Pet Shop Of Horrors Fan Fiction / Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Long Denied ❯ To Dance... ( Chapter 27 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Dear readers, in case any of you are curious, yes, I have read Petshop of Horrors # 7. I know that in the English version the children were called Scorpio's Children. In the online translations I read (about a year ago) they were called Black Scorpion. To be honest, I think I like Scorpio's Children better, but, as I didn't know they were going to change that in the translation,


Chapter 26: To Dance...


At the petshop-
Count D-


D knew it was happening. The moment Kyou had begun to wake from his deep sleep, D knew that it would be soon. He lay on his bed and stared up at the ceiling. D wanted to be able to do more to help the boy, but it was best that he let this process go as naturally as possible. It was bad enough that he'd had to speed up everything to save Kyou's life. If the family had not been tampered with, Kyou would have stayed in that cocoon for eleven months.

'It was risk. A risk that had to be taken.' D thought as he kept a close watch on not only Kyou, but the behavior of the rest of the Souma family while they were in his petshop, and the condition of Akito, who was vital to the survival of the family. It was hard to keep his attention focused on all of this at once, but it would soon be over. Just a few more hours and Kyou would emerge.


The Souma Estate-
Leon-


The Black Scorpion organization would never allow the rescue of the children to go unpunished. Leon wondered if they would send one of their other Black Scorpion agents to kill the Souma's and retrieve the children. Would they just kill the kids, too? Whatever the outcome, it wasn't looking good. The kids knew too much about the organization and they could easily hurt the Black Scorpion. Leon was going to have to find a way to protect the Souma family, especially if the police weren't going to help.

Leon thought about all this as he made his way through the Souma estate for the tenth time in two weeks. He'd made a point of visiting nearly everyday to make sure that not only the children were all right, but that they hadn't gotten violent and hurt the kind Souma family who were sheltering them.

He had no solutions about this whole mess and Jill, currently at Ayame's apartment with Mine-chan, who was supposedly working, was working as fast as she could to sort though the information she'd found on the computer at the Pit. It was hard, Jill had told Leon. There was so much information and a lot of it was useless. In time, Jill was certain that she'd be able to find the Black Scorpion. Then they'd cut the head off.

There were happier things to think about and Leon smiled as he walked though the Souma estate. The children were doing pretty good, he was able to walk right onto the estate without mucking with the guards because Kazuma had ordered them to leave Leon alone, and the sun was shining. Leon enjoyed a sunny day.



"We'll keep them."

"Huh?" Leon never was good at speaking when he was surprised and he couldn't have been more surprised at that moment if Jill had come prancing by in a pink tutu singing 'London Bridges'.

"Don't sound so surprised." Kazuma, the placid, grey haired man Leon had met when he'd brought the children from the Pit to the Souma estate, was as serene as he had been every day since Leon had met him. In fact, Leon had ever met anyone so calm and relaxed in his entire life. Even now, Kazuma smiled slightly at Leon's shock. "The children need homes and my family is large enough that we can provide. I have already had three people inquiring about the children. I, myself, have a large house and will be able to take one or two of them if no one else will have them. Of course, any final decisions will be made when the head of the family returns."

Souma Kazuma must have been a saint. That was what Leon thought, anyway. He had never met anyone who was so thoroughly patient or calm tempered. His gentle nature almost seemed inhuman. Leon found himself liking Kazuma and he wondered if anyone could actually be unhappy when they were around Kazuma. "Yeah, but more than fifty kids? That's a lot of homes to find, even in a family as big as this." Leon had never seen a set up like the Souma family before and, to be honest, he rather liked it. They all lived together and worked for the betterment of the family. If anyone needed something, the rest of the family provided it. If a child was orphaned, a relative almost instantly adopted them. Kazuma had adopted the orphaned Kyou and Leon had learned that two of Ayame's friends, Shigure and Hatori, had done the same thing. Shigure had taken in Ayame's little brother, Yuki, and Hatori had taken in a little boy named Momiji. It seemed like such an ideal situation and Leon couldn't help but compare it to how he'd grown up. Just thrown away.

"Even if we do not have enough homes for them," Kazuma answered. "We will find room for them somewhere. The children will not be simply turned away. There are several vacant houses on the estate where they may be permitted to live, should Akito-sama be in a favorable mood. Many of them are old enough to look after themselves and, if necessary, they can be assigned as a sort of dormitory leader and take care of the younger ones."

A ball suddenly hit Leon in the head and he turned to look at the yard of children. One of the kids he'd rescued from the Pit was looking at Leon with an almost frightened expression. "Sorry." He stood very stiffly, as if he wasn't sure if Leon would beat him or not.

"No sweat, kid." Leon kicked the ball back to him. It was only a beach ball, one of many toys that had been given to Kazuma for the children by the rest of the family. They were learning how to play and many of the kids couldn't do little things like catch a ball or jump rope. Not one of them could understand the idea of playing for fun, so Kazuma had taken that on as his first duty to them. Thus far, he was teaching them tag and hide-and-seek. It wasn't easy in the small space they had; Kazuma had decided that the children would be confined to the house Leon had found them all in (Kazuma called it the Rooster's house for some reason) until he decided that they weren't dangerous to the rest of the family. A sensible decision, Leon thought.

In the passed thirteen days, since Leon had herded the children to the Souma estate and given them over to Kazuma's care, they had changed a bit. It wasn't a remarkable change, but at least they looked a little better. Thanks to the generous nature of the Souma family, the children all had new clothes, mostly given by families who's own children had outgrown the clothes. Hair was newly washed and trimmed and every one of the children was sparkling clean from the daily baths Kazuma insisted upon. The little girl, Maru, was wearing one polished black shoe and just a sock on the other foot as Kazuma had explained, wearing two shoes would only hurt her injured feet.

"What's going to happen to her? To Maru?" Leon asked, nodding towards the girl. He remembered her innocent suggestion of sex and it made him feel vaguely sick. She was just a pretty little girl when she was all dressed up like this, but her face was still often blank. How could these kids ever lead a normal life? How could Maru go to school if she thought she was supposed to give sex to everyone who asked for it? The boys in high school would happily take advantage of her. Jill was worried that some of the girls might be pregnant and Kazuma had promised to have the family doctor, Hatori, examine the girls thoroughly. If any of them were with child, of course they would be given good care and help in learning how to take care of a child. If the girl was too young, then the necessary decision would be made about whether to keep the baby or not for the child's safety. It was possible, though sickening. Leon had heard of little girls as young as ten getting pregnant.

Kazuma turned so that he was standing next to Leon and together, they looked out over the garden full of children. "There will be an operation to heal Maru-chan's foot. I expect that it will need to be re-broken and set by a good doctor, but it should be fine. In the worst case, she may be lame for the rest of her life. With luck, though, she will be able to walk properly again." Kazuma absently put his hand on the head of a child who walked by them, smiling down at the child, fondly. The child seemed surprised by the touch and looked up at Kazuma, surprised by the contact. Kazuma smiled back and continued on with his conversation with Leon.

"I'm glad." Leon said, still thinking of Maru. "How much will it cost? I'll give something..." Leon was very conscious of how little money he had, but it didn't seem fair to have this one family take on the responsibility for all the kids. It wasn't their fault that the kids had been hurt, after all. Not to mention the danger they were in because of children. Leon hated to think what would happen to this good family if the Black Scorpion decided to eliminate them all.

"We have several doctors in our family, Orcot-san. You need not worry about the cost, we can easily cover it. Maru-chan's foot has been examined already and she has an appointment to have it fixed in about four days. Every effort will be made to find the family's of these children, I assure you. Our family has resources and if their families want to be found, we will find them." He looked sad and shifted his eyes back to the garden where the children were starting to fade into naps. "Every one of the children who will speak to me tells me that their family's, their own mothers and fathers, are the ones who brought them to the Pit. They say they were sold for a few hundred yen a piece. I don't think they will want the children back."

"They've got enough to eat? No one's going hungry, are they?" Leon wanted to protest that Kazuma was wrong about the children's families. He didn't because Kazuma wasn't.

"Plenty. Our family has been most generous. I think most of the children will have new homes in a very short time. Our doctor is away for a short while and, as soon as he's had a chance to make sure that all the children are healthy enough, we'll start interviewing people who want the children. You've met Hatori-sensei, haven't you?"

"Yeah, briefly." Leon hadn't been overly impressed by Hatori, he didn't like how Ayame fawned over the man, yet Hatori made no effort to give Ayame a message, either way. It seemed unfair, but when he'd mentioned this, in passing, to Kazuma, Kazuma had corrected him quickly.

"Hatori isn't leading Ayame on, as you think. It may be hard to believe, but Hatori's naturally that way. He's remarkably shy and," Kazuma had paused awkwardly at that point. "Hatori lost someone very dear to him, not more than a year ago. Losing her nearly destroyed him. Ayame's cared for Hatori for as long as I can remember and he accepts Hatori's reluctance to give his heart out again. I'll ask you, please don't interfere with them. It will work out, one way or the other. If you try to get between them, even if you think it's for Ayame's own good, Ayame will surely hate you."

Leon had taken the advice, but wished he could talk to Ayame after everything that had gone on. Like a lot of people in the Souma family, it seemed that Ayame had just vanished. He hadn't come back to his apartment. Leon also hadn't seen Hatori or Shigure since the day he'd brought all the children back to the estate and Kazuma's adopted son, a boy named Kyou, was missing, also. Leon felt a head ache coming on. Now that one mystery had been solved, there was another to take care of.

Thinking of finding the children homes, Leon wasn't sure it would be as easy as Kazuma made it out to be and he said as much.

"Tell me, has there been any news of my family? My son?" Every day Leon had come to visit the children, Kazuma had asked Leon the same question every day and Leon was starting to hate this part of their conversation. He hated seeing such a gentle man as Kazuma in pain. Obviously the man was a devoted father.

"I'm sorry. I haven't heard a thing. I took Shigure-san to the petshop, just like he asked. D...er...Count D was polite and asked him into the back room to show him something. When I got out of the bathroom, D said Shigure-san had left. Said he never saw your kid. I guess Shigure-san had his facts wrong, huh? There's no one from your family at D's petshop." That didn't change the fact that Shigure had apparently not gone back to the estate to tell Kazuma what he did or did not see. It seemed more than cruel to Leon. Shigure was up to something and Leon was starting to dislike the man more than ever. "Are you sure you trust Shigure-san? That character seems like a piece of work. He left the petshop, so where is he?"

