Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket

Chapter 13

Hatori heard the phone fall onto the floor and he sighed. He ran his hand through his thick hair and cleared his voice, "Kyo. Kyo can you hear me?" He listened to the sounds of hands shuffling.

"What is it now?"

"I said possibility, Kyo. I never said definite. I think you should come visit her tomorrow, if she's up to it." Hatori turned with the phone and cord, staring at Tohru who was asleep in his bed, buried under a few blankets. "I'm not really sure what happened at all. I told you, I couldn't examine her. Before you do something arrogant, go to sleep. I'll take care of her."

"Fine. I'm coming tomorrow morning."

"No Kyo, give me some time to talk with her. I want to know the truth before you come, you understand? I need to make sure she's not physically injured," Hatori countered calmly. "I know I am your cousin, and this is the girl you love, but I am also a doctor. She needs my help."

"Fine. Tomorrow, three o'clock." There was a pause on the line, Hatori was almost about to ask if Kyo had hung up on him. "Please, fix her."

Hatori listened to the dead line and sat down in his office wheeled chair. He turned in the chair, sighing once more, touching his left eye.

"Tohru, what's wrong?" This time his voice was much kinder, like his one good eye, portraying the good-will of his heart.

"Something happened to me today Hatori. I want to make sure that, I'm not...completely corrupted."

Hatori raised an eyebrow but took her tiny hand and walked her inside, "You can tell me about it when you're ready."

Her smile had been so painful for him to see. In so many ways she reminded him of Kana. The eyes that told all the truths, even if he was blind, he could see it. When he had taken her to the safety of his office she had immediately started to cry. Her hands and found their way to his, her head lowered, and her body quivered. Hatori had seen Tohru injured before, sad before, but not like this. She could not tell him what was wrong, a first, despite his cold shell, she was rather open with him.

"You poor girl, what has happened to you this time?" Hatori leaned back in his chair when someone knocked at the door of his room. "Who is it?" His stolid greeting countered the knocks, his eyes seeing the clock 11:01 pm.

"It's Kureno."

Surprised, Hatori stood up from his chair and opened the door a few inches, so only his left eye could see. Yes the left eye, that was blind. "What do you want at this hour?"

Kureno, face covered with a few bruises, shoved his hands in his pockets. "The stupid onigiri is here. You better not let anyone see her, even the little lamb and tiger. Akito is extremely angry with her. That band is also getting antsy."

His eyes narrowed, "What does that matter to you? What happened to you?" The door slid open more and Hatori let Kureno in. Kureno made no movement. "I am a doctor, you are injured. Sit in the chair." Kureno wandered in, but before sitting, stared at her. The onigiri. The broken onigiri, who he had so brutally... "What happened to you?"

"Hatsuharu's Black side came out, that's what." Kureno sat down in the chair and rubbed his jaw, "The stupid kid has one mean swing." His hands wove through his hair and he let out a small sigh. "I don't need your doctor care, just ice."

Hatori bent down and looked at Kureno's face. Hatori was a year older, giving him all the authority over Kureno. Even if Kureno was Akito's lackey, it didn't matter, Hatori had nerves of steel it seemed. He pressed his thumb against Kureno's cheek, Kureno cursing under his breath. "You're right, you don't need me. Nothing is broken. If should bruise and heal within two weeks."

Kureno wasn't paying attention, his eyes were back on Tohru's slumbering body. Her face was so calm, a tiny line for a smile, as her chest rose and fell with each breath. Her hair was like a canopy over the pillow, comforting her face as she continued to dream. But that same face, was still so sullied; corrupted by his harsh slaps, stains of tears, and ached with the pain of her weeping soul. Strange, how a slumbering body could see have so many emotions.

Tohru suddenly twitched in her sleep, a single tear cascading down her face. He reached out to touch the tear when Hatori touched his shoulder. "What did you do to her?"

Kureno looked up at him, surprised, "Why do you think I did something to her?"

