CHAPTER 1

The crisp air intertwined around Leiko as she made her way to Ayame's shop, brushing her long brown hair back behind her shoulders. She wasn't used to being back in Japan and the mere smell of this familiar street threw her off. She sighed and licked her arid, dry lips. Her silent confidence, radiating from every angle of her figure, lowered a bit by the thought of how everyone would react to her return. After all, she had left five years ago. She was only coming back to meet the girl Shigure had kidnapped and revealed the secret to. What an idiot…

Leiko still missed her friends, though. She had been hiding out for a long time near the ocean, staying away from her male co-workers and spending all her time in her job. Being a workaholic had hardened her and Leiko found herself closing into a shell more than often. Hopefully Ayame hadn't changed, though if he had calmed down a bit, Leiko would find the reunion a little easier. There his shop was, standing in the midst of well-respected businesses. There were dresses inside where a pretty woman in a maid outfit was hemming. Leiko snorted. He was a seamstress…

"Of course." she growled walking into the store. A drowning beep sounded above her as she entered.

The maid turned around and gave Leiko a big smile. "Why hello, miss! Welcome to Ayame's! My name is Mine! How may I help you today?"

Leiko smiled, gently. "I would like to see Ayame, please."

"Oh don't worry! All orders go through me! I'll take care of anything! What is it? A wedding, a new job, first night with-"

"No, I would just like to…speak with Ayame, if you don't mind. He's…an old…acquaintance of mine." Leiko murmured.

"You know the boss, do you? I'll give the boss the notice as soon as possible, but keep in mind, Mr. Ayame doesn't usually remember everyone he's ever met in his life."

"Oh he'll remember me, believe me," Leiko told her, giving her a smile.

"Uh-huh," Mine scuttled over to the check-out desk and searched for a pen and paper. "Alrighty! And your name…?"

"Leiko Sohma."

Suddenly Leiko heard a series of crashes coming from the back room. Someone rushed out, astonished and a smile spread across their face. A very large smile. "Lei-lei!" Ayame yelled in excitement. He rushed over to Leiko, looking as if he was going to grope her by excuse of a hug. She moved out of the way and nearly fell over. She glared. "Ayame, please contain yourself," she growled, dryly.

Ayame laughed. "Ah, well I see she's so flustered to see me again, she doesn't feel worthy enough to touch me, like so many out there!"

Leiko rolled her eyes. "Yes, Aya, I'm sure that's it." She sighed and smiled to herself, slowly looking back up at Ayame. "I see you haven't changed since High School. I was worried you were going to be responsible."

"Well as you can see I own my own store of dreams and-"

Leiko held out her hand to shut him up. "Oh please Ayame. You own a langerie store, barely. What you sell here and-" Suddenly she noticed Ayame's outfit consuming of long red robes and lace. Although very fashionable, Leiko found it odd on Ayame. "What in hell are you wearing, Ayame?"

"Call me Aya, Lei!"

"Call me Leiko. You know how I loathe that nickname."

Ayame laughed. "Oh! Same old Lei! And why, may I ask, have you so kindly graced my humble establishment with your beautiful presence?"

She opened her mouth, but Ayame cut her off with a gasp. "Oh! You have been thinking of me for so long that it has simply drawn you mad, hasn't it, and just had to return to me! Oh sweet Lei!"

Lei slapped the hand that reached out to her. "Oh come off it, Aya! You are not the only reason I came back so can it already, would you?!"

Ayame's bright grin dimmed, as if he was gradually getting sober by each word. He glanced at Mine and then at Leiko. "Come. Let us talk and celebrate your return with sake and chicken yakitori! It shall be a small feast!"

Leiko sighed and forced up a smile. Although Aya could be outrageous at times (Okay, most of the time…) she knew that he was trying and that he still just wanted to make her smile and laugh like old times. "Wonderful."

The "small feast" was actually a full three course meal with more than just alcohol and chicken. Leiko pressed her lips together as she stared down at her plate. She glanced up at Ayame who was pulling out his cell phone. Her eyes narrowed. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"Shigure! You will not believe who's here!" Ayame gushed, excited.

Leiko's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "Ayame! No! Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" she seethed.

Aya ignored her as he cheered Leiko's name into the phone. There was a pause, but Leiko didn't bother to hear Shigure's muffled response. She had only wanted to pay a small visit to Ayame and perhaps meet that Honda girl, but if the two of the three stooges knew about it, then the entire Sohma family would know within a few hours. Okay, so Hatori wasn't a "stooge" but he was pretty dumb to be able to put up with those two throughout high school without totally going crazy. Leiko could remember her teenage years so clearly it was as if she was there again whenever she'd close her eyes. Hatori with his short black hair and quiet nature; Shigure's warm eyes of deception and girl crazy antics, and of course Ayame with his confident, long violating silver hair, and self-centered world. Still, Leiko had missed them terribly. She had grown up in the Sohma house with all of them and had been right their sides as they each were transformed accidentally. She had been there as each of their beloved classmates' memories were erased, deleting the Sohmas from existence. Leiko had run away from Sohma House a little after high school and was only now returning after five years.