"Shigure is a good man, but he often does things for his own reasons. I'll trust him. He's very intelligent and truly wants what's best for the family. The problem is that he doesn't often tell anyone why he's doing this or that. But, yes. I do trust him." Kazuma didn't sound entirely convinced and Leon didn't blame him.

Leon would never believe that D would deliberately hurt a child. Still, in almost two weeks, there had been no sign of any kids, other than Chris, in the petshop. "You want me to help look for him?" Leon offered. "I'm not working right now, so I could help you look." If the boy hadn't come home in two weeks, there was undoubtedly a serious problem. The one place Kazuma had admitted to not calling was the local morgue.

Leon could understand that. It was the one place no parent ever wanted to call, because they might find what they were looking for. This man was giving up so much of his time and energy to take care of these kids that had been rescued from the Pit that Leon would be generous, too. He would call the morgue for Kazuma and find a way to gently break the news if there was an orange haired boy who's corpse been found. He'd ask D to help him find the right words and then offer to go with Kazuma down to the morgue to identify the body.

Kazuma, though, shook his head. "Thank you." He said, sincerely. "But I have already called the police and they are searching for him. He knows that it's always safe to come home. If he wants to, he'll come back." Even to Leon's insensitive ears, Kazuma sounded heartbroken.

"Well...if you change your mind, you know where to find me." Leon tried to stifle his rude thoughts, but couldn't quite manage it. He blurted out, "You won't get any results from the police!" He was still very angry with the way the police ignored the children from the Pit. "You're better off letting me help you search. The kids will be all right for a few hours if you and I have a look around."

"Again, thank you, but no. My Kyou's strong and very smart. He'll come home. I know he will. I have faith. If you'll excuse me, now. I should get the children ready. We need to pack, the bus will be here soon."

"Bus? What bus?"

"The family has a private charter bus. I've reserved it for the day to take the children, and myself, away. You've explained the whole situation, about this Black Scorpion organization, and I think it would be safer, for the children and for my family, if I were to take the children away for a while. Somewhere safe and quiet, away from the city would be best. Our family has a summerhouse by the sea and it's a little, out of the way place, but plenty big enough for the children." Kazuma slipped a hand into the folds of his kimono and pulled out a small, white business card. "Here, this is the house number and my cell phone number. I know you have great interest in the children, if you need to contact me, please do so. Also," His eyes softened. "If you hear anything at all about my son, please call me. If...well...tell him I miss him. No matter what happened to make him run away, I want him home. I..." For the first time since Leon had met Kazuma, the man looked close to tears. "Just ask him to call me, if nothing else."

To preserve Kazuma's dignity, Leon walked away, pocketing the business card. 'He's got faith, huh?' Leon thought. 'Faith and a buck fifty will buy you a coffee. Nothing else, though. Hope he's right about his kid. Be a shame to find out the kid's nothing but a junkie and he's out shooting up with pals.' With a father like Kazuma, though, Leon really didn't believe that was the case. No, it was a better idea to call the morgue.

But first, back to the petshop.

Leon felt a lump develop in his throat and butterflies begin to circle in his stomach. There was something he wanted to say to D. He'd wanted to say for a little while now and Leon wasn't sure how D was going to take it.


At the Petshop-


D didn't greet Leon at the door as he usually did and Leon wasn't really surprised. In the passed few days, D hadn't been feeling to well and Leon had found him, nearly every day, resting in his dark bedroom. After hanging up his coat in the front room, Leon made his way back into the deeper part of the petshop. He still didn't understand how D had moved the whole petshop to Japan in just a few hours, but Leon didn't ask for any explanations. After his long association with D, Leon knew he wouldn't get any answers. He just had to accept it.

The two guard dogs that were normally attentive just behind the doors that led to the main part of the petshop became alert the moment Leon stepped though the doors. They were large dogs, Dobermans or something, Leon thought. Neither dog took much notice of Leon, though. They knew him well enough by now and Leon passed by them easily.

'What if they didn't know me? I wonder if they'd attack anyone else who tried to walk in?' Leon smiled and petted the head of the little raccoon, Pon-chan, that Chris was so fond of. 'I hope they're trained to attack anyone who just barges in. D and Chris are safer that way. I feel better if they're protected when I'm not around.'

At that thought, Chris popped out of the kitchen with Tet-chan at his side. Chris was precariously balancing a tray in his hands. On the tray was a teapot with steam streaming out the nozzle, a teacup, and a small plate of cookies. Tet-chan was growling at him all the while.

Chris smiled when he saw Leon. >The Count isn't feeling well, Big Brother. Tet-chan and me are...< Chris broke off and looked at the growling Tet-chan. >Tet-chan and *I* are bringing him tea to make him feel better. He's in his bedroom again.<

Leon was glad to see Chris looking so happy. When Leon had told him that Suki, his friend at the Pit, had died, Chris had cried for hours. It seemed that he was slowly getting over it.

The bedroom was, indeed, where they found D, stretched out on his bed with one arm draped over his eyes and apparently asleep. For a while, Leon just stood in the doorway and looked at D. He was inhuman. There was something that wasn't real about D, but Leon was starting to care less and less as time went by. Leon had to admit, if only to himself, that D was the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen. Leon was no coward and he was confident enough in himself to speak his mind. This time, though, Leon wasn't quite so sure. It was a big something that he wanted to tell D.

Maybe he should just keep his mouth shut.

As if he were carrying a crystal butterfly, Chris carefully went to the side of the bed and set the tea tray down on the little table next to D's bed. Then he shook D's shoulder. >Count? We brought tea. Tet-chan said it'll make you feel better.<

"Thank you, Chris." D didn't take his arm off his eyes when he answered and his voice was faint. "Please leave it and then why don't you find somewhere to play? I am certain that Phillip would like to see you again." It was a gentle dismissal, but a dismissal all the same. Chris didn't leave before he leaned over and gave D a slight hug, as if afraid that he would hurt D if he hugged him too hard. D raised his free hand up to return the hug by simply touching Chris' back. Tet-chan followed Chris, as usual, but he growled something at D before the door closed after the two of them.

When they were alone, Leon walked around D's bed and sat on the opposite side. "You still sick?" Leon wasn't sure that D was actually sick, but in the past two weeks or so, he'd had terrible headaches and hadn't opened the petshop even once. It was strange behavior for D, so Leon thought that D must be sick. He didn't like seeing D so weak, but D had steadfastly refused to see a doctor.

"Just a little under the weather. I do not often become ill, so when it does happen, it seems more terrible than it is." For the first time since Leon had walked into the room, D lowered his arm and Leon was shocked to see large, dark circles under D's eyes. He tried not to let it show, but Leon had never seen D looking anything less than perfect. Those puffy bags under D's eyes seemed unnatural. D turned his head away from Leon and when he spoke, there was horrible self-hate in his voice. "You do not have to look at me, Leon. I know how ugly I am like this."

"No! No!" Leon insisted. He'd thought he'd done such a good job at hiding what he was thinking. He should know better by now; he couldn't hide anything from D. "You aren't ugly, you're sick. I wish you'd let me take you to the hospital. I don't like this, D." He absently reached out and put his hand against D's forehead and then put the back of his hand on D's cheek. "You don't have a fever. In fact, you feel pretty cool." Leon wasn't sure that humans should feel so cool to the touch, but at least it wasn't a fever.

"I will be fine." D reached up and put his elegant hand on Leon's. "You worry for me far more than I deserve. I expect that soon everything will be as it should be. I will be back to myself, perhaps even better than I ever was before."


Count D-


D held his hand on Leon's far longer than he'd intended to, but Leon hadn't objected, as D had thought he would.

"Hey, D?"

"Yes, Leon?" D removed his hand the moment Leon had spoken and slowly sat up.

"Would you mind staying here a while? In Japan, I mean." Leon's tone was nervous, but it was so rare that Leon asked D for something in such a serious tone that D felt compelled to answer carefully.

"May I ask why?"

Leon shrugged. "I told you why I came here. The whole Black Scorpion thing."

"Ah, yes. Young Murakai. I hear that he is still stable. Still not expected to wake up, though." D sipped at his tea, glad for the extra sugar. Keeping his mind on more than one thing was tiring and he needed the added energy. If he wasn't going to use sugar, then he would have to taste some blood and Leon looked very tempting. It wasn’t often that D tasted blood, but he did crave it. Another one of his failings, perhaps. "So, how are the children you rescued? Are they well?"

"I guess, considering what they've been through." Leon was so troubled by the fates of these children and D wanted to draw him away from that. It wasn't that D didn't want Leon to help the children, but Leon seemed far too involved with them. Thankfully, Leon shook his head and smiled at D. "They're doing better now. I guess its amazing what a real home and some good food can do for kids, huh? The ones with that damned tattoo aren't doing as well, but they aren't violent, like I thought they'd be. That Kazuma guy's real good with kids, I'll give him that."


D really needed the tea and he needed about eight spoonfuls of sugar in his tea. Such a headache he had! D was having to keep an eye on Leon, Kyou's room where all the Junikyu were waiting for Kyou's rebirth, the room where Akito slept while they waited for Kyou, and the Souma estate where there were so many human children in desperate need of care. It was giving him a headache, trying to keep track of everyone. Not to mention there was one detail that D had nearly forgotten in his haste to correct the wrong done to the Souma family.

Papa.

Where was papa? D was certain that his papa would have shown up at least once to try and take the Souma's, but there hadn't been a peep from him since D had seen him at the Souma's little house where he'd so painfully taken the human blood from the poor cat, Kyou. Ah, well. D tried not to worry about it. He knew Sofu had taken care of papa, even if he didn't want to say exactly what he'd done to punish papa for his interference with the Souma family. D would trust Sofu.

'That reminds me,' D thought to himself. 'I must speak with the rest of the Souma family about their choice.' It was not likely to be a hard choice for them to make, not if their lives were as unpleasant as D believed. Actually, D really didn't see too much in the way of problems with their lives. All they had to do was make certain that they trusted their mates before they chose lovers or simply decide to take same-sex lovers. It was very simple. Perhaps their human blood was confusing them. It certainly didn't make humans any more logical.

