I've wanted to make a story dealing with School shootings. Though this will be a one-shot. I think it was because I have such a fear of this happening to myself. I may no longer be in high school but when I hear this on the news it still floors me.

By writing this, I've found that even in tragedy there is hope of a better out come. The days will be dark but the hope of a brighter day is always there. As long as there is hope then there is a possibility. Even in tragedy you are not alone.

I will welcome all comments, as they may be bad or good.

You see it in the news. You feel a bite of that fear and sorrow. Wondering how they are going to make it through. How many was it this time? And you think 'oh god, that could be my school on the news' yet we lie so we can get up in the morning and hope that its going to be like the day before because nothing unsafe happened. We look for false reassurance so we can sleep at night, to get through the day not looking over our shoulder.

Yet that day also gave a false hope. It started out normal like every previous day. Bickering between Yuki and Kyo. Shigure telling Tohru how delicious her cooking was. Telling everyone in the room how great of a wife she would make only to have the younger boys glare and hit him. She sat there with a smile on her face and a blush coloring her cheeks. When she got to school she greeted her two girl friends Hana and Uo and went on with classes. Nothing different out of the norm so far.

Tohru was in the library during lunch to study for a test coming up. It was quiet and peaceful. Just what she needed. It was twenty or so minutes into lunch break when life everyone knew changed. Gun shots rang out somewhere in the school followed by screaming and the principle over the intercom telling everyone to find a hiding spot. That someone in the building had a gun.

Tohru hid behind the last row of books seeing how the library doesn't have a better hiding spot for situations like this. It was all she could think and do with. Hoping that the killer wouldn't come into the library.

Twenty minutes went by in mostly silence. The only noise was the clock ticking and once in a while a gun shot would echo through out the school. How many were there so far? She didn't want to count because that would be knowing how many people, people she went to school with, sat with, learned with and grew up with could be dead already. Yet each time a shot went off, a voice in the back of her head would say 'add one more to the list. Two…three…five…six…" how many went off before she got to her hiding spot? Before the news was confirmed about the person with the gun.

She worried for her friends. Were Hana and Uo okay? Were they one of the ones shot? Was any of the Sohma's okay? Kyo, Yuki, Haru and Momiji? Who was dead or almost? Where was the killer at? When was help coming? Was she alone in the library?

She couldn't recall if she was the only one before the gun shots began to go off. Now it seemed like years ago that she came in here to study for her coming up test in History. A test she wasn't going to be taking. The library wasn't that big to begin with anyways. Yet her brain found that question none important. It was in survival mood clouded in a state of terror. Simply useless.

Her thoughts froze when the door knob turned and a click was heard. Someone was entering the library. She took a sharp intake of steal air and held it hoping beyond hope that it was a teacher looking for a student to save or better yet, the police. The foot steps continued in and seemed to walk around looking for a student to save or a victim.

With a trembling body she tried to stay still and not make a move, to be as small as possible as tears fell unchecked down her face.

Foot steps sounded louder then they should have. The faberic of clothes was heared. It seemed that every sound you wouldn't normally hear or igored was deafening. The person got closer. They stood on the other side of the shelves. Breathing. In hale, ex hale. She could see a shadow.

…thump.

…thump.

…thump.

"Found yeah Honda-san." A male voice said.

…TH-THUMP!

She looked over and up into the face of her killer. She recognized the boy and she more importantly recognized the gun in his hand. Didn't matter what type it was, even if she knew anything about guns, she knew what there was to only know. Her eyes widen to the max and she paled looking like death. Something she knew she was seconds away from.

His smirk slowly fell off his face and annoyed look appeared.

"Don't look at me like that!" he shouts at her. Seeing how Tohru stared at him in fear and in questions. She did want to know why he was doing this. What was it that broke him? Made him snap? To become a murderer.

"R-R-Ra-" she continued to stutter something as her eyes started to over flow with tears again. She started to scoot away from him slowly.

A twisted look came over his face at her attempt. He raised the gun and pointed it at her. With the gun now aimed for her she stopped. "For once, stop hiding behind that pathetic mask. Go ahead, admit it Tohru."

"W-Wh-wh-" she tried again to ask what he meant by that.

He seemed to understand what she was trying to say. He gave an unbelievable laugh. "Admit it, your just like me, you just don't have the guts to do what I'm finely doing. Everyday those bastards make my life hell and I'm tired of it. I'm not the only one. I hear what they say about you. Calling you names: orphan, retard, mentally challenged, whore and slut. The list goes on as it does for me. Is it true? I don't even care nor do they. They don't have the right to make our lives hell. THEY DON'T! You hear them, I know you do, you just hide behind that smiling mask but I see it, the pain while everyone else doesn't, chooses not to." He stood there talking to her in a crazed, anger way. Swinging the gun around in his angered rant and then he pointed it at her again. Any second he could pull the trigger.