Hatori grabbed him by the scruff of his collar and glared, "You do not come into my home and act like an ignorant fool. Shigure, Kyo, Momiji, Hatsuharu, Yuki, all of them have told me." Hatori could not control his rage, "This girl came to me crying. What have you done to her! Why have you corrupted her?"

"I'm sorry!" Kureno shouted, pushing Hatori away with his hands, "I did not mean to get so angry with her. But if you are implying that I raped that naive little girl you are miserably mistaken Hatori Sohma! Do you think I am that barbaric?" Kureno stood up and pushed away the chair. "I got angry, but I would never, ever, rape an innocent girl. I may be Akito's worthless bitch, but I would never go that far."

"Then tell me!" Hatori growled, lowering his voice to keep Tohru asleep. "Tell me what happened. I won't tell the others if that will make it better. But I have to know, I need to know she'll be all right."

Kureno sat back down in the chair and closed his eyes, burrowing his hands into his face.

(Story assumes Kureno's Point of View-mostly I got too lazy to distinguish actions)

"Hatori, I'm so tired of this. We're all so tired of this. Before we met this girl, none of us had any worth. None what so ever. This girl, she saved my life. I walked into the street, and she willingly ran into traffic to save me, against her boyfriend's wishes. This girl, was the only one who saw any worth in us.

"Akito, is brewing something up for her. He plans on taking her out of the picture before she has a chance to break our curse."

"Break the curse?" Hatori looked at me with an arched eyebrow, "You really think she has the potential to do that?"

I nod slowly, looking back over at Tohru. "Why else would Akito fear her this much? She's just a little girl, but Akito hates her. He's getting weaker, you know that, you're the doctor. I think he wants to live out his reign as Sohma Head, and then force Yuki into taking over. He wants to lock Kyo up before he dies."

Hatori leaned against his closet door and sighed. He touched his eye and frowned. "I do not want the harm that came to Kana to come to Tohru. Kana was an adult, and she still wilted like a dead rose. I don't want Tohru to feel that."

"Hatori..." I look to the floor, "How is she?"

"Very, very, hurt. Her face got the brunt of it, maybe her shoulders too. She might catch a fever, which will upset all the Sohmas at Shigure's, because she just got over one a little while ago. But I don't know, how she'll end up, mentally I mean. I think the only one she'll take comfort in is Kyo, and he's not supposed to be here."

I looked down at my hands. After I had left Tohru I was dirty, from Haru, and such. I had washed up and presented himself to Akito, composed as always, like nothing had happened. I am such a coward, such a lair. A dog for Akito.

"Hatori, I hit her. Momiji was yelling with her, about her conflicts between the family and her band. The band wants and expects everything from her, and they have no idea of what she goes through with Akito. Momiji doesn't want her to leave, not when he sees her like a sister, and a mother.

"Then Haru appeared, with a girl with long black hair. I'm not sure of her name, but she witnessed Black Haru. Tohru transformed me into a rooster, right in front of her. She took me away through the canopy of the smoke. But I fear that girl will figure something out. That's why I was angry. If Tohru loses her memories, all our hard work will be in vein! The girl we are putting all our faith in, is bringing so much unhappiness to our family. What if we were wrong, what if I was wrong?

"I've been in contact with Rin, and have formed an alliance with her. She too is ready to abandon the curse. In a few days, we're to take Tohru into the city. We want to warn her, of what is going to happen. We also want to explain to her, how the curse could be broken. I have a plan, but its..."

"Dangerous as always," Hatori replied quietly. His eyes shot over to Tohru, "If you harm her again, I will personally kill you."

I grin, "I know you will." I lean back in the chair and close my eyes. "What are you going to do with her, now that she's here?"

Tohru's Dream/ End of Kureno's POV

"Hello? Where am I?" she paced around in the darkness, trying to find something tangible to touch.

