Chapter 1

Hello Again

A/N: This is full warning of how this story is not following the manga but picking up the end of the anime. It has been changed and twisted to fit how I want the story line to progress. Anyone who nitpicks will be cursed out. No "OC this" "character that" or "This is supposed to be's". You've been warned.

"I guess I was asking for it again huh?"

The young Shigure looked over at the young girl next to him. She was already watching him, smiling with that smirk she had, her green grey eyes waiting for his answer.

"It's not your fault Nai."

She held her arm a little closer to her, it was shattered, "No, I know he gets angry easily, we all know it…"

Shigure stood and helped her stand as well, "Let's go see Hari, he needs to set your arm."

"Shigure."

"Yeah?"

"If this happens again…I'm leaving. Promise you won't come after me."

He chuckled, "I don't know if I can promise you that. Just don't make him angry again."

"Please Shigure." She looked at him with tears in her eyes, "I just can't promise this won't happen anymore."

"Fine. I promise."

Shigure woke to the sound of banging. He looked out his window and noticed the rain, then looked at the clock next to him and noticed the time. It was three in the morning, were Kyo and Yuki fighting this early?

He stepped into the hall as the banging became more pronounced, that was the door. The dog rubbed the sleep from his eyes, "Who could be wanting to visit little old me at 3 a.m.?"

"Shigure!"

The banging stayed steady but now someone was calling, "Shigure!"

"Who the hell is making all the noise!" Kyo stood at the bottom of the steps with a dazed Yuki behind him.

"All the banging is sure to wake Miss Honda…"

Shigure waved a hand over is shoulder, "I got it."

"Shigure!"

The man finally opened the door and blinked at the woman standing on the porch, soaking wet, "H-hey." She lifted the backpack on her back a bit higher, "I would have called but my cell phone died and the taxi couldn't bring me through the woods…"

"Nai…"

The woman smiled and gestured to her wet jeans and t-shirt, "Um, Gure it's cold, can I come in?"

He stepped back and she stepped in, smiling at the children, "Yuki, Kyo, hey."

"Nai?"

"Miss Nai…I didn't know you were coming home."

Her hair dripped onto the carpet and Shigure closed the door, "It was supposed to be a surprise."

Kyo rubbed his eyes, he was so tired because of the rain, "Are you ok?"

Shigure put his hands on her shoulders and she hung her head, "I am a bit…tired…"

Yuki stepped back as the dog lifted the unconscious woman. "Yuki, come help me get a room ready. I get the feeling she walked all the way from the airport."

"Of course."

Kyo stayed at the bottom of the steps, staring at the ground and the puddle of water her hair left behind. He put his face in his hand, "She came back…"

"She's still as reckless as ever."

Shigure kept his gaze out the window as Hatori aided the passed out woman, "Hari, we all thought she wouldn't come back this time."

"None of the Sohma's can ever go away and not come back…even if they're not cursed."

A few things clinked around in his medical bag as he rifled through it. That and the woman breathing were the only sounds in the room for a minute.

"We have to take her to see him, don't we Hari?"

"Yes. It can't be avoided."

The dog reached out and touched the woman's hair, "I can't watch him hurt her."

Hatori finally looked up from his bag, "Shigure…"

"I never even stopped him. I just sat there."

"It happened so fast Shigure. You can't keep blaming yourself." A giggle made them look down, "Besides I decked him so hard I doubt even he recalls how it happened."

The woman moved to sit up only to be pushed down by Hatori, "Sorry doctor Tori."

"You come home unannounced after three years and instead of reporting straight to the main house you walk in the rain from the airport to Shigure's house." Nai tried to speak up but a thermometer was shoved in her mouth, "I don't want to hear it."

She rolled her eyes, "You're worse than your dad."

Shigure smiled at them and Nai finally sat up, "We shouldn't question the reasons behind a travelers destination."

"Forever the novelist huh Shigure?" she asked around the thermometer.

He smiled, "It's what I do best."

Hatori watched the two smile at each other and let a small smile in his face as well. "Doctor Tori, are you smiling?" Nai poked his shoulder.

The dragon rolled his eyes and grabbed the thermometer, "You're fine. Your temperature is a little higher than normal but it should go down during the day."

Nai's face became serious, "I want to see him as soon as possible."

Shigure tensed, "Whatever you want my dear." He sang, but it sounded a bit forced.

"Thank you Shigure."

"It's not my job to stop you. Besides, you heard Hari, we have to take you to see him."

The woman nodded, "Has she seen him?"

"Who?"

"Tohru wasn't it? The little girl whose been staying here."

Shigure nodded, "She has."

Nai chuckled, "He hurt her didn't he?"

