Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or the characters. They belong to Natsuki Takaya... can I steal Kureno?
A/N: So sorry for the ages between updates! To be honest, I was upset (to varying degrees) by some of the reviews for the last chapter, and so I didn't feel much like writing this story for a while. If that makes me seem wimpy or whatever.... It's hard when you write a chapter and put your all into it, and think it's great, and it's just as you want it to be... and it was what the readers had been asking for... and then there's still comments about "you should have done this" or "Kyo should have done that". If I've written, edited, and posted a chapter, then the things that happen in it are how I like it and that's not going to change. This is my story and I will continue to write it how I like it. That said and tiny rant over... I do love getting reviews, even the ones that upset me (after I calm down), and I'm not meaning anything bad to any of my reviewers or anything like that, not at all. I don't think any of the comments that upset me were made with malice, readers were just expressing their opinion, which is always welcome. But I got discouraged anyway, what can you do? Anyone who says writing a story and posting it and having people review is easy to do is either lying or has a hell of a lot thicker skin than I do. And I suppose my skin has been getting thicker from having my story read and reviewed, which is a good thing... I'm sure. I shall try to not get upset. :-) Thanks to my dear friend YTR for listening to my ramblings, I now have an evil plan, yes! She really helped get me back into the mood to write Journey Home.
I have been informed by several readers that I am evil and cruel. lol! Well I suppose I am and this chapter is probably no better. Mwha-hahahahaha! Oddly enough, being called evil and cruel is not what upset me. LOL.
I would love to pet Kyo, also! (Oh that could be taken so badly.) Probably why I wrote that scene. ;-)
CrazyInsaneAnimeFanGirl: How did Tohru get hurt? She wasn't pushed or hit or anything, she was just under so much stress/fear at seeing Akito and what he said to her that her body just couldn't take it. I don't know medical terms or anything, but I'm sure that can happen to pregnant women... I think... and even if it can't, oh well. It worked for my purposes. Hehehe.
Crazy-Fruits-Basket-Fan: The question of Shigure's lover is kind of answered in this chapter... in a way... yeah.......
qwikitty: The stuff about Kyo being locked up isn't in the anime, that's true. It's in the manga, which I've read only parts of so I could be wrong... my understanding is that Kyo is to be locked up unless he can beat Yuki. Or, at least, Kyo thinks that if he can beat Yuki, then he won't be locked up. That's what I was going on, anyway. I guess there is a bit of a softeneing in Akito at the end of the anime, but I think in the manga he's remained just as crazy as ever. I think.
That reminds me... I tried to keep this story based off the anime and 'ignore' the manga... but I just couldn't do it. Gomen! I couldn't keep Kureno out of the story cos I love him so much, and there might be other manga stuff also in this chapter and ones to come.
Well enough of my ramblings, here's a bit of a longer chapter for those of you who like that sort of thing. Hehe. ;-)
Warning: There may be OOC moments (I'm told I'm doing good with the characters, yay!) so if that bothers you, this might not be the story for you. (Hey, this is fiction, it's my world and I can do what I want with it!) Also, if premarital sex and/or unwed pregnancy bother you, this probably isn't the story for you.
---------------
"The Journey Home"
Chapter 16: Gathering
---------------
"Tohru! Tohru!" A familiar voice called from outside the hospital room a scant second before a young blonde man bounced into the room.
"Oh, Momiji!" Tohru giggled happily as he reached her side and took her hands, showing great restraint in not hugging her. She was, after all, in the hospital, and he liked to think he was older and beyond such childish frivolities. When he was around Tohru, though, he tended to let go of any new-found restraint in favor of his true, bubbly nature
"Tohru, I'm so happy you're ok! When I heard the message on Hatori's answering machine I was so worried!" Momiji exclaimed with increasing volume.
"Shh," Tohru said and motioned to the other side of the bed, "you'll wake him."
