Skip Beat! 1. The Dream

**A/N - ok, i feel bad leaving the last story like that, so here you go, another installment! **

**oh, I do not own Skip Beat!**

Time Heals

"_Kyoko" it was Ren's voice. She knew this dream; she had had it many times before. Even though she knew what the outcome would be she walked down the familiar hall of the studio. She heard Ren speak again, phrases that had been ingrained into her head. "lets go," and "can't tell". They were words that she now knew came from a conversation Ren had with Yashiro that morning, which one of the stalkers had recorded and edited. "Superstitious", was the last word she heard Ren's voice say before a door before her opened and light streamed into the small corridor. A hand grabbed her by the hair and another grabbed her by the throat and pushed her up against a wall so that her feet were dangling off the ground. She struggled fruitlessly against the attack. People spoke to her, but she didn't know or care what they were saying. It was something about how she wasn't good enough for Ren. Just as she thought she was going to pass out she was thrown on the ground. Tears were coursing down her cheeks now as someone forced something roughly into her mouth and covered her face with a bag. She could hear laughing as she was forcibly undressed, and then she felt pain. Pain in places she had never felt before. She screamed, and every time she screamed but her muffled protests forced the gag deeper down her throat. She tried to kick but her legs were held down. Laughter rang around her but from somewhere in the distance she thought she could hear her name being said. _

A large familiar hand was placed on her shoulder and she awoke suddenly, sitting bolt upright. "Kyoko?" Ren said sitting up next to her in the large bed, concern evident in his brown eyes. She felt damp and shaky, noticing that she was sweating profusely. She tried to draw breath but it caught in her throat and she started coughing harshly. Ren took her into his arms, cradling her until the coughs died and her shaking ceased. When she finally collapsed on his lap, exhausted and breathing heavily he stroked her short bleached hair. Ren could feel tears and knew that she must have been reliving the attack again.

They had left the hospital earlier that week, and while the attack had happened over two months ago, the doctors were very right when they said that the emotional trauma was going to take much more time to heal. They hadn't wanted to let her leave until her skull was mostly healed and the rib that had initially punctured her lung was no longer going to be a problem. Their main concern was Kyoko's lungs though. Her breathing was still rather shallow and she had been given an inhaler until her temporary asthma got better. Kyoko had moved out of the couple's house that she had been staying with and was now living with Ren. Since he stayed by her side nearly the entire time she could no longer go to sleep without him there. Not to mention, the nightmares were still happening three or four times a week (although it had gotten a lot better from when they were every night) and having him next to her brought her back to reality much faster than if he wasn't there.

Their engagement, though, was now official. To them at least, they had told no one about the engagement, not even Yashiro. Ren went out and got a simple diamond ring the day Kyoko left the hospital. Kyoko said she wanted something simple, and while Ren could have spoiled her and gotten her something extravagant he decided to get the best diamond he could find instead. He had searched for quite some time until he found a diamond that he thought was suitable. It was a flawless perfectly clear round diamond and was 1.5 karats. The band was simple but sophisticated. The diamond sat in a pronged setting of yellow gold and there were six small princess cut diamonds, three channel set into each side of the large diamond. The band was 1.5 mm yellow gold. Ren still haven't given the ring to her, so he was rather anxious as to what she would think.

They wanted to wait until Kyoko was better before announcing the engagement to anyone. They may tell Yashiro and Kanae though. They could be trusted. They of course would have to tell Lory sooner rather than later. Ren's main concern was what the reaction would be from the attackers when they found out that Kyoko was not only alive, but now engaged to Ren. It didn't matter though; Ren wouldn't let Kyoko get hurt again he was determined on that. And as soon as Kyoko was well enough that he could leave her side, he was going to find the girls, and punish them.

Ren kissed the now sleeping Kyoko's cheek and gently pulled her from his lap and into his arms. He lay back down and hugged her gently. If she wasn't injured, he would have been the happiest man alive right now. He still felt guilty for feeling so happy when she continued to have these horrific dreams. He looked at the clock over Kyoko's shoulder. The luminous numbers read 3:23 AM. He settled back down beside her again, relaxing his broad shouldered and well muscled body, against her small, slim frame. He was highly glad they were out of the hospital, although, currently they were still only taking up a fraction of the extra king sized bed he had in his apartment, but at least he could stretch out in it. The hospital bed was so short he always had to bend his knees, which became very uncomfortable after a while. But none of it mattered anymore he was home with the woman he loved nestled in his arms. He was the happiest he had ever been in his entire life. His eyes started to close and he was asleep in seconds

**A/N - aww! how cute! ^^ (btw, dont expect it to stay that way...)  
**

**btw, if you have no idea what i am talking about with the ring, its fine, just know that i actually do know what i am talking about for that one. (i took fine jewelry classes) **

**Please review!**

**Translations **

**None... are there?**


	2. The Press Conference

**A/N - Chapter 2, finally! sorry about the wait guys. **

**oh, and i dont own Skip Beat! i just really like it...**

Chapter 2 - the Press conference

Ren awoke sometime later to a delicious smell that he hadn't experienced since the morning of the attack. He stretched and got up, moving towards the kitchen. He pulled on a bathrobe over his bare chest and pajama bottoms before leaving the bedroom. He tried to guess as he walked what kind of foods Kyoko was cooking for breakfast today. He smelled miso, and baking fish. His favorites. He entered the kitchen to see Kyoko busy around the stovetop. She looked up when she heard him enter and gave him a wide smile. He stepped lightly over to her and wrapped his arms around her from behind. She tensed for a moment beneath his arms, and then relaxed into the hug. She gently disengaged herself from the hug, grabbed the cane she still needed to walk, and started carrying a pot over to the pre-set table. Ren took the pot from her and swept her up into his arms, she had lost a lot of weight in the hospital, and she felt extremely light in his strong arms. He frowned at her, concern in his eyes, and she blushed. The only time he had her in his arms for the past two months was when they were lying down. He hadn't realized just how much weight she had lost until now. He didn't want to embarrass her at the moment though. So he drew out a chair from the table and set her down in it. "Please, let me do this," he said to her seeing the protest on her face. "You shouldn't be getting up for long periods of time anyway." Kyoko blushed again and nodded. He went back to the stove to get the rest of the breakfast that Kyoko made.

"Thank you, Ren." She said softly looking down. His heart skipped a beat when she called him by his first name. "I am sorry for all the trouble I have caused you recently." Ren returned with the rice and baked fish, dishing them out onto their separate plates. He smiled gently at her, drew her chin up with one free finger, so that he was looking into her eyes, and pressed his lips tenderly against hers.

"You have never caused me any trouble, ever. Just try to get better, ok?" he set the empty pots and pans in the sink, ran some water to soak them, then returned and sat across from her. He watched her for a moment. She was staring at her food, not eating it. "Kyoko," he said firmly, but gently, "I need you to eat. You wont heal if you don't eat." She nodded and picked up her chopsticks.

"Itadakimasu" She said, and started eating her rice, slowly and deliberately.

"Itadakimasu" Ren repeated absently, watching his fiancée pick at her food. He started on his fish, marveling at how well she could cook even when she was so injured. "Oishii ne!" he said, Kyoko looked up and smiled.

"Arigato, Ren-san" she said, blushing again. There was a loud knock on the door and Kyoko jumped visibly. Then she started running for the door. Ren overtook her in a few strides, picking her up again and taking her back to the table.

"Eat." He said before going out of sight, to the front door. He opened the door to see Yashiro standing there. "Yashiro?" Ren said, surprised. "Its rather early, isn't it?" Yashiro looked at Ren confused.

"Ren, have you looked at a clock yet today?" he asked with a touch of humor in his voice. "Its nearly eleven" Ren looked taken aback. "Another nightmare?" Yashiro asked, not really needing an explanation.

Ren nodded, "It was about three this morning" he said, trying not to show his concern. "Well, come in." he let Yashiro in past him, "What's going on?" he asked his manager as they walked down the hall back towards the kitchen.

"Lory has called a press conference for today, I am here to collect you both." Yashiro said. "It starts in half an hour." At these words there was a clatter and a hacking cough from the next room. Ren ran into the kitchen to see Kyoko on the ground a few feet from her chair, un-able to catch her breath. She had obviously tried to run somewhere in a panic, but the lungs that were still weak, had objected.

Ren took the girl into his arms, his back resting against the kitchen island, rubbing her back and trying to sooth her. "Yashiro," he shot at the manager who had entered not far behind him, "She needs her inhaler," Yashiro looked around blankly. "There is one in my coat pocket!" He said, urgently, trying not to convey his blind panic to Kyoko, who was still gasping and coughing on the ground. He continued to rub her back in a slow rhythmic precision as Yashiro ran out of the room to the coatrack. He came back a moment later with a small white cylindrical object with a mouthpiece on one side. As soon as he entered the room again, he tossed the inhaler to Ren, who caught it and started to shake it, pulling off the mouthpiece cover with his teeth. "Kyoko," he said gently to the girl in his arms, "I have your inhaler. It's going to be all right. Come on," he looked into her anxious eyes, putting the inhaler to her lips. "Now, on the count of three, deep breath. One… Two…" He felt her cough again, "Three." He said, pressing on the aerosol canister on the inhaler as she drew in a rattling breath again. The coughing started to cease with the help of the medicine in the device. She rested her head against Ren's chest, still gasping, with tears running down her cheeks from closed eyes. Ren held her limp form until her breathing returned to normal. When he felt steady breathing against his chest, he looked down and saw that she had fallen asleep again.

