Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations I put all characters in. Everything else belongs to somebody else with way more money than me. Thanks for reading, please review and let me know what you think!

Bonds We Made Together

"Ah, Isuza chan!" Waving her hand wildly Tohru grinned stupidly as the darkly dressed girl reluctantly stopped to wait for them to catch up to her, color ridding high on her cheeks as she shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans.

"Hey ya." Arisa called out, raising a hand in greeting. She and Hana were starting to get to know the prickly older girl, but it was slow going. It was pretty obvious that Rin didn't know how to deal with people, especially people who actually wanted to be around her. She could relate though, she'd been a real bitch in her youth too. Tohru would straighten her out, no question.

The slightest nod was the best Rin could do to acknowledge Arisa's greeting. "Why are you three here?" Sure Akito had done a one eighty personality wise, but Rin still didn't like the idea of her former 'God' anywhere near Tohru.

"Prince Charming had a surprise sleepover at Momiji." Arisa explained with a shrug, though she was hoping to catch a glance of Kureno while she was hanging with Tohru. "Tohru insisted we come bring him fresh clothes before we hit the mall for some much needed shopping."

"You were going to Momiji's too, weren't you?" Hana asked in her usual, deadpan voice.

That Hana chick seriously creeped Rin out in a big way. She and Akito were like a match made in hell as far as Rin was concerned. And how did she know things without you telling her? Haru had told her about the electric waves, but that was just too weird for words. Putting on a too cool to care look Rin did her best, which was damn good by any standards, to appear un-phased by her. "Yeah, Haru's there."

"Ah, he joined the party too." Beaming with pleasure over the idea of her friends all getting together and having fun, Tohru was as happy as happy could be. "Will you walk with us there, then?"

Oh she hated it when Tohru looked at her like that. It was even more lethal than Momiji's big eyes, which usually annoyed Rin more than swayed her. But there was something about Tohru's version that made her want to give in every single, bloody time. Shrugging her shoulders in an 'I don't care' manner Rin started walking again, the other following along while Tohru chatted away at Rin who listened without complaint while the other two girls watched in amusement.

)

Upon arriving at Momiji's doorstep Tohru knocked a couple times, and when no answer came Rin knocked on it several times with a great deal more force than Tohru's. This way of knocking proved the best, as the door was opened seconds later by a bleary eyed Momiji.

"Hey, guys." Smiling at them with slightly red eyes Momiji was quite the picture with his drawn on whiskers fading but still visible, his blonde hair sticking out in all directions like a messy halo. "What are you all doing here?" Rubbing his eyes sleepily Momiji was barely awake enough to even recognized who was at the door, much less remember why they might be there in the first place.

"Are Haru and Yuki still here?" Rin asked, getting straight to the point.

Yawning Momiji nodded and moved out of their way so that they could get through. Once they were all in he closed the door behind them then moved to the front. "Follow me." He told them, leading them down the hallway that connected to his main living area where everyone was now passed out. "Here they are." He informed them, though it was completely unnecessary.

Whistling low under her breath Arisa scanned the carnage with a raised eyebrow and one hell of a smirk. "Well you guys certainly had fun."

"Oh for the love of-" Walking over to where Haru was sprawled out on the floor Rin got her foot under his chest and rolled him over, revealing the fact that large black splotches had been drawn all over his face. "You're such a stupid moron." Was her biting opinion. She hoped the idiot had one hell of a hangover.

"They all have drawings on their faces." Hana noted as she took in the scene, zeroing in on Yuki and Ayame, who were sitting side by side against a wall, with Yuki's head resting up against his brother's shoulder. Like Momiji's Yuki's whiskers were a little faded, but one of his mouse ears was still hanging on for dear life, clinging limply to strands of his hair. Ayame had what was probably supposed to be a snake's forked tongue drawn on his chin, though it was not well rendered and more then a little shaky. Which could be on purpose, but the girls were leaning more towards the artist being drunk at the time.

"Holy Shit!" Eyes wide as saucers Rin pointed towards the couch, where a familiar and hated figure was currently curled up with a blanket around her shoulders. "What the hell is he- I mean she doing here?"

"Hey, Aa chan's here." Grinning Arisa wasn't surprised to find her man on the floor beside the couch, standing guard over his charge even in drunken slumber. Rolling her eyes Arisa went over to see what they had on their faces, taking in the wings on Kureno's face with a raised eyebrow while Akito's made her laugh out loud. Someone had written 'I AM' on one of her cheeks, and 'God' on the other. Boy but they must have tied one on.

"Akito san came to your party too?" Tohru asked Momiji, who was leaning up against his doorway as he struggled to wake up enough to think straight. The idea that Akito had been able to hang out and have fun with her cousins was so wonderful she could feel tears coming on. What wonderful, wonderful news.

