Author's Notes:

Again, sorry for the long wait! And I'm very sorry for those of you who got confused by the switch in scenes. I had planned it to be divided by a double spacing but it seems that the double spacing isn't showing like how it should and I didn't notice for a long time. Sorry about that. From now on, I'm using line breaks when changing scenes.

Chapter 8

Mizuki stood near the door of the bedroom as he watched Hatori perform a check up on Maiko. He had called the man earlier after he came home to find that Maiko had collapsed in the kitchen with Momo kneeling by her side, crying. He had instantly called Hatori telling him to come even though he didn't have a clue as to what happened.

It was only after Momo had calmed down that she was able to tell him everything and Mizuki felt more worried than before. He knew that Maiko had been experiencing headaches for a few days now and the one she had that morning seemed to be worse so far. That was why he came home earlier than usual so that he could check up on her.

"Daddy. . ."

Mizuki blinked, breaking his train of thought as he looked down at Momo who stood beside him, a worried look still on her face. "Is mommy going to be alright?" she quietly asked and Mizuki crouched in front of her so that they were almost on the same eye level. "She's going to be fine Momo. Don't worry." He patted her head gently and smiled a little, even if it was a bit strained, knowing that it would reassure her daughter and Momo gave a small nod "Okay." She said and turned her attention back to the bed where her mother laid.

Mizuki stood up again and watched Momo for a moment longer, glad that the girl was alright. She was literally panicking and crying when he arrived and it took some time for him to her calm down. Seeing Maiko suddenly collapse in front of her and not knowing what to do, she must have been really scared. Unconsciously, he reached out and patted the girl's head gently once more, causing Momo to look up at him in surprise "Daddy?" she blinked "It's nothing." He said as he remembered how Momo told him what happened.

It was hard to understand at first, since Momo kept stuttering and was speaking too fast. But when he finally understood everything, he was shocked. He didn't expect Momo to find out about Momiji nor did he expect Momiji to tell her the truth, at least not yet. And it seemed that Maiko already knew about this since they were talking about it before she collapsed.

When he first heard this, his mind erupted into a flurry of thoughts, coming up with jumbled possibilities and what if's. But among the many thoughts that filled his mind, one stood out the most. That Maiko's memories might have returned. And that one single thought was enough to throw him into a new set of thoughts and mixed feelings and for a moment, he didn't know what to do.

It was only when Momo called out to him, looking worried once more that he realized he needed to calm down and think things through. So after he had laid Maiko on the bed and called Hatori, he made use of the time cleaning the mess in the kitchen to gather his thoughts.

But no matter what he did, the possibility of Maiko remembering still lingered in his mind and he told Hatori about it when he arrived and explained what happened. Hatori seemed baffled when he first heard what Mizuki thought, but he seemed to have taken it into consideration and he thought about it seriously. Although the man still haven't said anything about it as he continued to perform the check up on Maiko.

"Mizuki-san."

Hatori's voice broke him from his thoughts and he looked up to meet Hatori's gaze. "Are you done with the check up?" he asked and Hatori nodded "Yes." He paused "Can I talk to you for a moment?" Hatori asked, throwing a quick glance at Momo. Getting the message, mizuki turned to Momo "Momo, daddy has to talk to Hatori-san outside. Can you stay here and keep watch on mommy" he asked her gently. "Okay." Momo nodded and headed towards the chair beside the bed and sat.

Hatori was the first to leave the room, followed by mizuki who, as he passed through the door, pulled it lightly, leaving the door half open. They stood in the hallway, a few steps away from the bedroom. the air between them tense. "So," Mizuki spoke, breaking the silence between them "How is she?" he asked. Hatori remained silent for a few more seconds before answering. "She's fine now. Although her blood pressure is a bit higher than normal, but aside from that there's nothing wrong with her. She just needs to rest." Hatori explained and Mizuki felt a little relieved "I see."

"But I'm worried about what told me. About what happened before she collapsed."Hatori spoke again, turning to him. "You said she'd been having headaches?" he asked and Mizuki gave a small nod "Yes, she's had them for a few days now. Although she seemed to have it worse since this morning before I left." He said and Hatori seemed to consider this for a moment. "And according to what Momo said, she heard Maiko whisper Momiji's name before she collapsed." Mizuki added and looked worriedly at the other man.

"Hatori-san, do you think that she . . ." he drifted off and glanced towards the room where Maiko and Momo are. Hatori followed his gaze "I'm not sure myself if she has actually regained her memories of Momiji. I've never heard of anyone having done so, even from my father who also erased memories from previous patients."(1) He paused "But given what you said, it might be possible that she has." Hatori finished and Mizuki let out a small sigh "So, you're saying that it's possible that she remembers now?" "The only way we can make sure of that is when she wakes up." Hatori said and a short moment of silence fell between them.

"Should I . . . tell Momiji?" Hatori asked, looking directly at Momiji. Mizuki ran a hand through his hair ". . . No. Not yet. At least, not until we're sure that Maiko's memories have actually returned and . . ." He paused ". . . I will talk to Momiji myself. "Okay." Hatori replied and a short moment of silence fell.