"You're with the cat? How dare you! How dare you work your way into this family like a sickly disease!" Akito screamed as he loomed over her. " Did you think it would save us? Did you?"

The room they were in was dark. There was no light to see except for the illuminating powers of his eyes. She was so alone, no one to save her. He stood above her as she sat on her hands and knees panting. Why was no one coming to help her?

"I didn't do it to save you, I did it cause I love him!" Tohru shouted back, looking up into his stone cold eyes. "Why is that wrong?"

"How can you love the cat! He isn't even in the Zodiac! First the baka inu adopts you, then you become the love of the cat!" He raised a hand and hit Tohru over the head with someone hard. "You will regret loving them! You will regret ever meeting them!"

"Stop it! I will never regret loving them or meeting them," Tohru choked out on her tears, feeling blood drip down her face. "I regret nothing."

"You do not regret the fate that has fallen on the other Sohmas? You do not regret how it is your fault they are all being punished? None of them will ever forgive you or save you. You betrayed them all. You deserve to die."

The next thing she heard was a loud smash.

Win dain a lotica

En val tu ri

Si lo ta

Fin dein a loluca

En dragu a sei lain

Vi fa-ru les shutai am

En riga-lint

Win chent a lotica

En val turi

Silota

Fin dein a loluca

Si katigura neuver

Floreria for chesti

Si entina

Lalala…

Fontina Blu Cent

De cravi esca letisimo

Lalala…

De quantian

La finde reve

lalala...

Win dain a lotica

En vai tu ri

Si lo ta

Fin dein a loluca

En dragu a sei lain

Vi fa-ru les shutai am

En riga-lint

Win dain a lotica, en val tu ri, si lo ta...

"Where am I?" she opened her eyes and found her tied to something. Her arms straight out, her legs together. She could see the city below her.

Tohru? Tohru where are you?" Someone was calling to her...

A click sound, and her heart started to beat. Tears were in her eyes, "It's a trap! It's a TRAP! GET OUT OF HERE!"

There was a round of gunshots and a loud scream. She fell down from the beam, hands and legs bleeding.

"TOHRU!"

Falling, she was falling. Faster and faster, she could see the ground below approaching. When had she fallen, when did this all start happening? Tohru flailed her arms.

"Why?" A voice choked out, sounding like it was drowning on its own tears.

Tohru turned quickly and her eyes widened, "Kyo?" He was reaching for her over the balcony, his tears catching up with her as she fell.

A rush of wind blows through and Tohru turned around to see a giant flying dragon in front of her. He has glowing neon-blue eyes and a sea greenish mane. He's long and white, with small legs for him to walk on, think of Hakku from spirited away. She screamed in horror as he grabbed her with his talons, somehow extremely softly.

There was someone beside Kyo now, reaching out for her. It was thinly outlined, barely there. Tohru wasn't even sure if Kyo could see this person. Tohru looked down at her bleeding arms, and then back up at them on the roof. Someone loomed over them, they both turned, terrified at the person. The dragon had taken her up to the roof, and she jumped at this person, just to hear another echoing gunshot to be heard.

(End of Dream)

Tohru shot up in the bed, breathing heavily and looking around. The first face she saw was Kureno's and she let out a scream that made both of them wince. Tohru was about to scream again when Hatori covered her mouth. She struggled against him, with tears pouring from her eyes like faucets. Kureno just stared at her, with a frown etched on his face. Had he done this to her? Was he that terrifying?

Hatori held her mouth and felt her tremble, "Tohru, Tohru its okay. Calm down." His voice was soft and sweet, something Kureno was not accustomed to. Tohru's teal eyes found his dark brown ones and she lowered her head to his chest. She kept her chest away from his, to keep the curse at bay, as she silently cried into his shirt. "It's okay Tohru, I'm here."

"Hatori..." Tohru sobbed quietly and shivered. "Someone's going to die, someone's going to die. I saw it Hatori, I saw them. It was so scary. I don't want anyone else to die. Please don't let anyone leave me like mother and father. Please, Hatori, please, I can't do it again."

