Shattered Innocence

Peace

Now that there were a few cooks less in the kitchen, everyone was back to hurriedly finishing up their picnic preparations. Shigure had reluctantly returned to chopping his squash, before Hatsuharu took pity on him and offered to complete the job himself.

Yuki rolled his eyes at the Dog's complete inability to do anything in a kitchen while Tohru had laughed and thanked the Cow for his help. Shigure decided he'd be of more use finding some mats and pillows to sit on. He knew there were a bunch in the attic. Despite Momiji's insistence to find even ground, Shigure knew it would still be a little rough.

He cocked his ears to listen to Kyou and Momiji, and faintly heard Kyou invite the boys back for dinner once a week. A smile grew on his lips and he began humming as he shifted through the closet for the mats. It warmed his heart to see the younger set of cousins getting along.

He'd been extremely lucky that he, Hatori and Ayame had all become such close friends. There had been an initial clash and it was still sometimes hard to see how Aya and Hari were friends, but they had worked out their differences and always had each other to rely on when things were rough.

Yuki and Kyou had never had that. Yuki distanced himself from everyone. Because of his treatment by Akito as a child he didn't know how to form bonds and didn't dare get close to anyone.

Kyou stayed away because of his impending future of being locked up. Shigure knew about his deal with Akito, but he knew that the head of house would never honor it even if Kyou did win a fight against Yuki. He was determined now though that the Cat would never step foot in that cage, even if it had to happen over his dead body.

The fact that both of the boys now had that network of support made it so they would never fall back into that self-inflicted darkness and loneliness. They could finally live as people than as shadows.

Shigure tilted his head again, enjoying eavesdropping on the conversations around his household. Sometimes he even got inspiration from an overhead comment that would find its way into his novels. Besides, if he had this curse he may as well make use of it, right?

Downstairs it sounded like a piece of wayward hot chicken had struck Tohru and both the Rat and Cow were in a tizzy, offering her ice and Haru was promising payback on the chicken that wronged her. Shigure snorted. Teenagers.

He craned to hear Momiji and Kyou, both of who should still be in the outer reaches of his hearing range.

"Oh, how cute," came a horribly familiar voice. "The weak little Bunny thinks he can stop me."

His blood went cold.

"No," he whispered.

Akito? Here? How?

Dropping the collection of mats, Shigure hurried for the attic ladder, cursing himself for being so far from the kitchen.

He faintly heard Momiji say something, but his ears couldn't pick it out. What was happening?

"Too late," came Akito's reply.

Then he heard the sound of a fist hitting a body, again and again. His sandals clattered on the rungs of the ladder, every step feeling like it was taking forever.

"S-stop," Kyou's voice stuttered.

"Why? Did you want a turn?"

"Kyou… run." Momiji sounded like he was in pain. What had Akito done?

"Jealous?" he heard Akito ask "Did you miss being beneath me so bad, Kyou-chan?"

"Kami," Shigure prayed. Don't let him hurt Momiji. Please. Don't.

"He looks tasty. I've never had Rabbit before."

Shigure finally hit the landing and dashed down the hall, his stomach curdling at Akito's words. How did a human being become that depraved, that vile?

"YUKI! HARU!" he shouted, although judging from the sounds in the kitchen it was unlikely either would hear him. His feet pounded the floorboards and he wished he was faster. He needed to be faster. He needed to stop Akito before he did something that would damage Momiji forever.

"What do you want?" Kyou sounded so scared, his voice barely carrying to the Dog's sensitive ears.

"Why, it should be obvious. I want you to come back with me. Live in your little cage and be my new pet. Wouldn't you like that, my little monster? You won't be lonely though, I'll keep you company."

"YUKI!" Shigure screamed, taking the steps two at a time and crashing into the table at the bottom of the staircase.

"Don't," he heard Momiji gasp. "Kyou, you need to run."

There was the sound of a slap and Akito spoke again. "I am getting rather tired of you. I think you need to be taught a lesson too, little Bunny."

Yuki and Haru both tore out of the kitchen, confusion mixed with worry on their faces.