He stood up, with Kyoko in his arms and moved towards the bedroom, completely forgetting about Yashiro. He placed her in the bed and covered her. He was about to leave when she clutched at his bathrobe subconsciously. He smiled at her and got back under the covers too.

Yashiro watched the scene in alarm and concern. From the way Ren had handled it, it was clear that this hadn't been the first time Kyoko had been unable to catch her breath. Yashiro was going to ask something, but Ren walked by him a few minutes after the coughing stopped without acknowledging his presence. He followed the two into the bedroom just in time to see Kyoko clutching at Ren as he tried to leave, and then him giving up and getting into bed with her. He stood in the doorway of the bedroom and gave a false cough. Ren looked from watching Kyoko's sleeping face to look at him, momentarily surprised by his appearance. "Right." Ren said after a minute. "I don't think we could make a 11:30 press conference…." He said looking at Kyoko again. "She is fast asleep again." Ren continued for Yashiro's benefit "It's not all that surprising, if you think about it." He said musing. "Her uh, 'attacks' cost her a lot of energy." He stroked the sleeping girl's hair. "She should wake up in an hour or two." He looked back up at Yashiro. "Could you ask Lory to postpone the press conference for a few hours? I don't want to wake her, and then bathing still takes a bit of time. I don't like to rush her because of what you just saw happen. Her lungs aren't ready for that yet." Yashiro nodded in understanding and left the room to make the call.

/\

By three o'clock the three of them were awake, Ren and Kyoko had dressed, and they were all on their way to LME. Kyoko was nervous, not only was this her first time in public since the attack, it was also the first time in public with Ren since they started going out, officially, and became unofficially engaged. Kyoko sat in the front seat, looking at Ren's serious face as he drove. Ren glanced at her at a traffic light and flashed her a reassuring smile, putting his hand on her knee. She tried not to jump at the gesture. It was a familiar one, not overly romantic, but it reminded her forcibly of the morning he drove her to work, the morning that the girls beat her and left her to die. She took his hand in hers instead, and held it for reassurance. She sincerely hoped the press conference wouldn't take too long. She was starting to get tired again, and really didn't want to appear weak in front of the press. She lay her head back on the headrest and closed her eyes for a moment, drawing a deep breath in through her mouth, holding it for a second, and then releasing it slowly through her nose. Instead of it making her calm down, however, after a few repetitions she started to cough. She felt Ren's hand disengage from hers and start rubbing her back. The coughing started to stop, and when she opened her eyes, they were parked in the garage, in a handicapped parking spot. Ren kissed Kyoko gently before getting out of the car to help her out. Yashiro, who was in the back seat the entire time, got out and closed his door before Ren had started helping Kyoko onto her feet. Ren held out Kyoko's walking stick, which she took gratefully, and then he held out his arm. She took his arm, leaning on Ren as much as her cane, and the three of them slowly made their way to the elevator.

They reached the lobby of LME a few minutes later, and saw Lory and Sawara-san waiting for them. "Thank you, President" Ren said as they started walking towards the group of reporters waiting for them, "For being so accommodating." Kyoko nodded, smiling in a sheepish way.

"I apologize for all of the trouble I have caused you, president," she said attempting to bow, but nearly falling over instead. Lory caught her by the shoulders laughing slightly.

He lifted the girl's head to meet his eyes, noting that Ren's free arm hadn't moved from gripping Kyoko's waist. "Just get better, my dear" he said firmly. "You aren't the one who has caused anyone any trouble." Kyoko looked from Lory to Ren, the latter confirming Lory's statement. She relaxed slightly.

Ren helped Kyoko into the chair that was set in the center of the semi-circle for her and then stood protectively on the right side of the chair. Lory and Sawara stood on the other side and Yashiro stood behind and slightly to the right of Ren. Camera flashes went off and so many reporters were asking questions that Kyoko couldn't make out one word from any other. Lory pointed to a woman in the front row.

"Kyoko-san," she said, addressing Kyoko, "What happened? Why has Box 'R' stopped shooting? What did you do?"

"Who attacked you Kyoko," another reporter asked. "Are you planning on returning to the business soon? Or at all?"

"What is your relationship with Ren?" a third reporter asked. "Are you playing the pity card to get him to pay attention to you?"

"Are you faking Kyoko?" a fourth reporter asked, smirking. "Is this just a ploy to get more attention?"

"Did they attack you because you have such a foul temperament?"

"What about Kyoko do you like, Ren?

"Why don't you go for a co-star instead of a no-body like her?"

"Why are you faking Kyoko?"

"If it was an attack, why didn't they just kill you?"

The loud buzzing of reporters seemed to steal the breath from Kyoko's already damaged lungs. Tears were streaming down her cheeks from the false accusations and coughs started to wrack her body. She hunched over, trying to catch her breath, wheezing, the world spinning. She fell to the ground and felt someone rub her back, a gesture which usually gave her comfort just made her panic more strong arms lifted her from the ground and she felt herself being swiftly carried somewhere. She heard a door open and close, and the buzzing stopped, but her breath wouldn't return. She was laid down on something soft. She felt something press to her lips and aerosolized medicine was forced into her mouth, on a calculated beat. She breathed it in and felt her lungs start to relax. Her spinning world settled and darkened. The wheezing coughs stopped, and she collapsed onto the soft couch, and fell asleep.

Lory watched, helpless as Kyoko collapsed under the combined interrogation of numerous reporters, using false facts and invented circumstances to help support their ridiculous theories. He watched as Ren, ever vigilant, picked up the suffering girl and hurried to, he assumed, anywhere quiet nearby. After a few tense minutes Ren stormed out of the dressing room where he had deposited Kyoko, fury on his features. Lory smiled inwardly to himself, he wanted to see those reporters get what they deserved. They messed with the bull, and now, here come the horns.

Ren reentered the circle and grabbed one of the cameras flashing at him by the lens, crushing it with his bare hand and then throwing it to the floor at the cameraman's feet. "Faking?" he asked angrily. "Did that look like she was 'Faking'?" He grabbed a tape recorder from someone who had shoved it in his face. "She was attacked by upwards of twenty angry fans, MY fans, her skull was fractured, lung punctured. She still can't even walk properly. That was over two months ago!" The mob of reporters drew back. "The first week she was in the hospital she was in a coma it was so bad. The doctors didn't know if she would wake up." Ren's glare could have burned the reporters to a crisp, he would mention her being raped in front of such animals. "You ask if this was her fault, if she did it for attention, if it was because of her temperament?" he scowled. "She is the kindest, sweetest, greatest person I have ever met. She is the last person in the world who would have deserved to have something like this happen to them." Ren sighed, anger draining out of him. "She is my precious Kohai, my precious Kyoko, and I will never let her get hurt again." He turned from the now completely silent lobby and made his way back to the dressing room where Kyoko was sleeping.

"I do apologize for Tsuruga-san" Lory said, smirking Sawara chuckling behind the president's back. "great actors do tend to wear their feelings on their sleeves." He made a minute bow. "As for the question of the filming of Box 'R', since Kyoko's character, Natsu, is so vital to the show, and all the Natsu's supporting actors have created their characters around her, the Director has graciously given Kyoko the next few weeks to recover. Since only the Pilot has been aired, however, there shouldn't be many consequences to them taking a slightly longer time frame for release." He smiled, "Thank you for your time, and don't let the door hit you on your way out!" the reporters looked surprised by their sudden release, but left hurriedly.

Lory entered the dressing room that Ren disappeared into, Yashiro and Sawara on his heels. When he entered he saw Ren lying on the couch with Kyoko wedged in between the back of the couch and Ren, fast asleep. Ren looked up when the three men entered. "These attacks take a lot out of her," he said simply. "I have been trying to keep her as calm as I can at home, but every time she gets excited or upset, she has an attack and when it ends she has fallen fast asleep." He kissed her head gently. "She should wake up soon, and then we will go home." Ren looked back at Lory. "Sorry about blowing up like that."

Lory shook his head, "I should be the one to apologize, I didn't think they would be this ruthless right after she left the hospital." He smiled at Ren. "Get her home when you can, and take care of her." He knew in Ren's eyes that he didn't need to say the last bit, but he did to reassure himself.

"Of course," Ren said, as Kyoko started to stir. "I don't know how to anything else."