Ayame hung up with a content sigh. "Oh my dear Lei, I have missed you so much!" he breathed, his romantic side warming the air in the room.

Leiko smiled. "And I, my dear Aya, have-" she leaned across the table. "-missed-" Ayame leaned forward just in time for Leiko to slug him. He fell to the ground, laughing it off. Leiko huffed, "-that! I was Kazuma's best student, if you'll be so kindest to remember dear, sweet Aya."

Leiko stood up, smiling. "You know, that little act you and Shigure did in high school was just adorable, but it's been ten years. Grow up, Aya, I beg of you."

Ayame was up in a flash to prevent her from leaving. "But lovely Lei Lei! You haven't touched your food!"

Leiko pushed past him, but he wouldn't let her by. She pressed her lips together in an annoyed firm line. "Well I guess I'm not that hungry."

Ayame grasped her cheek and, to her surprised, Leiko found her self shaky. He looked at her for a while, all nonsense gone from his face. "You refuse to eat the food I made you out of pure joy for your daring return we have all waited for with paited breath?"

Leiko bit her lip and narrowed her eyes, thinking. She didn't really want to leave. She was testing Ayame to see if he was still the same. She knew that he was going to stop her. She sighed, aggravated. "Oooo! Fine!" she growled, plopping down on the floor in front of the table.

Ayame's expression lit up and he sat down elegantly across from her. "Wonderful! Now tell me, Leiko, since you'll have to tell Akito anyways, where have you been?"

Leiko stared at Ayame. She nodded, knowing it was the truth. Akito would grill her and probably try to kill her. He had lost his temper last time she had seen him. Leiko's lower lip quivered and she buried her face in her arm on the table. Ayame tilted his head and smiled as he reached across to comfort her.

"What? …Leiko? ... she's back?!" Shigure exclaimed. He was using the tip of his pen to type his new book on the computer. He was typing slowly, as usual, but slower since he was on the phone. Suddenly it beeped.

"Oh my my my, naughty little Shigure, letting his ravishing publisher stand out in the cold empty handed!" Ayame laughed on the line.

Shigure shrugged. "Oh she'll be fine, don't worry, but what you're saying about Lei? Are you just trying to get another free ride down memory lane or is it true?"

"She's here at my store, Gure! I would let you speak to her, but she's already upset about this call. I assume she'd just hang up on you or smash the phone!"

Shigure chuckled. "Same old Lei… So why is she back, Aya?"

"Yes, yes, I was just going to find out," Ayame answered before he hung up.

Shigure hung up and sat back in his chair. "Wow…Leiko has returned…I wonder why?"

"Shigure! Yuki! Kyo! Dinner!" Tohru called.

Shigure saved his work and shut the laptop. Leiko. That was his only thought. However the relating thoughts weren't I wonder why she's returned, or Will she come here?. He entered the kitchen and leaned against the doorframe. He gazed around the room, his eyes roaming from Yuki, to Tohru, and then finally settling on scowling Kyo. Leiko was Kyo's idol. Not just for her martial arts talent, but for her strength, attitude, control, and more. Leiko had always taken a shine to Kyo as well. She was just like him in certain ways too which made Shigure ponder. What was she angry about this time?

Leiko bowed. "Thank you, Aya," she said, quietly. She smiled at him. "That was delicious."

Ayame grinned. "It always is, you know!" he said. His smiled dimmed. "Well I assume that you're angry about something too, right?"

Leiko blinked, confused. "What? Angry?"

Ayame sighed. "You've always been sort of a hot-head at times, Lei. People don't just change overnight!"

Leiko narrowed her eyes. "I was gone five years, Aya. Not one night."

"Which brings us to another subject! Why did you leave so suddenly?" he asked.

Leiko took a deep breath and walked towards the door. She placed her hand on the handle. "I'm going back to my hotel."

"Your hotel? Why don't you stay at Sohma House?" Ayame asked.

Leiko flinched. "Because I'd be a pretty big hypocrite if I returned to the one place I worked for so long to avoid and finally run away from!" she paused to calm herself down and smiled. "Alright so I am still a bit of a hot head, so what?"

