-1AN: I got to do the update in time. And to answer the question I've been emailed a few times. Yes, I've been through something similar, back this summer. I'm basing Tohru's reaction on the reactions and feelings I've had.

Thank you all for the reviews. Keep on reading.

Chapter 13: Tohru's Hair

The next few days passed slowly for Tohru, as the minutes went into hours and hours into days. She just seemed to watch them slip by. The nights were the worst though, it seemed like the medicine Hatori gave her didn't last long enough. When it wore off she would spend hours tossing and turning or wake up shaking in a cold sweat.

Yuki continued to bring her small gifts of flowers and candy in hopes of cheering her up. She didn't yell at him any longer and was nice, but she would hardly speak to him and she never looked at him. When she ran into him in the house, she would try to force a smile, but it was obvious to him she was slipping away. Kyo had also noticed a change in Tohru . He still slept by her bed every night and tried to spend as much time with her as he could. He wanted to tell her that his curse was gone, but he didn't feel that right now was the time he just wanted to focus on her getting better. Several times he had caught her brushing out her hair and crying, but when she noticed him she would give him a sad smile and leave the room. She was talking less and less to everyone in the house, even him.

"Shigure, how has Tohru been doing?" Hatori asked one evening after seeing her.

"In some ways she seems better." The dog answered sipping his tea. He stared off into the distance, the sun was setting and the air was getting cooler, you could smell fall arriving. "She cooked dinner for us the other night."

"But?" The doctor probed.

"But she seems different." Lighting a cigarette and inhaling deeply. "She seems like she is leaving us, her body is her, but her spirit isn't." Hatori nodded, watching his friend, as Shigure cocked his head to the side, a motion that suggested he was in deep thought. He looked at Hatori with sad brown eyes. "There's no light to her anymore. She tries to smile but her eyes are dull, she is even pulling away from Kyo-kun." He crushed out his cigarette. She has already lost weight and I've not seen her eat a whole meal since this. She showers and puts back on her pajamas." He took another sip of tea and sighed. "She has also asked me to let her keep the sleeping pills in her room. I'm worried about her, Hari."

Hatori studied the writer closely, this wasn't like his friend to admit that he was worried about anything, especially someone other than himself. He had noticed all of what Shigure had described, most of it was to be expected. When he went into see her this afternoon she was brushing her hair, he heard her whisper. " Why does brushing my hair, or touching my hair make me feel so sick?"

(((FLASHBACK TO THIS AFTERNOON)))

"Hatori-san." She said wiping her eyes, when she heard him clear his throat. She gave him a fake smile. "I feel bad that you have to come out here and see me everyday, you must be very busy."

"Its no problem, Tohru-san, I just want to make sure you are okay." He said looking at her closely. Her bruises were fading to a yellow-greenish tint, and most the scratches had scabbed over.

"You said everything was um..healing fine." She gave him a sad smile. Her eyes tired.

"How are you feeling, I'm not talking psychically. Are you eating and sleeping okay?" The doctor asked.

She sighed deeply. I wish I was dead or could just sleep forever, without dreams. "I wish I could sleep better, Hatori-san. The pills you gave me work good, but they don't last all night. Couldn't you tell Shigure-san to let me keep them in my room." She said pleading with her eyes.

He looked at her closely. "I'll up the dose a bit, but Tohru-kun, I want to Shigure to keep them just a bit longer okay." He said scruffy her hair lightly. She trembled under his touch.

(((END FLASHBACK)))

He nodded to Shigure. "I want you to keep the bottle with you at all times. But at night leave her ½ a pill, in case she needs it. She does need the rest."

"Hari, I've told Aye, about what , what happened." Shigure said helping himself to one of the dragons cigarette. "He has agreed to help me."

"Help you with what, what do you plan on doing?" Hatori asked leaning up to get a closer look at Shigure. Shigure's eyes had darkened, and he was almost snarling.

"I've found the bastard." He growled. "I know who did this. Other than that, Hatori, you probably don't want to know."

Hatori nodded, his friend was right he didn't need to know anymore, shaking off a cold shiver. "I should probably be going. Akito, is still throwing a fit." They walked in silence to Hatori's car, Shigure opened his door for him. Before he got into the car he told Shigure, "keep an eye on her, Shigure, and be careful."

Kyo was sitting on her bed watching her. She is moving like a zombie. She turned down Yuki's offer to help her with her make-up work. Would me telling her make her feel any better?

"Kyo-kun?" She said when she caught him staring at her. "Are you okay?"

He gave her a smile. "I'm fine, do you need anything."

She shook her head no. "You know, Kyo-kun?" She said, running her fingers nervously through her long brown hair. "You don't have to sleep in here every night. I'm a big girl, I can stay by myself." Giving him a tight smile.