**A/N - What did you think? yes? no?**

**please Review!**

**Translations**

**Itadakimasu - means- thanks for the meal, is traditionally said before eating**


	3. After the Press Conference

**A/N - ok, sorry for the wait. here is chapter 3! yay! **

**oh, i dont own Skip Beat!**

Chapter 3 – After the Press Conference

'Smash!' A glass lay splattered on the hardwood floor of his kitchen as the tall musician who was holding it stared dumbstruck at the television. He didn't read the papers, except of course the articles about him, so he knew nothing of what had happened the past few months with Kyoko. "Sho?" Shoko looked in from the bedroom. She watched Sho as he watched Kyoko hobble into the chair in front of the press, then a few minutes later double over in hacking, choking coughs, seeming to be unable to breath under the reporters' increasingly accusatory questions. Shoko watched Sho's expression darken as Ren swooped the gasping girl into his own arms and hurry away to somewhere away from the now silent press. There was a cut to Ren storming back into sight, and Sho's face grew surprised as the furious actor started yelling at the people who had caused Kyoko this most frequent injury. It was only after Ren left once more and Lory Takerada started to speak once more that Shoko thought that it might be appropriate to try again. "Sho?" she said once more, a little louder this time, advancing on the young man. Sho's eyes snapped to her, revealing a look that Shoko had never seen there before, full of anger and bloodlust.

"I'm going out," He said, ignoring the broken glass and walking to the door, grabbing his coat on the way. Shoko stood helplessly by, watching and unable to offer any sort of comfort to her artist. Sho slammed the door behind him and was walking down the hallway before remembering that he was an idol, and that he needed to cover his appearance. He returned to the door, opening it just enough to grab the hat hanging on the coatrack before turning and storming to the stairs. Their apartment was on the 15th floor, but he didn't care, the exercise would hopefully start to burn off some of the rage welling within him. Questions were rolling around in his head, gathering speed as he raced down the steps. Why had she been attacked? What happened? Was she alright? Why is Tsuruga REN helping her of all people? But the biggest one of all was, why did he care?

Sho was the one who had left her. Left the plain girl who followed him everywhere, who had been dumped on him and his parents because her own parents couldn't be bothered with her anymore. She was just, there. She had been bullied in their junior high school, because he was already so well known. She had followed him willingly to Tokyo, gotten multiple jobs, and he didn't look twice at her, but she always put on a happy face for him. Except for when she had come home from work early one night to see him and Shoko fooling around. Her reaction had surprised him, she didn't cry, or whine, or even sadly pretend to be angry. No, to his shock she had promised that she would be a bigger idol than him. It was ludicrous. There was no way someone like Kyoko would be able to do anything as daring as be a celebrity. But when he had first seen her again, co-staring in his own music video, he was dumbfounded. She was not only stunning (which he had assumed was due to his make up artists work) but she was talented! For some reason, he started thinking about her again. Whenever she was doing a conference or something related to a show he would be glued to her, and her alone. However, It was on her newest series that he was starting to doubt his previous theories about his make up artists. She was still stunning, but also aloof and unapproachable. Sho was unsure why his thoughts kept going back to that girl, but no matter how hard he tried to stop it, he kept thinking about her. It didn't help that she was getting to be on television more and more, having interviews and being in dramas and commercials. The thing that really infuriated him was the actor that always seemed to be at her side. Tsuruga Ren. Kyoko used to hate that guy. She used to badmouth him to Sho, telling Sho that the actor was nowhere near as talented, or handsome as he was. And now she was buddy-buddy with him all the time. It made him sick. He slammed his fist against the wall of the stairwell in agitation.

Why did she make him so angry? He thought, staring at the dent his fist had made in the concrete. He shook his head, trying to get away from his agitating thoughts. To his surprise he was already on the first floor, and was standing close to the door. He kicked the door open with one long leg and left the building, wandering aimlessly. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know her address so he could go see her. He didn't particularly care if she wanted to see him or not, but he wanted to see her for some unexplained reason. He knew where LME was; he could visit there and see if they knew where she could be found. He hung his head, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. His right hand closed over something familiar. His phone. A sly grin crossed his face as he took it out and went through his numbers. Yes, he had her number, he could always call her. He grinned, thinking of her face when she saw his name on her caller ID. Yes, he would do that. He dialed.

"Why are you calling, Fuwa?" a male voice asked irritably on the other end. Sho stopped dead, that wasn't Kyoko, so; who was it?

/\

The press conference had ended and Ren and Kyoko were still lying together on the couch in the dressing room. It had been two hours now and she still hadn't woken up. Ren could feel Kyoko's labored breathing shallowly against his chest. The girl cuddled in closer, searching for warmth in the already warm dressing room. Ren could feel her heat through his clothes. She was too hot. Ren rested his hand on her forehead to be sure. Yep, a fever was radiating from her as clearly as she lay sleeping in his arms. She had tried to do too much since being injured and made herself sick. He needed to get her home so that he could put her to bed properly. He took out his phone and called Yashiro. Within minutes Yashiro and Ren were making their way to the car. Ren held Kyoko protectively in his arms as the two men walked through the garage. Ren helped get Kyoko safely into the backseat, her head resting on Yashiro's lap, and then got into the drivers seat himself. He would have liked to have switched places with Yashiro, but the manager didn't drive, so Ren figured that the best thing to do was to get back to their apartment as soon as they could, so that he could take care of her properly, the way she had once done for him.

"Ren, her fever seems pretty high," Yashiro said from the back, feeling her forehead, slightly worried. "She may need to go back to the hospital." Ren didn't say anything, instead he stepped on the gas pedal a little harder, trying to get back to their home sooner. It wasn't long before they were entering the garage of Ren's apartment building. Ren got out of the front seat, opened the door directly behind the drivers, and gently took Kyoko from where she lay on Yashiro's lap. As soon as he was relieved of the girl, Yashiro got up and got out of the car, grabbing the keys from Ren as he went. Yashiro locked the car and followed Ren to the elevator. When they got to the floor of Ren's apartment, Yashiro exited first, moving swiftly to unlock the front door of the house. Ren walked through the open front door as swiftly as he could, trying to walk as softly as he could at the same time. Kicking off his shoes at the front door, he made his way back to the bedroom. He lay Kyoko tenderly on the bed and covered her with as many blankets as he could find. He heard drawers opening and closing from the kitchen. Yashiro came in a moment later. "I am going to make a run to the convenience store," he said, already on his way out, "You don't have anything that you need to help a fever like hers." He was halfway to the door when Yashiro stuck his head back into the bedroom doorway, "I am taking the keys and will let myself back in." He said to Ren, who nodded, silently grateful to his manager for knowing him the way he did.

Ren sat down next to Kyoko with his back resting against the headboard of the bed. He looked down at her, stroking her hair, studying her properly for the first time since leaving the studio. Her skin was pale and she was shivering, even under all the blankets he had given her. Her normally labored breathing had become heavier than before, while still just as shallow, like she had just run a marathon and couldn't get her breath back. Ren placed his palm on her forehead. The skin he felt was clammy even while it was radiating such intense heat. She was hotter than before, he could tell that. He felt small hands grab at his clothing, trying to attain some of his body heat, so he slid beneath the covers and held her close.

A ringing from the other room snapped Ren out of his contemplation of her condition. He grumbled and reluctantly left the bed, after disentangling himself from Kyoko's grasp. When he entered the living room he realized that the ringing was coming from the tote that Kyoko always carried around with her. This confused him, considering that her phone was for work, and Sawara wouldn't be calling Kyoko in her condition. He opened her back to find it neat and orderly, her phone right at the front of her textbooks for school. He took it and started making his way back to his room, grabbing his own phone for good measure. He looked at the Caller ID on the front of Kyoko's flip phone as he slid back under the covers with her. A growl rose from his throat when he saw the name "Shotaro Fuwa".

"Why are you calling, Fuwa?" Ren asked with all the contempt he could muster. There was a small tremble from the body next to him and Ren looked down to see Kyoko still asleep and vehemently trying to get away from something. He lowered the phone, "Kyoko?" he asked quietly, drawing her closer, "What's wrong?" She started whimpering, muttering something every so often. Ren leaned closer to hear.

"No!" she exclaimed quietly, tears wetting Ren's shirt. "Sho?" It was a question and an accusation in one. She kept repeating the words, so softly that Ren could barely make it out. She clearly understood the name 'Fuwa' when Ren had said it, and was reacting strongly to it. It seemed that she wasn't unconscious now, but instead sleeping.

"Sh," Ren said, soothingly to the girl, stroking her sweat dampened hair. "Fuwa can't do anything to you while you are with me, don't worry. " He said kissing her forehead. He heard something coming from the phone, and put it back to his ear, finally remembering that Fuwa was on the line.

"What do you mean 'he can't do anything to you'? What the hell would I do? What lies are you feeding her Tsuruga?" asked an angry Sho through the phone.

"It's not my fault that she goes into a state of panic when she hears your name," Ren said in a nonchalant voice. "She doesn't freak out in her sleep over my name." Ren smirked unconsciously as he said it. "It may have been because I was by her side the entire two months she was in the hospital." He said, a touch of pride and anger in his voice. Sho was silent on the other end.

"What happened?" he asked in an uncharacteristically soft voice. "Why was she in the hospital for so long? Who did it?"