Ayame suddenly caught her into an inappropriate romantic hug. "Oh you precious child! Even now after years and years of separation between us, which our old flame that still glows brightly even in this darkness you have spread around us so generously, you still rebel against your old life and your old love! You precious, beautiful girl! Silly and still lost in her own intertwining thoughts, but wonderful! Oh I've missed you so much dearest Lei! I have missed you since the moment you left on that fateful, horrible day you went astray from our wonderful lives, ruining the future that is today!"

Leiko squirmed, groaning. "Ugh, Aya!" she wiggled out of his grasp and nearly falling into the sliding door. She smoothed her hair with one hand as she cracked open the door. She tilted her head a bit, her voice low. "Our lives weren't wonderful, y'know. Didn't you see me when I was dying?"

Ayame opened his mouth to reply, but no sound came out for he was too surprised. Leiko sighed and turned to leave. "Right. I shall…see you another time then?" Leiko didn't give him a chance to respond as she fled the backroom.

Mine grinned. "Oh! Miss Leiko! How was your lunch with the boss?"

Still on the run, Leiko waved her hand without looking back. "Yes, yes, terrific," she chirped. "Nice meeting you Mine!"

She rushed out, angry that she couldn't slam the automatic door.

Leiko couldn't help but pass out in the taxi. "Wake me when we get there, please," she murmured to the driver. He nodded and Leiko collapsed against the window. She wasn't even at Sohma House yet and she was already exhausted. She had a mental list of all the people who would demand to see her. She planned to just grit her teeth and bare it. It'd be all over soon. She'd have to give a lot of apologies and tell her story a lot of times, but the faster she did these things, the faster she'd be off again. She wasn't going to stay for good, afterall.

She could already picture Akito's face. Yes, he'd be dissappointed, but his rage would be unpredictable. Akito had been just a child last time Leiko could remember seeing him. It had been the day she'd run away. He had tried to kill her when she told him how she longed to leave. She hadn't been scared until she saw the whites of his eyes that night and she felt terrified, confused of her rebellion. But Akito was older now and had had years to brude over this.

What would he do now?

"Miss?"

Leiko jerked away. "Hm? What?"

"We've arrived." The driver grumbled.

Leiko glanced at the meter and shoved him money before finally getting out. She took a deep breath as the cab drove away. She approached the gate and dangled her finger over the intercom. She couldn't. Turn back now, she told herself. Go back to Aya and you'll be safe. Go back…go…

"Hi there!"

Leiko spun around to see a young, blonde haired boy on the wall. She smiled, remembering the pictures Shigure had sent her the month before. The pictures had come so randomly, yet the letter had made Leiko nearly blow off the roof above her in anger. Leiko knew who this boy was and she hoped, more than she wanted, that the younger ones would remember her. "Momiji."

The boy jumped down and stared at her. "Who are you and how do you…?"

Leiko blushed and laughed out loud. "Haha, well I guess I should've known you wouldn't remember me, you silly rabbit."

Momiji blinked. "I-?"

"Leiko Sohma, Momiji. Do you remember-?"

Momiji grinned and attacked her in a hug. Leiko smiled, surprised and happy. "Lei-Lei! Why are you-? W-Welcome back!"

Leiko giggled. "Thank you, Momiji. I honestly didn't think you'd remember me!"

"Of course I remember you! You were the one to get me my first violin! You told me that you always wished to be the rabbit and made me proud to be a Sohma!"

Leiko rubbed the back of her neck, laughing. "Haha, well I guess I did do that, huh?"

"Kyo's going to be so excited! Are you going to Shigure's after this? Oh wait, that's right, you probably don't know where he lives! You've been gone for such a long time and oh! Everyone's gonna be so excited! I know Hari's going to be happy!"

Leiko sighed. "Yeah, you think maybe he'll even smile?" she sneered.

Momiji laughed. "Hari smiles, don't worry! And guess what? I started high school this spring with Haru! Kyo and Yuki are getting along too and oh! Have you met Tohru Honda? She's great! She's really sweet and-"

Leiko laughed. "Momiji! Slow down for goodness sake!" Momiji was still holding her hand as he led her through the gates. Leiko took a deep breath as she gazed around at the seculded little town. Sohma House…it hadn't changed at all. Not even in five years. "Geez it's like a ghost town…home sweet home, huh?"

"What?" Momiji asked, smiling.

Leiko smiled back. "Oh nothing," she said, waving her hand. "I was just reminiscing, don't worry!"

Momiji grinned and skipped through the brush. Leiko reached out to him, but he was gone through the greenery. She ducked in and around. "Where are we going, Momiji?" she whispered.

"To Hari's house, of course!"

Leiko went white. "Um…M-M-Momiji? Perhaps…maybe not just yet? I'd really like to see everyone at the main house first, maybe say hi to A-A-Aki…I mean, Haru and Kagura and-"

Momiji sighed. "You still hold that grudge against Hatori?" he asked, quietly.