It was then that Momiji noticed Kyo. He was in a chair, leaning forward, his head and arms resting on the bed at what looked like a very uncomfortable angle, with Tohru's hand twined in his hair. It wasn't so much the way Kyo was resting on the bed by Tohru's hips, or even the way she was touching him, that cued Momiji in to the relationship between the two, it was... the air... or maybe something in the way Tohru seemed so relaxed and happy.
"Has Ha'ri been here yet?" Momiji asked softly, putting his thoughts about the neko and the onigiri aside.
"No, not yet, but you just missed Yuki and Hana. They were kind enough to go back home and get some things for me," Tohru said.
A puzzled look came over Momiji's face. Where was Ha'ri? It wasn't like him to not be around when a Sohma needed him. 'Oh, but Tohru's not a Sohma...' Momiji thought and looked again to where her hand was resting in Kyo's hair. 'She may not be a Sohma... yet... but I know Ha'ri cares about her and would do whatever he could to help her. So where is he?'
"Are you all right? Have you been sick? Why didn't you tell anyone? What did the doctors say? How long are you going to be here?" Momiji asked all at once.
"I'm fine, everything's ok, they just want to keep me overnight for observation," Tohru answered. "How is your job with Hatori going? You started just last month, right?"
"Yes, and it's wonderful! I'm getting the best training, even though I don't do very much... take messages, make appointments, help out here and there. I think I bother Hatori sometimes, but he says if I can calm down, I'll make an excellent doctor."
"And school?"
"It's hard. I don't know if my grades will be good enough to get into my first choice of Med schools."
"I'm sure you're doing very well!" Tohru said with a bright smile.
They talked for a while about school and work, and then Tohru asked Momiji, "Are you seeing anyone?"
He blushed and said, "Oh, I, uhm... sort of."
"Sort of?"
"We study together, but...."
"You don't know if she likes you?" Tohru asked and he nodded. She looked at Kyo as she said, "Only one way to find out."
Momiji looked up at Tohru and said, "You really think I could? I mean I should? I mean... that it's possible?"
"Of course it's possible that she likes you!"
"Not that..." he lowered his voice, "the curse."
"Oh." Tohru said, and thought for a moment. "You know, Momiji, if you live your whole life afraid of the curse, of what might happen, what are you going to miss out on? Is that the kind of life you want? You've never been worried about the curse around me."
"That's different, you already knew, and you're ok with it."
"And why would she not be?"
"Others aren't like you, you're special," he said.
"Am I?"
"Yes," he admitted with a blush.
"I really don't think I am. Not any more so than some girl out there waiting for you."
Momiji smiled and hoped she was right, but something inside said he'd never find anyone quite like Tohru.
"The young man will have to wait outside while we get you hooked up," an older, gentle-looking nurse said as she walked in, pulling some equipment behind her.
Momiji couldn't tell what it was that the nurse had with her, looked to be some sort of monitor or testing device. He nodded to the nurse and left the room, expecting Kyo to be woken up and similarly asked to leave.
After Momiji had gone, the nurse noticed Kyo. "He'll have to leave, too, Miss," she said.
"It's alright, he's asleep," Tohru said, "and even if he wasn't, I don't think you could get him to leave."
"It's policy, Miss. I can't hook up the fetal monitor with a man present."
"He's the baby's father," Tohru said.
"All the same, he has to leave," the nurse said, standing firm in her strange belief that the sleeping Kyo shouldn't be there.
Tohru had had a long day and didn't like being told who could and couldn't be there for her medical treatment. "Either he stays or you don't hook me up. If anyone says anything, blame it on my hormones," she said with uncharacteristic fire in her eyes.
The nurse gave up and Kyo stirred, but didn't wake while the monitor was being hooked up. Once everything was set and the steady 'b-bump, b-bump, b-bump' of her baby's heart once again filled Tohru's ears, Kyo awoke and the nurse left.
Kyo sat up as he yawned and stretched, remarkably cat-like, before kissing Tohru, not noticing Momiji who had taken one step into the room and stopped, stunned. Tohru kissed him back for a moment, unable to help herself, even with Momiji watching, before gently pushing him away.
