Legal Disclaimer: This is a fanfic. I own none of the characters, nor the setting. Don't sue me.

While You Were Gone

Chapter Four

The bathhouse trembled, and dust sifted out from the rafters, trickling down to the ground floor. She'd arrived before midnight. Rage and pain were evident in her face, and Chihiro could have sworn that a blaze of heat had come from her the minute Haku had stepped on the bridge, ready to meet her. The bathhouse employees had been forced to stay inside, making it impossible to hear the exchange that took place. Only the change in Kiyohime's face had told them anything about what they said. And it hadn't looked good. Yubaba had sent Haku out immediately, happy to send him to meet the woman. Especially if it meant safety for the bathhouse. Yubaba hadn't expected for Haku to tell Kiyohime the specifics of why he'd even gone to see her in the first place.

Chihiro reflected on the moment when Yubaba realized she was in trouble. Kiyohime had gone tense, her eyes growing dark as she stared over Haku's shoulder right at Yubaba. She had announced, in a voice loud enough to make the ground rumble, that Yubaba owed her the magical trinket.

The transformation from woman to serpent creature had been as quick and seamless as Haku's transformation into a dragon. She'd launched herself at Haku, jaws snapping and teeth bared. Only his quick movements had spared him from having a limb ripped off. However, the result had been that Kiyohime slammed into the doors at the front of the bathhouse. Haku transformed, and thus began the long night.

Chihiro knew it had to be nearing sunrise by now. Yubaba had rushed to her office, and while no one had seen her since, they had received orders. Bathhouse workers scrambled to and fro, making would-be weapons out of whatever they could find, barricading doors and windows as best they could. The guests who had been present when Kiyohime arrived were still being tended to, but Yubaba had gone to extreme lengths to prevent them from knowing what took place beyond. She had gone so far as to let all of them stay through the day and have a free night at the bathhouse the following evening.

Whether she had used her magic to prevent them from hearing and feeling the thunderous strikes to the bathhouse, Chihiro wasn't sure. She had climbed to the highest point she could find, Rin and Jaken in tow, only to drop back from the window when Haku's body struck the wall. A moment later, he was gone and Kiyohime had slammed into the same wall, jaws snapping as she snarled and growled. For a brief moment, her eyes had landed on Chihiro. And then the windows were covered.

"Do you think he's okay?" The question came for, perhaps, the thirteenth time since the fight started.

"Well if Kiyohime is still harassing the bathhouse, he's got to be. I don't see how either of them have kept it up this long," Rin said with a sigh. She leaned against the railing that overlooked the main floor.

Jaken grunted something that sounded like an agreement before he straightened up. "Yubaba's crazy, thinking that we're cut out for fighting back this threat. She needs to just give the stupid bell back."

"Haku could lead the crazy woman away, too. She's here for him more than anything," Rin mentioned, and then bit her lip as she glanced at Chihiro. "Sorry, Sen. But Haku's the main problem. It seems unfair the rest of us have to suffer for something he did."

"Something he did on Yubaba's orders when she had full control of him. We should just send her out there," Chihiro huffed, resting her hands on her hips. A moment later she yelped as the ground shook and something slammed into the wall behind her hard enough to make her stumble forward.

"Sen!" Someone caught hold of her before she could fall over, then they all three turned. A gaping hole opened up in the wall, and a serpentine head pulled back, snapping and issuing an angry snarl. The Kiyohime appeared stuck, at least for a moment, and Chihiro hesitantly took a step forward, one hand reaching out.

"Hold on a sec…"

A snarl issued from the creature, and it snapped at the outstretched hand.

"Well fine. I didn't really want to help you, anyway," Chihiro grumbled.

"GET IT!" Someone shouted from the floor above them. A second later a rush of bathhouse workers were piling down the stairs, running toward the still stuck creature. Makeshift weapons were released, smacking at her head and trying to drive knives into it. someone slammed a table down across the creature, and a moment later she withdrew from the wall with a deafening roar.

"YEAH! WE GOT HER!"

Chihiro brought a hand up and pressed it against her face.