Hatori looked up at Kureno, asking him what he was supposed to say now. Kureno didn't know, he had no idea how to deal with children, especially this rice ball. Hatori looked back down at Tohru and rested his head against the top of hers. "You just stay here with me Tohru, I'm sure everyone is fine. If you want, when you calm down, you can call them."

"I'm scared," Tohru told him quietly. "I was so scared. I don't want them to die, I'd rather die myself, then see them die. I know its selfish, but I don't want to see it. I don't want to see blood, no more tears, no more of their suffering. Hatori everyone is suffering, its all my fault, its all my fault."

"No, its not," Kureno told her boldly. "You're the only hope we have."

Tohru turned and stared at him, confusion in her eyes. "Hope isn't real, it's not tangible. We all want something to believe in, something to drive us, but every time it goes wrong, we blame it too. Isn't that what you did to me? Didn't you blame me when things started to get harder? While I fought through my confusion, I stumbled along, and you blamed me because I wasn't a strong enough thing to believe in anymore! What if we wait our entire lives, hoping something happens, and then it never does. What if they all just hope, and never take action. I'll get blamed, and I know this is selfish, because I have so much in my life now because of this family, but I don't want to be hope anymore!"

Hatori looked down at her, "Tohru I----"

"Do you know how hard it is?" Tohru asked Kureno with tears in her eyes. "Do you know how hard it is, to feel so alone, when you have all these people here with you? I have this wonderful family, wonderful friends, and I've never felt this much sadness. Everyone expects everything from me. I work two jobs, clean, cook, go to school, and try to keep the family happy, but god its so hard. I know I'm complaining, I know," Tohru wiped her eyes. "But I don't know if I can do this anymore. I'm only seventeen. I don't have my mother anymore, or my father. I know I have the Sohmas. But it was the Sohma world that I came into, I wiggled my way in, I was never just there! That's why Akito hates me, I wiggled my way into a life he was comfortable in."

Neither of the two men knew what to do. Her hands covered her eyes as she continued to cry. Suddenly, she didn't seem like the invincible naive girl they had put all their faith in. Her eyes were red, her face was flushed, her hair was dull, she was skinny and bony, weak...frail.

Please stop crying, Kureno thought to himself, reaching out to touch the side of her face. Was this what all the other Sohmas felt? Did they all feel accountable, partially, for this girl's suffering? Who was suffering more, the Sohmas, or Tohru? She flinched at his touch. Kureno wanted to tell her not to be afraid of him, but after what he had done yesterday, after what he had said, it was too much to ask of her.

Hatori stroked the top of her head as she started to calm down. "Tohru, we're not asking you to make us happy. We have to learn that on our own."

"...then why are you all hoping for me to break the curse?" she whispered quietly. "Isn't that your happiness, to be freed?"

There was a silence.

"Yes, you are right," Kureno mumbled. "We wanted you to free us, myself included. Oh god, look what we have done to you."

Tohru closed her eyes, but they opened again when there was a knock on the door. Hatori and Kureno looked at each other, both trying not to panic. Tohru looked around, horrified.

"Who is it?" Hatori asked.

"Akito, now let me in."

Hatori watched the door handle to the room shake, he had locked it.

Tohru shivered under the covers and wasn't sure what to do. Hatori stood up and opened up a closet door for her. He pushed her inside of it and shut it. Then opened up the door. "What can I do for you Akito sir?"

Akito slowly circled the room, and saw Kureno sitting on the bed. "Ah, there you are Kureno, I was wondering where you'd disappeared to. Here I thought I'd have to give you a tighter leash, but seeing you were just with Hatori I am no longer angry."

Kureno stood and bowed formally, "I am grateful you are no longer angry with me sir. Is there anything I can get you, Akito?"