Ren hesitated. He didn't want to tell Fuwa that she was lured out of the building by a recording of his own voice. That she had been nearly beaten to death by his fans. That she didn't wake up for nearly 5 days. That they had raped her multiple times solidifying the intense psychological trauma she had been experiencing ever since. So he decided to go on the offensive. "Why the hell should I tell you, Fuwa?" He spat. "What the hell would you do about it?"

The answer surprised him. "I don't know," said Sho, seriously. "I just saw her collapse at a press conference on TV and I knew I had to do something."

Ren thought for a moment. He had never really noticed Sho until he had fallen for Kyoko. But since then the musician's mere presence was extremely aggravating to him. Especially whenever the brunette got close to his Kyoko. He knew that Kyoko hated the man, but Sho Fuwa seemed to care about her, in some way or another. Maybe Sho would be able to take care of the responsible party, while he, Ren, stayed by her side. "Come to this address," he gave the musician the address of his apartment complex. "Meet me in the lobby in 20 minutes." He heard a surprised affirmation on the other side of the phone. "Be warned Fuwa, if it gets out that I live at that address, you will wish you had never come to Tokyo." The actor hung up the phone, flipping the phone closed sharply and set the phone next to the bed.

He looked down at Kyoko, her hands had gone limp, releasing him, and her weeping had stopped. Her heavy breathing seemed to have eased, if only slightly. He kissed her forehead, checking the temperature. It had gone up again. She seemed to have passed from sleeping to unconscious, her fever steadily rising. He looked at his watch, wondering what was taking Yashiro so long when the key turned in the lock and the door opened. He heard Yashiro quietly make his way into the bedroom, bag in hand. "She's worse" Ren said simply, still cradling the fever ridden girl. Yashiro went over to the other side of the bed and pulled out a packaged thermometer. After quickly unwrapping it he got it under her tongue with Ren's help. The two waited anxiously for the beep and when it sounded Ren took it out and stared at the number. "Shit," Ren said quietly, showing it to Yashiro. 40 degrees Celsius.

"Ren, if it reaches 41 she needs to be taken to the hospital." Yashiro said quietly. Ren nodded, looking at his watch.

"Would you watch her for a few minutes?" he asked Yashiro. "I need to do something." Yashiro nodded, not quite understanding. Yashiro took an ice pack from his bag and placed it carefully on Kyoko's forehead. Ren quickly put on his shoes and went down the elevator to meet Sho.

/\

"What the hell is going on Tsuruga?" Sho asked as Ren stepped into the lobby's lounge where the musician had been waiting.

Ren sighed and sat down, placing his head in his hands. "A little over two months ago," he began calmly, not looking at Fuwa, "Kyoko was attacked and beaten almost to death by a group of crazed fans." Sho sat listening, a bemused and angry look on his face. Ren continued, "Her current breathing condition is due to a broken rib punching a hole through one of her ribs. This makes it hard for her to breath. Not only has there been an immense amount of physical injury, the emotional trauma she received is still being treated and is much worse. The girls didn't show their faces, and they covered her head with a hood. They also stripped her naked, ripped a necklace from her throat, and evidence suggest rape by more than four men." Sho just stared at Ren, unable to believe what he was hearing. "Her skull was cracked and she had massive internal bleeding. They wouldn't release her until she regained some of the weight she lost in the week and a half where she wasn't eating." Ren noticed that his words had sparked some sort of vengeance in Sho.

"Whose fans were they?" Sho asked, a fire in his eyes. Ren was about to answer when an ambulance pulled up to the building and four paramedics jumped out with a gurney. They ran to the elevator and piled in, pushing a number Ren couldn't see.

Not 24, please not floor 24. Ren thought to himself as he watched the numbers on the elevator rise. 22 floors left, 14 floors left,4 floors left. The elevator slowed and stopped. It was floor 24.

**A/N - please dont hate me! i know, i am a terrible person sometimes... ok, most of the time, but thats not the point! **

**oh, please Review! and thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far! it makes me really happy that you all like my stories**

**anyway, yay! sho is in the story. ^^ and yes, i know that he and Ren would never willingly work together, so no, i did not forget that. **

**Translations **

**40 degrees Celsius is equivalent to 104 degrees Fahrenheit **

**41 degrees C is equal to 106 degrees F. **

**k? anything else?**


	4. Hot and Cold

**A/N - sorry this chapter took so long... i had some serious writers block for this chapter...**

**oh, i dont own Skip Beat!, but, y'all know that**

Chapter 4 - Hot and Cold

The whole ordeal of getting to the hospital went by in a blur for Ren. It was something that he just couldn't remember every detail of. He remembered her coming down with the paramedics and Yashiro, lying on the gurney, but the next the he remembered was sitting in the back of the ambulance with her. And then they were back. After two months of being in the hospital it took less than a week before she had returned. Kyoko's doctor was waiting for them when they arrived. He said that he had gotten a call from him, but Ren never remembered making that call. Details returned to him starting at the point when Kyoko was back under her doctor's care.

"She has bronchitis." The doctor said simply after examining her thoroughly. "Her lungs are still weak and she is highly susceptible to infection. What we thought were simple attacks of breathing because her lungs were weak must have been early signs of infection. The contamination spread quickly, multiplying and taking over her already weak immune system." Ren watched as nurses placed a chilled blanket over Kyoko. "We need to help her fight the infection and lower her fever, if it goes up any more there is a possibility that she could not recover." Ren went to move to her bedside but the doctor stopped him. "I can't let you this time, Tsuruga-san" the doctor said slightly sadly. "We wont be able to let anyone visit without the right protective equipment. Her immune system is so damaged right now that any more foreign bacteria could tip the scale against recovery." Ren shook his head.

"She needs me," he said with a quiet firmness. The doctor put a hand on his chest, gently pushing him away from the bed.

"You can't right now." he repeated "However, once she shows signs of responding to treatment, you will be able to go to her again." The doctor led the actor towards the waiting room. "We will let you know right away when that happens." He said with a smile, nodding to Yashiro, who had been standing in a corner. Yashiro came over and took Ren's arm in place of the doctor and led him the rest of the way to the seats where other worried family members were waiting.

Ren didn't leave the waiting room that night. He ignored the other people around him, even the shrieks that Tsuruga Ren was sitting in the waiting room with them. Lory showed up an hour after they had arrived, Ren was too preoccupied to think about who called him, but it must have been Yashiro. The manager had been by Ren's side the entire time, save a few moments when had gone to the local convenience store (the people at the small store had become used to Yashiro's frequent visits over the past months) and got the three of them bento dinners.

It wasn't until the day after Kyoko's arrival, after having been there for nearly 18 hours that the doctor finally came out and granted Ren permission to see her. "She still has a high fever, but the antibiotics are working and it seems to be going down. However, her immune system is still severely compromised, so if you want to see her I am going to have to ask you to bathe and change into these." The doctor held out a pair of clean scrubs to Ren, who took them gratefully. "Kyoko has woken up a few times for a few moments each time, but whenever she regained consciousness she asked for you." The doctor smiled at Ren, who had stood up ready to follow whatever orders the doctor had given him in order to see his Kyoko. "She will be happy to see you when she next comes around." The doctor then guided Ren to the staff locker rooms where there were showers and left.

After a quick shower, Ren trod the sterile hallways until coming to Kyoko's room. A flash of memory hit him when he saw her lying in the hospital bed of a few months before. However, this time there was no heavy turban of bandages wrapped around her head, and while she still had an IV the most prominent difference was all the visible efforts the nurses were using to try and bring down the fever. There was an icepack on her head, and Ren recognized an ice pillow under it. There was still a cooling blanket over her, although the actor doubted very highly that it was the same one. Her hair was wet and her face flushed. Her skin looked damp and Ren could see a tub of water in the corner of the room. She wore an oxygen mask but no other instruments were used to help her breath. Ren could see through the glass that the girl seemed to be having a troubled sleep. She was only displaying subtle signs, like a frown across her forehead and her eyes scrunched up. However, by now, Ren knew Kyoko's sleeping face very well and he could tell something was wrong.

Ren drew in a deep breath, opened the door, and walked in. Kyoko's eyes fluttered open as the door clinked shut and Ren took a seat beside her. "Ren?" she asked in a weak voice.

"I'm right here," He said gently, resting his large hand on her small covered one. Kyoko's tense body relaxed with relief. Her eyes closed again and she seemed to drift into an easier sleep than the one she had been in before he had opened the door.

/\

"What the hell does Ren see in that ugly bitch?" "Beats me" "Tsuruga-san can do so much better than her" "That girl really is an eyesore" "She got what she deserved!" "Yeah!" the exclamation chorused around the group of girls.

Sho stopped, hearing the angry voices of a bunch of girls travel to him through a crowd of people. He was on his way home after Ren had rushed of in the ambulance with Kyoko. He didn't normally stop when he heard Ren Tsuruga's name mentioned, but this was different. Ren never mentioned whose fans had beat up Kyoko, but Sho knew it had to be someone she was close to. He stopped for a moment listening to the girls as they talked in front of the media store where the news from that afternoon was being replayed over and over. "I thought you said she wouldn't survive." said one female voice, in an accusatory manner." There was an offended snort, "If we had more time, she wouldn't have." another female voice retorted in an affronted manner. Sho growled with fury. Pushing his way through the crowd he went up to the nearest girl, a thin, overly made up, big breasted girl with dyed blond hair, who looked to be in her mid twenties. He pushed her hard against the window of the media store, her stiletto heels clacking against the pavement.

