Disclaimer: I only own Saya.

"Blah"-talking

Blah-thinking

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Your Curse, My Cure

Chapter Nine

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Hatori cradled Hana against his frame when he was finally able to get into the cat box. He wept into her hair, mumbling apologies over and over again until his grew hoarse.

"Hatori…" she whispered and lifted her hand, touching his face. "I'll forgive even when you erase my memories. I promise I'll forgive you and I'll never forget you, even if you make me."

"Saki," he whispered as his tears fell onto her cheeks, mingling with her own. "Let's get you to the hospital."

"Alright," she said weakly as he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the car, placing her in the backseat.

"Mommy, what happened?" Saya said and began crying when she saw the state her surrogate mother was in. "Who hurted you!"

"Saya, let mommy rest," Hatori said and began to drive, staying silent the whole trip. He carried her into the hospital and told them the story he prepared, and then walked with them as they took her to a room. After a few hours of waiting a nurse came out with a clipboard in her hand.

She placed it in the shelf on the door and walked over to him, a smile on her face. "She's fine and the baby wasn't damaged at all, you have nothing to worry about," she said. "You can see her now, if you'd like."

"Thank you," he replied and stood, relief spreading through his body as he pushed the door open. He stopped when he heard his name called and turned to see everyone walking over to him. "She's fine, come on in," he said and led them inside, sitting next to her in the chair by her bed. "I should've stayed with her at the office," he said and grabbed her hand. "This is all my fault."

"No, Hatori, you did everything you could do," Tohru said and placed her hand on his shoulder. "It wasn't your fault."

"It was that damn Akito," Uo said from her spot against the wall, her arms crossed and her fingers digging into them. "He did this," she replied as tears slipped down her cheeks. "He did this."

"He's gone to far with this one," Shigure said. "Why'd he do it?"

"Because she's in love with me," Hatori replied.

"Hana being in love with you should have nothing to do with this," Tohru replied.

"Not Saki," he said and brushed hair out of her face. "Akito."

"He's gay!" Uo yelled.

"Akito is a woman, she was raised to act like a man by her mother," Shigure said and sighed. "I thought that might've been why."

"So, Hana was right," Tohru said with a gasp. "She suspected Akito being in love with you."

"I wish she hadn't of pried," Hatori said as tears slipped down his face again. "I'll be forced to erase her memory now."

"Just erase the rape," Tohru said, flinching at the word. "You don't have to erase everything."

"Akito won't stop until I do," he said sullenly. "I want to save her life, I have to do this."

"It's Kana all over again," Momiji said with a frown. "I'm sorry, Ha'ri."

"I always hate this part," he replied and placed his hand on her forehead.

"Hatori, wait!" Tohru yelled. "Wait until a little after she wakes up, she how thing are. Please, give her love for you another chance, she'll pull through for you."

Hatori was hesitant before he took his hand away from her face. "Fine, but if things are still bad a month afterwards, then I'm erasing her memory," he said and placed his hand back in his lap.

"Thank you, you won't regret it," Tohru said with a smile.

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Hana was released a week later and she drove home with Hatori, curled up on the couch and went to sleep. When she awoke, she sat up and turned the T.V. on while wiping the sleep from her eyes. Her eyes glazed over when she turned to Lifetime and saw a show about a woman who was raped. She immediately turned the T.V. off and walked into the kitchen, where Hatori was making dinner.

"Hey, sleepyhead," he said with a gentle smile.

"Hatori, I love you," she said and wrapped her arms around his waist, "you know that, right?"

"Yes, I know," he replied and returned her embrace, rubbing her back as she cried into his shirt. "You know I love you, right?"

She nodded and looked up at him, her watery eyes closing slightly. "Please don't erase my memories, being with you has been the best thing that ever happened to me," she said and stood on her toes, bringing her lips to his. "I don't ever want to forget it," she added when she broke away. "Never."

"I won't erase them," he replied and rested his chin on her head.

"Promise?" she asked.

"Promise," he confirmed.