"What?" he asked softly, his voice full of love as he shifted to sit on the bed next to her, his hand half way to resting on her stomach when he noticed her looking pointedly toward the doorway. He froze and turned, quite surprised to see Momiji. He had expected the nurse he'd seen leaving, Yuki, Hana, or maybe Hatori.
"What are you doing here, runt?" Kyo asked and changed his hand's path to rest on the other side of Tohru, leaning possessively over her.
Momiji looked from Kyo, to Tohru, to what he now saw to be a fetal monitor, and then back to Tohru. Tohru's pregnant? From what he'd noticed earlier, what he'd just seen, and the way the neko was now hovering over Tohru, Kyo must be the father. That would explain why he'd been allowed to stay in the room.
Momiji didn't know what to say. Should he congratulate them? It seemed the right thing to do, but they weren't married (as far as he knew) and Akito... it was going to be bad, very, very bad. Momiji had made up his mind to not worry and be happy for them when he heard Hatori's voice from behind him.
"Well, well, Aya, looks like you win."
Momiji turned around in time to see Ayame grin devilishly. "You know I would never bet against my dear little brother unless I knew it was a sure thing."
"Who are you calling a 'sure thing'?" Kyo asked, annoyed. Great, why did Hatori have to bring Ayame with him?
"Aya, you cheat!" Shigure said, appearing from behind Ayame and pushing everyone farther into the room. "You knew, somehow you knew! How could you know and leave me, your one true love, in suspense?" Shigure said, taking the familiar, feigned pose of a wounded dog. "That's it, it's over, I'm breaking up with you!" he whined.
Ayame rushed to Shigure's side and put his arm around his dear friend's shoulder. "Gure, you know I love you, but some things are sacred and not mine to tell."
"Just to profit from," Hatori remarked.
It was Ayame's turn to look wounded. "Ne, Gure, you don't really mind losing, do you?"
A mischievous spark lit in Shigure's eye. "I suppose not. I shall live with my punishment, you're forgiven." With that, they winked at each other and kissed, very brief and very chaste, on the lips.
"You two make me sick," another familiar voice said from behind the now-gathering crowd in Tohru's small hospital room.
"Hiro!" Kyo yelled and jumped up, "Damn it, this isn't a convention! Tohru needs rest and quiet!"
"You're the one being loud with all your yelling, neko," Hiro said as he pushed his way through his cousins, Kisa in tow.
"Sissy!" Kisa called out as she rushed to the side of the bed and threw her arms around Tohru, who held the seventeen year old girl tight.
"Kisa!" Tohru exclaimed, "You look so much older! And you too, Hiro."
"You saw me six months ago, I can't look that much older," Kisa replied and Hiro snorted.
"My, my, Hiro, going to the same school as Kisa for three years still hasn't calmed you down?" Shigure said, and then moved over to the boy to whisper in his ear suggestively, "Or are there other, more adult reasons for your frustration?"
"Shut up," Hiro said as if scolding a puppy and pushed Shigure away from him, but the blush forming on the youth's cheeks was not missed and Shigure chuckled.
Hatori came up behind Shigure and said softly, "Don't tease him, Gure, unless you want my two cents about your little plaything."
Shigure, his face stern, looked back at Hatori. "It's not like that."
"Isn't it?" Hatori retorted. "She was vulnerable and you took advantage, just like you've always done."
Shigure had the decency to look a little ashamed. "Well, okay, I did, but...."
"But?"
"But it's not like that anymore, I... I care about her," Shigure admitted so quietly that Hatori wasn't sure he'd heard right. The dog quickly turned back to his normal self. "Besides, it's not like she's so innocent. She came to me, you know, wanted to learn seduction techniques. Who am I to complain if I taught her too well and she used them on me?"
"Did she really?" Hatori asked, not believing it for a second.
"Well... who could have resisted doing little seduction of their own when faced with such a luscious young girl?" Shigure said and then quickly added, "Except for you, of course, my stoic doctor."