"Evil bitch," he said angrily. Her eyes widened with horror as he moved closer. "Why the hell did you do that to Kyoko?" he shouted at her, making passers-by stop and stare.

"Sh…Sho…Fuwa?" She said, staring at him in a mixture of amazement and fright. "I don't know what you mean." She blinked her heavily mascaraed eyelashes at him in a falsely innocent manner. "I wouldn't hurt a fly." She lowered her eyelids seductively, moving her hips so that one was grinding up against his groin. "However, I wouldn't mind if you punished me anyway." She stopped moving her hips and slid a manicured hand down his stomach and into his jeans. A flash of surprise crossed her face when Sho grabbed her hand with his free one, raising it into the air and slamming it against the wall where he had her pinned by the throat. A brief flash of pain replaced the surprise before jealousy overtook both emotions, marring her overly made up features. "I see, it's because of that slut, you are interested in that whore too!" She spat in his face. "Yes, I did it, it was me, and you ask me why? Because she doesn't deserve someone like Ren, or you, Sho Fuwa" She raised a high heeled foot and kicked the heel hard into the side of his shin. Sho buckled, grabbing his leg and letting go of the girl.

Sho wasn't sure how he had stayed silent while listening to the range of tactics the girl had used on him, it must have been the shock of such manipulative person in his grasp, switching from the innocent act to seduction and before finally dropping the pretense and speaking the truth. So when her violence came out, while it was not wholly unexpected, the flow of events had rendered him highly unprepared. "Bitch," he muttered at her retreating back. Sho was about to stand and walk away when he noticed the girl's phone on the ground where she had dropped it when he attacked her. He picked it up and flipped it open. There was a recently sent message on the screen. It consisted of only two words; "Remove her."

/\

After two days and a continual antibiotics drip coupled with another ice bath, Kyoko's temperature was close enough to normal that she could go home. She had been awake for nearly 8 hours by the time the discharge had finished but she wasn't all that tired. It had been three days since her last breathing episode and all the tests said that she was doing much better. Her immune system was still slightly weak, and she still had a hard time walking for too long on her own, but the doctors were confident that with lots of rest and a steady increase in exercise she would get better in no time.

It wasn't long before Ren's car was pulling up in the parking garage of their building once more and he helped Kyoko out of the car. As he went to pick her up she waved him away and stood up shakily on her own. Ren watched anxiously as Kyoko took a few steps. However, when she stepped on her bad leg it buckled under her and she fell into the waiting Ren's arms. He righted her and gave her his arm to use as support. She took it in silent gratitude, displaying her thanks with a mere look into Ren's eyes. Together the couple made their way to the elevator. Once in the elevator Kyoko rested wearily against Ren, tired from their short walk. Without a word he swept her into his strong arms and she rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes in exhaustion. As Ren held her he was reminded of how shockingly light she had gotten in the past few months. He was looking down at her with concern etched clearly on his features when they arrived at his floor. No, he reminded himself with a smile, their floor.

He went to the bedroom and lay the already sleeping Kyoko on the bed, then moved to the kitchen to see if he could find a take out menu to order them both dinner. Kyoko needed to eat, but Ren couldn't cook, and he really didn't want her to have to make something for them, even though he knew she would be only to happy to do so. What Ren wanted, more than anything else, was for Kyoko to get better as soon as possible. Ren ordered them both something small and light, as he wasn't a big eater himself, and went back to the bedroom until the food arrived. It was coming from a place he ordered from a lot, so he just had to order his usual, with an order of dry toast and chicken soup on the side for Kyoko.

Barely a half hour later there was a buzz from the doorman downstairs no doubt telling him that the food had arrived. Ren got up from the bed and went to the phone by the door, telling the doorman to send up the delivery guy. A few minutes later there was a knock on the door and Ren opened the wooden barrier to reveal a small spunky girl with (as far as he was concerned) far too much make up applied to her face. "I have never seen you before," Ren said casually to the girl, taking out his wallet.

"I just started!" she said happily. "This is my first day."

"I hope you enjoy working there," Ren said, working his way back to Kyoko. "Thank you for the delivery." He turned and closed the door on the girl without seeing her cheerful smile form into one of evil delight.

Ren went to the kitchen and opened the take out bag. He put his own food on a plate and then poured the soup into a bowl. He took out a cookie sheet from above the oven and placed the soup on it so Kyoko could eat in bed. He then placed the toast next to it and rummaged through his drawers until he found the cutlery. He took a spoon from the drawer and a small cloth towel from another drawer, placing the spoon atop the towel next to the soup. He found the cabinets with the cups and filled one with bottled water from the fridge. Picking up the makeshift tray he went down the hall and back into the bedroom where Kyoko was still sleeping. He set the food down carefully on the nightstand and touched her shoulder gently. "Kyoko," he said with a sweet tenderness in his voice. She gave a small moan of protest and rolled over. "I know you're tired, love, but you have to eat something." He bent down and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. "Please wake up," He said, stroking her hair with one large hand. Kyoko's eyes fluttered open and she turned her head to look at him. She smiled and leaned up to kiss Ren, who was still bending down. Ren accepted the kiss gladly, pushing Kyoko back to the bed as he did. He finally pulled away and helped her sit up. "I got you some soup," he said to her, motioning to the tray of food.

"Where is your food?" she asked, accepting the tray without question. She picked up the spoon and held it suspended over the liquid within the bowl, looking into Ren's eyes with concern.

"Don't worry," he said, stroking her cheek with a finger. "It's just in the other room, that's all." He looked down at her food. He felt like he had forgotten something… "Eat, love," he urged her, and she dipped the spoon into the soup to take a swallow. He watched her as she ate some more of her soup. "Rice!" he stood up from where he was sitting next to the bed quickly. "I forgot to give you rice!" Ren walked happily back into the kitchen where the food from his own meal was sitting. He took the Styrofoam bowl of rice off the table and took on of the rice bowls from the cabinet. He dished out some rice into the bowl and took some chopsticks from the drawer. As he passed his own plate he took one of the pieces of chicken from the dish and popped it into his mouth.

After a nice dinner with Kyoko (she didn't end up eating much, but Ren didn't expect her to), the two of them curled up and talked in bed together. Kyoko was nearly back to her old self, she blushed when Ren kissed her and scolded him when she told him that Yashiro had informed her that he barely ate the entire time she was in the hospital. But mostly they just savored each other's company. Ren didn't dare tell Kyoko that he had enlisted Sho's help in finding her attackers, but they didn't touch on that much anyway, so his guilt was kept at a minimal level for the time being.

By nine o'clock Kyoko was exhausted again and she lay back down to go to sleep. Ren lay down too, holding her in his arms, but instead of sleeping, he took a book from the bedside table's drawer and began to read. A few hours later and he was getting tired to. He kissed Kyoko's forehead and closed his eyes, he rhythm of their breathing lulling him to sleep.

/\

A few hours later Ren awoke. He looked at the clock and curiosity started to overtake him. It was barely 3 in the morning. What could have caused him to wake up so suddenly? Absently he stroked Kyoko's hair. His fingers had just touched her cheek when the reason for his sudden return to alertness came to him at once. Kyoko didn't feel slightly feverish anymore. On the contrary, she was cold.

**A/N - i know, i am so mean... honestly i dont know why some of you still read my stories... i mean, you know there is gonna be another twist right around the corner... right? **

**on that note, i am really glad so many of you have continued to read, and am so glad that so many of you review! i love it! yay! **

**Translations **

**um... i dont think there were any this time... **

**culture note - Rice is served with every meal in Japan. The name for rice (gohan) is actually the same as for meal (gohan) ^.^**


	5. Poison

**A/N - sorry its been so long, i have had a serious case of writers block...**

**anyway, as you all know very well by now, i dont own Skip Beat!**

Chapter 5 – Poison

Ren didn't really remember the series of events in between finding Kyoko cold in his arms and Yashiro joining him in the waiting room early in the morning. He remembered calling for an ambulance, and the woman on the line talking Ren through how to perform CPR until the paramedics came. He remembered getting into the ambulance with the paramedics and Kyoko, but mostly he remembered waiting. He remembered waiting for a seemingly endless amount of time, switching between pacing and sitting, until Yashiro finally arrived.

When Yashiro reentered the hospital and paced the familiar path to the waiting room, he found Ren in worse shape than he had seen the actor in over two months. Not since he got the call that she had been beaten near to death. Then again, waking up to find your girlfriend practically dead in your arms would no doubt take a toll on anyone. Not to mention, everything else he had gone through for the girl in the past few months. It was true that everything was happening to Kyoko, but it was almost more painful to see Ren watch Kyoko go through all of these hurdles. Yashiro was quite confident that given the choice, Ren would gladly switch places with the suffering girl right away.