Of course, that thought made D think of Leon.

Since Leon had woken up in D's bed, a few days ago, their relationship had been alternately smoother and more awkward. At least Leon wasn't yelling so much, anymore. If anything, Leon seemed distracted and he didn't want to talk about his thoughts about waking up in D's bed.

"I've gotta stay till this is all taken care of. I can't just leave. I'll have to call the station and quit. They won't let me just take a leave of absence for who knows how long. My Japanese is pretty good, maybe I can get a job in town and I'll work on the Black Scorpion from the information we've got. Jill wants to stay, too. Did I tell you about Mine-chan?" Leon chuckled, his eyes sparkling for the first time in a long time. "Jill's set on staying with her. I wanna make Jill happy. She's a good woman, she deserves to be happy."

"And you?" D bit his tongue as soon as he'd said it. He wished he'd just kept quiet.

"What about me?" Leon asked, sounding honestly puzzled.

D debated whether or not he should keep quiet, but decided since he'd already spoken there was no use in keeping silent. "Do you plan on finding your deserved happiness?" D expected Leon to make some kind of flip remark, a comment on finding a big busted blonde to marry. Instead, Leon looked thoughtful and didn't speak for a while. It wasn't often that Leon got into these reflective moments and D didn't want to disturb it.

"Most people," Leon said slowly when he finally did speak. "Want the basics. I'm no different, I guess. Kids. I've got Chris. A home. I spend as much time here as anywhere, so I guess this is home." Leon didn't quite meet D's eyes at that comment. "And someone to...to talk to. I've got you. You're smart and fun to talk to, even if I don't understand half of what you're saying. I never get bored when you're around, that's for damned sure. I'll find another job; maybe I'll be a cop again. Work's no problem." Leon looked at D for the first time since he'd started talking and D was a bit surprised by what he saw in Leon's eyes. Fear. Leon was thinking about things that were frightening him. "But I only want to stay if you're around. If you go back to America, then I'm going back, too." Leon gave no reason for this decision, but then, he really didn't need to.

If D had been less sure of what was going on in Leon's mind, he would have blushed at Leon's not so subtle hint. This had been bound to happen sooner or later and now D was going to have to deal with it. He had been getting far too comfortable with the casual relationship they'd developed.

Humans loved change far too much, as far as D was concerned.

'Why does he want to change things now?' D thought, a little irritated, though he certainly didn't let that show on his face. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Leon. 'More than a year and we've been happy like this and now he's getting over his homophobia! This will complicate things. I don't need complications, not now.' Yet, D looked into Leon's eyes and saw such sincerity that he couldn't do what he knew Sofu would expect him to do. D smiled. "I was planning to stay for a while, in point of fact. Chris has made a couple of friends, I believe. I think I would like to open a business here. My family has not done business in Japan since Sofu had the petshop here." It was foolish, raising both his own and Leon's hopes. This would never work out. Still, Leon looked so happy for just a moment.

"You were?" Leon asked, incredulously. "Really? Well." Leon seemed shocked, but not unpleasantly so. A smile threatened to escape his lips. "Hey, that's great. It's gonna take me a while to get things sorted out here. All those kids...Christ, I don't know what's going to happen to them." Leon's eyes darkened. "Ya know, the cops never did come to the estate to check out the kids? Two damned weeks and they never even called to check up on them." Leon scowled down at his teacup. "I don't know if I even want to be a cop here, they seem completely out of it. Those morons wouldn't go to the crime scene and now they won't even help out a bunch helpless kids."

"I am certain we can come to some arrangement. They are children, so I am sure some family will be happy to adopt them." D rubbed his temples and winced, his head still bothering him.

Leon looked more depressed that he had in a long time. "Remember who you're talking to, D. I was in the system for a long time. People don't want kids, they want babies. Those kids are to old to be adopted, they'll never find a home. One of those kids has gotta be closing in on seventeen. If the cops ever get theirs head outta their as...er...if they get moving some of those kids will spend time in juvie hall but a couple would do jail time for what they did. They all admitted it, they aren't even ashamed. They'll tell you if you ask them, 'oh sure, I've killed. Three times. Four times.' It's sick. Those kids don't even know they've done anything wrong. I had a little girl, she couldn't have been much more than ten or so, and she offered to..." Leon couldn't finish, embarrassed to finish what he was going to say. "Well, let's say she knew things no little girl should know. That kid should have been playing with her Barbie dolls." Leon frowned at D. "Are you feeling all right? You don't look so good." He leaned a bit closer and looked closely at D's face. "You want some aspirin or something?"

It was the strain of keeping his mind focused on too many things all at once. D's head was starting to throb and he could feel his heart beating faster than normal. That wasn't a good sign, especially about his heart. 'Just a few more days.' D told himself. 'Just a few more days and I'll be whole again.' All he had to do was wait until Kyou's metamorphosis was complete and then he could have the bracelet that would complete him. 'He's already close.' D told himself, forcing himself to look away from Leon to pour more tea. 'I don't want to hurt him, but he'll be more hurt if I keep him close and he finds out the truth later. What do I do? Sofu would tell me to leave him. Just to forget Leon. How could I? Leon is so much apart of my life.'

"I am fine, Leon." D assured him, taking a sip of his tea. It was a lie, but D didn't really mind lying. The sugar was a lovely replacement for what D would have liked to have. Kami were not carnivores by nature, but D loved the taste of blood. He expected that it was apart of his deficiency. The missing parts of his body that his papa had used to made the beads of the bracelet that imprisoned the Souma family for so long.

'Soon, I'll have it back. I will be strong and whole.' But D worried. 'Will I still be the same person I am now? What if I become like papa, hateful and spiteful? What if I become like Sofu, cold and distant to anyone who might love him?' D looked again at Leon and couldn't imagine hating Leon. Oh, there were times when D was angry with his human and times when he thought he would tear his hair out because of something Leon did or said, but he never actually hated Leon. Leon was such a sincere creature that it was impossible to hate him. 'But when I take back the bracelet from Kyou and the blood and bones that are mine are absorbed into my body, will I truly stay the same? Sofu tells me that I am not what a Kami should be.'

"Your heart is far to open to the emotions of the creatures you are destined to guard. Your heart will be injured if you continue to see them in such a generous light. They are not deserving of choices or consideration. They are animals, every one of them. You are their master." That was what Sofu had told D, not so long ago. D couldn't even remember the situation. Sofu had sighed, troubled. "If only you were not missing parts of yourself, you would be so much stronger."

'If I change, if I no longer care for Leon after I am made whole, then is it not doubly cruel to raise his hopes now?' There was doubt about that, however. Papa wasn't missing any of his natural body parts and yet he was certainly not what a Kami should be. Who knew? Maybe, against all odds, Sofu was wrong and D would stay just the way he was.

D set his teacup back on the silver tray Chris had left on the bedside table and lay his head back down on his soft pillow. Kyou would emerge soon, in a just a few hours. D could already sense that Kyou was close to breaking though, desperately seeking the warm sunlight that was the source of his power and, therefore, the source of his family's power.

So much to worry about.

There was always something to do, lately. So much to think about and Leon, while D wasn't exactly displeased about Leon's subtle, sudden courage, it was one more thing to think about.

'That doesn't have to be taken care of now, though. Tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll... what? Talk to him? My Leon would probably get embarrassed and run off again. Well, there's no need to rush.' D decided that he would take his time with Leon and not rush things. First thing was first. D would see that his debt to the Souma family put to an end, first. Very soon, his responsibilities to the Souma family would be at an end.

Kyou was nearing the surface of the cocoon. He would emerge soon, ready to face the sun and his family. D wondered what Kyou would do. If he would chose to save his family or not.

"I'll have to leave you now, Leon." D swung his legs off the bed and stood, though his head felt light for a moment and Leon actually dove across the bed to steady D, as if he thought D might fall. D smiled over his shoulder at Leon and noted Leon's blush. "Thank you." Yes. It would be best to take things slowly. Time for flirting later, when his head didn't hurt.

"Where are you going? Are you sure you should be up?" D turned to answer Leon, but found that his voice caught in his throat. He blinked, to clear his head. Leon was laying, on his stomach, on D's bed, his perpetually disheveled hair and eyes that said he was blissfully ignorant of how tempting he looked at that moment.

D swallowed hard. "I am not leaving the petshop, Leon. I am just going down the hallway. I promise, I am perfectly safe." It was kind of Leon to worry, but this was one event Leon should NOT be present at.

D didn't go directly to Kyou's room where most of the Souma's were waiting. Instead he went to the room he'd put Akito in along with his dragon and his rooster. The moment Kyou woke, it would be best to have them all in one place. Even the dog was already at the petshop, waiting for Kyou's entrance into his new life. Shigure, the protective dog, had arrived some days ago and had taken up residence just outside the room where Akito was sleeping with the dragon and the rooster. He wouldn't actually go in for fear of succumbing to the incense D burned to keep them all asleep. He ate readily, but was on constant alert save the few moments he'd drifted asleep.

"Good afternoon." D said, affably when he came to the room and found Shigure sitting with his back to the door, as if afraid that someone would go in when he wasn't looking. D liked Shigure and found him quite complex.

"Is it?" Shigure looked up at D with heavy, blood-shot eyes. "I seem to have lost track of time."

"It is two weeks to the day that I brought Kyou to this place. Precisely two weeks."

Shigure's eyes widened. "Ah." He thought for a moment. "Then...it's time?" He asked in disbelief. "Finally?"

"Yes. It is finally time for your family to be renewed." When Shigure moved to stand, D took the larger man's arm and helped him to his feet. Shigure reeked. He hadn't bathed since he'd come to D's petshop, but the same could be said of the rest of his family. D did his best not to wrinkle his nose at being so close to Shigure, but it was difficult. "Your Kyou is in his final form at this moment, all that is left for him to do is to break out of his cocoon. I wonder if you will even recognize him."

Shigure wet his dry lips and rubbed the back of his neck. "He's safe, then?"

"Of course he is. This transformation has done him nothing but good."

"Yuki told me what happened to him, that man who looked like you..."

