Summary: LOTS OF SPOILERS! You have been warned. Takes place in between the manga series end and epilogue. This is a continuation of the lives of the entire cast of characters and a new challenge for the whole gang to face.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or any of the characters but this fan fiction is completely mine. Places I describe are fictional but may exist in real life.

The Last Banquet: A Fruits Basket Fanfiction

By Anna Victoria

Chapter One

The Sohma Main Compound – 7 months ago

Shigure looked out at the grounds from his bed room window. The sun was hidden beneath a clump of dark clouds. There was a hint of rain in the air. He walked to the window sill and took in the landscape outside. The air was thick with humidity. There would be one hell of a storm tonight. Just as he was about to close the shutters a dark brown blur caught his eye. It was a stray dog, completely indifferent to the set of dark eyes watching it stroll by. A sad smile wanted to turn the corners of Shigure's lips but he did not waver. He was use to this by now. It had been nearly five years since any dog had taken interest in him.

He sighed wistfully as he remembered the days long since past. There were too many happy memories that didn't deserve to be remembered by just him. Since then, his younger relatives and his favorite special flower had moved out from the house they had once shared together. After they had all left it didn't take much for him to move back in to the main house. Besides, there was someone else that needed him now.

"Shigure?" a whisper of a voice floated to his ears.

Turning, a different smile found its way to his lips, one full of love. "Yes, my dear Akito?"

"I felt something just now. I'm not sure what. But I'm frightened." Akito's eyes reflected her swirl of dark emotions to Shigure. It was enough to make him run over and taker her in his arms.

"What's troubling you?" he whispered, his lips traced a line along the edge of her ear as if to draw the fear out of her with just the faintest of touches.

Goose bumps made their way up Akito's arm as she took her hand and placed it on Shigure's, bringing both over to rest on the round area that was now Akito's abdomen.

"Wait for it." Her voice shuddered, burying her face in his shirt. Shigure held her closer, unsure of what was causing her fear and why it concerned that particular part of her body. They have had numerous visits with Hatori.

For a few minutes there was nothing, just the sound of their breathing. In the distance a roll of thunder rang out. Akito tensed suddenly and then, against the waiting hand of Shigure, a small thud could be felt from within her belly.

……,,,……,,,……,,,……

Tokyo – 2 months later

The clock on the wall stared at him, mocking him, as if to say "It's still not time for you to go home yet!" Pushing aside the violet hair from his eyes, Yuki slumped back into his chair. He had just finished his studies at Tokyo University and had received a summer job with one of the Sohma family's sister organizations that specialized in cancer research. For now, he was in charge of organizing fundraisers, such as banquets and golf outings to raise money for their cause. He found his job amusing and slightly reminiscent of his days on the student council but he was waiting for an opportunity to do more.

Yuki had it pretty good, coming straight out of college, even with out the help of his family name. He had his own office, small though it may be but he liked the fact that he wasn't stuck in a cube all day long. His desk was tidy but he made it a point in his life to show more of his personality where ever possible. Tohru had sent him a big strawberry plushy as a gag gift for his birthday one year and it sat on a sofa at the far end of his office. On his desk was a picture of Machi, his long time girlfriend. They had moved in together the year she graduated from high school. The picture was of them, sitting in their spartan-like living room, boxes waiting to be unpacked in the background, both smiling widely at the camera. Next to Machi sat a picture of his family. Looking at this picture now, he never realized how much time had gone by.

He remembered the day it was taken. It was one of the last times that they were all together, Hatsuharu and Momiji's graduation day. Yuki, Machi, Ritsu, Rin and Kagura had all come back home for the weekend from college. Tohru and Kyo had flown in from Okinawa. Kisa and Haru had been released from school early thanks to Ayame's very convincing speech to the principal. He was there with Mine by his side. Hatori was there as well, not only to support Haru and Momiji but also to see Mayuko, who had the pleasure of being Haru and Momiji's teacher that year. Well, a pleasure for the kids at least. They had all gathered in front of the school waiting to be seated when a very familiar black car rolled into the parking lot. Shigure, with his usual casualness, stepped out first, followed by a very reluctant Akito. Reluctant, perhaps by the fact that she still felt awkward around her former Zodiac. Or, perhaps by the fact that she was wearing a skirt. Kureno was the only one missing from their group as no one had heard from him or Uotani in over a year.

Yuki smiled as he remembered Tohru, immediately running over to give Akito a hug, their hushed voices talking animatedly as if they hadn't seen each other since their last lifetime. The others were not as familiar with Akito as Tohru was but they were all kind. It was amazing to see everyone there standing with relative ease, where if it had been a year before then no one would have even volunteered to be any where near Akito.

Amazing how time could heal.

A quiet beep from the small intercom on his desk brought him back to the present. "Yuki-sama?" a girlish voice from the other side inquired.

"Hai, Mizuki-chan?"

"You have a phone call on line one."

"Thanks. Did you get a name?"

"Yes sir. It's your cousin, Hatori."