Kyoko had come in two hours before and was still in the emergency examination room to see if there was anything they could do for her. No one had updated the waiting Ren and Yashiro as to what had caused the sudden deterioration in her health once more. Lory and Kanae hadn't been called as of yet, and neither had Sho. Ren was ready to keep Sho as in the dark as possible about Kyoko's well being. Ren was fully aware that he was using the musician because of his attachment to Kyoko, and he was perfectly all right with that fact. He didn't care how the people responsible for the monstrous deed were found and punished, as long as they were, before they could make fulfill the (hopefully) failed attempts on Kyoko's life.

It wasn't until the sun had risen and the morning sunlight was shining brightly through the glass windows into the waiting room that the doctor finally came out to see them. "I don't know how to tell you this," the doctor said gravely, Ren held his breath, praying that the worst wasn't true, "But she has fallen back into a coma." Ren nearly sagged in relief.

"So, she will be ok?" Ren asked hopefully.

"She is stable now, but it is unclear as to whether or not she will awaken." The doctor said. "It seems that she has ingested some sort of toxin which started to shut down her organ function. We have managed to halt the process before it got to her brain, but we are unclear how long she was without oxygen." The doctor tried to explain. "Was there anything that she has eaten recently that could have been contaminated? Is she allergic to anything?"

"I ordered dinner from a restaurant I frequent." Ren said, a frown creasing his brows. "I have always had good results from there." He thought for another minute. "Wait…" he said suddenly remembering an important detail. "My usual delivery guy didn't show up this time, it was a new girl." Yashiro's face darkened at Ren's last words.

"A new…Girl?" Yashiro asked cautiously. Ren nodded. "Ren!" Yashiro grabbed the actor's arm, looking up at him with a piercing look, "Your fan-girls have already tried to kill Kyoko once! They have to know that she is out of the hospital now, especially after that press conference, isn't only natural that they try again?" Ren looked slightly taken aback but after a moment his eyes widened in understanding.

"You think the delivery girl poisoned her?" Ren asked, with a quizzical look in his dark eyes.

"Do you have any of this soup left?" the doctor asked, butting his way back into the conversation. Ren nodded

"She didn't eat too much of it" Ren said, slightly wearily.

"That may have just saved her life." Replied the doctor, giving Ren a reassuring look. "However, if we are to have any chance of helping her wake up, we need to know what that toxin was. The drug is acting like cyanide, however, there are many household toxins that can produce the same result. I will have to warn you though, due to her already compromised immune system there may not be much chance of a recovery, even if we do counteract the toxin."

Ren nodded and turned to Yashiro, "Will you go back to my place and get it?" he asked the manager, who nodded. "It should be in a plastic container in the fridge. I am glad now that I decided to store the rest of the soup when I was cleaning up." He said to the doctor as Yashiro hurried out of the hospital. "Can I see her?" He asked then. The doctor nodded and led Ren down the hallway and into a small dark hospital room. "She is in here because she is stable but totally unresponsive. Once we start treating the toxin she will be moved to the ICU." The doctor explained on the way. "Prepare yourself, Tsuruga-san," The doctor said when they were outside the door. "She…." He faltered, "Doesn't look good." The Sensei finished lamely. Ren held his breath as the door opened and he walked inside. The actor walked quickly over to a chair next to the bed and let out the breath in a groan, sinking into it. There was a faint click behind him and he was left alone with his beloved.

Ren studied Kyoko's prone form. The doctor was quite right when he said she didn't look good, in fact, she looked worse than she did after the initial attack two moths before. She had various tubes coming from different places around her body, most running underneath the blankets so Ren couldn't see clearly what or where they were. There were machines around her beeping and doing various things Ren couldn't begin to fathom. She was deathly pale, and when Ren put out a hand to grasp hers, he felt that while she may not have been quite as cold as she had been when he woke up, she was still at least a few degrees below her normal temperature. Ren rested his arms on the bed and put his head in his hands. One hand was still holding Kyoko's and he lifted it to his lips. "Oh, Kyoko my love!" he said into the cool hand, words breaking with emotion, "I'm so very so…so…sorry!" The last word caught on a sob in the back of his throat. After a few tries he forced them both out together, tears working their way down his cheeks. He thought he felt a twitch from the hand he was holding. But when he looked down at her again she was just as unresponsive as ever.

/\

"What do you mean she isn't dead?" shrieked the girl Sho had confronted earlier to a newcomer. Sho cringed at the pitch and volume the heavily made up girl was using with her friends close by. The singer had decided to tail the girls he had heard badmouthing Kyoko that afternoon, and had followed them into a nightclub. It was relatively hard to hear what was going on over all the noise, but the girls were yelling at each other so loudly that Sho though he could have heard them even if he was standing across the street from them, let alone the neighboring table that he was currently sitting at.

"Please calm down Aya-chan," said another girl, putting her hand on the original speaker's shoulder. Aya huffed and crossed her arms, placing a very fake pout on her face.

"I try, Kimi-chan" Aya said to the girl next to her, "But Tsuka-baka keeps making me lose my cool!" She glared at the newcomer with disgust evident on her features.

Tsuka bowed her head, blushing in shame, "I tried, Aya-sama" she said with a wail, tears running town her cheeks, "I thought that the bleach mixture I made would be strong enough!"

"Then why did Yuri here see Kyoko being loaded into an ambulance not a half hour ago?" Kimi asked, motioning to a fourth girl. Sho lost track of the conversation for a moment as his heart skipped a beat. Kyoko was in the hospital again, poisoned it sounded like. Why hadn't he been called? Then he remembered that he wasn't told that Kyoko had been attacked either. He focused his mind back on the conversation a table over. He was watching them intently, sunglasses and a hat pulled low to hide his face so that he wouldn't be recognized and end up scaring them off.

Tsuka muttered something indistinct but Aya cut her off. "It means that she is not dead!" Aya screamed, her face pressed close to Tsuka's voice being drowned by the heavy music blasting around them. "If she was dead for sure she would have been picked up by a coroner, not an ambulance."

"It seems that Tsuka wasn't the right person to put on this job after all, was it?" Yuri said snidely.

"Shut up, Yuri," Kimi said hotly, "Your plan wasn't much better. What were those guys for anyway? We wouldn't need to psychologically traumatize her if we just killed her flat out. Raping her was unnecessary and immature. I bet your pervy brother talked you into it." Sho ground his teeth silently in anger, still listening closely to the girls.

"Well, what's your big idea, Kimi?" Yuri asked, flushing in embarrassment.

"When she recovers, we will kidnap her," said Kimi, a proud look on her face.

"Kidnap her?" Yuri laughed. "I thought we were going to kill her, not kidnap her!"

"Oh, but this way Ren will still have hope that she is alive." Kimi said, a look of superiority on her face due to her brilliant plan. "He will try to come save her, and then he will find her mangled remains everywhere!"

"We want to free him, not scar him, stupid" Yuri said, but then stopped abruptly as Aya held up a hand.

"This is what we will do," she said calmly, lowering her hand again. "My brother works at a hospital, and he was able to procure this" she held up a small bottle of a clear liquid. Sho stared at it intently, trying to figure out what it was.

"Arsenic?" Tsuka asked, the other three girls shushed her frantically, Kimi scanned the crowd around them for good measure.

"Yes, Tsuka, that's right." Aya put the bottle back in her purse. "Tonight, when everyone is sleeping, one of us will sneak in to the hospital dressed as a nurse and give her a dose of the 'medicine'" she smiled a falsely sweet smile. "And then it will be like she just couldn't wake up from whatever state Tsuka put her in. No one will even suspect a second poisoning." The girls agreed readily, Kimi and Yuri were both excited; Tsuka's tears had dried up and she was smiling.

"Who will do it?" asked Kimi looking at the bag that the bottle had disappeared into.

"I will" Aya said confidently. "But I will need you three around to help out and keep a lookout." Sho started to loose track of the conversation after that.

He was completely against hitting girls, however, these four had repeatedly tried to kill Kyoko. He would put his gender biases aside for the time being. However, if what they said was true, he couldn't waste time on a revenge plan, he needed to warn Ren, warn Lory, or the stupid manager, tell someone!

Sho left the nightclub, long legs making the trip to the door in a matter of seconds. He pulled out his phone as he headed for the nearest alley. Dialing Tsuruga Ren, he impatiently waited for the actor to pick up the phone. "REN!" He said, as soon as he heard the phone connect, "They are after her again!" There was a pause on the other end.

"What do you mean? How? How do you know? When?" Ren's voice sounded anxious rather than the usual spiteful tone he usually talked to Sho in.

"I followed the girls to a club, the ones who were responsible for the attack a few months ago, apparently they were behind the poisoning, and now they are going to go to the hospital tonight dressed up as nurses and use a more deadly poison to finally kill her." Sho said the highlights of the information very quickly. "I will forgive you for not telling me about the rape and that she was checked back into the hospital today if you save her life once more." He said into the silent phone.