"What's wrong?" the Rat asked.

"Akito! He's here," Shigure shouted.

"What?"

"He's got Momiji," Shigure said. "He's hurt him."

Haru's expression darkened. "He did what?"

"Stop! I'll go with you. Just… let him go."

"Go, quickly," Shigure said. "They're at the picnic spot. Kyou's trying to stall, it sounds like."

"You know, I've never really liked you," Shigure heard as the boys started for the door. "It would be so much easier if we added a new Rabbit to the family, a more obedient one."

Shigure paled. Akito couldn't mean… But he knew what the man was capable of. He would do it.

"Tohru!" he screamed then, an idea, a crazy one, coming to his mind.

The girl appeared at once, a fresh bandage from the bathroom around her arm. It looks like she had been burned by their lunch.

"Hug me," he ordered. "Now."

"S-stop," he heard Kyou plead. "Please, stop!"

She did so without question, stumbling forward in her haste.

A pop! later and the man was gone, replaced with a very angry looking Dog, hackles raised and teeth bared. He took off at a dead sprint, all four legs pounding into the ground.

"It's in my power as God to decide who lives and who dies," he heard Akito say, the voice even louder and clearer now that he was in his animal form.

"K-Kyou," Momiji cried.

Shigure ran harder, heart pounding in his ears.

"And I've decided that today, by the power of your God, you die little bunny."

The Dog flashed past Yuki and Haru, who were moving quickly but nowhere quick enough to stop what Akito was about to do.

The scene came into view, a horrifying second later. Kyou stumbling forward towards Akito, but too far away to do anything in time. And Akito, kneeling across Momiji's limp form with a knife in the air.

"God's will be done," Akito intoned.

And then the knife plunged down.

Shigure lunged, putting all he had into that last stretch, that last leap before everything crumbled around him.

Growling in his throat, his fangs exposed, Shigure sank his teeth as deep as he could into the flesh holding onto the knife.

Akito screamed, an inhuman sound as the Dog, teeth still embedded, dragged Akito's arm away from the inert boy. Blood splattered over the ground as Shigure ripped his teeth away and Akito collapsed, cradling his ruined arm to him.

The knife fell innocently to the ground, just inches from Momiji's head.

Shigure, muzzle and teeth wet with blood, looked like a hound from Hell.

"Get away from them," he snarled, chest heaving.

Hatsuharu and Yuki arrived a second later, eyes widening and not sure what to make of the scene in front of them.

"What did you do?" screamed Akito, eyes wild. "You attacked me! Me!"

"I should have gone for your throat," Shigure growled. "You bastard."

Hatsuharu knelt on the ground next to Momiji, who was crying silently. "You're okay now," Haru whispered, pulling the boy to a sitting position, but stopping when he let out a soft cry as his injured ribs were moved.

"You okay?" Yuki asked, kneeling down next to Kyou, who had fallen in shock when Shigure came flying out of nowhere, relief crashing with the overwhelming fear.

"He tried to kill Momiji," Kyou whispered, eyes wide like he still couldn't believe it.

"I am your God!" Akito yelled, stumbling to his feet. "You are commanded to obey your God!"

Tohru stumbled on the scene then, Shigure's clothes clutched to her chest. "What…?" she whispered, eyes falling across the clearing.

"I'll have you all killed!" Akito screamed, maniac gleam in his eyes. "Especially you!" he looked at Tohru. "This is all your fault!" His hands were both red now with blood and he stretched them out, lumbering towards Tohru, but Shigure stepped between them, tail raised and growl reverberating through his body.

"Don't even think about it," Shigure snarled. "Or I'll give you a matching set."

Akito's eyes involuntarily went to his arm, which was still gushing blood and the sheen of white bone shone through. Tohru wavered at the sight, and crumpled to her knees next to Haru and Momiji.

"You don't have to get your hands dirty," Haru said, voice deadly. "I'll take it from here."

Akito laughed then, a high pitched cackle that made every hair on Kyou's body stand straight up.

"You think you can defeat a God? You think you can rise up against me?"