He looked at her startled. "I don't mind staying." He answered and moved closer to her. Pushing some hair back from her face.

She jerked and jumped off the bed. "I need to take a shower." She hurried out of the room. She closed the bathroom door. I'm sorry Kyo-kun, I don't want to make myself a burden on you. For several minutes she stood in front of the mirror. She began to brush her hair. You always told me I had pretty hair mom. ' Tohru, brush your hair 100 strokes a night.' Her moms voice said in the back of her mind, as she ran the brush through her long strands. She began to shake, it came back to her, his voice, "Your hair is so pretty." She shivered and turned pale as she felt his hand stroke her hair. Her breathing became faster as she watched her self in the mirror. My hair, he told me my hair was pretty. She began to look through the drawer of her sink. I'm sorry, mom. She thought as she found an old pair of scissors. She was trembling, but not crying as she grabbed a handful of hair and began to cut. As she watched herself in the mirror, cutting away at her hair, her tears began to fall silently, running off her chin onto the sink. Loose strands fell and collected on the floor beside her and behind her. She didn't stop cutting until she could no longer feel it touching her shoulders. Now he won't think I'm pretty. He won't hurt me again. Her eyes dropped to the floor, the silent tears began to grow into sobs. My hair, I hadn't cut it since Mom died. Exhausted she sank to her knees and began to wail.

The sound of her anguished crying brought all three men to the bathroom. Kyo arrived first and stopped short at the sight of her kneeling in the floor with her hair jagged and strands of it laying in the floor. He moved to her.

"Tohru-kun?" He whispered. She didn't look up. He hadn't noticed Yuki enter the room, the rat's face pale at the sight of her.

"Tohru-san?" Yuki said standing over her and Kyo.

From behind him Shigure came up. "What's wrong?" Yuki moved over, so he could see. The sight of his flower, huddle in the floor clutching her hair and rocking was almost to much for the writer to take.

"Tohru?" Kyo repeated, when she didn't look up. "Did you hurt yourself?" Seeing the scissors laying on the counter.

She looked up at him sadly. "Kyo-kun?" her brown eyes searching his orange ones, "my hair." She said simply holding some of the loose strands out for him to see.

"I know baby." He whispered. "Why did you do this?" Taking the hair from her and throwing it into the sink. He watched as she inhaled and exhaled shakily several times. She looked around the bathroom and tried to stand up. Kyo helped her keeping his arm around her waist.

"He the guy who he." She started to cry again. "he said my hair was so pretty. Now its not. Now he won't want to hurt me again." The men were silent and they each looked at each other, what could be said to that.

"He won't hurt you anymore Tohru-kun." Shigure said.

Kyo began to brush the short strands out of her wash and wipe her face off with a wash cloth that had been laying on the sink. He gave her a small smile, when she looked at him.

"I'm ugly, now?" she whispered.

Kyo's heart felt like it had been ripped out when she said that., to him there was no way she could ever be ugly. "Never." He pulled her close into his arms.

She relaxed against him, breathing in his familiar scent. Then it struck her. Kyo-kun isn't changing. The other night as soon as Yuki hugged me he changed. Her eyes widened. "Kyo? You aren't changing."

"I know" he said kissing the top of her head. He felt her stiffen against him, he just held her tighter giving her a slight squeeze. I wish I could take your pain away.

"Here Tohru." Shigure said from the door. "I want you to take this and let Kyo help you to bed."

"But the mess…" She began

The writer, gave her a bright smile and waved his hand. "Yuki will take care of it, I'll get you some tea ready and bring it to you in a minute."

"Yuki?" She looked at him.

"Its fine, Tohru-kun, you rest." He said giving her a smile.

"Come on" Kyo said leading her out of the room.

Yuki began sweeping up the floor. I can't believe she did this to herself. Her hair.

Kyo sat on the bed with her, neither talking. She leaned up against him and waited for the pill to take effect. Kyo is better now, he isn't cursed. I've waited so long for this. But what about the others Yuki is still cursed. How did this happen? I wish I had the energy and the strength to figure this out. But now Kyo can have a normal relationship. I can't hold on to him, I have to let him go. I can't be normal, I'm not normal anymore. She drifted off to sleep with Kyo holding her. He watched as her breathing eased and stroked her hair softly, it was cut uneven and ragged, but to him she still looked beautiful.

"I love you so much." Kyo whispered. He pulled a blanket up over her and began to get up. Her arms tightened around him.

"Don't leave me, I don't want you to go" She whispered in her sleep.

AN: Not sure how that chapter turned out. I've been exhausted this week. Trying to get a bunch of stuff done. I may have to cut down to one chapter a week for a while.