We were all kind of curled around each other, waiting for the new year. When it officially turned January, we planned to see if our theory had worked. We only had ten more minutes, and trust me, we were getting impatient. Tohru was watching our little huddled mass state with a worried look.

"Guys?" Dean said suddenly, jarring all of us, I think, back into the present.

"Yeah?" I replied, gaining usage of my tongue back first.

"It- It's January..." He said.

We all stared at the clock. It read 12:01. My eyes widened as we stared. Nobody moved. "Guys?" Tohru asked. "It's New Year's. Shouldn't we celebrate?" She smiled hesitantly.

"It really is. We made it." Lilah said. "Now we just have to find a guy to hug." She actually managed a laugh, but we were all afraid that it might not have worked. We all kind of sat there, a little out of it. After a few minutes, we celebrated with Tohru, and waited for our relatives to return.

"Lilah? Dean? Shawna? We're back!" Finally, after a few hours, Shoji and Jesse returned. I leapt up at the same time as Lilah. We both rushed to the door. I threw my arms around Shoji, and Lilah around Jesse. The longest second of my life passed. Then, POOF! Both Shoji and Jesse changed.

"It- It worked!" Lilah screamed, grabbed me in a bear hug, and we both began to jump around happily.

"I believe that's not supposed to happen." Shoji said, looking at us from the floor. He slithered across my feet.

"Shoji, don't you get it? We're free! We're free from the curse!" I laughed giddily, then ran into the other room after scooping up Shoji. "It worked! It worked! Look! Look what I did to Shoji!" I waved him through the air.

It... worked?" Dean said softly. Then he leapt up and ran over and hugged Tohru. Nothing happened. "We're all... free?" Dean looked stunned.

Momiji hugged Tohru like Dean, with the same results. Soon everybody was hugging everybody, and I ran up the stairs, screaming for Kyou. I could finally fix the damage I had caused! I could finally hold Kyou again. He was free! I was free! WE were free!

"KYOU! KY-" I burst into his room, and stopped dead in my tracks. Nobody was there. I ran around the house trying to find him. He had to be there somewhere, but somehow, he wasn't.

Finally, I ended in our room, and noticed something lying on my bed. I picked up the piece of paper and slowly unfolded it.

'Dear Shawna-

I thought just having you near me was enough to

satisfy my needs, but it seems it's not. I decided

to go on a trip, and I don't know when I'll be back,

but know that I will love you forever. Please, don't

forget about me while I'm gone.

-Kyou'

I fell to the floor my brow furrowed as I read the note. Kyou was gone? What? How? No! I couldn't let him be gone! Not now! Not when all of us were free! Not when we could finally be together in piece! NO! I burst into tears. Hysterical, sobbing tears. And that's how everyone found me, with Kyou's note crumpled in my hand.

:-P

All the happiness of the night before had been washed away. I sat dejectedly at the table, staring at my hands. there was no way I would ever be happy again. I couldn't be happy without Kyou. At the moment, I was the only one home, because everyone else went to tell the rest of the family about our discoveries. I glanced up and out the window, and that's when I saw it. A person walking towards the house. I got up and ran to the door. It couldn't be... Kyou was walking towards the house, with the sunlight shining through the trees onto him, making him look beautiful, like a sacred jewel. I lost all control, and went sprinting out of the house, straight to him and into his arms.

"Kyou! Kyou, I thought you were gone! Kyou! Kyou! Kyou!" I kept crying his name over and over as I buried my head into his shoulder, my arms around his neck.

"Shawna? Is everything alright?" Kyou sounded concerned, and I pulled back to see his worried face. I then remembered he had no idea what was going on.

"I can finally have it, Kyou! I can finally have my happiness, hold my happiness!" I knew I was rambling, but I couldn't stop.

"Shawna, what are you talking about?" Kyou was confused.

"I don't have to worry about my happiness being hurt by Uncle Mitch anymore! Uncle Mitch isn't my God anymore!" I tried to make him understand.

"What...?" Kyou looked even more confused.

"We're free Kyou! Both of us are free!" I finally pushed up and pressed my lips against his.

When I pulled back, he stared at me in shock. "Shawna..."

"Don't you understand? I'm free to love you now. We're both free of that damned curse, so I don't have to protect you anymore! I can love you without worrying that my love will get you hurt! YOU are my happiness!" I kissed him again.

Kyou kissed back again, then pulled back and looked at me. "Are you sure?" He asked concerned.

"Love me, Kyou. Please." I whispered, then kissed him passionately, communicating all of my feelings through that kiss.

"I love you. Always." Kyou replied gently.

"I'll always love you too." I replied, then we kissed again. Everything was going to be alright now.

:-P

I was wrong. Oh how wrong I was. "KAIA! YOU ARE A DEAD GIRL!" Dean roared in anger.

"Guys?" I said softly, looking at the sight in front of us, holding Kyou's hand. There were a few muttered yeahs. "I vote Kaia is not allowed within 10 feet of the Kitchen from now on." I said.

"Agreed." Kyou replied, and slowly, we both turned away from yet another smoldering house.