"We already have," Yuki said, glaring defiantly at the man, one arm wrapped protectively around Kyou. "You've lost, Akito. You've lost everything."

"No!" he shrieked. "No! I am everything! I am your God! You will obey me!"

"Akito-sama."

Everyone whirled to face the newcomer, who Shigure hadn't even heard as he'd been so focused on glaring down Akito. Hatori approached, hands spread placatingly in front of him.

"Hatori." Akito looked to him, a childlike desperation shining in his eyes.

"What are you doing?" Shigure asked, as Hatori walked, without even pausing to look at Momiji, to stand in front of Akito. "Hari!"

"You believe in me?" Akito asked, bloodied hands reaching to grab Hatori's jacket and pull him close.

"I've come to fix this, Akito-sama," Hatori said.

Akito nearly wilted with relief as Hatori reached out and placed his hands on the man's shoulders, steadying him.

"What is he doing?" Yuki said, disbelief etched in his features. There was no way that Hatori would suddenly side with Akito. It had to be a trick.

He moved forward, but Shigure uttered a soft bark. "Stay there, Yuki." The Dog's eyes had realized what Hatori planned to do. "It's okay."

"Look at me, Akito-sama," Hatori said softly.

Dark eyes met Hatori's warm brown. They then widened in fear as Akito suddenly realized both of the Dragon's eyes were visible.

"No!" Akito screamed, trying to push him away. "No!"

He struggled for a few more seconds before he suddenly stilled, gaze locked on Hatori's.

"What's happening?" Tohru whispered, holding Shigure's clothes to her for comfort.

"He's changing his memories," Shigure said, awe in his voice.

"What?" Haru croaked.

"I can't believe it," Shigure muttered to himself. He didn't know why they'd never thought of this before. But then, would it have even worked? Desperate times called for desperate measures after all.

Speaking of…

He turned from the statute-like pair to Momiji, who was awkwardly leaning against Haru.

"Are you all right?" Shigure asked, stepping closer but not too close, as he was well aware of the blood all over him.

Momiji stretched out a shaking hand though and Shigure stepped into it, letting the fingers close around his fur.

"Thank you," the Rabbit whispered. "I thought…" Tears trickled down his cheeks and he let out a strangled sob.

"I'm glad I got here in time," Shigure said quietly back. "I'm so sorry, Momiji."

"It was my fault," Kyou said, joining the group with Yuki supporting him as the Cat seemed like a gentle breeze would blow him over.

"I heard most of it," Shigure said. "You're not in any way at fault, Kyou."

"But if I'd run… or stopped him earlier…"

"No," Shigure said. "Akito is insane. Something like this would have happened no matter what you did. I'm just glad you're both okay."

"Momiji definitely has some broken ribs," Haru said.

"Don't touch them," Momiji gasped, swatting away the prodding hands. "That hurts."

"As soon as Hari's done we'll have him take a look and fix you up." The Dog turned to Kyou. "Are you hurt at all?"

Kyou shook his head, grateful that Yuki was holding on to him or he might be on the ground again. It felt like a he'd just witnessed a bad dream and he was still trying to come to grips with it.

Akito had been right there. He'd threatened him, told him what his future was going to look like and it was not going to be good.

And then suddenly, it was over. Akito had been stopped, possibly permanently depending on what Hatori did, and there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

He expected to wake up any second and for reality to smack him in the face, but it was real. It was over.

A soft pop! Echoed in the clearing and Shigure transformed back into a human. He cut a striking figure, eyes still dark with a hatred none normally saw.

Blood coated his lips and chin, trickling down his neck and onto his bare chest. Dark bruises covered his lower torso where Akito had attacked him, visible since bandages had fallen off during his transformation.

He didn't even seem bothered by his nakedness and for once Tohru wasn't stammering and blushing, instead looking at his face in deep respect, while holding out his clothes.

Shigure wordlessly accepted the clothing and pulled his yukata back on. Only once it was securely belted did he wince and gingerly touch his lips.

"This tastes disgusting," he said, revealing that the blood coated his teeth and tongue too. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"That'll make it worse!" Yuki said, praying he didn't have to witness Shigure vomiting again. Once was enough.