Akito grinned maliciously, but shrugged his shoulders most informally. "Nothing today my pet, but please keep your eyes open. I'm expecting little Rin to appear soon, and I am certain she is most upset with me. Oh, and the children, little Kisa and Hiro, watch them too. They will be going to visit the worthless Onigiri soon."

Hatori, who was leaning against the very closet he'd trapped Tohru inside clenched his hand. His teeth were grinding into his other lip, but made every attempt not to draw attention to himself. Akito however, did notice Hatori's nervous behavior, and turned to him. Hatori gulped, "Yes sir?"

"Now Hatori, you know you can call me Akito," he snickered with venom dripping from the words. "I'm feeling much better, and if I feel well tomorrow, you and I shall be leaving the estate for a few days. There are things that need to be sorted out without my presence, I'd like to see how it is handled."

"Why would the children be visiting the Onigiri?" Kureno cut in curiously. He understood the children adored her, but why would Akito know of this. Was he planning something? Kureno settled himself upon Hatori's desk and waited.

"I figure they should say goodbye to her soon. No one knows how long that little onigiri will leech to us." Akito rubbed his chin casually and chuckled. "We are after all, cursed people. It will only be so long before she can stand any of us. Soon, hate will run through her, and she will despise us. Then she will come crawling to Hatori, crying and begging, and he will have to set her free, like he did his Kana." Akito walked back to the door, "Now if you excuse me, I have to speak with Momiji's father about some finances."

The door clicked shut and Hatori let out a scream of rage when he knew it was safe. He smashed his fist into the wall beside the door and panted slowly. That bastard, it was all Akito could think of. Every word that left that cruel man's lips dripped with so much hate and venom, it made even Hatori's skin crawl.

The closet door opened slowly and Tohru stepped outside. Her eyes were at the floor, shoulders and head sagged in defeat, her hands at her sides. "I think, I'm going to go now. I don't, want to be here anymore. I don't want to be here anymore." She walked to the door and opened it up.

"Tohru—please wait," Kureno and Hatori begged her weakly. Kureno was the first to speak, "Don't' listen to him, please don't give up on us yet. Please."

"Tohru, please, rest here and let me take care of you," Hatori begged, reaching out to touch her shoulder.

"No. Leave me alone. Please, please just leave me alone for a little while." The door slammed shut and she took off running.

Haru was sitting on one of the swings at the local playground. He'd come there early in the morning, thinking about Tohru and Momiji. Momiji hadn't smiled at all today, and he had tried so hard to convince Shigure to let him see Tohru. Haru felt horrible too. He could see it now, how much Tohru was starting to unravel. Kyo was sitting beside him, staring at the sky.

"Kyo?"

"Yeah...Haru?" Kyo's eyes were shut, he was holding the broken mirror he had given her in his hand. He hoped if he held onto it, and prayed long enough, she'd come back to him, still innocent.

Haru ran his hands through his hair and sighed, "Kyo, she's falling apart. The jobs, the fever, the elevator, Clarity, Momiji, everything is falling apart on her. Akito knows about the two of you, and she's going to leave tomorrow with Kureno and Rin. We don't know what's going to happen."

"I believe in her," Kyo replied calmly, staring down at his reflection in the broken mirror. "I will always love her, and always believe in her, even if she makes the wrong decisions. She was the only person to ever, ever , see me as more than the rejected cat. She was the only one, who could ever say those wonderful things about me."

Both of them fell silent, staring off into different directions, trying to occupy themselves. Yuki was wondering the outside gates of Akito's estate, hoping that Tohru would come outside and he could talk to her. Yuki had avoided Tohru for the past few months, and now he needed to tell her more than ever he was sorry for it. Yuki had never realized how personally she took things. Much to his surprise, the gates flung open, and Tohru ran outside, running right past him.

"Wait, Tohru!" Yuki grabbed her by the wrist and a shrill yell echoed from her mouth. "Tohru, Tohru, calm down, its just me, Yuki."