"Yeah, she and Kureno crashed it at around..I don't even know what time it was but it was dark. When Hari and Aya were teaching us to do the Thriller I think." Everything got a little blurry after that.

"The Thriller?" Rin repeated, gapping at Momiji like he'd grown a second head. "Seriously?" She'd have paid serious yen to have seen that one, especially if Akito had joined in once she'd gotten smashed. "Did you record it?"

"No, but I'll call you next time we're drunk and being stupid." Haru informed her sleepily from his place on the floor, stretching his arms out as he tried to ignore the pain in his back from sleeping on the floor all night. "Hey, Beautiful." He added with a leer in Rin's direction, his love looking not the least loving.

Giving him another less than loving shove with her foot Rin had zero sympathy for him. "Have fun?" She sarcastically asked instead, not wanting to come right out and ask if Akito had caused any problems for him. He looked fine to her, but Akito was even more skilled at verbal abuse than she was physical."

"Yup, loads." Sitting up Haru gave a small groan as his hands went automatically to his lower back, the largest source of discomfort. "Totally worth the major back pain." His head was starting to make noisy complaints too, but that was the price one paid for drinking gin, Haru thought philosophically, wondering ideally if he was up to standing yet. "What are you guys doing here anyway?"

"They came to bring Yuki clothes and I came too." Rin answered, not wanting to admit that she'd gone looking for him.

"Awwww." Tohru cooed, interrupting Haru and Rin's conversation. The two turning their heads, they watched Tohru use her cell phone to take several pictures of Yuki and Ayame.

Ayame would flip over them later, was the thought on everyone's mind. Probably blow them up to life sized and hang them on one of his store walls so everyone could see how much 'brotherly love' they had for each other. Yuki's reaction was bound to be less enthusiastic.

Another cell phone suddenly went off, everyone following the sound they turned to look in Hatori's direction, the doctor also stretched out on the floor with a couch cushion under his head. Those with some musical knowledge recognized the song playing from his pocket as 'Eternal Snow' by the pop singer Full Moon. A very interesting choice indeed.

Walking over Hana retrieved the phone from Hatori's pocket and switched it on, bringing it up to her ear like she had every right to answer it. "Hello?" She said pleasantly, the hint of a gleam appearing in her eyes as the caller identified herself. "Oh hello, Shiraki sensei. How are you today?"

"Huh, do those two know each other? Sensei and the doc I mean." Arisa asked Tohru, the two sharing surprised looks. Well wasn't that a kicker, Arisa mused, as she listened to Hana calmly explain to their former teacher why she of all people was answering Hatori's personal cell phone so early in the morning. Guess that explained why she'd never answered any of their questions about her love life. She was going to pound Kyo into dust for not telling her sooner.

"Oh, wouldn't they be just wonderful together?" Clapping her hands in delight Tohru beamed with pleasure, as per usual.

"Hatori has a girlfriend?" Sitting up on the couch, holding her head like it might fall off, Akito was not looking her best as she squinted over at them. Since the bond had ended Akito had been able to accept the relationships her former bond-mates had with others easier, but Hatori was special to her. Like Kureno, Hatori had always been unfailingly loyal and devoted, even when she hadn't deserved it. They both deserved only the best, and she thought Kureno had found that with the Yankee girl. She hadn't known there was someone waiting in the wing for Hatori too. It better not be Kana was the primary thought in her aching head.

"Not yet." Kureno informed her from his place on the floor, not yet realizing Arisa was in the room. He kept his eyes closed against the light and prayed for a quick death after he explained Hatori's relationship so that his mistress would not worry. "Mayuko Shiraki san is someone Ayame san and Shigure san are trying to set Hatori san with. She loves him a great deal apparently."

"You'll like her, Aa chan." Tohru assured her friend. "She's a lot like Uo chan."

In other words her two most quiet, controlled cousins had chosen loud, uncontrollable women as their love interests. And why oh why couldn't they stop calling her that stupid nickname! Just because it was what Tohru's mother would have called her, didn't mean they had to call her it in the woman's place!

"Honda san?" Reluctantly opening one eye to see the girl, Kureno's eyes popped open in shock when he saw Arisa standing at Tohru's side with a smirk on her beautiful face. "Arisa."

Walking over to stand beside him Arisa kneeled down to reach out and flick his nose teasingly. "You need a shower, big time."

Blushing scarlet, Kureno couldn't think of what to say.

)

Rolling her eyes at the lot of them Rin forced Haru to his feet. "Well we're going to head out, he needs a shower too."