"By the way," Mizuki spoke again, causing Hatori to look at him "does Momiji know why you're here?" he asked and Hatori shook his head "No. I know he'd be worried if I told him what happened so I said that something urgent came up and I had to leave." Hatori explained "Don't worry, Haru's with him when I left." He added when a look of worry flashed through Mizuki's eyes.

"I see." Mizuki said and glanced at the wall clock inside the bedroom before looking back at Hatori"Well, it's already late. You should probably go now. Momiji's waiting for you." he said and Hatori nodded "Alright. Please call me when she wakes up or if anything happens." He said and went back into the bedroom to collect his things. "I will." Mizuki said and he showed the man to the door.

After Hatori left their house, Mizuki walked back into the bedroom where he left Momo, who was now sitting in the chair he previously sat on and kept watching Maiko's still form on the bed. The door made a small creaking sound as he opened it wider and Momo looked turned to look at him.

"How's mommy?" she asked quietly and Mizuki walked towards her "She's going to be fine. Hatori-san said all she needs is rest." He told her, quietly pulling another chair and sat beside Momo. Silence once again filled the room and nothing could be heard but the ticking of the wall clock and the quiet, shuffling sounds whenever Momo would shift in her chair.

A few more seconds passed by before Momo spoke, breaking the silence "Daddy?" Mizuki tilted his head towards her "Hm?" "Momiji is my big brother, right?" she asked as she looked up at him. Mizuki stared at her sudden question ". . . That's right." He answered, he knew Momo would ask him about Momiji now that she knew they were siblings, but he didn't expect her to ask him so bluntly.

"Then why doesn't he live with us?" she asked again and Mizuki went silent as Momo continued speaking "When I asked Momiji, he said that there were circumstances before, that's why he had to live in the main house." she said. Mizuki ran a hand through his hair "Is that so . . . did you, also asked your mommy the same question?" he asked and received a nod from the girl. "What did she say?" he asked again. "Mommy didn't tell me why. I asked her earlier when I was eating my snack, but she didn't answer and then she . . ." Momo didn't finish and Mizuki understood why. Silence once again filled the room and both of them had fallen into their own thoughts.

"Do you want to know?"

Mizuki spoke quietly as he leaned in to the chair. He could feel Momo's gaze on him "Momo wants to know." She quietly said and he turned to look at her. He could see the curiosity and expectation from the girls eyes and for some reason, he felt defeated. It would take some time for him to explain everything to Momo but . . .

His gaze turned to the still, sleeping form of his wife on the bed. He doesn't know how Momo would react to the truth. But she needed to know about it. She was already aware of her relationship with Momiji even if no one told her and he guessed that it would only be a matter of time before Momo would find out the truth eventually.

Momo sat beside him, looking at him expectantly and he let out a sigh as he ran a hand through his hair. "Well, since we're both waiting for mommy to wake up, I guess I'll tell you." He began "It's quite a long story though, and a bit complicated. Do you still want to hear?" he looked at his daughter who gave a quick nod.

"Okay." He muttered and he began to tell her the truth.

Haru was in the hallway when Hatori arrived. "Ah, you're back." Haru greeted him "Huh? Really?" he heard Momiji's voice, followed by footsteps and Mommiji emerged from the living room. "Hatori! Welcome back!" he greeted cheerily.

"I'm back." He said in return and was about to head to his clinic to put his things down when something colorful caught his eye. "Is that clay?" he asked, looking in the direction of the coffee table where colorful clay in various shapes and forms were placed.

"Yup! We were kinda getting bored waiting for you and we ran out of anything fun to do when Haru suggested it." Momiji happily explained as they went back to the living room. "Although it is quite hard to make shapes with just one hand; so the ones I made aren't quite right. . . " Momiji added, looking slightly embarrassed.

"This one looks just fine." Haru reached up and took a rabbit shaped clay and handed it to Momiji "yeah, but this is the only one that turned out well."Momiji said and both he and Haru fell into another conversation as to which one looks the best. Hatori looked down on the colorful clay on the table. They weren't exactly well shaped but at least he could tell what they were.

But he saw one in particular that he couldn't figure out. It looked like a blob of some sort that could barely stand on its uneven legs. He picked it up "Did you make this too?" he asked and handed it to Momiji who started to feel around the clay.

"It's mine."

Both Momiji and Hatori turned to Haru ". . . um, Haru, what is this supposed to be?" Momiji asked, feeling the clay over his hand. "It's a horse." Haru nonchalantly said and a short awkward silence fell between them. ". . . Okay, I guess we should probably clean this up now." Momiji said, suddenly changing the subject and both he and Haru began to pick up the clay and put it back in its container.

"By the way Hatori, you left so suddenly earlier. Did something happen?" Haru asked him and he noticed Momiji sent him a glance whilst continuing on putting the clay away. "I got a sudden call from a patient." He told them "Is it from the Sohma?" haru asked. A few months after the curse was broken, Hatori had started to accept other patients aside from being the family doctor.

"No." he lied. He didn't want to tell Momiji that it was his mother that he went to see. He didn't plan on telling him, even if Mizuki hadn't said anything about keeping quiet for a while. Momiji has a right to know what's happening to his mother. He knows that.