"You idiots!" Yubaba shouted, even though she was nowhere nearby. Small paper dolls floated around the bathhouse. They reminded Chihiro of Yubaba's sister Zeniba. "We don't want her mad at the rest of the bathhouse! Now she's going to have a reason to attack ALL OF YOU!"

The cheering died as the employees seemed to realize what they had done, and Rin and Jaken stepped aside as a herd of workers rushed away, probably to figure out how to make an apology to the Kiyohime.

"Y'know...Nice as the perks have been, I think I'm gonna draw up a resignation. No job is worth dealing with those idiots. Or this kind of danger," Jaken muttered, irritation evident in the set of his jaw and the way he crossed his arms. Rin gave him an almost-hurt look, and immediately he loosened his position and unclenched his jaw. "I mean...I'm not going to, Rin. You make it all worth putting up with."

Rin continued to give him a mildly offended look, until he blushed and ducked his head. Chihiro gave her a "go easy on him" glance and Rin relaxed, moving to hug him.

"We need to drive her off, at least for a little while. Everyone is ti-" Chihiro didn't get to finish the words as the building shook and a mighty roar escaped one of the creatures outside. Without hesitating, she rushed to an opening in the wall and climbed out, balanced cautiously on the ledge outside the building. .

Up above, Kiyohime and Haku were locked in combat, teeth snapping and tails lashing. Kiyohime was strong in this form, but Haku was fast and cunning. The dragons curled and weaved around each other, scales glinting in the red-orange glow of the rising sun. Flames curled from Haku's parted jaws, and an unpleasant, angry keening escaped Kiyohime as the flames struck her in the face and neck. A mane of fur along her back caught fire, though as she twisted and writhed, they went out.

The cause of the quakes revealed itself a moment later as Kiyohime suddenly shifted their coiling mass, slamming both of them into the bathhouse with strength that cracked walls and sent both dragons spiraling a few feet down before they caught themselves. Haku streaked away from the bathhouse, but Kiyohime pursued, snapping at his tail. He twisted around and struck her with another blast of flames, faster than she could dodge. Instead of falling back or hesitating the spirit burst through the flames and caught Haku in the face, jaws snapping down over his with a powerful, sickening crunch.

Chihiro swallowed hard, her eyes wide as she held to the edge of the broken wall for support. Behind her, someone was yelling for her, telling her to come back inside. She couldn't turn away, and fortunately she didn't.

Haku managed to free himself from the powerful bite, and he quickly darted away. From the way he listed to one side, Chihiro could tell he had taken some serious blows. Kiyohime pursued, rushing after him with the energy of the obsessed. Haku headed straight for the bathhouse, as though he planned to seek refuge there. Abruptly he pulled up, too fast for the other serpent. Chihiro gasped as Kiyohime slammed into the building once more. The building quaked, and the serpent began to fall through the air, tumbling and twisting as scales began to shed away, and the serpent transformed into the beautiful woman that had first arrived at the bathhouse. A silvery blue form shot forward, and before she had fallen too far she was caught, draped over Haku's serpentine back. He flew out of sight, and Chihiro turned, nearly falling in her haste.

"Haku got her! I think!" Her words came over her shoulder as she ran through the bathhouse, heading to the stairs. The elevator would take far too long. She made it to the front entrance of the bathhouse in record time, sliding once or twice as she took corners a little too quickly. When she finally made it out front, a small crowd had gathered, and Rin and Jaken came up behind her.

Haku deposited the woman on the other side of the bridge and slowly shed his dragon form. Chihiro watched in awe, her heart beating fast, her eyes going wide. Something about watching his transformation sparked a memory...almost like remembering a dream. It was so vague she couldn't latch onto it, but she knew it was there, just waiting to be released. She started to move forward, prepared to meet Haku, to tell him he'd done as well as could have been expected. She didn't get the chance as Yubaba landed in front of the assembled crowd.

"Is she dead?" Her dismissive tone grated on Chihiro's nerves.

"No," Haku's voice held no emotion. "Just unconscious. I've bought us a few hours to prepare."