Was he going to shot her? She didn't know. Yet she heard every word he spoke. She mentally nodded her head to his question. Yes she heard what people were saying about her. A while back word got out that she was living with the Sohmas. It caused many problems with her school life. People were calling her terrible names behind her back and even to her face and she did put on a mask. People thought she was sleeping with the whole family. It hurt, so much more then she let anyone know. At night before going to sleep, she had to cry herself into slumber land. Just going through the motion of 'happiness' because she feared that dark place people sometimes go to. She has seen her mother there before.

Kyo-kun got in more fights since people found out. Yuki-kun has changed as well. His darker side, the one you see when he fights Kyo-kun has shown. He has not been in a fight yet but his glares sent chills through the school. Haru-kun's black side shows up several times a week and poor Momiji-kun has seem to make it a mission to make sure she doesn't hear the rumor. Her two best girl friends were doing what they could to scare other kids off. She's tried her best to ignore them and live like normal yet it hurts so much on the inside. Life was wearing on her, with school now terrible and trying to break the Sohma curse, her smiles seem more fake the ever before.

"There, there. I've decided to take pity on you." He said in a soft voice as he kneeled before her. This brought a sob to free itself from her throat. He lifted his left hand that was not holding the gun and rubbed her right cheek, wiping a tear away only to be replaced by new ones.

Relief gushed through her in a dizzying speed. She was not ready to die. She still had a promise to fore fill to her mother. Yet at his next statement, that hope vanished like a lint in the breeze.

"I'll end your pain. You won't have to be bothered by them anymore. And you'll be with your family again, isn't that great?" he spoke in a calm manner having made up his mind. She stared into his dark eyes seeing no remorse for what he was going to do. They spolk a promise to end the suffering he believed she felt.

Tohru couldn't make out his face anymore by the tears that fell and her body shook from terror. Blood rushed in her ears and her heart beat racing against her rib cage. If he was talking to her, she no longer heard his voice as the truth of the moment settled. He was going to kill her. This was not how she saw her death. Not in the library at her school with a crazy kid thinking it was mercy. She didn't like to think about her own ending but the times she has; it was either by a car or an illness. Like the way her parents died.

Bam.

…

..

No pain. It was the first thing that registered in her mind. Why was there no pain? Was it that quick that she didn't even feel it? Opening her eyes she looked to see why she was alive.

Her eyes opened wider at what she saw. Someone was struggling with the shooter. Blinking in shock and to clear away tears she realized who it was. Haru. He was trying to get the gun out of the kids hand as they yelled at each other. Some how in the chaos or maybe it was because she was somewhat use to Haru's mood swings but she could tell that this was not 'black' Haru. Maybe it was the look in his eyes or the way he moved but she just knew that it wasn't.

"….n…oh…..r…" she knew as she was watching them that Haru was yelling something to one of them but the blood was still rushing and her heart beat thundered in her ear. It wasn't until Haru looked at her with frantic eyes that she somehow was able to finally hear what was going on around her.

"RUN! TOHRU RUN!" he yelled.

"I'll kill you both damn it!" the shooter yelled in a desperate way. He looked frantic. Panic in a different way then Haru was.

Tohru scooted back still watching them since even in her fear and wanting to run she didn't want to leave Haru alone with the boy. The next couple seconds it looked like Haru was going to win that she decided to take his word and go. She got up and turned to run. She heard a curse word come from behind her then by the sound of it someone was slammed against a book case, books hitting the floor followed.

Bang

A thug was heard in the room as a body fell. An anguished no was screamed a split second before the shooter was knocked onto the floor.

"YOU BASTARD!" Haru yelled as he punched the boy over and over.

The boy let go of the gun to protect his face yet it did no good as the guy above him was hell bent on beating the shit out of him. Blood flew from the now broken nose and soon the killer was out cold. After a few more hits later Haru noticed and stopped his assault. Breathing heavy he stood up and moved the gun farther just in case before looking over at where Tohru fell. He saw blood on the back of her shirt as she didn't move. Time seemed to stop for him. No matter how hard he tried he failed to protect Tohru. He would always remember that.

