a/n: Fix fix fix!

Chapter 2: Deal with the devil

Tohru had been tidying up the house when it happened, the moment her world fell apart. Unbeknownst to her Hatori was in the kitchen talking in a whispered voice with Shigure.
"I have been instructed, to erase her memory." Hatori said coldly. "Akito… has ordered it."
"This is because she found out right?" Asked Shigure musing. Hatori nodded and sighed, he had no choice in the matter. "Tohru, Yuki, Kyo, could you come in here a minute?" Shigure said defeatedly. One by one the teens arrived in the room, looking curious.
"What's he doing here?" Kyo snarled looking at Hatori in his professional looking business suit.
"I'm afraid, after the new years incident, Akito has revoked permission for Miss Honda to keep her memories and continue to stay here." There was a deafening silence, Tohru lowered her head. She had expected nothing less.
"O… Okay Hatori." She said amidst the stunned silence. "It's okay. I don't blame you… I know you don't have a choice." She said sadly. She turned to Yuki and Kyo looking stunned. "Will you two, still be my friends?" her voice was hopeful. Yuki nodded, still in shock.
"Of course we will Miss Honda." He whispered.
"For once the rat and I agree." Kyo mumbled, his voice was dejected, and she wondered if he was biting back tears. She kissed each of them on the cheek, Shigure aswell
"Thank you… for everything." She whispered, as she turned back to Hatori and nodded.
"I'm… ready." She clenched her eyes shut expecting some kind of sword to come and slash her memories from her.
"Not here. Akito has instructed it be done at the main house." He beckoned Tohru to the door.
"That sick bastard he wants to watch her!" Kyo growled sounding like his usual self.

Tohru waved until the car Hatori was driving lead them out of sight, she cried silently in the back while he was tight lipped the entire journey. She knew it was not his fault and that he couldn't defy Akito, it was part of the curse. They got out of the car and miserably Tohru followed him through the gardens, she had once thought them beautiful but now every flower bowed its head as if in a private mourning for her with the winter day.
"I am sorry." He said sounding rather hollow. She nodded unable to find her words as he lead her into Akito's room. She was sat staring out the window, a vague look on her face as though she wondered whether it would snow. Kureno was knelt on the floor, silent and stony faced, Tohru bowed her head in respect.
"Hello Tohru Honda." Akito said coldly in her masculine voice.
"Hello Ma'am." Tohru said, sounding braver than she felt.
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" She said throwing the nearest object (a plant pot) at her, Hatori pulled her out of it's path. "You understand why I'm wiping your pathetic memory." She queried, sitting back as calmly as though she had not just thrown a heavy object.
"Yes… I probably understand more than you do." Tohru said softly, not meaning to sound over egotistical.
"What! How dare you say that! I'm wiping your memory because…"
"Because you're scared Akito." Tohru's voice was gentle. She kneeled beside the head of the family's bed, bowing her head politely. Akito growled menacingly at the mention of her name.
"Scared? Of you? You're nothing but an ordinary, ugly girl." She had called Tohru ugly before, but never to her face.

"You're not scared of me, you have no reason to be scared of me." Tohru smiled weakly. "I'm no fighter, and you're right, I'm ordinary, in fact I'm extra-ordinary." She giggled at her own play on words causing Akito to raise an eyebrow, she quickly remembered where she was and for what reason she was there. "You're scared that as a woman your bonds would be weaker. You're scared of being a girl, Akito." She looked shocked and Tohru continued. "And when you lose your temper, when you hit people, or throw things… it's because you had a feminine thought and feel angry at yourself for thinking it… right?"
"Shut up. Hatori wipe her memory now!" She growled. Hatori reluctantly approached. Tohru stayed still but continued talking. This time to Hatori.
"Promise me that sometime… sometime in her life you'll treat her like the woman she is, Hatori. You too Kureno. Take her to see a romantic movie, or to a party, to have her hair done or something."
"You think I'd like those materialistic pathetic things?" Akito snapped, Tohru turned her head, meaning Hatori couldn't touch her, he froze.
"I think you would. The female mind is curious Akito… Naturally sometimes you see a model and think 'I'd like to look like her' or 'I love those shoes' see… when you're a girl you can think these thoughts freely. OH!" She snapped her fingers. "Have you ever been shopping?" Akito's eyes looked glassy as she stared at her own loose fitting robe
"No. I haven't. But I don't want to." She growled stubbornly.