But right now, he didn't think Momiji could handle any more problems. He's already going through a lot with losing his sight and with Maiko, and now even Momo, knowing the truth; although it's only partial on Momo's case. He didn't want to add the possibility of Maiko remembering to those problems right now. Momiji's already having a hard time with everything.

He doesn't show it, hides it behind his cheerful smile and carefree actions, but sometimes he could see through it. he could see how sometimes Momiji's smiles would look strained, the way he acts when he's having a hard time adapting to the loss of his sight, to his inability to do things he could do before.

He knew that Momiji was trying his best to cope with everything that happened. But with so many things happening so fast, it doesn't take an expert to see that it's just too much to take all at once. That is must take a lot for Momiji to be able to continue doing what he was doing. And right now, he knew that if Momiji were to find out about what happened to his mother, he might give in. And he didn't want that. Not for Momiji.

"Hatori!"

Hatori blinked and looked up to see both Haru and Momiji looking at him "Is something wrong?" Momiji asked, his brow furrowing slightly in worry. "What?" he uttered "You weren't answering the question." Haru told him. Realizing that he had spaced out, he shook his head. "No. it's nothing." He said and noticed that they were done putting the clay away. "What were you saying?" he asked them.

"Oh, right. We were asking if we could have beef stew for dinner. Haru's staying over for dinner too." Momiji said, returning to his earlier question. Hatori glanced at his watch. It was almost seven in the evening. "That's okay." he said and stood up and headed to the kitchen. Haru and Momiji followed, a few steps behind him, falling into a new conversation.

As he started to prepare dinner, he couldn't help but wish that Maiko won't wake up yet. Even for just a little while so that Momiji won't have to face another problem.

The first coherent thought that entered her mind was that it was dark. It wasn't the kind of comforting darkness that was experienced before falling asleep. No. it was the kind of darkness were there was almost no source of light that would make it almost impossible to see anything in. Like how think, dark curtains were pulled over the windows on a night with a new moon.

She didn't like it.

She also didn't like the fact that it was so silent. There was nothing else she could hear but except for the quiet ticking of the clock on the far side of the wall. She could still feel the heaviness sleep brought in her eyes so she had been blinking her eyes a few times when she felt a slight shift of weight on the bed.

Turning her head, she could barely make out the form of a person sitting on a chair, arms and head resting on the edge of the bed. Despite the darkness, she recognized who it was. "Mizuki?" she called out, her voice softly breaking the still silence that descended the room.

The hunched form of her husband suddenly shifted again; as if being aroused from sleep, but didn't do anything aside from that. She called him again and this time, he lifted his head revealing a tired looking Mizuki. ". . . Maiko?" his voice was gruff and laden with sleep. A couple of seconds passed with both of them staring at each other before realization dawned on Mizuki as he suddenly sat upright. "Maiko!" he exclaimed, surprise evident in his voice. "I'm so glad you're awake." he said, feeling more awake "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"My headache's gone." She quietly said "That's good." Mizuki looked relieved. "What time is it? Where's Momo?" she asked. "Momo's already sleeping. She wanted to stay up longer and wait for you to wake up. But it was getting late so I put her to bed." He explained before glancing at his wristwatch "it's almost midnight." He said.

A few seconds passed and Maiko didn't respond. "Maiko?" he called out and Maiko turned to him again "Mizuki, why is it so dark?" she asked softly and mizuki blinked, suddenly realizing that it was, in fact, dark. He reached out to the bedside table where the lamp was and flicked the switch on. As soon as the lamp was turned on, Mizuki's gaze quickly diverted to maiko who was blinking, eyes adjusting to the bright light of the lamp.

"maiko" he called and maiko turned to look at him. "I want to know what exactly happened this afternoon." His eyes looking directly into hers "I came home earlier because I was worried about you, but when I arrived, you were unconscious." His tone became worried and quiet "What happened?" he asked and maiko remained silent.

Mizuki could see that she was thinking of a way to explain what happened. Although he already has somewhat of an idea as to what she was going to say from what he and Hatori talked about. But still, the silence was making him feel nervous somehow.

"I'm. . ." maiko started "I'm not exactly sure myself. My mind still feels like a jumbled mess but . . ." "Mizuki, I think I remember now . . ." she paused, her gaze still directed at him, the words continued to flow from her lips.

". . . about the curse . . . and about Momiji."

Author's Notes:

Ugh, I don't know why but every time I have to write in Mizuki's POV I always take a long time. Seriously. Writing in Momiji or Maiko's POV is much more easier that writing Mizuki's but I can't not write in his POV since it's needed in the story.

(1) - I read somewhere in the cat book, where the character profiles are, that Hatori's skill for erasing memories is some kind of hypnotism he learned from his father.

I hope you guys liked this chapter! It's a bit shorter than the other chapters butI don't want to put too much in it(there'd be too many scene changes). Oh! Also, school's a week and a half away but I'll try to update before school starts 'coz I know once it starts I'm gonna be stuck with a load of papers and report to do . . . again.

Anyway, tell me what you think! Reviews are very much appreciated!