Yubaba grimaced at him, her eyes moving to the rising sun. She turned to the crowd of workers, sniffing. "You heard him. Go get some rest! Except for you. Over there. Yes. You seven. Start repairs immediately."

Hasty "yes ma'am"s and "right away, ma'am"s issued from the crowd as the majority headed for bed. The poor employees chosen for repair duty shuffled off to find the appropriate tools.

Chihiro waited for Haku to be free from Yubaba's attentions, bouncing on the balls of her feet once or twice. Unfortunately, the old witch swept forward, gesturing with one hand for Haku to join her. Her eyes narrowed, her lips pursed, and when she turned back to the dispersing crowd, she eyed Chihiro like she was a particularly repulsive bug.

"I told you to go and get some rest. Now go!"

"Yes ma'am!" Chihiro turned and walked away, though her fingers curled into fists. "What a hag." She grumbled.

"She fights well," the old woman mused, settled behind her desk.

Haku stood calmly before her. "Very well. She gave me a hard time. It's not often someone can do that."

"Can you beat her? Permanently?"

"Probably, but I don't have any plan to. I want to work this out peacefully."

"Bah. There isn't going to be a peaceful resolution here, Haku. I didn't think you were that stupid." Yubaba snorted and shook her head. She wrote out some figures, then glanced up at him.

"If you give her the bell, she'll be more inclined to negotiate."

"I'm not giving her the bell."

"So you're going to continue endangering the bathhouse? Your livelihood?"

An annoyed growl escaped Yubaba, and she glared up at him. "I could just send you away. That would take her attention off me!"

Haku laughed. "For how long? Until she's had her revenge on me? And then what will you do?"

She glowered at him, anger palpable. "If you hadn't led her on-"

"She'd what? Be more focused on the bathhouse than she currently is," he finished.

The pen clattered to the desk as Yubaba got to her feet. "FINE! ENOUGH!"

A tense silence stretched between them, and they stared one another down. Neither blinked, neither seemed to breathe. If she expected him to cave, she had chosen the wrong target. He watched her. He didn't react. Eventually she exhaled and looked away.

"If the situation cannot be salvaged tonight, you're leaving. You're going to take this replica of the bell I've made, and lead her away." She pressed her hands together and slowly pulled them apart. The action revealed a small bell. Yubaba's creation radiated magical power, and she was sure that until Kiyohime laid hands on it, she wouldn't realize it was a fake.

"I could fly away and she might come after me for a little while. But you have the bell. She'd be back."

"You broke her heart!"

Haku grimaced at the witch, his eyes flashing with anger. "Don't speak about things you don't know or understand."

Yubaba cackled and shook her head. "Too easy." She grinned at him. "You are not going to be welcome in the bathhouse anymore. Not unless you lead her away using this. And not being welcome is just a much a problem as having to run off, isn't it? Except moreso…"

Haku gritted his teeth and growled at the witch. "That's a dirty trick, even for you."

"Oh, dear, I think it's perfectly in line with how I've always been." Yubaba held the bell out to him. He glared at her - at it - for a minute longer, then took it from her.

"She won't be so easy to control if you do this," he warned.

"She's never easy to control. At least this way you're out of the picture. I can mold her a bit better without you keeping me out of her head."

"You'll still fail."

"Heh. We'll see. She hasn't remembered everything about you...yet. I think there's still enough to toy with there."

Haku gave her a pained look, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he turned on his heel and started to depart. "Is that everything?"

Yubaba laughed again. "For now."

The sun sat high in the sky when Chihiro woke up. She had slept hard, as long as her body would allow. The women's quarters were full of workers, everyone sleeping soundly. Rin sprawled out across her bedding, mouth open as she snored. Chihiro smiled faintly and carefully got up, cautious so that she didn't wake anyone. She made it out of the quarters and into the bathhouse proper without waking anyone. Silence settled over the bathhouse like a cloak. Everyone had gone to sleep, even those workers who had begun repairs.

"You're up early."

Chihiro jumped, her body going tense as she turned slowly. She relaxed when she spied Haku. "Feel fully rested. You're up early, too."