Shigure walked into the room where they eat. He took a puff of his cigerate. Let the smoke leave his lungs and walked over and sat at the low table. With the way her eyes were glazed over he knew that she was recalling what happened. How could one not. He was shaken as well. Like any parent he was terrified when word got out what was happening at the high school. Whe he showed up there police, FBI and ambulances were busy getting ready to take care of those who were hurt and getting the shooter out of there. As if knowing someone inside had a gun wasn't enough they could hear the shots ringing inside. Every one of those shots made those cry harder and flinch from the noise. He was feeling helpless and desperate waiting.

He couldn't help but worry for his younger family members and Tohru, though he thought at the time she was family to them by this point. Not only did he worry about one, he was concern for five kids. The odds of him knowing someone dead were higher. Yes it was selfish, very selfish to think and feel yet he could not help it.

Then the time finally came. It felt like hours, a life time went by yet it was really only close to two hours since the first shot was fired. Some people said afterwards that despite what it seems, at least it was only those two hours and not longer. Who knows what the number would have been then.

That day will forever stay with them. Eight kids were killed. To never see the light of day again. Leaving family and friends to mourn and a darken sorrow over the town and those who heard it on the news. Several more were wounded.

It was hours later that he was able to see one of the kids. It about gave him a heart attack when he saw that Yuki and Kyo had some blood on them yet he quickly learned it wasn't theirs. They were dazed and terrified by what they saw. He only gots bits but he learned they tried to help those who were shot in the room they were in. He couldn't even fathom what they were going through.

They sat and waited longer. In that time they waited for the next family member to show up they learned that Hana and Uo were okay, shaken like the rest but okay. They would be happy to tell Tohru that when they saw her. Momiji was the next to show up clean yet shaken as well. Tears had been flowing they could tell. Luckly he didn't see the shooter so no one was harmed where he was.

Now it was just Haru and Tohru's turn to show up and they would be able to feel a bit of peace and go home. As time went by the more uneasy they became and fear rose higher at the possibity that one or both of them were hurt.

When Haru finely showed up in front of them, Shigure didn't feel much comfort by the look on the boys face or the blood stains. Dried blood was on his hands and spots on his white shirt. One spot being fairly large in size. His eyes were red from crying but he didn't let a tear fall in front of them. The younger boys looked at Haru with dread, not sure what he went through, if it was close to what Yuki and Kyo went through.

Haru's hands shook and a look of border line frantic was in his eyes. He was hanging on the edge at this point. Shigure felt even more helpless. He stood up and brought him into his arms and Haru clung on for life like the other boys had.

Haru's voice shook like the rest of him as he tried to tell them what happened. Shigure tried to tell the boy that he didn't need to talk but Haru said it was important.

"I…I tried. W-we fought. He was going to...to s-s-shot her. I punch him, over and over until he was knocked out."

Shigures eyes widen at the news. That the shooter was about to shoot a girl infront of Haru. Hopefully the blood on Haru was the kid with the gun and not this girl. 'God, what a thing to think.'

Yet there was a part in the back of his mind saying 'of course haru did, that seems like something he would do'. He wasn't sure how his other family members were taking the news as he wasn't facing them but he was sure they were listening.

"You idiot! You could have got your self killed!" Kyo's voice yelled.

Haru shook his head. "Didn't matter. She was alone. I-in the library." Shigure heard gasps at this yet he didn't know what that meant. "I told her to run. She tried. She tried but it didn't work. He s-sh-…got her. Tohru. He got Tohru."

Everything around him slienced at the name. All the voices from the students and parents and teachers were gone. Everything felt wrong at that word. Oh how close he was to getting them all back safe. Haru's fingers tightened then and he began to cry and in a choked voice he was able to get out 'alive' before his sobs became too much.

At the time he wasn't sure what excatly that meant. Did it mean she was alive and getting help? All that he focused on was the word alive and how such a word brought hope to them.

As soon as they were able to leave they went right to the hospital. Learned she was already in surgery. Soon after Hatori, Ayame, Kagura, Ritsu, Kazuma and even Rin showed up. Kisa and Hiro were not allowed to be there as it was deemed they were too young. Hours later they had word she was going to live. The relief from the news had them all at tears.

Coming back to the present he looked at the girl he joined. It was an early afternoon with the sun shining strong outside. It was unusually quiet in the house. No fighting was going on between the rat and the cat or both of them yelling at the dog. None of the other members of the Zodiacs came for a visit. The house felt empty. The livelihood gone.

Tohru sat there at the low table staring off into space. Feeling numb emotionally and her body felt heavy. Slow even breaths left her lungs. Her mind recalling the unpleasant memories and pain. The event that left scares on her and everyone in the building. Some more then others. Depending where you were, and who you knew. Though no one would feel safe. Not there, not in those class rooms or the hallways, the lunch room and not in THAT room. Safe wasn't an option anymore. HE took that away from everyone.