D hated it when he was mistaken for his papa. He loved his papa, there was no mistake there, but he liked to think that he had a stronger grip on reality along with a more sympathetic nature. "My papa did what had to be done. If he hadn't, I would have. Of course, I would have done it painlessly. It is very simple and my papa could have done it that way, also. He chose not to." Torture was always needless. D simply couldn't condone what his papa had done to Kyou. "Please, I assure you that Kyou is far better off as he is. I can tell by your expression that you want to ask something."

"I do. What does this mean for the rest of my family? In the diary it said that they were able to control their transformations. Will Kyou have that talent?"

"Yes."

"Is it possible for the rest of us to have that?" There was desperation in his eyes; the need for a miracle. "To control the transformation?"

"Possible, yes. However, whether or not your family will chose to go through the process is an individual decision." D knew he'd have to make this same offer to everyone in the Junikyu Souma's. D debated on whether or not he should wait on explanations until he only had to say it once, but decided that it was best to let Shigure be able to advise them. Tell Shigure now and let him think about what was going to happen. Then, when the time came, he would tell his family instead of letting D do it. Yes, that would work out best. They would be more willing to go along with the idea if Shigure wanted to do it.

Shigure's face was still, he was skilled enough at the game of deception to let nothing show, not eagerness or weariness. It seemed clear that Shigure knew this was an important conversation. "Tell me more, please." He was very polite, for one so tired.

"What curses your family is not your dual nature, but the way of it's activation. The embrace. That can be corrected." D made his voice sound as seductive as possible, knowing that he was helping Shigure to see things as he wanted him to. "It is such a simple course of action. No pain, no risk, and it would only take a few moments. The rest of your family will not even have to endure what Kyou had to, the cocoon stage. That stage is unique amongst the cat of your species. You could all go home, tonight, together, and completely changed. Your family would no longer need to worry about the risk of being discovered, at least by the embrace, by humanity. Such a small price to pay, also."

"A price?" Shigure echoed, though his face still showed no signs of how he felt about this. He was listening intently and D had little doubt that his offer would be refused.

"There is a price for everything. Surely, you know this. In your case, you may not see it as a disadvantage, but I assure you this will turn out to be a burden on your family, possibly as great as the one you already endure. The true Junikyu family does not age beyond maturity. You would not ever age again. Your children would age until they become adults and then they would stop aging. The only way that one of the Junikyu family may die is..."

"By violence or disease. Yes," Shigure nodded. "I read all that in the diary. It sounds like an ideal life. No old age or death. No more funerals or grave yards. They all lived together in a house deep in the wilds of China before they escaped to Japan. Rarely they ventured out, to protect themselves and keep themselves secret. I know the risks." His eyes were far away, and D guessed that Shigure was thinking of a dream world where no one would ever hurt his family again. A world where they could live happily apart from humanity, as the ancient Junikyu had done. Such a beautiful dream it must have seemed.

"You do not understand." D interrupted and brought Shigure back to real life. It was not a dream world that would save the Souma family, but the careful planning and secrecy they'd been practicing for centuries. "You can not live as your ancestors did. That is not possible in today's world. You must live with humanity, as all creatures must. Perhaps you may find solitude in the deep of Australia or close to the edge of the world in Alaska. There are so few places on Earth left untouched and uninhabited by humanity. This should not be such a difficult adjustment, your family has had to hide its differences for a very long time. This is just another difference to hide. You are still to be cursed, but by eternal youth. People will notice after five, ten, thirty, fifty years. They will wonder why you never change. The people in your extended family, the rest of the Souma family, how will you keep this a secret from them? There will be many problems to solve."

Shigure didn't answer, but his gaze went inward again and D knew he was thinking though the difficulties and possibilities.

D continued, "In the passed, the Junikyu lived alone. Just fourteen people, completely alone, isolated in their home in the wilderness. They were happy with their lives. Can you say that your family would be happy with the same? Will your entire family be able to give up all outside contact? I am certain that you have friends, co-workers, and family who are not apart of the Junikyu. Are you willing to give them all up to rid yourself of your human blood?"

"I don't know."

"What about the rest of your family? I will tell you this, my duty to your family ends the moment Kyou is fully reborn, which will be in approximately fifteen minutes. Your ancestor, Inu, chose this path for your family. He was the one to introduce human blood into your family. It was a good choice, at the time, and necessary to the survival of your family. Whether you accept my offer or not is no concern of mine." D sounded just as cold as he felt. It honestly didn't matter to him what they decided to live as after he was done with Kyou. "I will keep this offer open, for as long as your family exists. For eternity, if need be. I must warn you that this is a one way street; once I have taken your human blood, it can not be replaced. You will be in your original form for the rest of your life. Also, if you chose to breed with a human, then your child will be as you are now, fated to change shape at an embrace, if they happen to be born one of the Junikyu. You must take time to think this all over. Now, I will wake the head of your family. I am sure he will wish to be present when Kyou breaks free of his cocoon." D swept passed Shigure and wondered what Shigure would end up doing. Either way, the family was cursed, in Shigure's eyes.

"Count D?" Shigure spoke before Akito had opened the door to Akito's room. "You keep saying that Kyou can heal my family. How?"

"With a kiss." Then Akito went into the room and closed the door firmly behind him. D glided over to Akito's side and looked down at him.

Akito was dozing quietly in the room that was designed for maximum serenity. His face was relaxed and he looked very young and very helpless. He would have been a very attractive child if only he was healthier. Too thin and his skin so unhealthily pale, Akito simply didn't look healthy. Still, he was blessed with the Souma looks and, given a little fattening up, he would be lovely.

'Kyou will be able to see to that, if he so chooses.'

Hatori and Kureno, the dragon and the rooster, were of little concern. They were both relatively healthy, with the exception of Hatori's blinded eye. It was time to wake them all, though. D went to the burning brazier which held the incense D used to help them all sleep and doused it. The air would clear in a short time.


Akito-


"Tell me your dreams."

The voice floated at Akito through a pleasant dream, though he didn't know what the dream was about. Perhaps the voice was apart of the dream. All Akito knew was that he was happy and it seemed like such a novel experience. Dream? Maybe it was all a dream. Maybe the dream was real. Akito couldn't tell. All he knew was that he felt pleasantly sleepy and he didn't want to get up.

Soft fingers stroked Akito's face and he grudgingly opened his eyes. He saw the eyes first and was reminded of something, though he really wasn't sure what he was reminded of. Purple and gold, the colors of sunset. Or maybe the sunrise. Purple clouds over a golden sun. Sunrise...sunset...did it really matter?

Akito woke for a second time, feeling better and more at peace than he had ever felt in his life, to find someone looking down at him. At first, he couldn't place the face. It wasn't an attractive face. Akito thought the person was downright ugly. After all, this person wasn't one of his Junikyu. At least the bird had been pretty.

"Are you quite awake?" The person with the sunrise eyes asked and Akito remembered him suddenly.

Akito tried very hard to roll away from that man and the gentle hands touching his face, but his body wasn't listening to him. That was when he remembered everything that had happened. He was dying and he couldn't move. At least he felt nothing and could expect to just wait until his body just shut down. His heart would probably stop beating first and then he could just fade away. Ren had told Akito about the many horrible ways to die, including how Akira, his predecessor, had died, screaming and foaming at the mouth. This seemed much more peaceful.

"You are not dying. Not yet." The man looked as if he might laugh at what Akito was thinking. Akito was sure that the ugly man could tell what he was thinking.

Not dying? That got Akito's attention and he focused on the ugly man with two mismatched eyes. It was just cruel for this man to say such a thing. Akito's mouth wouldn't move and he couldn't speak, anymore. It was cruel to try and raise Akito's hopes, but Akito wasn't going to pay any attention, anymore than he had at his own house when this ugly man had somehow convinced Shigure to betray him.

That was what happened.

'Shigure must have been fooled. He's clever, but even he can be tricked. There is no cure for the curse or for me. Shigure must have been trying to help and he let himself have hope. It wasn't really Shigure's fault.' Akito felt a sudden, overpowering guilt for what he'd said to Shigure, but brushed it aside quickly. 'He'll forgive my harsh words. I forgive his betrayal, after all, so he'll forgive me. If I'd been thinking clearer I wouldn't have said such things to him.'

When Akito let his eyes fall back on the man who held him captive, he saw that the man was smiling. "Child, you are not dying, not unless you truly wish to. Very few animals wish to die, not when life is possible."

Animal?! Akito wasn't sure whether or not he should be insulted. He had always wanted to be an animal, to be one of his Junikyu. How much simpler life would have been if someone else had been born to be the head of the family and if he were just one of the family. Then Akito could have danced at the banquet with everyone else. This ugly man also didn't speak as if he were insulting Akito. He was a thin man and Akito knew if he could just make his body work, he could wrap his hands around the man's throat and strangle him. Then he could escape back to the estate.

Rolling his eyes, Akito took a good look at the room he was in. It was very empty. He saw Hatori and Kureno fast asleep several paces away. Now that just wasn't right.

'What's he done to them?' Akito wondered. What was keeping them asleep? Pills? Hatori often gave Akito pills to make him sleep. Akito knew that Kureno would not sleep if Akito was in a dangerous situation and Hatori had proven, over the years, that he could keep himself awake for several days if necessary. 'Are they hurt? Are they dead? I can't see them breathing. There's a smell in the air. Where is everyone?' Akito remembered his hateful words to Shigure, just before this ugly man had taken him away from the estate. Perhaps Shigure hadn't followed behind, as Akito thought he would. Perhaps Shigure now hated Akito because of what Akito had said. 'I didn't mean it. Well, I did mean it when I said it, but I don't mean it now. Where's everyone else?'

The ugly man followed Akito's gaze to Hatori and Kureno and then looked back at Akito with his ugly, mask-like face. "They are merely sleeping. They will wake when I wish them to. Speaking of wishes, what do you wish? What do you wish for, more than anything else."

There was, of course, one thing Akito had always wanted to do. Every year he saw the rest of his family dancing, at the Zodiac Banquet and he'd never been able to join in. Besides the perpetual weariness, Akito just wasn't strong enough. While he was plenty strong enough to walk around, but it would have been impossible for Akito to keep up the pace of a dance. Even a very slow dance would be too much for Akito. Therefore, he had always sat on the side and watched everyone else.

"I can make your dream come true." The ugly man whispered. Count D. Yes, that was the ugly man's name. Both of Count D's hands were on Akito, now, stroking his hair and petting his face. Akito didn't like it. He didn't like it at all and wished he had the voice to tell Count D to leave him alone. "How would you like to dance with your family at your New Year's Banquet?"