"Mm-hmm, just be careful, Shigure. What would you do if..." Hatori said and gestured with his chin to where Tohru was sitting in the hospital bed, surrounded by Kisa, Hiro, Momiji, Haru, and a yelling Kyo, telling them all to give her some space, damn it! Wait... when did Haru get here? Hatori looked around the room, and where is Aya?
"When did Haru get here?" Shigure said, completely forgetting Hatori's question (on purpose) and echoing the dragon's thoughts.
"I don't know," Hatori said. "Go find Aya while I clear the room and examine Tohru."
"Oh, I'm dismissed so easily!" Shigure said in his most annoying voice, but left the room obediently while muttering to himself, "Now, Aya, where have you slithered off to?"
"All right, everyone out," Hatori instructed as he walked up to the bed. "I need to examine the patient."
"Did you know about this, Hatori?" Haru asked.
"As her doctor, you know I can't answer that. Wait outside, I won't be long."
Haru nodded and left, but not before giving Kyo a harsh look. Momiji followed after him, waving at Tohru from the door. Kisa threw her arms around Tohru again, saying "I'm so happy for you, Sissy!" Hiro waited for Kisa, all the while looking at Kyo with what Hatori thought must be pure jealousy.
After the two young Sohmas left, Hatori said to Kyo, "You're taking responsibility?" Kyo just glared at him. That was a yes. "Good, now wait outside with the others."
"I don't take orders from you," Kyo said.
"You do when I'm acting as the Sohma doctor."
"Like hell, I've never been a real Sohma anyway. I'm staying."
Hatori looked to Tohru in question. "It's okay with me," she said.
"Very well then," Hatori conceded and set about looking over the chart and asking his questions.
-----------------------------------------
When Yuki and Hana arrived back at the hospital after going to the apartment for some things for Tohru, they were surprised to find most of the juunishi and Uo in the waiting room on Tohru's floor.
"What are you all doing here?" Yuki asked.
"We heard Tohru was sick, so we came to make sure she's okay." Haru answered and then asked softly, "Uh, Yuki... do-do you know?" Haru had been surprised by Tohru's pregnancy, but even more so by the fact that it's Kyo's baby and not Yuki's. Like much of the family, Haru had always thought Tohru would fall in love with Yuki. How could anyone not? Yuki had even been Haru's first love, after all.
"Yes, I've known for a while," Yuki said.
"And you're okay?"
"Of course he is! My darling little brother has been in love with another for some time now," Aya chimed in.
Yuki turned at the sound of his brother's voice. "How... how did you know that?"
Aya just smiled and shrugged prettily before turning to Hana. "Tohru's friend Hana, isn't it? I'm Yuki's brother Ayame... have we met before? Oh I have such a poor memory, but you shall have the best brother-in-law ever!"
"AY-A-ME!" Yuki yelled, his voice filled with rage and his face bright red, whether from rage or embarrassment no-one was certain.
Hana put a restraining hand on Yuki's arm, "Don't hurt him."
"Why? We're in a hospital, he can get treatment," Yuki said coldly but calmed down all the same. Aya just smiled.
"Why is everyone out here?" Hana asked.
"That Hatori said we're too much at once and can only see her two at a time. Aside from Orange-Top, that is, he won't leave her side," Uo answered.
Hana smiled. "I hadn't thought he would, once he knew."
"I'm hungry, come get lunch with me," Uo said and pulled Hana off toward the elevators.
"Who's with Tohru now?" Yuki asked.
"Kagura and Ritsu, and Shigure and Ha'ri are down in the cafeteria," Momiji answered.
"That's all but two of us, what a gathering," Yuki remarked. "Rin didn't come?"
"She couldn't get away," Haru answered, "And that bastard Kureno better not show up."
"Kureno isn't a bastard," Kisa said quietly.
"How can you say that, Kisa? After all he does for Akito? After he watched Akito beat you... twice... and did nothing?" Haru asked.