"Let's go get you cleaned up," Tohru suggested, climbing to her feet.

Hatsuharu carefully rose, cradling Momiji to him and the smaller boy not complaining at all.

"Should someone stay out here?" Yuki asked, looking at the two frozen men.

"Hari will come get us," Shigure said. "But we might need to wrap the bastard's arm up so he doesn't bleed out."

"Wouldn't that be a shame," Haru muttered, already turning his back on Akito and making his way to the house.

"I'll do it," Yuki said, although the darker part of him agreed with Haru.

"Come on," Tohru said, going over to let Kyou lean on her, as he still seemed incredibly unsteady. "Let's go back home."

Shigure escorted the two of them, trying not to swallow and taste the coppery blood in his mouth and projectile vomit on them.

Yuki went to the overturned basket of plates and utensils, putting everything back inside, including the knife that had come so close to killing Momiji, and pulled out a roll of paper towels. It wasn't the best, but he really didn't care.

Akito didn't even twitch as Yuki wound the bandages around the gaping wound, and he was honestly surprised the man hadn't passed out from blood loss. There was a hell of a lot of it.

If Shigure hadn't been able to overhear the conversation and hadn't transformed into the Dog, they would have been too late. Momji would have been dead. His last memory would have been of the happy-go-lucky boy talking about picnic blankets and roots, healthy and whole five minutes ago and then dead the next.

It had been too close. If whatever Hatori was doing didn't work, Yuki didn't know what they'd do. Akito was too dangerous to be left to his own devices any longer.

By the time Yuki returned to the house, his own hands now stained with blood, the group had turned the main room into a sort of make shift infirmary. Momiji had been laid out on the couch, his shirt carefully removed and his torso already looking worse for the wear.

Tohru was keeping her distance so she didn't actually hug him, knowing that it wouldn't help him in this state to accidentally transform. She was instead sitting with Kyou, who was curled up in the armchair, and holding his hand.

Haru was helping Momiji to take a drink of water and swallow some pain medication that Yuki recognized as being Kyou's heavy duty drugs from Hatori.

The Rabbit's eyes were closed and face scrunched up in pain. Haru excused himself to go get ice from the kitchen to help numb the area for now.

Shigure came back in the room a moment later, face scrubbed clean and smelling very strongly of mint mouthwash. He made his way over to Momiji, pulling up a chair.

"You were very brave," he said quietly.

"I was so scared," Momiji whispered back. "I didn't think he'd actually…"

"I don't think any of us did," Shigure said.

"Hatori is going to be mad at me," he said, choking back a tiny sob. "He told me to run."

"He's going to be very proud," Shigure said. "You were protecting a friend." He laid a hand on the blond's head. "Just rest for now. Those drugs should be making you pretty drowsy. Fall asleep if you want, we'll all be here when you wake up."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Momiji succumbed to sleep a few minutes later, a soft little sigh escaping his lips when Haru arrived back and placed ice packs on top of his injured torso.

"I want to kill him," he scowled. "I could."

"But you're a better person than that," Shigure said. "You know it too."

"Yeah," he said, still frowning. "I'll just have to settle for now with you almost ripping his arm off."

Shigure blanched. "Please don't remind me. I hate having to use my animal form for any sort of violence. I'm going to be getting the taste of blood out of my mouth for days."

"Oh no!" Tohru suddenly bolted upright off the chair. "The stove!"

She came back a few moments later, face downtrodden. "I left the oil burning," she said. "I'm afraid your pot is ruined, Shigure-san. I'm so sorry."

"Don't even worry about it," he smiled. "I'm so glad you were here, Tohru. Otherwise things could have ended much differently today. A pot is a small price to pay for the gift you've given us."

She blushed to the roots of her hair.

"I'll go make us some tea," she said, retreating back into the kitchen. No one was really hungry anymore, despite being ravenous for their picnic not even an hour ago. But tea was good. Tea was calming.

Shigure made his way over to Kyou, who had uncurled but was still lying turned in the armchair. Yuki had taken up Tohru's empty seat and hand a comforting hand just resting on Kyou's shoulder.