Tears of fury sprang to Akito's eyes. He was sure he hadn't said anything of the kind and still Count D knew what he was thinking. It wasn't fair.

"Do not be angry, child." Count D soothed. "You have had a tiring life. Is it now time for you to be able to enjoy life alongside your family. I asked you before and I will ask again: do you dare live for your family instead of merely dying for them? Dying takes no courage at all, it simply happens. To live with the people you love takes far greater courage. The choice is for you to make. Your blood is polluted and it is that pollution that curses your family. I am able to remove that pollution and turn you into what you were meant to be. One of your family, your cat, has already been through this process and he is nearly completed his final transformation. You, and your two guards," He looked briefly at Hatori and Kureno. "Will be with him when he emerges and you will be there to see the magnificent potential of your family."

Akito didn't want to go anywhere near Kyou. He feared Kyou more than anyone else, because he knew what the cat of the Junikyu turned into. He had seen Toma's monster and been haunted by nightmares of it for the rest of his life. He hated the smell and the sight of the monster cat. However, the idea that Kyou was in the hands of Count D irritated Akito.

'A monster he may be, but Kyou's MY monster!' Akito thought of what might have happened to Kyou and wondered if there was anything he could do to protect his cat.

To dance was nothing more than a worthless dream. To live, now Akito could appreciate that. It was his duty to protect his family from any threat and he definitely saw Count D as a threat. His family was separated and at the mercy of this Count D. If only he could move...

A deep, almost painful groan caught Akito's attention and drew him out of his daydreams. Hatori was waking up and he focused his eyes first on Count D.

"Why do I keep falling asleep when I run into you, Count?" Hatori rose from the sofa he'd been laying on and stood, putting one hand to his forehead as he steadied himself. "You have a bad effect on me, Count."

"Not at all." Count D also stood up, it was the first time Akito noticed that the Count had been kneeling beside him. "You were most tired and I think you did not rest enough when I encouraged you to sleep at the hospital. That reminds me," The Count looked again at Akito and his serene smile warmed slightly. "I must thank you for the consideration you showed to Mr. Orcot. Oh," He gave a look of feigned surprise. "I forgot, you are to weak to speak. Do you wonder who Mr. Orcot is? You gave him a first-class room at the hospital and the use of your personal doctor. He will be most grateful when you meet again."

So, now Akito knew that blonde man was connected to Count D. From the look on Hatori's face, Hatori didn't trust Count D at all. "Well?" Hatori said, at last. He walked over to Akito and knelt down on one knee before he took Akito's wrist in his hand and carefully felt for the pulse. "You've brought us all this way and, from the taste of the air, you've drugged us. How long have we been asleep and what are your plans for us now?"

Just like Hatori, always so direct. Akito hadn't forgotten that it was Hatori and Kureno who had, in a way, betrayed him by obeying Shigure instead of him. Still, they were family and Akito would forgive. Shigure had been tricked, somehow, and had, in turn, tricked Hatori and Kureno. They would all have to be punished.

"You have slept for two weeks and the drug, as you call it, was merely a scent. Nothing more. My plans? I have none but to reunite you with your family. You will find, Kureno-san," Count D didn't even turn to where Kureno had woken up and was silently putting a hand inside his jacket. "That your weapons have been taken." That hateful smile again. "This is a petshop, after all, and we mustn't let any harm come to my innocent pets. They frighten so easily."

The door opened slightly and a white fox poked its head into the room. It looked at D for a moment before D said, "I see. Thank you, Ten-chan." Then the fox backed away and the door closed again. "It is time. Shall we go?"

Kureno picked up Akito and held him closely when they followed Count D out of the room. To Akito's surprise, Shigure was waiting outside the room. He was leaning with his back against the wall opposite of the door and when they came out Shigure looked at Akito with half-lidded eyes. He didn't say a word as he went to Kureno and held out his arms.

Perhaps Kureno understood Shigure better than Akito did, but neither of them said a word. Kureno gave Akito over to Shigure and then stepped backwards a pace or so and walked behind everyone. It made Akito feel safer to know Kureno was at his back and that Shigure had forgiven his thoughtless words. He must have. He was here and he was holding Akito.

'If I could speak, I would apologize.' The smell from the room was beginning to vanish as they followed Count D through the corridors of the petshop. 'Apologize?' Akito's thoughts began to turn darker. 'No. No, never apologize. Aren't I god? They owe me everything, their very heartbeats are mine!' Akito could hear Shigure's heart, thudding in a slowly, even rhythm. He couldn't move his head away from Shigure's chest, even if he wanted to. 'How dare Shigure go against me?! All these years I've been fooled into trusting him! He's turning them all against me. I'll never forgive him!'

"Akito-chan," Shigure whispered, bending his head in a terribly awkward angle to whisper in Akito's ear. "They are all waiting. Everyone's here." Shigure's arms tightened around Akito. Akito had the strangest feeling that Shigure wanted to say something more, but that he didn't.

Akito didn't want to hear it. He didn't want to feel Shigure's breath on him. If only he could talk or push Shigure away! As it was, Akito couldn't so much as give Shigure a dirty look.


Shigure-


'I love you.' Shigure looked down at Akito's deathly still face. He had no expression and even his eyes were dull and lifeless. 'If I dared, I could tell you now and no one would hear. How could I be so cruel to you?' To tell Akito something so...intimate would only confuse Akito. Perhaps it would frighten him.

Shigure held his tongue and was comforted by the shallow rise and fall of Akito's chest. He was alive. That was all that mattered. Shigure held Akito tighter and squashed his doubts. Without Count D, Akito would be dead now.


Tohru-


Tohru felt out of place again. The ongiri in the fruit basket.

They were her friends, of course, all the Souma's. It was so rare that she saw them all at once and it felt a little daunting. In fact, Tohru realized, she'd never seen them all together. Watching from an outsider's place, Tohru could clearly see relationship she hadn't realized were there, the family structure. They weren't disjoined at all, but seemed very interdependent.

They'd all entered the forest room together, though there were some missing. Hatori and someone named Kureno were with Akito, though no one was quite sure where Akito was. They'd thought that by coming here they'd find Akito, but had been led, instead to this room. There was no hope for it. Once everyone was in the room and realized that Akito wasn't there, someone tried to leave. The door was locked again.

Amongst the people that Tohru had met before, there was one girl Tohru had never seen before, a beautiful girl with long black hair, like waves of ink. Her eyes were dark and searching and when she saw Tohru, they darkened. Tohru could almost imagine that the girl was wondering what right Tohru had to be there.

"That's Isuzu, we call her Rin." Yuki told Tohru when he saw her looking at Rin. Rin had come in carried by Hatsuharu and, from the looks they shot at each other when they thought no one was looking, Tohru could see that they were very important to each other. "She's my third cousin on my mother's side. I think." Then Yuki frowned as he and Torhu watched Hatsuharu gently set Rin down on a soft patch of grass. "I wonder why she's being carried. She's the independent type and doesn't like to depend on anyone. Please, excuse me, Honda-san." Yuki walked away, but he didn't go to Hatsuharu and Rin. Instead, Yuki eased his way to Momiji and whispered something to him. Momiji whispered back and Yuki nodded his thanks before coming back to Tohru.

It had turned out that Rin had suffered a fall from a high window and her back was still badly hurt. Yuki told her that Hatori was going to be angry that Rin was even out of the hospital. For the walk to the Petshop, Hatsuharu had carried Rin the entire way.

Now, all these days later, Tohru still watched them all in fascination. Though Hatsuharu stayed close to Rin, Momiji never strayed far from Hatsuharu. Ayame, the oldest one of them present, seemed to be trying to keep eveyone's moral up. He went around to everyone, rarely stopping to rest, just talking to everyone. Eventually he came to Tohru and Yuki. To Tohru, poor Ayame looked very sad, despite his usual smile.

"Well, it's nice to see you both safe and sound. Dear brother, you seem to have been taking good care of the princess." His teasing words lacked his usual flair and even Yuki didn’t snap back at him.

Yuki, sitting on the grass near Kyou, just let his chin rest on his knees. "How did you find us, Ayame?" Ayame told them everything that had happened since Yuki had left Shigure and it finally felt as if they had all the holes in the story filled in. "So," Yuki said after Ayame had finished talking. "Shigure's still at the estate? He knew all that, all this time?"

"He was trying to protect everyone." Ayame said, gently.

"Of course."

It was one of the more civilized conversations Tohru had ever heard between Yuki and Ayame.

"Princess?" Ayame looked at Torhu with his strained smile in his attempt to keep everyone's mood up. "How are you feeling? Do they give you enough to eat?"

"Oh, yes." Tohru answered, brightly. She could see what Ayame was trying to do and she appreciated it enough to play along. "Ten-chan brings food all the time. I suppose he'll need help. Maybe Michael will help him." Of course Ayame had no idea who Tohru was talking about, so he hastened to explain. "Ten-chan's a magic white fox who can turn into a red haired boy and Michael is a friend of Yuki's." She remembered what Michael had told her when he'd brought her back to Kyou's forest room not long ago. It brought a smile to her face.

Yuki looked away. "He's no friend of mine. I've never met him before we came here."

"Trust me," Tohru put her hand on Yuki's arm. "He's a friend. I just know it."

Ayame's tongue flickered out of his mouth and he licked his lips. Tohru had never seen him do that before and it seemed like such an odd habit. Ayame's eyes widened. "Princess?" He leaned closer and licked his lips again. "Has anything changed for you, lately?" At that moment, a commotion broke out between Hiro and Rin with Ritsu trying frantically make them stop fighting. "Excuse me!" Ayame jumped nimbly to his feet and dashed away to help Ritsu.

"Ayame noticed you were a bird, I think." Yuki commented quietly. "I wonder why he never noticed before? He smells with his tongue, just like a real snake. Did you know that?"

For some reason, it frightened Tohru to know that Ayame knew she was different. What would everyone think of her when they found out she wasn't human? What if they disliked her? 'No.' Tohru told herself. 'They're good people, they wouldn't do something like that. I'm really no different than I was before.'