"Ok" said Ren, then there was a click and the line went dead. Sho wasn't sure what Ren would do, but as long as something was done, he didn't care if he wasn't the one to save her this time.

/\

Ren got of the phone and stared worriedly at Kyoko's prone form. Then he dialed Lory.

"Moshi Moshi" Lory said, in his usual flamboyant manner when he answered the phone.

"I need a protection detail for Kyoko, at the hospital, right now," Ren said, without preamble.

"What are you doing back at the hospital?" Lory asked, serious now.

"Someone slipped something into Kyoko's food, she was poisoned" Ren said shortly. "But apparently they know she didn't die and so they are going to try again, she needs protection!"

"Ok, ok," Lory said, caving under Ren's urgent demand. "There will be one there in twenty minutes." There was a click and Ren put his phone away.

Ren couldn't sit still. The phone call with Sho really unnerved him. He knew of course that someone was trying to hurt Kyoko, but there was something about it being said aloud that made it all the more real. Not to mention, someone was trying to sneak into her hospital room to poison her? What had she ever done, to anyone, to deserve this kind of treatment? Kyoko was the kindest most thoughtful girl he knew. She would never intentionally hurt someone's feelings, even someone she didn't know.

It seemed like hours before four men in black suits finally arrived and introduced themselves as the security personnel Lory hired arrived at the hospital. It seemed as though Lory had very specific instructions. Yashiro and Ren were the only non-medical people allowed in the room. The nurse in charge would give his or her name to the head bodyguard when the nurse arrived for duty that day, that nurse would be given full access to the room until that same nurse signed out at the end of his or her shift, after introducing the new nurse. There were only two doctors allowed into the room, both of whose names had already been given to the head bodyguard. All medicines injected would be checked against a list of approved medications given to them by the doctor. Ren figured that Lory must have had to have talked to the hospital after talking to him for all of these regulations to be allowed, but Ren had to admit, it made him feel more at ease. Ren settled himself back down in the chair by Kyoko's bedside and let the security detail do their job.

/\

Ren wasn't sure when he fell asleep, but it felt like no time at all before he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. He slowly picked his head up from by Kyoko's limp hand, and looked around him. Yashiro was standing behind him with the doctor at his side. "Ren?" Yashiro said, with a slightly worried look in his eyes. "You look rather pale." Yashiro removed his hand from the large shoulder and placed it on the actor's forehead. "Are you feeling alright?" Ren nodded and wearily pushed Yashiro's hand away from his head.

"I'm fine Yashiro," he said distractedly. "Is there any change?" He asked, turning to the doctor.

The doctor said nothing about the verbal exchange; instead he went over and examined the machines beeping around the occupied bed. "Yashiro-san brought us the soup and we were able to determine the toxin used to poison Kyoko. It seems that it was sending the organs into a lethargic state one by one. We were able to stop the toxin before it reached the brain and there was no reversing the effects. However we didn't reach her in time to stop the lungs and heart from becoming dormant, this means that there was a relatively lengthy period where her brain was without oxygen, so we don't know what her mental state will be when she wakes up. Currently theses machines are breathing for her in addition to pumping her blood. Due to varying circumstances, keeping someone on bypass is only possible when they are in an unconscious state. So, unfortunately, Kyoko is going to have to stay in a coma until we reverse the effects of the poison and her lungs and heart start to work again." The doctor continued to examine the machines, and then Kyoko while explaining to Ren and Yashiro everything that was happening with Kyoko.

"How long will that be?" Yashiro asked, watching Ren with a concerned expression.

"Currently we are working on an antidote," said the doctor, finishing the examination and coming to stand at the foot of the bed, facing the two men in the room. "It could take anywhere from 12-48 hours to finish it and make sure it is working properly. After the cure is administered we are not sure how long it will take before Kyoko wakes up, or even if she will be able to wake up." The doctor gave an apologetic look to Ren, whose face had paled at the last sentence the doctor uttered.

"She will wake up," Ren said in a soft but firm voice, one that sounded like he was trying to convince himself as much as the others in the room. "She didn't go through everything these past few months just to give up now."

**A/N - ok, yeah, nothing really happened... but they will, i promise! But hey, we got a chance to look into the lives of our killer fan-girls :D**

**Please review!**

**Translations - **

**sama - an honorific, for someone you work for who you greatly admire, or someone who is high above you. **

**baka - idiot/stupid**

**moshi moshi - what you say when you answer the telephone**

**i think that is it..?**

**anyway, as always, thanks for reading!**


	6. Setsu

**A/N - Hey guys, sorry its been such a long time - i was just rereading skip beat! and i forgot how friggin fantastic it is!**

**anyway, it made me come up with this idea, hope you like it. **

**oh, I do not own Skip Beat!**

Chapter 6 - Setsu

It was early in the morning, full 36 hours later, before a nurse came into the room with a phial of the ready antidote. Ren was sleeping at Kyoko's bedside restlessly and woke up at the sound of the door opening. The older woman smiled at him and walked over to the IV drip connected to the girl's arm. She took a new smaller clear bag of liquid and transferred the antidote from the phial into the container using a needle. She then hung up the new bag next to the one that was currently dripping and fussed around with the tubes for a few moments before moving around to check the machines once more. Then with another smile and nod to Ren, the nurse exited the room.

Ren wasn't sure why he was watching the IV drip, but for some reason he couldn't take his eyes off of it. It was as if by watching the medicine flow into his fiancée's veins it would make her heal faster. It was obviously ridiculous, and on some base level Ren knew that, but even so, when the doctor entered the room two hours later, he was still staring intently at the drip.

"Tsuruga-san?" The doctor said, calling Ren's attention to the medic who just entered. Ren looked around at him, momentarily surprised to see him standing there in the brightly lit room.

"Sensei, good morning." Ren said courteously, getting up and shaking the doctor's hand. "Does the antidote seem to be working?"

The doctor chuckled. "You do seem to like to cut to the chase, don't you?" he said with a smile. "Yes, the antidote does seem to be working, her vitals are going up." The doctor put down the chart he was holding in his hands and went over to view the machines for himself. "She may even attempt to start breathing on her own soon." The doctor then turned back to Ren and pulled up a chair. "We should talk about what happens if- I mean, when- she wakes up." The doctor said, correcting himself after a death glare from Ren. "I told you before that there is a good probability of some degree of brain damage due to lack of blood flow and oxygen to the brain. I want to make it clear to you now not to get your hopes up that the same Kyoko will return to you as the one that left. She may end up being mentally impaired, for instance, lost all knowledge of speech, or talking, or even memory." Ren stared at the doctor with an uncomprehending look on his face. "There is roughly a 15% chance that she will come through this with absolutely no damage whatsoever, but please understand me when I tell you that there is a likelihood that she will be in a state that you cannot take care of alone. I need you to accept this possibility." Ren lowered his eyes to the floor, unkempt hair falling to cover his features. He nodded silently. The doctor studied the tall and yet somehow diminished figure of the famous actor and noticed with a shock that he seemed to be crying. He heard the door open and looked up from the heartbreaking vision of the defeated Ren.

"Yashiro-san," The doctor said getting up and going to the manager, glad to be relieved of his task of comforting the actor as he could honestly think of nothing to say. The doctor shook hands with Yashiro whose eyes were locked on Ren.

"What did you say to him?" Yashiro asked, watching Ren's back, understanding from the broad slumped shoulders that something was off. The doctor motioned to the door and lead Yashiro into the hallway.

"I told him what I told you a few days ago," The doctor said, watching the light of comprehension alight in Yashiro's eyes. The brown eyes then narrowed behind the oval spectacles. "We administered the antidote this morning, she could be waking up soon, I don't want it to be a surprise if she isn't back to normal right away."

"You didn't need to crush him," Yashiro said, his arms crossed. "After everything he has been through the past few months, his hope is relatively fragile."

"I just didn't want it to be a surprise." The doctor said, slightly defensively. He fell silent for a moment, watching Ren, who was now leaning over Kyoko's motionless form, his head on her hand, one arm thrown over her blanket-covered legs. It looked almost as if he was trying to hold her other hand across her body. The doctor had rarely seen anyone look so defeated before, it physically hurt him to see. Tearing his eyes away, he looked back at Yashiro, gave a bow, and walked away.

/\

It was late that night when Ren started to drift of to sleep. Kyoko had been removed from life support a few hours earlier and her condition seemed to be stable. They moved her into a normal room a two hours after disconnecting her from the machines. It would have only been an hour, but the protection detail that was still keeping watch over Kyoko had to inspect the room before they would allow her to be moved. Ren couldn't fall asleep for a good four or five hours after the move, expectantly waiting for the moment when Kyoko would open her eyes and smile at him. Therefore, it wasn't until close to 3 am when Ren finally drifted off to a restless sleep. It seemed to only be moments later when he heard a familiar and eagerly awaited sound.

"Nii-san?" Ren looked up at the sound of the familiar voice, slightly confused as to who was calling him "brother". Kyoko was sitting up looking at him. He knew that look, how many times had he seen it in the past year. It was true that it hasn't been so familiar in the past few months, but he still knew it. "Nii-san?" Kyoko said again, looking at Ren with concern.