"Kureno. Take her shopping. For girl's clothes!" Tohru's eyes lit up. "Though you're a boy so it wouldn't have as much of an effect, do ANY girls know, other than her mother?"
"Only you," Hatori said slowly, unable to believe that despite the threat looming over her, she was still Tohru, perky cheerful and happy.
"Okay well, whoever takes her, I'd say her best colour is red, it goes well with her hair and it'd make her eyes less intense." Tohru babbled, she smiled and turned back to Hatori. "Thank you for treating me so well Hatori, and tending to me when I was ill that time. You can erase my memory now, and don't feel guilty, I'm sad I'm forgetting all this, but I'm glad it happened okay!" She tried to assure him, knowing it could not be easy for him.

Hatori smiled weakly and placed his hand to her forehead.
"Stop." Akito said sounding slightly bored, Hatori withdrew his hand obediently. "What on earth was that little speech?" She asked.
"Oh… well, as a boy I suppose you don't really know." Tohru said scratching her head. "See, men tend to fight."
"Because we're stronger." Akito had a dull headache from her incessant nonsense, did this girl ever stop talking?
"No, sometimes true strength is the battle not fought." Kureno smiled at her so she continued. "Sometimes you have to back down, know when to say stop. It's all part of your identity. I feel sorry for you Akito… you've reached a point where even you doubt who you are. I hope…" She hung her head and felt a tear slide down her cheek, this did not go unnoticed by Akito. "I truly hope that one day you work it out Akito."
"You're… crying." She seemed confused, angry and shocked.
"I'm crying because, I want to ask you something."
"And you're scared of me?" Akito demanded.
"No… I'm not scared of you at all Akito." This… was the first time anyone had ever said that to her she raised her hand and smacked Tohru very hard. She fell to the floor, but quickly regained her composure trying not to cry in pain.
"Are you still unafraid?" Akito sneered tossing her black hair behind her. Tohru shook her head.
"I'm not scared of you."

Seeing Akito's temper skyrocket Kureno jumped in.
"There was a request you had?" Tohru nodded remembering what she had been about to ask.
"Well… I have… a proposition to make." She knew from the deals made with Kyo and Yuki that Akito liked to make deals.
"I'm listening." Akito was trying to calm herself down, to stop herself murdering the young brunette.
"Give me one day. To show you what it's like… one day for you to TRULY be a girl, if you like it… I keep my memories. If you hate it, I lose them…" 'but… she had been planning on that anyway there would be no gain for her' she thought desperately "and… you can cut all my hair off!" Tohru bowed, she loved the length of her hair and had grown it since middle school because her mom had liked it long. Akito looked to be deep in thought.
"Hatori, am I well enough to leave the house today?" Hatori nodded slowly, slightly shocked that she would agree to something like this.
"Very well." With that Akito left the room. Kureno patted her shoulder.
"Good luck Tohru, and here." He handed her a considerable amount of money.
"I won't be bribed into being her friend!" Tohru said naively. Kureno shook his head.
"No, it's for shopping. She'll need some clothes."
"Are you sure she can spend this much in one trip?" Tohru was certain even Akito, who only owned robes could not spend THAT much on clothes.
"Half is for you." Hatori smirked catching on quicker than Tohru. Kureno nodded.
"I couldn't! You've already been so nice to me!" She stuttered halving the money and handing one side back to Kureno. He refused to accept it.

Kureno innocently kissed her cheek
"For as much as we want to be free…We have wanted her to be free for an even longer time. You might just be the one to do it." He broke the contact as Akito walked back in, dressed in a black button up shirt and black pants, both well padded to hide her curves.
"Well are you just going to stand there all day? I don't even know why I'm humouring you!" She growled. Tohru grinned broadly and hurried over.
"I'm ready."
"Oh and… today," Akito lowered her voice, "because I have NO clue about these sort of things… you're in charge okay." Tohru blushed and smiled. She was… in charge?
"Don't worry." She chirruped as they passed Momiji, she gave him a cheery wave. "I'll make sure it's all good." And with that she followed Akito into the back of a limo. Today would be interesting, to say the least.

A/n: Hehe taking Akito SHOPPING. Fun ahead?