Yuki was thinking along another line. "Why should he notice something today? He's seen you often enough before, but he never thought anything of it. I wonder if it's because we're in this place. There aren't any real humans around, so you wouldn't smell like them as much as you did before." He thought for a moment. "Yes. That makes sense, I suppose."

"Do you think they'll all find out?" Tohru looked around at all the Soumas as they mingled around, trying to get used to the idea that they were locked in.

"Yes." Yuki answered without hesitation. Then he smiled sweetly. "You've kept out secret for more than a year, Honda-san. We will keep yours. You have nothing to worry about. Now," Yuki looked around, all business, at his noisy family. "We still have to protect Kyou. Count D said Kyou couldn't be disturbed, so we'll have to try to keep everyone quiet and away from Kyou."

And so, two weeks passed before Tohru was woken by Yuki shaking her shoulder. "Honda-san." Yuki moved slightly away from the cocoon and to where Tohru was sleeping on the other side of Kyou. There really wasn't any better place to sleep, but the grass was cool and soft and actually made an adequate bed. "Honda-san?" Out of habit, Yuki was hesitant about touching her. After a moment of reminding himself that he didn't have to be so careful with Tohru and that he should start to think of her like Kagura or Rin, Yuki shook her shoulder. This sudden change in reality was nerve wracking. "Tohru, wake up."

"That's the first time you've used my given name." She smiled at that thought, finding great pleasure in such a simple thing. "What's going on?" Her attention was taken quickly from Yuki to Kyou's cocoon. The other Souma's were starting to wake up and everyone crept closer to the cocoon.

Yuki could only shrug. "If I didn't know better, I'd say that he's hatching. Or whatever it is that cocoons do." The surface of the cocoon began to bulge outwards, as if someone were pushing on it from the inside.

"Kyou's trying to get out." Tohru said, watching the cocoon as it wiggled slightly and parts of it would start to press outward. "Should...should we help him?"

It looked like Kyou was having trouble finding his way out, but Yuki shook his head. "He's managed well this far. I think we have to leave him alone. We'll trust him."

All this time, Kagura had kept silent vigil over Kyou, unwilling to let him out of her sight. Her bright nature seemed in a terrible shadow and it was no mystery why. She must have felt awful to know that something so drastic was happening to Kyou and there was nothing she could do about it.

The door of the forest room opened and in came the rest of the missing family. Count D leading the way with Shigure, carrying Akito, coming next and Hatori and Kureno last of all. The door closed behind them, by some unseen hand. While the Souma's continued up the hill to where everyone was watching Kyou's cocoon, Count D slowed his pace until he stopped a fair distance away.

No one spoke.

Kyou's cocoon moved a little more.


Kyou-


Kyou could feel them, all around him. He was warm and safe and he could hear their hearts beating. No. That was his own heart, echoing in his ears.

'Home? Am I home? It's time to wake up, isn't it?" Kyou felt warm. Wonderfully warm, like he'd been sleeping in a ray of sunlight. "Where am I?' Kyou stretched his body. He was bound. Something held his whole body stiff, like he was wrapped tightly in bandages. Kyou tried to open his mouth to speak, but even his mouth couldn't open. His eyes were sealed closed. Kyou stretched again, as much as he could, trying to break whatever held him bound. He didn't like this. He was too confined. 'I can't see a thing. What's going on? I want out!"

Kyou managed to shift himself just enough so both of his hands were at his chest and he pressed upwards. For the first time, he felt a surge of warm strength and the wrapping around him moved, stretching upwards. 'Yes!' Kyou thought. 'Free. I will be free. Are you out there?' Kyou didn't really know whom he was talking to, only that he was talking to THEM. The important people. He was glad they were around. They were waiting for him.

Kyou pressed against his prison again, this time his claws scratched against whatever it was that held Kyou and he could feel strands of it tear.

'Claws? I'm human now, aren't I? No, when I fell asleep I was the monster. That doesn't feel right. I'm not the monster now. I'm different.' Kyou used his claws to scratch again and felt more of the whatever it was beak above him. He'd be free soon. 'Soon. Very soon. Must get to the warmth. Must get to where the important people are.'

Scratch.

Claw.

Tear.

Closer and closer, Kyou fought his way out of...of his cocoon. Yes, that's what it was. It came from Kyou's own body. It was the way it should have been. He felt stronger than ever before. Kyou become almost hysterical in his effort to get out of this shell that confined him and kept him away from where he needed to be.

Rip.

Sunlight. Kyou could see sunlight streaming though the last layers of threads that kept him from freedom. He heard familiar voices and he heard people calling his name. One last dig with his claws and Kyou was free, sucking in deep lung fulls of fresh, clean air for the first time in what felt like days. He gasped for breath, sitting up in the torn cocoon, his hands grasping the sides of the ruined cocoon. Painful, beautiful air! It hurt at first to fill his lungs, but the air tasted so sweet.

"K-Kyou?"

Kyou wasn't sure who was speaking, but when he looked up he found everyone looking at him like he was a stranger. "Yes?" They were all here. Everyone in his family, everyone who was important except... "Master? Where's master?" Their last meeting came back to Kyou and he felt terrible about what he'd said.

"He's at the estate." Shigure said in a hushed voice. "Kyou? How do you feel?"

Such a simple question, but no simple answer. Wonderful. Strong. Everything at peace. Why didn't master come to see him? So much energy, like insects crawling on his skin. The sun was so bright...so beautiful.

Kyou stood up and stepped out of the cocoon. Why was Yuki suddenly so short? Hadn't he and Kyou always been the same height? Kagura was staring at him with her mouth open and her hands bunched into little fists. Everyone looked short. But the sun was so warm that Kyou couldn't keep his attention on them for long. He looked up at the sun and was entranced.


Shigure-


Shigure had never imagined that Kyou would change to dramatically. He was no longer the monster that all of the cats had been doomed to be, but his form, his true form, was magnificent. Kyou was much taller than he had been, several inches taller than Hatori, even. His hair, now laced with threads of bright red and gold, was longer, hanging to his shoulders. His face was stronger, with the look of a man rather than the softer lines of a boy. His body looked ready to burst with muscles that Kyou hadn't had just two weeks ago. It was as if he had aged several years in just a few days.

"Kyou?" It was Momiji who'd spoken. Momiji stepped away from Hatori, for the first time since they'd been reunited, and cautiously approached Kyou. Momiji was far from being timid, but even he was daunted by the new Kyou before them.

Kyou looked down, away from the sun. His eyes were even different, with vertical pupils, like a real cat, instead of the round ones humans had. "Yes?" Even Kyou's voice was deeper. Kyou looked down at his hands, massively powerful looking hands, that weren't quite human. His hands, as well as most of his body, was covered in thick hair. Orange and red, just like the hair on his head. His fingernails had vanished, to be replaced by inch long claws that looked lethally sharp.

Momiji took another step closer until he was looking up at Kyou with a stunned expression that most of the family wore along with him. "Wow." Momiji gasped. "Just...wow. You look so..."

Kyou smiled when Momiji couldn't seem to find the words to express himself and showed off two rows of needle sharp teeth. "Yeah," Kyou answered. "Wow." He looked back up at the sun that hung magically overhead and seemed entranced by it for a very long time. "I feel ‘Wow’." Kyou stretched his arms out and kept his face tilted upwards, a satisfied smile making his face glow and it seemed as if he completely tuned the rest of them out.

Shigure couldn't help but wonder what Kyou was seeing with his new eyes.

One by one, everyone came closer to Kyou, half-afraid and half-hopeful. It seemed that Count D hadn't lied to them. There was hope to lift the curse. Shigure held back, but even he took a few steps closer. They pawed at Kyou, unashamed. Everyone touched him, running their hands down his bareback or over his arms. It was as if they couldn't quite believe that this was Kyou until they actually touched him.

Yuki, Tohru, and Kagura were the first ones to go to Kyou. It wasn't all that surprising, they were the ones closest to him. Kagura looked as if she would cry. She even bit her lip when she put both her hands on Kyou's chest, but he didn't acknowledge her. Kyou didn't seem to notice anyone touching him.

Shigure felt a change in Akito and looked down at his god. Still the lifeless, staring eyes, but... "He's stopped breathing." Shigure felt his whole body grow cold.

Hatori was with him in an instant and grabbed Akito's wrist. His typically serious face became even more drawn. Hatori released Akito's write and put his fingers on Akito's narrow throat. When he finally let go, Hatori's face was ashen. "He's dead."

Dreadful silence replaced the awe that everyone had felt at Kyou's unique rebirth. They all knew what the death of the head of the family meant. Hard times would be coming.

All of a sudden, there was a rush and Shigure looked up just in time to see Kyou charging at him. With unbelievable speed, Kyou seized Akito and ripped him away from Shigure. When Shigure tried to grab Akito, Kyou gave him a single shove and Shigure was thrown backwards several yards, coming to a rolling stop. When he had recovered enough to look, Kyou had Akito...Akito's corpse on the ground and was kneeling, straddling him.

No one dared to move or speak. Kyou was no longer serene or calm, his lips were curled back and Shigure could easily see rows of frighteningly sharp teeth that were only inches from Akito's face.

"After the way he has treated you," Count D spoke for the first time since entering the forest room. "I am certain that you would want dearly to hurt this man. You are too late, if he is dead. This is your choice." When Count D spoke, everyone listened. Even Kyou looked up at the man who was walking very slowly towards them. "It is also your choice to save your family. You know what to do. It is an instinct with your species, or so I believe. No one here is capable of stopping you, should you decide to rip apart that body."

Kyou turned back to Akito's body and Shigure wanted to scream, 'He's dead! He can't hurt you anymore, just leave him alone!' Count D was right, though. Not one of them was strong enough to stop Kyou. Perhaps Kureno could, if he was armed, but Shigure knew that Count D had taken Kureno's gun. 'Please,' Shigure was on his knees and his fingers dug into the hard earth. 'Please, leave him alone. Don't do what everyone thinks the monster should do.'

Everyone watched with tense silence. Tohru was clutching onto Yuki's arm and looked terrified. Kagura's fists were clenched at her sides, so tightly that her fingernails bit into the palms of her hands and even from where he was, Shigure could see blood dripping from her hands. Kagura was deathly pale. What must she be thinking? Seeing her love ready to do such a monstrous thing, Kagura must have been sickened.