Tohru slowly opened her eyes and stopped flinching. She looked at him and pouted, tears bubbling past her eyes. "Oh Yuki...hello..." She started to chuckle and cry all over again as he gripped her shoulders and stared at her with his lovely violet eyes.

"Look at you...you look horrible Tohru," Yuki pouted sadly. It was true. Her face was enflamed with bruises from yesterday, her eyes were bloodshot, the skin red around her eyes so raw and harsh. She looked completely heartbroken. "I've been waiting for you Tohru, can I talk with you?"

"Of—sniff—of course Yuki-kun. You can, always talk to me," Tohru tried to calm herself down as he stroked the side of her face. Tohru knew Yuki was not making romantic advances at this moment, she could feel his aching heart.

Yuki smiled sincerely, Tohru always made him for him, for everyone. He stroked her left cheek, pushing away the tears with his soft thumb. "Tohru, I know you're going through a hard time. I know, and I'm very sorry for that. But we are the Sohmas, this is the curse we are burdened with. The curse is not, being able to hug, or changing shapes, the curse, is hurting the people we love so much." Yuki lowered his head and sighed, "And I have contributed to that curse."

"What–sniff–what are you talking about Kyo? You haven't done anything horrible at all! I remember the day after the mudslide, and you dug through the mud to find my mother's photograph," Tohru sniffled and tried to smile. "You're not horrible."

"But I am Tohru, I avoided you when you rejected me. I knew you meant no harm, and I know you still love me as family. I was selfish, I could not bear to look at you. I'm sorry, all this time you've been going through rough days, and I have done nothing but avoid you." Yuki wove his hands through her hair and smiled. "I want you to forgive me, please say you will."

Tohru started to giggle and nodded, "I forgive you Yuki-kun. Now, can you help me, please?"

Yuki grinned, nodding his head so much his violet hair draped across his eyes. "What is it you need Tohru?"

Tohru looked at the sidewalk and sighed. Yuki rubbed her shoulders for reassurance as she lifted her head back to look at him. "I have to go away tomorrow, with Kureno-sama and Rin-sama. They didn't really specify when I'd be back, so I need someone to take care of the cooking and stuff while I'm going. Can you do that for me, ne?"

Yuki's eyes softened lightly and he leaned in and kissed her forehead gently. "Anything for you Tohru, of course I'll take care of the house. Do you want to go home now?" He took her hand gently and waited to see where she wanted to go.

"Would you mind...if we went to see my mom?" Tohru asked between the last of her tears. Yuki didn't say anything to her, but instead guided her down the street. She smiled softly and sighed. Mother would calm her down, always.

There was a knock at Shigure's door, and little Momiji wandered inside. Momiji was lonely today, all his family had gone out today. Haru and Kyo were together, Yuki was wondering, and Shigure had shut himself up in his office. Momiji looked at the computer and saw that he had a writing program opened. The screen was completely blank, with no words, except for one. Tohru. Momiji frowned, scratching at his golden locks and stared at Shigure.

"You okay, little Momiji?" Shigure asked calmly, turning in his wheeling chair. His reading glasses were on, and he had a pen tucked on his ear. His dark brown, almost black locks, were parted perfectly, but drooped as if to reflect his mood.

"Shigure...I think I made this all really bad for Tohru," Momiji shuffled foot to foot as he spoke. "If I hadn't, overreacted, and gotten upset like I had, none of this would have happened. I was just acting like a little kid."

Shigure smiled and ruffled his hair fondly, like a parent should, "Momiji, you are just a kid." Shigure chuckled lightly until he saw the sad look in Momiji's sandy-brown eyes.

"I am not just a kid! I'm only a few months younger then Tohru, not even a full two years." Momiji clenched his fists and looked away, though Shigure's hand remained on his head. "I'm too much of a kid, so no one takes me seriously. Tohru won't tell me all the complicated things in her life because she doesn't want to corrupt me. But I don't want her to think I can't handle it!"