"Are you all right?" the Dog asked softly.

A tiny shrug. "If you hadn't gotten there when you did…"

"But I did," Shigure said. "Don't think about the what ifs, Kyou. It never helps."

"I just felt so useless," he bit out. "I froze up and couldn't do anything."

"Natural reaction," Shigure comforted. "Plus, I'm sure your Cat instincts were telling you to run in the opposite direction. The fact that you didn't, that you did try to help, that says all I need to know."

Shigure suddenly turned as he heard Hatori's heavy footsteps enter the house. The Dragon appeared a few moments later, looking like he'd aged a decade since they last saw him.

"I think," he said slowly. "I need to lie down."

Hatori would have collapsed to the floor if Shigure hadn't jumped up and caught him, staggering under the deadweight. Haru quickly got up to assist and together they lowered the doctor to the floor, as the couch was taken. Yuki rushed to get a pillow and blanket.

"What's wrong with him?" Kyou asked, looking on with concern at Hatori's incredibly pale face.

"I've only seen him like this once," Shigure said, sliding the offered pillow beneath the dark head and also pulling off the bloodied jacket. He didn't think Hatori was going to be wanting it back. "When he performs a memory removal and replacement he gets light headed. When it's extreme it can cause him to go into a slight hibernation to recoup. He should wake up in a few hours."

"When was the other time?" Haru asked, somehow already knowing the answer.

"Momiji's mom," the Dog sighed. "He had to remove almost five years worth of memories and replace them with ones without Momiji."

They were silent at that, simply watching Hatori breathing slowly.

"Um… does that mean Akito is still out there then?" Tohru asked, coming back into the room with a tea tray.

"He'll be unconscious for longer," Shigure assured. "The person undergoing the memory loss is normally out for a good eight hours or more. I'm guessing more in this case."

"Should we go bring him in the house?"

"We probably should," Shigure said, although his nose wrinkled at the thought. "Haru, would you help me? We'll tie him up and leave him on the back porch. He'll be fine there."

The two left and came back about twenty minutes later. Shigure went back out, a roll of bandages in hand. He didn't want to undo all of Hari's hard work if Akito died from blood loss on them. Plus, he really didn't want it staining his porch.

Once he was satisfied that Akito would live until Hatori woke up, he went back into the main room.

"So what now?" Yuki asked, sipping from his mug of tea.

"Now we wait."

xxx

Despite the adrenaline of earlier in the day, waiting was mind-numbingly boring. Tohru brought out a tray of onigiri, but they only picked at them.

Kyou ended up falling asleep, twitching every few minutes and only calming when someone would rub his shoulder or hold his hand. Shigure hated to see it and wondered how much progress they'd lost.

Momiji fortunately stayed asleep, as Shigure didn't want him moving until Hatori had looked at his ribs. Haru had become a guardian angel, perched on the edge of the couch and simply staring at Momiji.

Yuki and Tohru had tried to play a game of shogi, but neither of their hearts were really in it and the game lay abandoned on the low table and both of them were stretched out next to it.

The sky was beginning to darken and if Shigure had to guess he'd say it was about five or six now. He glanced at Hatori, willing him to wake up. He needed to know what the Dragon had done to Akito before they did anything that ruined that scenario. And Momiji really needed looked at.

As if sensing the determined gaze, the doctor stirred, a soft moan escaping his lips as he came to. He pressed a hand against his forehead, trying to fend off the pounding headache.

"Here," Shigure said, kneeling next to his friend and helping him to sit up. In his hand were a couple of aspirin and a glass of water. Hatori nodded at him gratefully and swallowed them and then the entire glass of water.

"How long?" he rasped, voice scratchy as he rubbed at his eyes.

"It's almost six," Yuki said, peeking at the clock on the mantle.

"Damn," the Dragon swore. "Did Akito wake up yet?"

"Still out cold. He's on the back porch. Bandaged his arm up and put a blanket over him," Shigure replied.

Hatori nodded. "Momiji?"