Haku smiled. "I had to finish preparing for when Kiyohime approaches the bathhouse again."

"You think she's going to try again?"

"Probably. She isn't the type to simply give up."

Chihiro frowned, toying with a strand of hair. "That's true. Are you going to fight her again?" A note of concern touched her voice, and she fought the blush rising in her cheeks.

One hand brushed her cheek, and he carefully drew her in closer to him. His arms slid around her, giving her a hug. She almost resisted. Almost. But at the crucial moment, she melted into the hug instead, her arms wrapping around him in response.

"That worried?" His voice was muffled by her hair.

"Yes. She's so strong. And scary. And I mean...You're strong and scary, too, but-"

"But I'm your friend," he finished for her, fighting the urge to laugh. She smiled and nodded, a little shyly.

"Exactly." She mumbled.

"The conflict will be over tonight, no matter what happens."

Even though she should have been reassured, anxiety settled around Chihiro, and she frowned, bringing a hand up to worry at her thumbnail. "No matter what happens? That seems ominous. Do you expect it to go poorly?"

He grimaced, but he didn't reply. Instead he drew away from her, turned his back to her. Immediately she felt the loss of his warmth, and she inched a little closer. She nudged him with her elbow.

"Talk to me."

"I can't explain anything, yet. Not now. Not until it's over."

Chihiro frowned,. "Okay...That makes sense." It didn't.

That reply seemed to frustrate Haku more, and he rubbed his face, pushed his fingers through his hair, and finally relaxed. He offered her his arm, and when she accepted, he started to walk. He led her out to the bridge, across it, only to stop at the far side. Kiyohime, in her beautiful form, had dozed off beneath a tree. Her delicate silk robes were pooled around her, and her face looked so calm in her slumber that Chihiro wondered what she was like before becoming a spirit.

Haku carefully guided them past the sleeping spirit, to the far end of the shops. They stopped and gazed out across the water that had flooded up to trap Chihiro in the spirit realm. "I keep worrying about your presence here. And then I think, there must be a reason...and not the one I'm thinking...but I still worry."

Chihiro frowned. "Well you can't change it. So you shouldn't worry about it. Besides, we have more important things to worry about. My arrival here shouldn't be one of them."

Haku laughed, albeit weakly. "I think how you arrived here is just as important, if not more, than everything else going on."

"Well...you're in the minority on that one," Chihiro said simply.

Haku slid a hand across her back, his fingertips dragging down from her upper back to lower. He let his hand fall away when her muscles tensed, but she caught it before he could try and turn away.

"Chihiro, I need you to promise me something," he said after a quiet moment.

She frowned, "Depends on what it is."

"Don't...don't let Yubaba make you doubt anything. She wants to get you confused. It's part of her plan to get you fully under her thumb. Just...make sure you take everything she says and assess it carefully before accepting it."

"But...I already don't trust her. I mean...I'm not about to let her warp my mind by blindly following her."

Haku shook his head. "She's insidious, Chihiro. Just...promise me. To make me feel better?"

Chihiro frowned at him. She stared like she was trying to see his soul. After a moment she nodded. "I promise."

He smiled. "Thank you."

"Are you planning on going somewhere, Haku? Because you're acting like you are."

"No. Nothing like that."

Silence settled around them once more. Chihiro couldn't shake the feeling that Haku wasn't telling her everything. He didn't have to, he had plenty of reasons to keep things secret. But it felt weird. Haku told her everything he could unless…Unless Yubaba had ordered him to silence, or he felt it would be better to keep his silence. It frustrated her. She wanted to shake him and make him tell her everything. Instead, she clasped her hands together and stayed quiet.

Time passed faster than Chihiro would have liked. They didn't talk any more about Yubaba, or Kiyohime. They wandered, and Haku asked about Chihiro's life since the last adventure in the spirit world. She felt like her life story was boring. School, part time jobs, applying to university. A few fun trips overseas, but nothing amazing. Nothing like a journey to the spirit world. She had plans for all the places she wanted to visit, things she wanted to do, but it all seemed so bland while she sat in a different realm, a different world.