Hatori packed up his things, "He grabbed her by her hair. She talked him down before he could do any real damage."

"Hm, I couldn't even do that."

"That's because you spent more time arguing with him than anything else. It always made him angrier."

Nai looked down at the end of her necklace and stared at the ring dangling on it, "That's because I liked him better angry. He always scared me when he was being nice."

Hatori sighed and stood, "If that's how you wanted it… I better head back and tell him you're here."

Shigure grabbed the man's suit pants from his sitting position, "Hari wait."

"What is it Shigure?"

"Bring Momiji and Haru over after school. I'm sure they'll want to see her."

Hatori ignored Shigure's fake smile and nodded, leaving the room. Nai smirked, "That's not what you were planning to say was it?"

"No. But I can't protect you, not from him. I'm just happy you came back. Writing about you didn't keep me sated for long."

Nai smiled, "I thought a few characters sounded familiar."

"You annoying little brat! I swear every time you open your mouth…!"

"Ow! Somebody! Kyo's picking on me!"

Tohru tried her best to separate the boys as they approached the house, Hatori strolled behind them silently, smoking a cigarette. She thought it was a bit odd when he showed up to pick them up from school. He said someone was waiting for them at the house but wouldn't say whom.

"Are you alright Miss Honda?"

"Oh Yuki! I'm fine, just wondering who's at the house."

Yuki flashed back to the night before and the woman who came to the house, "It's just a certain person. She's very nice so there's no need to be worried."

"I know."

"Then stop worrying!" Kyo butted in, "It's really annoying." He pushed through the two and trotted up the couple of steps to the front door.

Tohru followed behind him in silence. It was a woman, maybe a member of the zodiac she hadn't met yet. Or maybe…

"Gure stop it!" the voice was a woman's and she was laughing uncontrollably.

"Why must you make me stop princess! It's been years since I've felt your warm skin!" Shigure answered her playfully.

Hatori slammed open the door to reveal Shigure pinning Nai to the floor. He smiled awkwardly when he saw Hatori at the door, "Oh, Hari." He climbed off the woman and they both stood, "You could have taken the children for ice-cream or something."

"NAI!"

The woman caught Momiji in mid jump and held him tight, "You've gotten so big!"

The boy didn't answer and instead clung tight around her neck and started to sniffle. Nai cupped his head, "Momiji, why are you crying?"

"You didn't say goodbye."

The woman looked up at Haru whose eyes were also wet, Yuki was looking to the floor, and Kyo at the wall. "I'm sorry."

"Indeed, Nai was irresponsible and will now make up for it since she's home by staying here." Hatori sat at the table and looked at her. "Akito's orders."

Tohru piped up, "Are you a zodiac animal Miss Nai?"

The woman smiled, "You're Tohru right?"

"Yes. Tohru Honda."

"No, I'm not cursed…at least not in the animal sense."

"What do you mean?"

Yuki smiled at Tohru, "You see miss Honda, Nai was born under the same blood line as Akito. She can hug us simply because she is all of us."

"Then. You were head of the family?"

Nai sat Momiji next to her and waved her hands, "Oh no! There were…well…behavioral problems with me."

"What do you mean?"

Kyo put an elbow on the table, "She was a trouble maker."

Haru chuckled, "New Years was always a surprise when Nai was around, we grew up with family stories of her pranks."

Shigure chuckled nervously, "Of course exploding food wasn't one of the adult's favorites. When Akito was born the official title was given to him."

Tohru fumbled with her hands, "If you don't mind me asking miss Nai, why did you leave?"

Nai smiled as everyone else in the room fell silent and Shigure left the room. She put a hand on he necklace resting on her chest, "I was supposed to marry Akito. Despite my older age it was decided but…I wanted to be with Shigure."

Tohru gasped, "And Akito found out?"

"In one way or another. Shigure and myself, our friendship grew faster than my friendship with Hatori and Ayame. Akito caught on and we fought about it, he almost killed me."

Tohru reached up for her hair without thinking about it. She knew deep down that Akito was very capable of causing such damage.

Haru hit the table with his fist, "The bastard hit her with a vase and let her bleed out on the floor. We were all young but we remember the ambulance and the blood, it was all over Shigure's shirt…"

The young girl looked at the door leading to the hall and knew Shigure was outside listening.

Nai smiled, "I left after that. It was the last straw."

Hatori stubbed out his cigarette, "Enough talk about the past, it's all behind us. Shigure why don't you come back in so we can eat."

Shigure stepped back into the room and sat next to Nai, "Hari I'm starving lets call for takeout."

Tohru smiled sadly as she saw Nai do the same.