"Needs some of your attention. He's been out too, but should be waking soon."

Hatori stumbled to his feet. "Can someone fetch my bag? It should be somewhere on the front path."

"I'll get it," Yuki said. May as well put his nocturnal eyesight to good use.

Momiji was still thankfully unconscious when Yuki returned and Hatori was gently prodding his rib cage. The room was clear of other people and Hatori nodded when he took his bag. "If you want to go to the kitchen," he said, although it was clear it was an order. "I'll be along shortly."

Yuki nodded and left the two alone.

Hatori bowed his head over the silent figure, feeling tears welling in his eyes as he clenched his fists. He angrily blinked them back, shaking his head to clear it. He didn't have time for tears. Not now.

So he almost had a heart attack when he looked back at his charge to see Momiji squinting up at him.

"Hatori? Why are you crying?"

Hatori mustered up a smile. "I'm not crying, Momiji."

"It's okay to cry," the Rabbit told him sleepily, which caused the damn tears to prick at the doctor's eyes again. Then, he seemed to sober and blinked up at Hatori. "I'm sorry, Hatori. I didn't listen to you."

"About what?" Hatori asked, small smile on his face. Momiji rarely listened to him.

"I didn't run. I promised." Momiji let out a small gasp as Hatori pressed down on one of the injured ribs. "Please don't hate me," he whispered. "I'm really sorry."

"Oh, Momiji," Hatori sighed, pausing his examination to put a comforting hand on the blond head. "I could never hate you. You have nothing to apologize for."

"But I promised."

"Sometimes you have to break a promise to help someone," Hatori said. "You could have saved Kyou's life, Momiji. I'm glad you were there to help him."

He leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to Momiji's brow. "I'm very proud of you."

Momiji blushed bright pink.

Hatori went back to his examination, prompting Momiji to ask if he was going to die after he doctor pressed against another injury. It certainly hurt enough.

Hatori let out a low chuckle. "Not today you're not. Clean breaks and nothing punctured. You're going to be very sore for the next few days though and no running around for at least two weeks."

He turned Momiji's face gently, taking in the light bruise forming from the slaps. "Your face might be rather sore too," he said.

"Do I have to go to school tomorrow?"

"Looks like you have an extended spring break," Hatori said. "I'll call you and Haru both in for tomorrow. You'll probably be out almost the whole week while you heal up."

Momji managed a small grin. "Yay."

"Now this might hurt a little bit," Hatori warned. "But it'll be over soon, all right?"

"Kay."

About twenty minutes later Hatori had called them all back into the main room, after he briefly checked on Akito and set him up on a portable IV.

"I'm very tired with a terrible headache," Hatori prefaced to their gathering. "So I'm going to give you the short version."

"I was not sure if it would work, given Akito's position in our family, but it seems I was able to alter his memories. It was harder than normal though, as his mind is very guarded against changes, but I managed enough.

"Akito will not remember any of the events of today, nor the events of last week," Hatori said, nodding at Kyou. "In fact, I removed most of the memories he has of you, Kyou. He only has a vague knowledge of you, but nothing personal. I also removed the Cat's Enclosure from his mind." Here, he managed a small smile. "You'll never even need to think of that place again. It's going to be knocked down as soon as I arrange it tomorrow."

Kyou let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, feeling like an immense weight had just been lifted off his chest. No more enclosure, no cage. And no Akito coming after him again.

"I wasn't able to remove Momiji so much from his memories, as it ties in with too many other facets and history of his life. But I have tamped down any… homicidal," here Hatori frowned, "feelings he may be having regarding Momiji. It should be enough."

The Dragon then turned to Yuki. "I tried to do the same for you, Yuki, but I'm afraid Akito's interest in you has gone so deep it's impossible to root it all out. I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Yuki said, surprised that he meant it. "I'm not scared of him any longer."

Hatori gave him a grim smile.

"I did manage to remove most of Tohru's presence though," he said, feeling the sigh of relief throughout the room. "She poses the most threat to Akito's psyche as it is and having him rebound."

"And you?" Shigure asked.