Haku listened attentively, devouring every detail. He loved to hear about her life, about everything she had seen and done since they last met. Keeping track of the living world, and one specific person in it, was difficult for spirits. The best he had done was keep general tabs on her location, but even that had been nearly impossible. Luck and a lot of effort allowed him what he did know.

"So that's it. It's not really an amazing story," Chihiro said, wrapping up the last of her explanations.

"No. It's great. I'm glad your life has been so good. And fun. Do you miss everyone?"

The question caught her off guard, but after a thoughtful pause, she answered honestly. "Sometimes. I like my life a lot, but...Being back in the bath house feels like I'm just spending time with my other family. Even with Yubaba around."

Haku smiled, his eyes closing. "I'm glad you don't mind being here."

Chihiro's smile answered his, but faded as he spoke. Haku cared for her, and she cared for him. But she couldn't say whether that was a new feeling or old, whether it had just resurfaced from her memory, or only recently come to be. "Would you be sad if I went back? To the mortal world, I mean."

Haku hesitated, not looking at Chihiro as he weighed his answer. "Yes."

A simple answer in spite of the build up. Disappointment almost clawed into Chihiro's mind, but she let it go. "You wouldn't try to change my mind if I decided to go home, though. You'd grit your teeth and carry on."

"You know me better than you think you do," he replied, a sad smile on his face.

"It's starting to come back. In bits and pieces." She didn't tell him the truth, that memories of him stayed hidden in her mind, unwilling to come forward. The white lie made his face lighten, the sadness sliding away replaced with hope.

"I'm glad to hear that." He reached out, lightly touched her hand, and then pulled back. "I need to go...get ready."

He started to get up, and Chihiro reached out and caught his hand, pulling him back down. "In a minute." She said. A blush stained her cheeks, and she leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his lips. Even though her memories hadn't returned, his actions made it abundantly clear there was more between them. She couldn't remember, but she couldn't deny her heart beat faster when he was close, and she felt more at ease by his side. So why resist? After all, he may not come back from the next encounter with Kiyohime. Somewhere, a quote reached out from the past, telling her to "seize the day". Did the quote mean for her to do something like this? Maybe. The message was rather ambiguous.

Haku's cheeks turned bright red as they kissed. When they broke apart, he looked as though the world no longer made sense. But he would never complain. This was perhaps the best surprise he could desire. Chihiro, willingly kissing him? Willingly pulling him to her? Heat rushed through his body, and he wanted nothing better than to kiss her again.

Duty and time made a mockery of his desire, however, and with a mournful look he got to his feet. "I should...go. Things to prepare." He hesitated, stumbled over his own words. He wanted to stay here, stay with her, stay until the sun disappeared forever, until the moon drifted away from the earth and left the night sky alive only with the stars. But he couldn't.

Chihiro didn't try to get him to stay. Instead she smiled, released his hand, and watched him depart.

The setting sun bathed the world in an orange-pink glow, and turned the sky an array of sunset colors. Dark blue began in the far east, turning into a deep purple that steadily lightened into red, then pink, then orange...before finally it reached the yellow. It would have been lovely, had the showdown on the bridge not ruined the picturesque moment.

Everyone had expected the fight to resume, for the serpent and the dragon to rage and coil and tumble through the air as they had before. Instead, the truce held. Yubaba promised to return the Kiyohime's artifact, bewildering many of the employees. Yubaba never gave up what she wanted. Like a hound with a scent, she would chase it until she caught it, then hold it tight in her clutches for the rest of her days. This new, kinder, more negotiable Yubaba had all the employees on edge. Something wicked had to come from this. Yubaba had to have a trick up her sleeve. She would double cross Kiyohime before she gave her what she wanted. Everyone thought it, but no one said it aloud.

Kiyohime stood on the far side of the bridge, anger evident in her eyes once more. Chihiro remembered the peace when the woman showed while she slept, and for a moment she missed seeing that side of her. For a moment, she wished that Kiyohime could be at rest. And then the moment passed as Haku and Yubaba came forward.