"And will you be join-OWWW!" Arms wrapping around the gut Rin had just jabbed her elbow into Haru only had a brief moment to call out his good byes to everyone before she successfully pulled him out of the room by his aching, pierced ear. His exclamations of pain could be heard echoing down the hallway with regularity until the slamming of Momiji's door.

"Ow." Rubbing one of his studded ears in sympathy, Momiji was glad he hadn't fallen for someone as violent as Rin.

"Ow what?" Ayame asked as he flittered into awareness.

"Look at your left shoulder before you get up!" Akito called out to him, everyone surprised that she was the one to call Ayame's attention to Yuki's current position.

Used to taking Akito's orders without question Ayame turned his head, his eyes going wide as he took in the face of his peacefully slumbering brother. Eyes going soft, with a telling shimmer to them, it was definitely another aw moment. Tenderly removing Yuki's sole paper ear from his hair Ayame just grinned like an idiot, content to stay in his present position until his younger brother awoke on his own.

"Nice one, Aa chan." Arisa said softly, reaching out to pat the blushing girl's cheek.

"Indeed." Kureno agreed. "And is Hanajima san not talking into Hatori san's cell phone?"

"Oh yeah." Looking over in Hana's direction Arisa gave her friend a considering look as she helped Kureno to his feet, wrapping a supporting arm around his waist when he buckled a little. "We should probably get her off of that before he wakes up."

Nobody moved. Nobody wanted to be the one to try.

)

A couple hours later Hatori sat at his desk, absently tapping his pen against his desk as he looked over the papers the hospital had sent his way. Rin was doing well, better than he could ever recall her being since leaving her parents home. Of course having Haru and Tohru openly fuss and watch over her like mother hens had to help. Rin's internal wounds were finally being given a chance to heal. Of course she was still very high strung, Hatori had no doubt her health was always going to be an issue, just not the alarming degree of years past.

Looking up at the sound of footsteps Hatori blinked at the sight of Mayu in his office, her first visit to his knowledge. "You cut your hair off. Are you all right?" He asked, getting hastily to his feet as he moved to intercept her.

"I'm okay." Waving her hand in dismissal Mayu couldn't help but run her hands nervously over the now boy short cut. She'd needed to do something to boost her courage, and a haircut had been the best she could think of. "Do you like it?" She asked, motioning towards her new look. It had even given her a little courage, up until she'd started questioning whether Hatori would like a girl with hair shorter than his own. Kana's had been short, but even hers had been way more feminine than her own now was.

"It brings out your face."

Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Why had she even bothered to ask, Mayu wondered with a wave of self pity. Shigure was right, they were never going to change. Eternal spinsterhood, here she came.

He'd said something wrong. Again. Wariness in his shoulders Hatori watched her watch him. He never knew quite what to make of her, but then women were a constant curiosity to him. He could only stumble along, cursing the fact that his nagging head prevented him from functioning at full capacity. "What brings you here today? I-did I forget we were meeting today?"

"I called you to see if you wanted to go out for breakfast...Hanajima answered your phone if everyone was too afraid to tell you. I came to make sure you were okay."

"The Gothic looking girl? Who gave her my phone?" Patting his pocket to assure himself it was still there, Hatori didn't know what to think. What had the girl said to Mayu?

"I think she just helped herself. So you're..okay? You never struck me as the drinking sort."

"Long story. But yes, I'm all right." Running a hand through his hair Hatori still hadn't decided how to feel about the night before. It had probably been good for all of them, but time would tell whether the bridges they were building would hold. He'd like to think they would, that everyone realized, even Akito, that there was a support system in place between them all. The bond of the zodiac was over, but they were still family and blood, a far stronger bond than any God's wish.

"Well then...I'll just leave you to your work then." A fixed smile on her face Mayu turned to leave.

"Wait." When she turned aroudn to face him Hatori said the first thing that came to mind. "Have you eaten yet?"

Looking down at her watch Mayu noted that it was indeed eleven thirty. "It's too early yet for lunch."

"Well...uh...would you like to go out with me for a walk in the park...and we can get something from one of the stalls after."

Staring at him in surprise Mayu's answer was cut off as Momiji came bouncing into the room.

"Hari! Wanna go out and get something to eat with me? Oh, sorry, Sensei." Momiji added sheepishly, catching sight of her.

Seeing the boy's red eyes and the strain behind the boy's usual grin, Mayu gracefully backed out, thinking the boy needed time alone with his guardian. "Well I'll leave you guys to go out then."

"Do you want to come too?" Momiji asked, catching the undercurrents here. And now that he knew this teacher had the hots for Hari, he would definitely do everything in his power to help.

"Yes, join us, please."

Looking back and forth between the two Mayu smiled. "Sure, I'd love to."

And so together, the three headed out for a little family outing of their own.

The End