"Ah, thank you." Yuki sat up quickly and re-tied the mess that was his hair at the back of his head. It had grown long, so much like his brother's, although Yuki would never admit it.

Excitement rolled through Yuki's body. He had not spoken with Hatori in a very long time.

"Moshi Moshi? Ha-san?"

"Yuki. Good to hear your voice." Hatori's deep stoic voice sounded through the receiver, "Sorry, to ask this of you on such short notice. But we have little time. How soon can you make it back home?"

Alarmed, Yuki's mind ran through a hundred different scenarios, frantically trying to figure out why his heart started to beat a little faster.

"Hatori, what's going on?" he was like lead.

There was a pause. It seemed like forever.

"The others have been contacted. They are all on there way. Akito … is with child and will give birth sometime in the next few days. But there are some complications" Hatori's voice was maddeningly calm.

Akito! Pregnant? How? And, since when? A million questions ran through Yuki's mind but only one made its way out. "What kind of complications?" Yuki's voice was but a whisper.

"She may not survive, Yuki."

That was all he needed to hear. "I'm on my way home."

Okinawa – The next day

Morning sunlight peeked its way into the small apartment. A white apron hung near the tiny kitchen. There were school books spread across a small table in the middle of the room. Other than that the apartment was spotless. Folded laundry from the night before lay in a basket, waiting for it to be placed back in its closet. But something had interrupted that process. Well, not something but rather, someone. And that someone had his arms wrapped around the woman who kept the apartment so clean.

In his excitement to get home the night previous, Kyo had almost ruined seeing his favorite person in the world doing something he never got tired of coming home to, Tohru folding laundry. He had quietly snuck into their one bedroom apartment with all the skill a master of the martial arts possessed. Kyo did not want to ruin the moment.

There she was, in all her glory, Tohru, doing the most menial labor but for some reason, every time Kyo saw her, his blood would start to race and all he could think, smell, taste was her. Leaning against the doorway he watched her quietly. She had grown into a mature woman with curves to match. She never changed the style of her hair but for some reason she looked so much different from when he had first met her, so much more beautiful. Maybe it was time that had changed her? He could say that about himself also. He too had grown, into a fine young man. Days of training had turned his body into a deadly weapon but when ever he held Tohru in his arms all it was used for was to comfort and love.

He still could not believe he could hold her. Every time they embraced it was like a gift from God. Kyo chuckled at the thought. A gift from God? Sure, why not? He could never get a full grasp of what happened to them during their last year of high school, why the curse had broken in its entirety. He knew it was because the bonds that held them close to their god had broken but he could never understand why exactly. In his mind, the curse was broken because Tohru had entered his life. Ever since the day he saw her picture in the park, sitting there with Kyoko, he felt something inside of him had changed. And when he finally did meet her, completely by accident at Shigure's old house, he knew deep down, he would never be the same.

Tohru looked up, having heard the chuckle from the door way and smiled. She had turned to see the bright orange hair and amber eyes that always filled her heart with love and made her stomach cartwheel.

"Kyo, I think you have gotten taller again." She giggled. That was all she had to say and he was at her side in three quick strides, his arms encircling her, holding her to him tightly.

"Your cooking is the only reason I keep growing." He whispered in her ear, huskily. His hands moved along her sides, following the curve of her waist and around to the small of her back and up again.

"Speaking of food, there is some waiting for you on the stove" she said breathlessly as she snuggled into his chest, breathing in what was so distinctly Kyo's scent.

"Hmm … Later." Kyo growled bending down, reaching for her legs and lifted her so that they ended wrapped around his waist.

With in minutes they had tumbled into their bed room and were a pile of clothes and limbs.

That was how she woke up the next morning as the sun light trickled in from behind the blinds.

She sat up slowly, not wanting to disturb Kyo's slumber. Last night was the first time in weeks he had slept with out the nightmare plaguing him. It had started about a month ago. Almost every other night she would wake up to see Kyo sobbing with such pain and anxiety. They could not understand what it was about.

"I don't get it, Tohru. I'm standing in pitch black, unable to move, and this great darkness rises from all around. But I'm not scared. All I feel is so incredibly sad."

Tohru looked down at the sight of the love of her life, sleeping peacefully for the first time in weeks, and frowned. I still have to fold the laundry! She thought viciously. Making me stray from chores ... I'll get my revenge later! An evil giggle, so unlike what the normal Tohru was capable of threatened to escape her mouth when the phone rang.

……,,,……,,,……,,,……

A/N: Okay, I decided to combine chapter 1 and 2 to make the chapters longer and more like the novel format that I had originally intended it to be. I didn't make that many updates as I was fairly happy with the way it had come out the first time. I added a few more sentences and a couple of details here and there to enrich the story line a little. WAH! Yuki with long hair like Ayame's! I wish I could draw a picture of that *growl*. Kyo was always my favorite I always pictured him to be such a bolder more sexual person as time progressed. YUMMY! I also changed the time lines a bit to make more sense.