, Ayame," Mayu replied, but he hardly heard, for his concentration was now focused on the silver mop of hair nestled behind the dark shape of a shoulder covered in black cloth. He rushed over to it to confirm his suspicions.

"Yuki!" he shouted happily as the boy slowly lifted his head to look at his obnoxious older brother. "Oh, my dear younger brother! How happy I am to see you!" His eyes suddenly fell on his younger brother's hand, fingers intertwined with Hana's. He wouldn't be Ayame without making a big production about it, and he proceeded to do so. "Romance! Yuki, your heart must be bursting with uncontrollable love. I can offer you nothing but joy, but I cannot believe you would not inform your own brother. Really, Yuki, you astonish me. You are so shy and secretive sometimes. But I must say, Yuki, she is lovely, but unfamiliar. I was almost certain our lovely princess Tohru had captured your heart. You are surprising, Yuki, very surprising. I congratulate you both. What is your name, my dear?" He bent over Hana. Hana turned to look at Yuki unbelievably, only to see the most pitiful she had ever witnessed looking back at her. Apology and embarrassment was written all over his face. She turned back to Ayame solemnly.

"My name is Saki Sohma; I am Hatori's sister," she replied as Ayame drew away immediately.

"Oh my goodness," he breathed. "Hatori's long lost sister." He retreated to Shigure who was now also staring at Hana, Mayu as well. "Shigure, did you hear-"

"I heard, Aaya," Shigure whispered. "I heard." The hall once again returned to silence as the two men surveyed the group once again, eyes resting now on Megumi. "And you must be-"

"Megumi Sohma, Hatori's younger brother," Megumi nodded in confirmation. The men were taken aback at Megumi's words even though it was what they had known all along.

"Megumi," Rin said softly as the boy removed his back from the wall it was leaning against and peered over Hiro, Kisa, and Hatsuharu to see his older sister staring at the wall opposite the group. "Come here." He picked himself up off the floor and walked over to her, kneeling in front of her. She lifted her free hand and touched his cheek gently, eyes staring into his. "I'm sorry." He nodded in understanding.

"Saki!" came yet another cry from down the hall. This time the group turned to see Satsuki and Miroku rushing down the hall. Hana looked at them in surprise, eyes going back and forth from Megumi and her parents, looking for an explanation. Ayame and Shigure almost lost their footing they were so shocked. What in the world were Hatori's betraying parents doing here? Come to think about it, what were his long lost siblings doing here?

Megumi, what are our parents doing here? Hana asked telepathically.

They've had a change of heart.

Hana looked at Megumi skeptically for a moment, unsure of whether to believe him or not. She had never doubted him before, however, and she decided not to start. She allowed a slight smile to cross her lips in utter thankfulness. Rin's face, however, hardened instantly.

"Mother, Father," Hana nodded. By now nothing surprised her parents and they didn't bother to ask how she came to be there. They knelt down beside her.

"How is Hatori?" Satsuki questioned urgently.

"We don't know," Hana replied.

"What are you doing here?" Rin whispered, glaring at the two mortified adults.

"Rin," Miroku breathed, reaching out his hand to touch hers tenderly. She pulled away violently; she wasn't as easy to convince as Hiro or even Hatori. However, hatred did not burn in her eyes, only pain, unbearable pain and destruction. The sincere apology that she read in her father's eyes could not penetrate her hurt, the life she had lived for too long. She wanted to let him in; she wanted to accept his love but she couldn't; she just couldn't, not yet.

"Stay away from me," she said with a trembling voice. Haru squeezed her hand tightly.

"Isuzu," her father said, trying again.

"Father, I'm not ready; I, I can't accept you or Mother yet, but, but I do promise to try," she said. He nodded, understanding.

"All right, Rin," he said. "I understand."

"Is this the party waiting on news of Hatori?" a man in a long white coat asked as he approached.

"Oh yes," Satsuki cried before anyone else had a chance to say anything. She jumped up off the floor as Miroku followed. "How is our son?" She grasped Miroku's hand tightly and looked upon the doctor with fear. He couldn't be dying; he just couldn't.

"Oh, so you are his parents," the doctor said as Satsuki and Miroku just nodded, waiting for him to continue. "Well, Hatori has three broken ribs and lost a lot of blood. We've been able to replenish his blood but his ribs will take much longer to heal, especially since they weren't small breaks. His bones were completely shattered and because of this he is tremendously weak and will be in the hospital another week. He will have to be put on bed rest for some time afterward but if all goes well he should heal just fine." The whole company breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"May we see him?" Satsuki asked hopefully. The doctor nodded.

"Yes, but I don't want to overwhelm him with too many people, the rest will have to wait. Your visit will be limited to five minutes right now; Hatori needs rest," he replied as Satsuki and Miroku nodded and rushed into the room.

"Doctor, oh, Doctor, I must see him; I'm his fiancée," Mayu cried, but the doctor had no time to reply because Shigure had grabbed her arm and pulled her around to look at him and Ayame. The two men stared at her in shock.

"What?" Shigure breathed. She nodded hesitantly.

"Yes, Shigure, I am Hatori's fiancée," she said.

"No wonder Hari's in the hospital," Ayame whispered in Shigure's ear as he nodded. Mayu ripped her arm out of Shigure's clutches and broke down, head in her hands.

"I know," she wept sorrowfully. "Don't you think I know?"

"Mayu, it's not your fault," Shigure said tenderly, placing a hand on her hunched back.

"He's right, Mayu; it is not your fault in the least," Ayame added as Mayu continued to cry bitterly.

"Hatori," Satsuki whispered as she and Miroku approached the man's bedside cautiously.

"Mother," he breathed, opening his eyes slowly. "Father. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, my son," she cried, tears gleaming in her eyes. "My boy." She reached her hand out and brushed away his long black streak of hair from his face.

"Our boy," Miroku corrected. Hatori smiled slightly and closed his eyes in contentment. How long he had waited to hear those words.

"Hatori!" Mayu cried, flying to his side as Shigure and Ayame entered the room behind her, standing together in the corner silently to allow her a moment with her fiancé. She took his hand in hers and brought it to her wet cheek.

"Mayu," he breathed gently.

"Oh, Hatori!" she repeated, bringing her lips to his softly. She then collapsed to her knees, face buried in his sheets. "I'm so sorry!"

"This was not your fault," he assured her, stroking her golden hair.

"So, how are you feeling, Hari?" Shigure asked as he and Ayame approached the bed as well.

"You have no need to be concerned, Shigure," he replied in his usual stiff manner.

"Oh, Hari, what makes you think we were concerned?" Ayame asked, chuckling lightly as Hatori rolled his eyes; he should have known.

"Hari, what happened to Akito?" Shigure asked seriously.

"He's dead," he replied as Shigure and Ayame just stared and Mayu whipped her head up to look at him too.

"You're banged up pretty bad, huh, Hari?" Hatsuharu asked with a smile as Hatori smirked back.

"I'll be fine," he told the group.

"Grandpa Hatori, are you sure?" Kisa asked.

"I'm sure, Kisa," he replied with a grin.

"You better be, Hatori," Hiro said firmly as Hatori just looked at him. He didn't need to reply; the two understood each other.

"Hana, Rin, thank you," he said, looking at the two girls affectionately. They just nodded.

"Hatori, we brought you another visitor," Rin said, shoving Megumi to the front of the group.

"Megumi," he breathed, looking the boy over lovingly.

"Hatori," the boy replied.

"Get better, Hatori," Yuki said as the group exited the room.

"Goodbye, Hatori," Hana added.