A snarl escaped the beautiful woman on the other side of the bridge, and she tensed. "You brought it? You have it?!" Her excitement and her surprise were both evident as she stepped forward.

"Of course," Yubaba said, sniffing indignantly. "I'd rather give you back your stupid bell than suffer further damage to my establishment."

"And what about Haku?" The Kiyohime's voice had gone dark, a dangerous edge creeping into it. "I do not forgive those who betrayed me and my trust so easily. I demand some form of payment for the pain he caused me."

A sly grin crossed Yubaba's lips, there only for a moment before it disappeared. In that single moment, however, Chihiro knew something was wrong. She knew, without a doubt, that something unpleasant was coming.

"Well. You see. I have no use for a servant who has someone as powerful as the great Kiyohime after him. Haku, I hereby relieve you of your post. You give that bell to Kiyohime...and then you are on your own. Do with him as you like, oh great spirit."

Tension ran through Chihiro, and she saw the annoyed grimace cross Haku's face a moment before he transformed. Bell clutched in his foreclaws, he rose in the air, shooting off without a moment's hesitation. No goodbye, no attempt to convince Yubaba to change her mind. One moment, Haku was there, and the next he was gone. Not only did he run. He ran with the bell in hand.

A shriek escaped the Kiyohime. Without another moment spared for Yubaba, she transformed, tearing after Haku in a fit of rage. Everything she wanted, seemingly, lay with him. Revenge for his betrayal, the bell he'd stolen. She would make him suffer. She would enjoy doing it. And eventually, she would melt a bell around him, just as she had done to her priest.

Silence settled over the crowd of employees as both serpentine figures disappeared into the sky. Chihiro stared in shock. He was gone? But he couldn't be gone. She had only just begun to appreciate having him in her life...had only just accepted that she had some feelings for him, no matter if they were long standing or new.

"HAKU!" She shouted after him, breaking the silence. Several employees jumped. Some whispered behind their hands, all eyes on her. Yubaba spun to face her, one thick hand lashing out, striking her across the cheek.

"Shut up you stupid girl. He is gone. And he has saved all of you for going. Now get inside. We have work to do before our guests arrive for the night!"

Anger boiled inside Chihiro. One hand pressed to her red cheek, and she glared at Yubaba's back. This couldn't happen. But it had. Yubaba had to have planned it. There was no way Haku would willingly leave...was there? He had been so intent on Chihiro regaining her memories, had promised to explain things to her. Had he known this would happen? Their conversation that afternoon rushed to her mind.

The signs were there. The warning and the promise about Yubaba, the sad way he had looked at her after their kiss. He had known. Damn him. He had known.

Rin stepped out to touch her shoulder, and Chihiro took a deep breath, coming back to the present. All around her, employees were shuffling inside. Some were going to finish repairs, others were ready to start the baths. Other lingered, watching Chihiro as though she may do something else of note.

"He'll be back, Sen. Nothing seems to keep dragon boy away. And with you here? He's guaranteed to come back."

Chihiro took comfort in her words, and she managed a faint smile. "I guess you're right." She admitted. Why then, she wondered, did the bad feeling in her stomach not want to go away?

A/N: So. Hi guys. I'm sure most of you are sitting there going "GOOD GOD, FINALLY!" over this update. I apologize for the long delay since the last chapter. Life has been a bit chaotic and crazy since I last updated, and a lot of things have happened that made working on the fic basically impossible for me. Things are getting better, however, and I am throwing myself into several projects as a way to get out of the horrible funk I've been in. One of those projects, of course, is resuming this fic.

I apologize to all of you, my readers, for not keeping with my update schedule. Life happened, plain and simple, but I am hoping to get the ball rolling once more. I have all my notes for the remainder of the story, but I have unfortunately lost the majority of what I had already written. I'm not going to make a promise on an update schedule as of yet. My goal is to write a few chapters and have them ready to go as a buffer in case something else comes up. And hopefully there are no more hard drive crashes in my future.

Once more, my sincere apologies to all of you readers, and I hope that I can make the rest of the story worth the wait.