To everyone's surprise, Kyou did not rip Akito apart. Instead, still straddling Akito's prone body, Kyou reared up and tilted his face up at the sun, again. It seemed to last a very long time. Kyou looked back down at Akito and put his clawed hands on the grass on either side of Akito's head. He leaned down and kissed Akito.

It wasn't a passionate kiss, but it was enough to shock the Souma family. Jaws dropped like lead weights. Right full on the lips, Kyou kissed Akito for no apparent reason.

Akito's eyes flashed open.

'He's alive!' Shigure felt elation run like electricity over every nerve in his body and he slumped to the ground, tears running freely down his face. Shigure was so overcome that he couldn't even really think straight. 'Thank you. Thank you. However it happened, thank you!' Kyou would save Akito with a kiss. That was what Count D had said. A simple kiss.

For a moment, Kyou pulled slightly away from Akito and everyone saw a strange, gold light running from Kyou's mouth and into Akito's mouth. Then Kyou ended the kiss then and jumped up, away from Akito. Hatori and Kureno rushed in close, Hatori focusing on Akito and Kureno keeping his eyes on Kyou.

"You shouldn't worry about me." Kyou said, grinning. "Everything's all right, now. I understand." He laughed and, as he laughed, Kyou changed. His entire body shifted, growing smaller and leaner until he was the Kyou they all knew with the exception of the lack of anger in his eyes. "Do you understand?" Kyou's body shifted again, this time into the small orange cat. Even Kyou's cat self grinned at them. "I'm...myself. Akito will be fine now, too." He shifted back to his teenage looking self. "I'll take care of Akito from now on."

Akito blinked and was breathing in heaving gasps for a long time. His hands latched onto Hatori's sleeves and he sat up. It was as if he'd never seen any of them before. Like his eyes were opened for the first time in a very long time. Akito pushed himself up onto his elbow and then to sitting up with Hatori's worried help. When Akito stood he reached up and touched Hatori's face, gingerly, running his fingers across Hatori's dead eye and a sad moan escaped his lips. Then he looked at Rin and his face filled with remorse. He stepped away from Hatori and looked down at his own body, like it was a stranger to him. After his eyes had touched everyone else in the gathering, Akito looked at Kyou. "Thank you."




It was later when everyone had adjusted to the fact that Kyou was now nothing even close to being human, that Count D presented their choice to them. Shigure had heard the explanation before and he waited uneasily to hear what his family would decide. To chose eternal youth and then spend the rest of their lives hiding from humanity or to stay with the curse that had brought them so much pain.

"I will warn you that this is not a choice to be made lightly." Count D began. "Kyou did this to save his life and the lives of all his family. He had very little choice." Count D looked around, making sure that they were all listening, all but Kyou who was still very busy staring at the sun. "I am able to take the human blood from you, thus removing the curse, as you call it, put on you long ago. However, once the human blood is gone, you never will be as close to being human as you are now. You will stop aging once you've hit maturity and, after that, only disease or violence will be able to kill you. You will have no further place in human society and it will not be the transformation that endangers you, but your endless youth. People will notice, as the years pass and it will be more difficult to hide this curse."

"What is Kyou, exactly?" Kagura asked. She hadn't once taken her eyes off Kyou. Her pain was so deep that one could almost feel it when one met her eyes. No doubt she thought that anything she might have had with Kyou was now impossible. "He brought Akito back from the dead. What kind of power is that?"

"The sun is a vast power." Akito told her. "Kyou, and all the cats of your species, are able to absorb the power of the sun. That power is then given to the head of your family who feeds it to the others. The head of your family is NOT meant to give up their life for the family, they are meant to be a... a conduit for the power to pass through. You see? Only the cat is able to absorb the sun's power, enough power to keep your family alive and healthy. Only the head of your family is able to give that power to those who have needed it. Since the cats of your family were trapped by that bracelet and with the pollution of the human blood, the cats were unable to reach full maturity, the stage where they would be able to use this power. Thus, to keep their family alive, all the heads of your family have been unconsciously giving up their own lives. He is still Kyou," He said this directly to Kagura, almost as if he were comforting her. "Now he has a different outlook on life, he is no longer a child, no matter what his outward appearance is. He is in control of his body. I should add," He looked around at the Souma's gathered around him. "That you should think hard about how you treat Kyou. He is not bound to stay with you. You are dependent on him."

Akito was nestled in Shigure's arms, much to Shigure's pleasure. Akito gave no reason for this, but he seemed to be thinking very hard while all this was going on. His brow was drawn together in concentration and he kept running his hands up and down Shigure's arms as he thought.

"I will do it." Kureno said without hesitation. "I will do as Kyou has done and become what I was meant to be. If I never become old, I will never grow slow, my reflexes will not fail. I can always protect Akito."

"Me, too." Kagura said, determinedly. "I want to stay with Kyou. If he's already going to be young forever, then I don't want to grow old without him." To Kagura, it didn't matter that Kyou had never actually said whether or not he loved her. He had always neatly avoided the question. Kagura loved Kyou and that was all that mattered to her. She would follow him anywhere.

It went on like this, everyone declaring what they would do. Momiji would not. He still had his family, mama, papa, and Momo. He wanted to be near them, even if mama and Momo never knew him or if papa wouldn't speak to him in public. Hatsuharu couldn't decide. Rin would. Ayame was undecided and said that he didn't want to just leave Mine-chan behind along with his shop. Hatori said nothing either way. Hiro and Kisa agreed that they wanted to stay with their families, so no, they would not accept the Count's offer. Ristu thanked the Count very politely for the offer, but said he couldn't possibly leave his mother, just like that. This wasn't a trip he could come home from, it was a one way journey. Yuki, also, declined the offer. Very deliberately, almost as a challenge, Yuki took Tohru's hand and held it tightly. "Not yet, anyway." Yuki added and Shigure was sure that he saw Yuki's eyes trail over to the still naked Kyou.

"You, too, are allowed to make this choice." Count D told Akito. "You are apart of this family, also."

"No." Akito shocked everyone with his answer. "Don't look at me like this. I'm not so blind as I was. I can see what I've done over the years." He swallowed hard and leaned back, against Shigure even more. "I know what harm I've done to everyone. I...I don't want to live with this guilt. My thinking is clearer now than ever before, thank to Kyou. I understand I was sick, but I can't stand the thought of near eternity with the guilt of what I've done."

Hatori spoke quietly. "No one blames you, Akito." It was true. They all knew that whatever Akito did, it wasn't his fault. He was just sick.

"I blame myself." Akito answered. "No. I will grow old and die in due course. When I die, you will be able to raise your next head of the family properly. No mistakes, the next time."

"The next time, the head of your family will be born to one of pure blood." Count D told everyone. "That was the way it always was before. You will not have to search through all the Souma family to find them. For instance, should no one else chose to have their human blood taken from them, Kyou would bear the next head of the family."

Everyone's eyes widened. "That is not possible." Hatori replied, coldly.

Count D looked as if he might laugh. "Possible and impossible are human concepts and do not apply to your family. In the past, males of your family would give birth if there were no available females or if all the females were children and unable to survive a pregnancy. I suggest that all of you return to your home now. The immediate danger to your family is over and my debt is paid. Think long and hard about what you want to do and then come to me; this is not a choice to be made lightly. I plan on being in Japan for quite some time. In time, as more of you die and your spirits are reborn, your family will become completely without trace of human blood. It is only a matter of time."


Kyou-


Kyou was proud of what he'd done. It had been so tempting to be petty and hurt Akito, but Kyou hadn't done it. He'd done the right thing and now his life was set on another path he hadn't chosen, but was glad for. He was important, useful to the family.

Tohru caught Kyou in a tight hug when everyone was done talking and started to get ready to leave. "Kyou! I'm so glad you're all right!" She cried, holding him tightly.

It was amazing to be able to hold her like this. Kyou hugged Tohru back, something he'd longed to do, almost since the day they'd met. She was just as he'd imagined her to be, soft and small. She felt so perfect in his arms. Kyou put his cheek against her hair and took a deep breath. It didn't seem surprising that she was a bird. Kyou could smell that almost right away. Nothing should surprise Kyou anymore. "I'm glad to see you, too, Tohru." It seemed so inadequate. How could Kyou ever find the words to tell her that without her, he would have spent every moment of the last year or so in misery. She'd made his life so much easier to bear and he was delighted that she was going to be in his new life.

Over Tohru's head, Kyou saw Yuki watching them, awkwardly. He wondered how Yuki felt, watching them. He didn't want to make Yuki jealous, that wasn't his intention at all. So Kyou released Tohru and went to stand in front of Yuki. "You came, too. Just like in the forest."

"Of course I came." Yuki wasn't afraid to meet Kyou's eyes, but he looked at him like he was trying to figure Kyou out. "Did you think I wouldn't?"

"I wasn't in any position to think anything when I came here." It seemed very pointless to fight with Yuki, now. In fact, Kyou wanted to laugh at himself for all the silly fights they'd gotten into over the years. It seemed so childish, now. "Yuki," Kyou put an arm over Yuki's shoulder and drew Yuki in close to his side. "I'm very fond of Tohru. How about you?"

Yuki flushed bright red and Kyou thought it was cute. Just a short time ago, he'd never have been able to ask Yuki something like that. He would have died of embarrassment before he'd say something like that, especially right in front of Tohru. Tohru seemed as if she might faint so, to save her, Kyou put an arm around her and pulled her in close, just like he'd done to Yuki. He liked this: warm and close. It felt very comfortable. "Everything's done now and everyone's going home. I think Shigure will stay at the estate with Akito tonight. Let's get Kagura and then all go home together." He had a sudden urge.

Tohru, as innocent as ever, didn't suspect anything, but pulled away from Kyou. "I want to thank Ten-chan and Michael for their help, first. I'll be right back." Then she dashed off.

Yuki was not nearly so innocent as Kyou and seemed to hear something nefarious in Kyou's suggestion that they all go home together. He fled after Tohru. "Wait, Tohru! You shouldn't go off alone!" It was obviously an excuse to get away from Kyou. At the open doorway, they bumped into Kagura, spoke to her for a moment, and then the three of them went off together.

Kyou found that he was the last one in the forest room alone with Count D. "I can never thank you enough for what you've done." Kyou told him, giving Count D a low bow.