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Hana had begun slipping into depression, she had stayed locked in her room, coming out only to shower. She had paled considerably and had lost a few pounds, and her health began to fail. She lay in bed and stared at the wall, watching as the door opened and Hatori walked in.

"Saki, you have to come out sometime," he said and sat on the edge of the bed, placing his hand on her thigh. He withdrew when she flinched and placed his hand on his knee, a frown on his face. "Will you at least eat?"

She pulled the cover up higher over her head and curled up into a ball. Chewing on her thumbnail, she stared at the inner side of the blanket.

"Saya misses you," he said and pulled the cover down from over her head. "Won't you at least play with her?"

"Leave me alone," she whispered and pulled the cover back over her head.

Hatori sighed and left the room, picking Saya up and leaving out the door. He drove to Shigure's house and sat at the table with Tohru while Saya sat on the couch, quietly.

"I don't know what to do," he said and stared into his cup of coffee. "She's completely distanced herself from me and Saya. She won't eat, I don't know if she sleeps and she won't even talk to me."

"It's really that bad?" Tohru asked.

"She told a few weeks ago not to erase her memory but she's miserable," he said and sighed. "Saya's miserable as well, I've never seen her so upset."

"What are you going to do?" Tohru asked, even thought the answer was evident.

"What else? I'm going to erase her memory and Saya's," he said.

"Saya's?" Tohru asked.

"Yeah, I want to keep Saya so I'm going to erase her memory of Saki," he said then smiled a little. "I know, selfish of me, huh?"

"A little but you should be able to hold on to something," Tohru said with a smile of her own. "You and Hana were so happy, though."

"Until Akito stepped into the picture, we were," he said and looked up at her. "I'll be fine, though, I've had to do this before."

"You shouldn't have to do it again, it's not fair!" Tohru said.

"That's what I get for giving in to my desires when I should've just backed away," he replied. "You think I would've learned from the first time."

"Don't beat yourself up about it," Tohru said and patted his hand. "It won't do you any good."

"Thanks," he replied with a smile. "Now I know why you and Saki are such good friends, you're really supportive."

"I try to be," she replied and smiled.

"I guess I better get home and get this over with," he said and stood, picking Saya up and leaving with a sad smile on. "I always hate this part," he said when he got in the car and looked over at Saya next to him. He placed his hand over her eyes, sighing and biting his lip as he saw the flash of light. He started the car and began to drive, avoiding looking over at the now unconscious Saya. He pulled into the driveway and walked into the house, leaving Saya in the car. He walked into his bedroom and pulled the covers down from over Hana's head. He leaned over her and covered her eyes with his hand, holding her down when she began to struggle. "I'm sorry, Saki," he said while looking away.

"Hatori, please, no!" she yelled, tears sliding down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, please give me another chance!"

"I'm sorry," he whispered as the familiar white light filled the room and her hands fell from his collar. He wept for a few minutes before picking her up and walking back to the car. He drove back to Shigure's house and knocked on the door, Hana still in his arms.

"Hatori," Tohru said looking down at her unconscious friend in his arms. "Already?"

He pushed Hana into her arms and turned on his heel, walking back to the car and driving home. He tucked Saya into her bed and went to his room, crawling into bed and crying because he could still smell her on his pillows. The next morning he set to work packing up all of Hana's things and dropping them off on the porch of Shigure's house, he couldn't bear to see her yet. He returned home and washed his sheets, replacing them with new ones.

"Daddy, why you working so hard?" Saya asked while she watched T.V.

"Just want to get all this stuff done," he replied and went into his room, opening his drawer and pulling out the teddy bear she gave him. He opened the locket and took out the picture of the red-haired woman, replacing it with Hana's. He clasped the necklace around his neck and placed it under his shirt, his expression sorrowful. "No, the part I really hate, is this part," he whispered and fell onto his bed, missing her smell. "I'm an idiot."

FIN

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Hope you enjoyed and yes this was the last chapter, but hopefully a sequel will follow soon. R&R please and tell me what you think.

Yoko Touma