"He may feel a little less inclined to disrespect me and my professional opinion," Hatori said with a tiny smirk. "Although I'm still anticipating him being a rather nasty patient."

"So what do we do now?" Shigure asked. "How do we explain this to him?"

"I implanted a false memory. He went for a walk and left the compound unescorted. He was attacked by a dog and collapsed. I noticed he was missing and recruited your help, Shigure, to find him. He'll remember you as a loyal member of his family, so try as hard as you can to play along."

"I make no promises," Shigure said darkly.

"This Akito is different from the one you all knew before," Hatori said. "He has different memories and different feelings about many of the individuals in this room. You must treat him as such, or there is the possibility, especially in the coming few weeks, that he could regain his memories. He has a different composition than any normal human I've used my powers on, it may need additional help to stick."

"Then we'll do our best," Haru said. "But I will never forgive him."

Hatori inclined his head. "I don't expect any of us to."

A quiet hush fell over the room then.

Hatori broke it as he rose unsteadily to his feet. "I need to get back to the main compound."

"Stay the night here," Shigure urged, but Hatori shook his head.

"I need to get Akito back. He needs to be in his own bed when he wakes, not trussed like a turkey on your back porch."

"Did you walk over?" Shigure asked. Seeing the nod, he rose to his feet too. "I'll drive you and the turkey back then."

"Um," Tohru said, also standing up. "I was thinking… maybe tomorrow, if everyone is okay with it, we should have our picnic? Just inside? I just thought that… well, it would be nice to do have one as a family."

"I think that sounds like an excellent idea," Shigure smiled. "We can't let all that food go to waste after all."

Hatori smiled too. "I think I would like that."

"A celebration," Kyou said quietly. "To a new life."

"Cheers," Momiji said weakly but with a grin. "As long as I can still have cake. I can, right Hatori?"

Kyou perked up. "Cake?"

"Surprise cake," Haru told him. "Don't open the fridge or else."

"Come on, let's go get our 'God'," Shigure said. "The rest of you, you're all sleeping here and no school tomorrow. No buts about it. Haru, can you help Momiji to my room? He can have my bed."

"Oh, I couldn't," Momiji protested, but Haru was already picking him up and heading for the stairs.

"All of you should be going to bed," Shigure said. "I think we all need it. I'll be back soon."

The teens all trudged for the stairs and Shigure went to the side garage to start the car. Then he went to help Hatori carry Akito and lay him in the back seat, regretfully cutting off the bindings.

"That was brilliant," Shigure said as they drove to the Sohma estate.

"You too," Hatori said. "If you hadn't transformed and stopped him... Momiji wouldn't be alive. So… thank you." Shigure could smell the faint scent of salt and didn't comment on it, just reached into the center console and held out a packet of tissues.

"It's been a long week, huh?" Shigure said quietly, pausing at a red light.

"Feels like it's been longer," Hatori agreed.

Very quietly the Doctor said, "You should know this. I offered to Kyou to wipe his memories of the attack last week."

Shigure turned to stare at him incredulously. Hatori never used his powers unless on Akito's orders. He hated them and hated using them.

"Why?" he finally asked.

"To test a theory," Hatori said. "And Kyou proved me right. He told me no."

Shigure thought to the sleepless nights, the new terrors that haunted the Cat. The pain, mental and physical, that plagued him. Who wouldn't want to forget that?

But then it would mean that he'd forget them.

"He said no because he didn't want to change what he had now," Hatori said. "Family. Bonds. As terrible and scarring as what Akito did to him was, he would have never opened himself up to love without it. So he chose to keep the memories so he could keep his new life.

"That's how I know that he'll get through this, Shigure. And it gave me the idea to test it on Akito, to see if I could change his memories so that Kyou could have that life, free from any lurking shadows."

"Wow," was all Shigure could say.

It was then he realized that Hatori was actually nervous, wringing the tissue.

"I don't want you to be mad at me," Hatori said after a few moments.

"Why would I be mad at you?"

"Kyou is under your protection. I should have asked you first before suggesting such a thing."