"He-he's always been nice to me," Kisa answered. She noticed Hiro looking at the floor and knew he was thinking that he hadn't done anything to help her either, so she took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly. He looked up at her and she smiled at him. 'It's okay' she mouthed and he nodded once.
To Hiro, though, it didn't feel okay. It would never feel okay, not until he could protect Kisa and stand up to Akito. For five years he'd been trying to get the courage, but somehow... it never came. He felt like such a wimp, how could he ever ask Kisa to love someone like him? Five years and still such a child! Someday, though, isn't that what Tohru had said? Someday he would be a man and fight for the one he loves. He just wished that day could be now.
Hiro looked over at her and saw that she was talking to Haru and Momiji. That ox... there had been a time Hiro'd thought he would lose Kisa to that two-toned freak, but then Haru had gotten back together with Rin and Hiro had let out a great sigh of relief. Now, though, that rabbit was tutoring her and Hiro couldn't stand it.
'Why can't I tutor her? I'm good in English!' Hiro had asked only to be told that Momiji was a college student, and going to be a doctor, so that made him more qualified. True as that may be, Hiro knew the real reason was that Akito forbade it. Anything that would have him and Kisa around each other too much, and especially alone together, was forbidden... it had taken all of Shigure's considerable influence with Akito for Hiro and Kisa to be allowed to attend the same high school.
Asking Shigure for his help had been painful enough, and now the damn dog mentioned it whenever possible. Hiro fumed. And then Shigure goes and insinuates... he insinuates.... Hiro felt the soft skin of Kisa's hand on his and sighed. Okay, so maybe the dog had a point there. It's only normal, isn't it? Hiro wondered, but wasn't about to ask any of his cousins. No way!
"Are you okay, Hiro?" Kisa's soft voice asked.
He looked into her warm eyes and got lost for a moment. She'd asked him something... "Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine."
She looked at him a moment as if she didn't believe him before turning back to her conversation with Momiji and Haru. Her mind just wasn't in it anymore, though. Hiro... why did he always try to be so tough? Couldn't he see that she liked him just as he is? Well, not that she'd ever had the courage to tell him that. Sissy had obviously had the courage to tell Kyo. They'd probably be getting married... it had worked out okay for her. 'Maybe I should just tell him' Kisa thought. There had been times, more and more of them lately, when she'd thought Hiro would kiss her, but he never did. Was she wrong about those times? If she wasn't wrong, and he did want to kiss her, that meant he liked her that way, right? So why did he always turn away as if burned?
A girl's first kiss is a special thing, a once in a lifetime event, and Kisa wanted very much for hers to be with Hiro. Maybe it was naughty of her, but she'd been waiting... it crossed her mind at least a little every time she was around him. She had decided that it must be Akito, that's why Hiro always kept his distance... Akito had gotten between them before and he was doing it again. Even going to the same school, seeing Hiro every day, Akito was always there like some phantom menace. Kisa knew Akito wasn't really there, though, he wasn't a ghost or a phantom with the ability to see every thing at every time. If no-one told him, he would never know, and she sure wouldn't tell him.
Kisa gave up all pretense of talking to Haru and Momiji and just sat there, holding Hiro's hand and glancing at him now and then, lost in her thoughts. It's not like she wanted... more... something they could definitely get into trouble for, something they could prove. She wasn't asking for a declaration of love, an engagement, or even a date... she just wanted one little kiss. If Akito got his way and they were separated, and she was forced to marry someone else or live her days alone, at least she would have the memory of her first kiss with Hiro. And no-one need ever know.
Maybe it was all a dream, though, maybe she was imagining things that she wanted and not seeing what was really there. Maybe he didn't like her that way. After all, she wasn't wise like Sissy, strong like Kagura, or sexy like Rin. She was just 'cute little Kisa'.
"What has those two looking so depressed?" Shigure asked Hatori, indicating Kisa and Hiro, as they arrived back in the waiting room.
"Don't you remember being a teenager, Shigure?" Hatori asked.