"There is no need for thanks. This is the repayment of a debt." Count D looked after where Yuki and Tohru dashed through the now open door and into the rest of the petshop. "The doors of my petshop are locked tightly, they will be able to go nowhere but to the front room and then out into Japan. Your friends will find Ten-chan just down the hallway."

"And Michael?" Kyou wasn't sure who Michael was and wondered if he should be jealous that Tohru was so eager to meet someone.

"He will not be there. His time grows so short. He wanted to see Yuki one last time, though." There was a terrible sadness in Count D's voice. "Michael will not live much longer."

"He's sick?"

"No. It is his nature. He didn't want Yuki to know. You see, Michael is one of Yuki's plants, from his garden in the forest. Every day Yuki would visit his garden to make sure they had enough water and that the weeds were pulled out. He spoke to his plants while he was there and they learned everything about the Souma family and how miserable Yuki was. All of his plants cared very much for Yuki. How could they not? Yuki cared very much for them. Michael's gone back to the garden now. He didn't want to concern Yuki with who he was, so he quietly slipped away. So, may I ask what you plan to do with those three? You sounded very eager a moment ago."

"There's no reason why I can't have all three of them." Kyou said, defensively. What would have seemed immoral and impossible a few days ago now seemed like the most natural thing in the world. Why not?

"None at all." Count D agreed and smiled gently, putting one hand on Kyou's face, looking at him like a teacher who was pleased with his student. "Whoever heard of a cat in a monogamous relationship? You feel your heart torn in several directions, it is only natural to act upon it. Very few animals keep a single mate for life. You may have a difficult time convincing them."

Tohru, Kagura, and...Yuki. There it was, out in the open. Kyou had never dared to think about it before, but now...there was a new calm in him, now. It didn't frighten him to think of himself as being bisexual. It was as if all the fear and uncertainty he'd been feeling for so long had been cleared away. He fully planned on seducing all three of them in short order. Kagura would be willing, but Tohru and Yuki would take more time. No matter. The hunt made the capture more thrilling and, now, Kyou had all the time in the world.

Kyou's eyes roamed from Count D to the world around him. This all seemed so perfect, right out of his memory. The hills, the river, the cabin, the... Ah! Kyou's eyes fell on the table where his bracelet still lay. He'd almost forgotten. "I owe you this." Kyou ran to the table and fetched the bracelet back, holding it out to Count D. "This is what you said you wanted. It's all yours."


D-


D studied the bracelet in Kyou's hand for a long time. He didn't move closer, but kept his eyes fixed on the bracelet. The white of D's bones as the white beads of the bracelet shone in the bright sun and he could feel his own blood calling out to him. D reached out for the bracelet at the tempting call of his body trying to return to itself.

"Go ahead, take it. It's yours." Kyou smiled. "You were right, I don't need it anymore."

There it was, being offered to him. D could take it and no one could dispute his right to it. Papa would never be able to claim the Souma family again without another similar prison and Sofu had promised long ago to make sure Papa did not make anymore children just so he would be able to retrieve the parts he wanted.

D swallowed hard. Not all change was good.

"Thank you." D gave Kyou a slight, polite, bow before he pulled a small pouch from one of his long sleeves. It was one of those convenient talents D had. "Please, put it in here. I will find a safe place for it."

Kyou did what he was asked without question, slipping the bracelet into the black pouch and handing it back to D who slid it back into his sleeves. He wouldn't risk touching it. Not yet. For now, D would put the pouch somewhere safe.

Time was not stopping, after all. Leon was continuing to grow older every moment that passed. One day, Leon's golden hair would turn grey, then silver, and finally white. His handsome face would wrinkle with age and his strength would falter. He would die.

'When my Leon is dead, when he is taken from me, perhaps I will have no more desire to love him. If the pain of living without him is too great, then I will let myself feel nothing more.' D couldn't imagine trying to live without Leon's constant presence. Surely, he wasn't strong enough to bear it. If Leon's death made D incapable of caring for the Earth and its people, as was his responsibility, then D would hold the bracelet in his bare hands and allow himself to become a ‘true’ Kami as Sofu wished.

"What are you going to do with it?" Kyou asked, seeing that D had little intention was wearing the bracelet.

"It is a treasure. I will put it somewhere safe. I may want it in the future."



Before everyone left, D had one more thing to discuss with them. Rather he discussed it with Kureno and Akito. "The Black Scorpion will come looking for your children. A friend of mine found out that you brought many of them to your home and he rescued the rest of them. The last I heard, he left them at your home and a man, Kazuma, took the children away from your estate to protect your family and the children. They fear that the Black Scorpion will send assassins to kill not only the children, but anyone in your family who has had contact with them."

Akito took the news calmly. "Kureno?"

"I'll take care of it, Akito." Kureno nodded and looked at D. "May I speak with this friend of yours? He may have information I can use. I will destroy them at their source." This wasn't bragging and he didn't have any particular pleasure in his voice when he said it. This was just business.

"Of course." D agreed. Leon would be so pleased with him. With the power, influence, and money of the Souma family, plus the children and those little disks that Leon said miss Jill had, it would be simple for them to find and crush the Black Scorpion. "I believe he was looking of you, also. Please come by tomorrow and he will be here." Of course Leon was at the petshop right at that moment, but D wasn't about to tell Kureno that. Leon and Kureno would want to go hunting Black Scorpion right then and there. D had other plans for the coming night, now that he was feeling better.

D reminded Tohru to return for her lessons in flying, if she wanted them, and then locked the door as soon as all of his guests had left. Finally, his headache was gone.


Later that night-
Leon-


In the quiet of the petshop, Leon was slowly undressing. He was absolutely scared out of his wits. D had invited Leon to spend the night with him for the first time. Not on the sofa, but in D's bed. What frightened Leon most of all was that he had accepted the invitation.

'I can't believe I'm doing this. I can stop now. D won't stop me, if I want to leave. Ayame's still letting me use his apartment.' Leon slipped his T-shirt off and carefully laid it on the floor. He caught a glimpse of himself in the bathroom mirror and was disgusted with how afraid he looked, even to himself. 'This is stupid! I'm a cop, this is nothing to be scared of!' Leon began to work on the button of his jeans, but his fingers wouldn't work right and kept fumbling clumsily.

"May I help?"

Leon jumped at the voice. "Jeezus, D, you..." Leon paused when he turned around and saw D, but...it wasn't D. This man's hair was much shorter than D's and there was something different about the face. It was the eyes. Both of this man's eyes were gold. "Who are you?" Leon did not like this situation.

"You may call me Sofu." D's dopple-ganger came closer and closer until Leon hit the bathtub with the backs of his legs and had nowhere left to go. Leon didn't like being so close to anyone like this. "I am closely related to the D you know." Sofu smiled and reached up to gently touch Leon's face. "You bring him very much happiness. I will ask you not to make him grieve, if you can help it. His happiness is very important to me." Sofu's hand left Leon's face and went down to the waistband of Leon's jeans.

Leon felt completely helpless to move so long as he was looking into Sofu's eyes. He just stood there as Sofu undid the button on Leon's jeans and then released Leon from his gaze. "What did you do me?!" Leon demanded when he could speak again.

"Take care of him." Sofu replied, not bothering to answer Leon's question. "I value him dearly." Then Sofu was gone.

Thinking that he must have run out the door or something, Leon burst out of the bathroom and directly into D's bedroom. D, sitting on the edge of his bed petting Q-chan, looked up and smiled. "Leon, are you so shy? You do not need to wear your pants to bed."

Leon blushed and felt his throat seize up. He went back into the bathroom and finished undressing before putting on the pajamas D had given him. Fine blue silk, more expensive than anything Leon had ever owned, Leon was hesitant to even put them on for fear of somehow ruining them. Still, he dressed and went back out to D. He must have been imagining things. He was so worked up right now that Leon might have had any number of hallucinations.

Leon's heart was thudding so hard that he feared he might throw up. He didn't, though, and walked around to sit on the opposite side of the bed. "Ummm... D? Are you sure...?"

"Turn the light off, won't you?" D interrupted as he took off his bathrobe and laid hung it on a hook near the door. He wore a long nightshirt that was just as expensive looking as Leon's pajamas. When D crawled into the bed and lay his head down, Leon did as D asked and then crawled in next to D "Leon?"

"Yeah?" Leon was very proud that his voice didn't squeak when he said that. Leon's hands tightened on the bedclothes. The darkness of the bedroom made everything seem more intimate.

"I am not going to bite you."

That made Leon laugh nervously. "I know."

"Close your eyes and go to sleep, Leon." D rolled over and Leon could feel D looking at him in the darkness and wished he could see D's face. "I will never do anything you are not ready to do and you are not ready this night. We have plenty of time for everything. I invited you here to sleep, nothing more. Pleasant dreams." A soft kiss touched Leon's cheek before D rolled over and didn't speak again.

After a while, Leon's eyes grew heavy and he relaxed into sleep feeling more comfortable than he could ever remember feeling before.





EPILOGUE-


Everything worked out very well for everyone, in the end.

Even for Shigure, life worked out well.

The night they'd returned from Count D's petshop, Shigure had let Akito fall asleep on his lap. As he stroked Akito's dark grey hair, Shigure thought how lucky he was. It had been a very long, very hard road, but everything had worked out well. Akito had forgiven him, as had the rest of the family. Akito was strong now, well...stronger than he had been. He was strong enough that he walked nearly the entire way home unassisted. He was happy that nearly everyone in his whole family was happy. It was something that Shigure had never dared to hope for. If not entirely stable, Akito was certainly capable of more rational thought, now. His abuse at the hands on Ren would forever scar him, but at least he no longer feared dying at such a young age. Kyou's healing, or whatever it was that he'd done to Akito, had managed to straighten out most of Akito's mind and Shigure would always be grateful for that.

Maybe, one day, he would even tell Akito how he felt. It didn't matter now. Shigure really didn't care if his love was reciprocated or not. Looking out of Akito's bedroom window at the silent estate, Shigure thought that nothing mattered, but the peace. For one night, at least, the whole family was at peace.







The end




Dear readers, thank you all for bearing with me in this little journey. I had great fun writing this story and I hope you all enjoyed reading it. I've gotten more reviews for this story than I am sure I deserve, what with all my spelling and grammatical errors, but thank you very much. I'm deeply honored that you all thought enough to write.

Until next time,

Cousin D