At that Shigure chuckled. "Hari, you know me better than anyone. You did the right thing, and ultimately, it is up to Kyou, not me. If he'd wanted to do so, I couldn't have stopped him. But I'm glad he didn't."

"Me too."

The rest of the drive was silent and the two unloaded Akito quietly and smuggled him into his room. It seemed to Shigure that to onlookers it might look like they were moving a dead body, but they were actually trying to keep this one alive.

Hatori got Akito in the bed and re-hooked him to an IV drip. "I'll be here for a while tending to the bite wound," Hatori said. "Go home, get some sleep. I'll be over tomorrow."

"Don't work too hard, Hari," Shigure said. "He doesn't deserve it."

"Shigure?"

The Dog turned, to suddenly find his arms full as Hatori gave him a fierce embrace. He returned it, knowing it had to have been a while that Hatori had turned to someone for comfort.

"All right then," Hatori said, stepping back and clearing his throat.

"Get some sleep, Hari. Swing by the house as soon as you'd like tomorrow."

Shigure drove back quietly and entered the house, expecting to find someone sleeping on the couch. Spotting no one, he headed upstairs to check on Kyou. But the boy wasn't in his room.

Not quite panicking, Shigure checked both Tohru and Yuki's rooms, but they weren't there either. Cracking open his bedroom door, he smiled at the sight that greeted him.

Momiji was in his bed and Kyou had been tucked in the other side. Tohru was curled up on the foot of the bed like a cat and Yuki was lying lengthwise next to her, one hand tangled in her hair and the other resting on Kyou's foot under the covers, as if to make sure he was still there. Haru was wedged somehow between Kyou and Momiji, one hand protectively resting atop Momiji's head.

They looked like a pile of puppies, Shigure thought amusedly.

He grabbed a few light blankets from his dresser and tossed them over the three on top of the covers.

"Shigure?"

Kyou poked his head up from the pillow and blinked sleepily at him.

"Go to sleep, Kyou."

"Stay," the Cat implored. "Please?"

Well, he couldn't resist that. There was no room left on his bed, but Shigure pulled up his comfiest chair and settled it right next to them.

"Thanks," Kyou yawned, falling asleep as quickly as he'd woken up.

Shigure shook his head, smiling fondly down at the group. "Sweet dreams, everyone."

xxx

When Kyou awoke the next morning he felt something was different.

After a few moments of pondering, he realized what it was. Contentment. Complete and utter contentment.

His family and friends were still all sound asleep, and he noted that asking Shigure to stay had not been a part of a dream, curled up around one another.

It felt like a brand new start, with fresh morning light trickling in through the curtains. Everything seemed brighter somehow, filled with hope for the coming day.

He had nothing to fear from Akito now, nothing to fear from his future. He could be whoever he wanted to be, do whatever he wanted to do. There were people he wanted to live for now, friendships he wanted to grow and family he wanted to love.

Akito may have thought what he'd done would shatter him, and if he'd given into the fear and self-loathing it would have. But he had emerged stronger, a better person, because of it.

He was supposed to have been broken into pieces, cracked and jagged ends that would never fit back together.

And yet…

He felt like every piece that had been missing in his life had been found. He felt whole. He felt like he finally found out who he was and who he wanted to be.

He was the cursed Cat of the Zodiac.

And he was loved.

xx

xx

Owari

xx

xx

Author's Notes:

And it is finally finished. Thank you to everyone who has been with me since the beginning (and I know it's been a long one – three chapters in 2005 and then I fell off the face of the planet until 2015. Ten years is a really, really long time) and to all those who joined me in these recent weeks.

I hope you all enjoyed the story – it was certainly a fun ride that changed a lot over the ten years I've had to ponder it. I'd love to hear your final thoughts, so if you could spare a moment for a review I would greatly appreciate it. Just in case anyone was wondering, this is the final chapter. There will not be a sequel or any type of epilogue.

Shout out goes to my twin sister, for without her this story would have never been finished. (So y'all should thank her too!)

Thanks for reading and please do leave a review below (even all your lurkers and alert-ers!). I'd love to hear your final thoughts on the story.

- IcyPanther