Leiko looked at him, blankly, but laughed. "Ha! Ah ha, ha, ha! No, no, don't worry Momiji! I just…don't think he'll be very happy to see me that's all."

Momiji shrugged. "Well I know that the rest'll be anxious to see you!"

Leiko beamed at the thought. "Yes…and I'm excited too!" Momiji took Leiko's hand and pulled her up to the House, practically skipping. Leiko gave up and skipped too. They started to laugh and Momiji said, "Y'know Lei-Lei? I thought that you would have changed. I thought you would have stuck up your nose at this kind of stuff and you would have turned into a stickler with all the work you probably did while you were gone, though you never were much of a workaholic, but even still-"

"Momiji! Who have you got there?" a maid called out from the House's front porch. Momiji sped up, but Leiko stopped skipping. Her heart dropped and turned cold. The sight of the Main House, the source to all the ridicule and torture, made Leiko cringed and fell sick. She was suddenly unsure if she could do this. How could she just waltz in there unannounced? What would she say? Hey! Sorry I skipped out on you guys for the past five years! Who's up for a friendly game of Rich Man, Poor Man? No. Turn back Lei…Turn back…turn-

"Leiko? Aren't you coming?" Momiji called out.

Leiko smiled, nervously. "O-Of course, Miji!" she called out, wobbling up the Main House stairs.

A maid, astonished, bowed to Leiko. Surprised, Leiko returned the respect. "Hello."

"Good evening Miss Sohma," the old maid stuttered.

Leiko did not reply. She followed Momiji into the house and sniffed the cold air that suddenly encased her body. Momiji stopped and turned, solemnly. "Leiko. I cannot let you just walk by Akito like a ghost."

Leiko gulped, but smiled weakly. "I know, and I will see him. Just…not now. Perhaps I shall see everyone else? Like Kureno or Kagura or Haru! I bet he's gotten tall, huh? And-"

"Leiko."

Leiko spun around to see Hatori standing in the doorway. She heart dropped. She bit her lip as he walked towards her and stared closely into her eyes. "Hello Hat-"

"Leiko, come with me."

Lei looked back at Momiji. He grinned, sheepishly. "D-Don't worry Lei-Lei! I'll just go get the others! You sp-spend some time with Hari!" And with that he ran off.

Leiko blinked. "Hatori, I…"

Hatori began walking towards a room. Leiko followed. She knew it. HE was going to kill her. Good bye sweet world. Goodbye sweet memories. That's it! Maybe he was planning to erase her memories! Or…that one…

Hatori open the sliding door for Leiko, politely. Of course… all the villains are usually polite… she thought, nodding her thanks as she slipped in. Hatori slowly closed the door behind him. Leiko sat down on the pillow in the center of the room. Hatori walked over to his desk. It was so quiet in the room that Leiko couldn't take it!

She stood up again. "Alright Hari, I can't take it any longer! If you're still angry with me then just say it, because I know that I haven't been brooding over such a frivolous topic—well I guess I have and I guess it is frivolous per say—but I know one thing and that's that I've missed you a lot, but I only wanted to visit that Honda girl who Shigure completely blurted out our lives to." Leiko blurted out, tripping over her words.

Hatori had stood up during this rant and walked over to her. When she finished, Hatori smiled at her and she nearly fell over backwards. "I've missed you too, Leiko." he confessed.

Leiko grinned and hugged Hatori before he could move an inch. Surprised, Hatori laughed. "You know, I have to say that you've matured, but not by much. You're still the fun-loving, crazy, silly little Leiko that we've missed."

Leiko laughed. "You you're still the boring, workaholic, stick-in-the-mud that I've missed, Hari!"

Hatori sighed. "Thank you."

Leiko bit her lip. "So are you still mad about… y'know?"

"The fiasco that occurred at graduation? Of course not. Is that why you never spoke to me for this long?"

Leiko blushed. "Ha! Aha ha ha! No, of course not!"

Hatori rolled his eyes. "Of course not," he repeated, blandly. "Now if you don't want to see Akito, then you have best-"

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Another maid entered the room. She bowed to Hatori. "Master Akito wishes to have an audience with Mistress Leiko."

Leiko turned pale. "I-"

"Of course," Hatori answered for her. "This won't take long."

The old maid nodded, bowed, and left.

Leiko turned around and nearly smacked Hatori. "Are you insane?! Or are you getting back at me?"

Hatori smiled. "Neither. I am just following orders."

Leiko narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, like a robot." She hissed. Hatori's smiled vanished as Leiko said, "Prove to me that you aren't snow."

With that, Leiko left to face the head of the family.