Ren forced a smile to his lips and looked into her eyes. "Setsu," he said almost inaudibly. "How are you feeling?" He asked, more distinctly this time.

Setsu looked at him haughtily. "What do you mean?" She said, crossing her arms on her raised legs. "If you want to know, aren't there more normal ways to find out?" Ren smiled at the girl. Then switching to Cain Heel he rose from his chair and sat close to her on the bed.

He kissed her forehead and smiled seductively. "No fever," he commented, not moving his head and instead raising a finger to her cheek "You are still pale though," He pulled his head back from hers and gently kissed one of her eyelids. "And your eyes are red. You need more sleep." He got up and made to leave when a hand grabbed his coat sleeve.

"I can't sleep without you next to me, Nii-san," Setsu said, eyes flirtatiously taunting Ren. She scooted over on the bed and raised the covers from her legs, inviting him to join her. Ren outwardly smiled in a very Cain way, all the while wracking his brain furiously for a reason for the situation that was playing out before him.

Ren laced his fingers through Kyoko's for a moment, causing her to release his sleeve. He then released her hand and walked towards the door, pulling out his cell phone as he went. "I will join you in a moment, I just need to make a call." He opened the door and gave her a piercing glare. "Go back to sleep." He said in a firm voice before leaving the room.

/\

As soon as he left the room he went to the nurses station and asked for the nurse behind the desk to call Kyoko's doctor right away. He then sat down on a chair against the wall of her room to wait. Less than five minutes later the doctor came hurrying down the hall. "What's wrong?" he asked Ren anxiously.

"She is awake," Ren said standing up with a look of anger upon his face that thoroughly confused and slightly scared the doctor. "She is also convinced that she is a character she has played." Ren continued, forestalling the doctor's question.

A look of comprehension dawned upon the doctor's face, followed quickly by a look of worry. "I need to call for a psychological evaluation before I can tell you what is wrong. But if it is a recent character, then there isn't any memory damage." The doctor then took out a small phone and walked down the hall, dialing a number as he went. After a brief conversation the doctor returned. "Doctor Takagawa Akari will be here in a few moments to talk to you and Kyoko." He informed Ren before giving a swift bow and returning the way he came.

It took a full twenty minutes for the new doctor to arrive at the room. "Takagawa-sensei?" Ren asked the young woman approaching him in a lab coat.

The woman smiled and stopped before Ren bowing. "Tsuruga-san, an honor." She said. "A pity to meet you under such circumstances." There was a kind and honest look in the doctor's eyes that made Ren trust her immediately.

Ren returned her bow before approaching the matter at hand. "First of all, sensei," he said, inviting her to sit down. "I need to disclose a piece of highly classified information." His words struck a look of concern in her eyes. "Classified in the entertainment industry, I mean" Ren quickly clarified. "Only a handful of people know about this and I am not even sure if our president will approve of me telling you. However, if you are to see her, which I am assuming you will have to, the issue must be discussed."

Takagawa-sensei's look of confusion deepened. "Do you want to invite your president down here and then the three of us can have a discussion in private?" She asked considerately.

Ren smiled softly at her, "I was hoping you would say that." He said looking over his shoulder, down the hall. "President Takarada should be here momentarily." As he spoke a flamboyantly dressed man walked down the hall, creating more than a little commotion. The president was dressed in a western fashion today, including everything from the ten-gallon cowboy hat to a leather whip at his hip. However the look on Lory Takarada's face was different than it was when he was walking down the hallway of LME – no doubt riding a horse with half a dozen other cowboys in tow – his look was serious and his stride was purposeful.

"Takagawa-sensei," Lory said, taking the doctor's free hand that wasn't clutching the clipboard and bowing over it while giving it a soft kiss. "Please let us retreat to a private location so as to discuss the details of our situation." The psychologist blushed and stood from her chair, leading the two tall men to a quite conference room nearby.

/\

Once all three of them were sitting around the table, Lory started the discussion. "Ren has only told me briefly what is going on, but it has come to my understanding that it would be in Kyoko-chan's best interest if we were to disclose some highly sensitive information to you." There was no answer from either party. "I have to ask you first, sensei, if you would be able to keep this industry secret, at least until the producer in charge is ready to reveal it to the country."

Akari sighed and shook her head. "I cannot in good conscious give any promise of the sort until I know exactly what is going on." She said looking directly into the president's dark eyes. "I am, of course, under oath to protect patient confidentiality, however, if this becomes a health problem of any sort, there is a chance that I will need to discuss it with her other doctors."

Lory nodded, a small smile on his lips. "Of course, sensei, we do not want to restrict you from doing your job properly, we just wish to keep this specific secret under wraps as much as possible, especially because of the reasons for Mogami-san's condition." Akari nodded and waited for either Lory or Ren to continue.

"First of all, we should probably inform you that this is the second time in three months that someone has tried to fatally injure Mogami-san." Ren said softly but clearly. "She also no doubt has emotional trauma from her mother, her only parent, deserting her at a young age after setting unreasonable expectations of her. She has just recently opened her self up to the possibility that someone could love her and not abandon her, and I don't plan on leaving her ever." There was a hard look in Ren's eyes that the doctor could not place.

"That being said," Lory continued, "Ren has informed me that Kyoko is currently trapped in a character of hers. It is this character that is a well-kept secret and the character's relationship to Ren. You see Ren recently played a character in a drama that the director and producers didn't want anyone to know that Ren was the actor for, so they made up a new identity for Tsuruga Ren. This man's name is Cain Heel. Kyoko is currently trapped in her role as Cain Heel's younger sister, Setsu." Lory paused and sat back in his chair, surveying the doctor with narrowed eyes.

Akari sat pensively staring straight a head of her. "So what you want to know is why she is trapped as this character, and what you should do to bring her out of this role, correct?"

Ren stared at the Doctor. "You have to understand, Kyoko is a special kind of actor. Once she creates a role it can consume her and she fully lives it, but she can normally pull herself out again." The doctor met Ren's eyes and nodded in understanding.

"I will need to speak to Kyoko, I mean Setsu, before I know more, but from what you have told me, Tsuruga-san, the level of trauma this girl has been victim of may have caused her to take refuge in a person other than herself." Takagawa-sensei looked from Ren to Lory. "My best advice, right now, is to let her play out this role and enable her in whatever way possible. There is a high likelihood that she will emerge when she feels safe enough on a subconscious level."

Lory stood and took out his phone, turning back at his actor as he left the room. "Ren, head back to her room, I will send Ten-chan to you as soon as possible." He raised the phone to his ear. "Jelly-chan, I need you to bring everything you need for the Heel siblings to the hospital as soon as you can." Ren heard the president say, as the door closed behind him and the actor was left alone with the doctor.

"Ten is our stylist." Ren explained to the perplexed looking doctor, as he too stood to leave the room. "Thank you for all your help. I told Kyoko to go back to sleep before I left the room earlier, so hopefully she is." The woman stood and exited the room with the actor, accompanying him down the hall. As they approached the door they had left earlier she saw a girl standing in the doorway in nothing but a large shirt. Her hand was on her hip and she was leaning against the doorframe. Akari could clearly see an IV running from one arm back into the room. Instantly she felt a change in the man next to her, Ren walked swiftly towards the girl "Setsu!" He said hurrying to the girl. "Why aren't you in bed?" Akari understood, this was the girl they had been talking about. Akari studied the girl as Ren coaxed her back into the room. She had short brown hair and her features were striking. She was clearly not wearing make up, but the facial expression she was wearing gave her beauty a slightly dangerous feel.

Ren wrapped an arm around her waist, leading her back into the room. "You said you were going to join me, Nii-san," She said leaning up against Ren's broad chest and allowing herself to be led inside. "You were taking too long and the bed was lonely." She smiled seductively at him. The doctor watched in awe as Ren gently pushed the girl onto the unmade bed. At the last moment her hand grabbed his shirt and he was forced down with her. One of the girl's eyes met the doctors as she forced her 'brother' on top of her.

Ren allowed himself to be brought down to the bed with the girl but at the last moment changed their positions so she was lying on his chest. "I have nothing to do now," he said, repositioning his body so that it was on the bed completely. Ren kissed the girl's head and brought the covers up to cover them both. It was only then that Akari noticed that the girl, Setsu, was already asleep.

Akari left the room, turning off the lights and closing the door behind her, as she headed back upstairs to her office. She had never seen anyone switch that quickly into a completely different person. The girl, Kyoko, had the appearance of a nice girl, but her posture and demeanor was one of a girl in the midst of a rebellious phase. The way they acted towards each other was also much more like those of an intimate couple than those of siblings. She would need to talk to Kyoko – no, Setsu – to understand more fully, for at the moment she was completely dumfounded.

**A/N - i know, wtf, right? ^^ granted, this isnt nearly as bad as some of the other things i have put them through. **

**Please Review!**

**Translations **

**Sensei - Teacher, often used for doctors, authors, artisans and the like**

**Nii-san - older brother**

**I think that is all... let me know if there is any other japanese you dont understand.**


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