"I try not to," Shigure answered.
"With how you were, that's no wonder," Hatori said.
"Oh, but Gure, don't you remember the two of us when we were young?"
"Yes, of course Aya, I've no reason to block my one true love from my mind!" The two ran to each other in slow motion, arms open wide, then grabbed hands and laughed.
Kagura and Ritsu appeared from the direction of Tohru's room just as Ayame and Shigure started their little show, and Hatori noticed the way Kagura's eyes followed his two wayward cousins.
"I'm going to go see her now," Yuki said and stood up.
"I'm coming, too," Haru said as he followed Yuki down the hall.
----------------------------------------------
"How could you not tell me, Hana?" Uo said the moment the elevator closed.
"I'm sorry. I didn't tell anyone."
"Are you really in love with The Prince?"
"I am," Hana said and after a moment Uo laughed.
"You owe me," Uo said. "All three of us... well, I suppose with a group of cousins as hot and different as the Sohmas, it was bound to happen, wasn't it? I just never thought it would be you and The Prince. I always thought Shigure was more your type or maybe Hatori... you know, older and... capable."
"What makes you think Yuki's not capable?" Hana asked with a wink and a laugh, and then sobered quickly. "I met him this morning," she said softly, knowing no more specificity was needed and hoping the mention of Kureno didn't cause Uo any pain.
Uo held her breath for a moment before saying, "Oh? How was he?"
"He looked well... he's as good-looking as any of his cousins, that's for sure." Knowing Uo would want to know, and deserved to know, Hana continued without having to be asked. "He showed up with the head of the family, Akito. Kureno was polite and I don't think he's a bad guy, Uo, but I don't know why he puts up with Akito. From his waves, it seemed Kureno didn't like being there, doesn't like the things Akito does. Akito... he's scary... it was because of him that Tohru got so upset and ended up here. The minute he left, she doubled over in pain and fell to the floor. It was horrible."
"We have to keep her away from him," Uo said.
"Yes, but how?" Hana asked and then smiled. "I zapped him a little. It was fun."
"Hana! No beating up on people without me, remember? You don't get to have all the fun."
"I couldn't resist, he was asking for it."
"You didn't zap Kureno, did you?"
"No, of course not... but I thought about it, briefly, for what he did to you," Hana said.
The elevator doors opened on the ground floor to reveal a familiar man standing directly in front of them.
"Speak of the devil," Uo said as she looked into the eyes of Kureno.
That many characters at once is tiring! I'm not too sure on Kisa's age, best I could figure she was in 7th grade when Tohru was in 11th, which would make Kisa now in 12th grade in this story, and seventeen. I'm also not sure about Hiro's age compared to Kisa's, so I'm just taking my liberty to make them the same age in this story. Or maybe he flunked or was promoted a grade or something. I also have no idea on the policies in Japanese hospitals about fetal monitors, but hell, it works for my story, so I don't care. ;-)
The next update may not be for a while again, but for different reasons. I'm having all four of my wisdom teeth (along with a tiny shaving of my jaw bone, wonder if I'll miss it?) surgically removed this Wednesday (ouch) so I'll be on pretty hefty pain killers for at least a week after that, I'm told, so I probably won't feel up to writing (and I'm scared to know what would be written while I'm drugged, lol). Then at the end of this month, beginning of next, I'll be away for over two and a half weeks (YAY!). I will have access to a computer and the internet and will try to write at my friend's house (she reads the story and may want an update, haha), and I'll try to get a chapter up after I'm off the drugs and before I leave, but I'm just not sure how everything will work out. Gomen!!
I like the way one author put it, I hope s/he doesn't mind if I quote "if you've come this far you've obviously read, so please review". I will add, though, please be kind since this is my first fan fiction and I'm very sensitive. Bad reviews... "I just don't think I can take that kind of rejection!" (Toy Story... never mind, I'm crazy.) Please let me know of any glaring errors that me or my Master have missed and I'll fix 'em. ;-)