It's been two weeks since the event and they all feared that normal would never return.

Shigure let another lungful of smoke to enter the room. He didn't really know what happened in the library, just that Haru fought the attacker, that Tohru was shot and thankfully saved afterwards. Haru was unable to speak more about it and tohru hadnt said a word about it either. He lefted his free hand and reached over and grabbed one of Tohru's giving it a squeeze. She blinked out of her thought and looked over at him. How frighented and unsafe she looked always gripped his heart. How was he going to get them through this? Not just her but the boys'.

"You're going to be okay." He told her. "You're not alone." He's been telling her this a lot. He wanted to tell her she was okay but she wasn't. He wanted to tell her she's safe but he could tell she didn't feel safe. Would she even believe him if he told her? He wanted to tell her that it was only a nightmare, that it didn't happen but he couldn't. That it was never going to happen again but could he promise or even say something like that when life is so unpredictable? He wanted to bring her into his arms and hold her so she could feel some sense of being safe but with the family curse he could not. He wanted to take her fear away and make things better. He would do all that he could to make what he said true. That things will get better and she will not go through this alone.

She gave his hand a squeeze of her own with a small smile of gratitude.

Yuki and Kyo now stood at the doorway of the room. They all didn't like leaving her alone and if so, not for long. It wasn't that they worried she would hurt herself but because they needed that reasurrance that she was alive. Also the rat and the cat didn't like being alone themselves.

Tohru gave Shigura's hand another squeeze as she took a deep breath. Her voice was timid and soft, sliced with sadness. She couldn't look at him as she was about to say what she had been thinking for a week or more now. "He was in pain. So much pain that he didn't know what to do with it that it came out in violence. I hate what he did. I really do. He took so many lives, injuried more and left scars on the rest." Tears built up in her eyes and started to over flow. Kyo and Yuki listened on from there spot at the doorway. "He said we are alike. That our pain was the same. While I hide mine he showed us his in the most horrible way. The more I think about why the more I understand. I don't want to understand. Why can't I just think of him as an evil person, that he was just that way? I don't want to think that it was all our fault for not trying to make things better. To know what our actions could have prevented this. If they were just nicer to him, didn't bully him he wouldn't have done this and we wouldn't be scared and murning for the lost of peoples lives. If I wasn't so selfish or something then I would have done something." She was crying harder by the end of her speech holding onto Shigura's hand so tight her knuckles where white.

His hand hurt from the pressure she was giving but it didn't matter right now. She was in pain. Confused and thinking about the 'what ifs'. He looked over to the younger males and saw the pain and guilt there too.

"Thinking about the 'what if's' isnt going to help. It can't change what happened. We can only learn from them. I think what you're going through is natural. It's okay to be angry, to be confused and even guilty. But don't let it consume you." He gave a sigh. He didn't know what to say really. "To be truthful, the world is full of bullies. Some people do bad things and they believe its right, others do it because they feel trapped. Some have become that evil. A lot of those people are like that because of something someone did to them. It's a cycle that has been going on for centries and will go on even more. All we can do is try our best to be a better person and hopefully those around to see it will want to as well."

After minutes of silince besides Tohru's soft crying and snifles, he believed they were soaking in his words. What they took from it, he couldn't be sure. Kyo was the first to move; he walked up to Tohru and grabbed her hand into his for comfort. Yuki was next to follow and looked to not really know what to do but put a hand on her shoulder.

Shigure then took that time to address something else she said. "Tohru, I may not have known the boy but I know what he did. What ever he said about the both of you isn't true. You are nothing like him. You would never in this life or the next do what he did. You are too kind and you are the most selfless person I know. You are a strong young women Tohru, you will get through this. Just like Yuki, Kyo, Momiji and Haru."

He didn't know how long but he was sure they would get through this. They weren't alone. They will find there strength to move on.

I found my self feeling really bad for putting Haru through that. I've always seem him as a cool, calm guy as long as 'black' Haru doesn't show up. Yet, I think he cares for Tohru like the rest of the family.

I had a twisted sense of fun exploring this. please let me know what you think.

New 6/16- I've been asked by more then one person "who was the shooter". As you read, it only goes into two letters of this persons name. I made it this way, why i never said who it was at the end is because the news always talks more about who did it then who was killed, those suffering from the lose. the killer is always remember and not the people they killed. True, I didn't name the 8 people that was killed here but I didn't want the focus being on this kid with the gun. The story was about Tohru and the Sohmas. At this point. I don't even know the name of the kid. Sorry for the disappointment.

I also did some fixing up on spelling and added a little bit here and there to the story. nothing to much to changed what happened.