"Oh Momiji, you're so mistaken," Shigure smiled softly. "Tohru doesn't want to tell you, because she doesn't want to tell any of us. She doesn't even like telling her father what's wrong. She loves seeing you smile Momiji, she loves seeing all of us smile. You're so kind, she doesn't want her sadness to rub off on you."

"Do you think Tohru will come home soon?" Momiji asked hopefully, taking Shigure's one large hand into his two tiny ones. "She will come back right? Won't she?"

Shigure's eyes softened again and he nodded. "Our little Flower will be home soon. I know she will."

Tohru and Yuki arrived at Kyoko's grave around mid-afternoon. Tohru didn't say much to Yuki when they got there. She sank down onto her knees and stared at the gravestone, little tears rumbling along the lids of her beautiful eyes. Her delicate reached out, and traced the carving of her mother's name. "Oh who can tell. Save he whose heart hath tried?"

The words echoed through Yuki's mind as he watched her shed more tears. Her hands gripped at the edges of her skirt, her knees becoming damp from the tears that touched her skin. He could hear her mumbling for her mother, taking in deep breaths trying to keep her from sobbing hysterically. Yuki walked away from her, to give her the privacy she rightfully deserved.

After moving a few rows away from her in the graveyard Yuki pulled out a cell-phone. "Ja- Kyo, I found her. No, she's not with Hatori and Kureno anymore. She's with me. She's at the graveyard, talking to her mother. I think you should come, she needs you, more than she needs me."

Ten minutes later Kyo sprinted up the steps of the graveyard, a few beads of sweat tracing the sides of his face. Kyo rested his hands on his knees as he panted, "Haru's...coming with Hatori with a car to take you home. They all want us to come together in a few hours, so she can talk to us, and so we can talk to her."

Yuki walked off towards the entrance, barely catching Kyo's 'thank-you' as Kyo walked past him. Kyo looked around, and found Tohru's head still bent, looking at her mother's grave with her eyes shut. He frowned, the cat felt so horrible for her. He bent down beside her, which made her lift her head up to gaze at him. His hands were together and he was praying silently, begging Kyoko to help her beautiful daughter. When he finished he turned to her and kissed her cheek gently.

"Kyo..." Tohru's eyes looked so tired, her body language told him how sad she was. She hadn't been this sad since the day he had transformed months ago. "I'm sorry for scaring you."

A small smile formed on his face, he kissed her forehead this time, and rubbed the side of her head, "Keh, you don't have to worry Squirt, I still love you. I always will love you, don't ever forget that."

Tohru smiled weakly and kissed the side of his cheek. "Thank you, Kyo. I know I have a lot of things to tell you, but thank you for not demanding them from me." She felt him take her hands and squeeze them, and she felt a little bit more reassured.

Kyo nodded his head, letting his orange bangs get the best of his view. He smiled, the kind of smile Tohru used to have to work so hard to get out of him. She loved that smile, it was the one beneath all the hostility and anger he put up. "Just tell me one thing Tohru, what do you want? Honest, I want you hear you complain. You look like you're in so much pain, tell me what you want, so I can make you happy."

A small little laugh echoed from her throat as she reached up and cuffed his face in both her hands. "I want to go away, just for a little while, Kyo. Please? Just you and me? I love the Sohmas, but I feel like I'm sinking in the water. I want to come back to them when I know I can smile and take care of them again. I can't even take care of myself."

He kissed her gently and smiled, "Finally, you're thinking about yourself. I told you, being selfish is alright. Still, you stupid Airhead, still all you want to do is take care of us. You, are amazing." Kyo stood up slowly and took her hand, "Lets go."

"Where are we going to go Kyo?" Tohru asked innocently, her tears finally ceasing.

Kyo grinned, "I'm taking you to the mountains, where I stayed to train for those four months."

Author's Notes: More Haru & Hana next chapter.

And yes, she wasn't raped!