READ!: Sorry but the Sohma's don't come in until the next chapter! I also am not fond of honorifics so I shall not use them.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket. Or the characters. I just own Addison...And Maria...

The Weird, The Strange, And The…Zodiacs?

Chapter One:

Stalker Cats

"Come on Addison!"

My friend Maria begged me as we walked down my street.

"No."

"But it's going to be the biggest party of the year! You can't miss it!"

"I can and I will."

"You can't be this anti social for the rest of your life. It isn't normal."

"Who said I was normal?"

"True."

"Anyway, you're the social butterfly, not me." I told her as I stopped at my house. "And you didn't have to walk me home again y'know. I'm a big girl." I added as I unlocked my door.

"I know…It's just…I wanted to make sure you were okay. Ever since…You" here she paused to clear her throat, "just haven't been yourself lately." She murmured as she looked at me with her eyebrows furrowed. I paused, my back turned to her. I knew what she was going to say. Ever since your mom died… I shook that thought off and forced a smile.

"I'm fine." I said my back still turned to her.

"Are you sure…" She trailed off as I turned back around.

"I'm fabulous. Really. Go. Have fun at your party. I'll be fine." I gave her a small smile.

Her eyebrows were still furrowed but she nodded, "If you need me call my cell." I nodded absently as I closed the door. I turned around to face the empty house. With my uncle gone I'd be by myself. You see my mom died a few weeks ago. Leukemia. I had lived with her all my life. So naturally I was placed in my uncles care. That just leaves one question. Why my uncle? Why not my father? Well, he split when I was about 5. Haven't seen him since. But since I'm 16 now I figure that I don't need him. Well, there's probably more that you need to know about me. Like my name.

Last name; Road, yeah it's weird. Get over it. First name; Addison. Yes that's usually a boy's name. But once again I tell you: get over it. I'm 16, my mom died, my dad, as far as I'm concerned, is dead, and I'm pretty much walking on eggshells. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that my life sucks…Just that it's getting harder. My best friend is Maria Castillo. She has thick straight hair that's white blond on the top and a dirty blond on the bottom which flows to her waist, and bright river blue eyes, with a smallish girly-looking shaped face and cupids bow lips, with a light tan on her arms and legs. Yeah. She's one of those bomb shell blonds. But, thankfully, she doesn't boast about it. I guess since I described her I should describe myself. My hair is curly to the point where it's almost unmanageable, and a strawberry blond color with blond streaks that brush my shoulders. My eyes are an interesting stormy bluish-gray color that look silver when I get mad. My face (according to Maria) is heart shaped and (also according to Maria) I have nice full lips. I also have braces which, according to Maria, make me look 'sooooo cuuuttee!' I think they just made it a real pain to feed myself. Really. I have to cut stuff up into tiny pieces and feed it to myslef. My skin color? As white as snow. Really. And I'm not all that tall for 16. 5 ft., maybe, and it would be stretching it, 5`1. Maria was 5`4. I also have a lot of animals. Cats mostly. Strange for a girl who's allergic to them. However, almost all of them were mom's, not mine. The only one that was really mine was Bud. Bud is a lithe orange striped cat with one blue eye and one green one. Typically he's very anti social. He doesn't even like the other cats. I also have other animals though. I have a dog named George who had the colorings of a Rottweiler but really looks like a wiener dog, just not as fat. And I have a rabbit. She's white with red eyes and she likes to cause trouble. I named her Bonnie. Was I forgetting anything…? Oh. Yeah. And I can talk to animals. Surprised? Yeah. It's sorta like Dr. Doolittle. Only I don't know jack about helping injured animals. I can only talk to them. That's pretty much all it's good for. To be honest all of the extra voices in my house during the nighttime tend to give me a headache.

"SHE'S HOME!" I heard George shout as I entered the living room. As I looked up from my shoes I saw George jumping up and down excitedly. Dogs. So very easily excited. And eccentric.

"Shut up you stupid dog. Can't you see that she's stressed?" Bud asked as he sauntered into the room his gait lazy and laid back. George stopped hopping.

"Sorry." He said quietly. I waved my hand as if to say it was fine. I chucked my backpack on the couch and stepped into the kitchen. I fixed all of the animals their dinner and set them down on the floor.

"Hey your uncle left a message for you about an hour ago." I heard Bonnie's high pitched voice sound as she glanced up from her carrot sticks.

"Thanks." I muttered as I jogged to the living room where, sure enough, the red light was flashing on the message machine. I pressed play.

"Hey Adds." The machine crackled, "I just wanted to let you know that I'm in Paris. And that you should start packing…I know that I should have warned you before hand and I'm sorry but…We're moving to Japan. Or…At least you are. You're going to live with family there. I know this must be a shock to you but…Well, the courts don't think I'm fit to take care of you. They think I'm gone too often. Everyone here was trying to figure something out. That was when someone suggested the Hondas. From what I was told, they're having you live with a girl named Tohru. This Tohru lost her mother too, so everyone agreed that it would be best. She lives with a family named the Sohma's and given the circumstances they have agreed to let you stay there. It won't be forever. I'll fight to get you back. You'll be there a month tops. I already let Marias' family know. They said that they'd let Maria visit soon. It won't be so bad. Your flight leaves at six, and all you have to do is tell the people at the airport your name and they'll give you your ticket. I'll arrange for your animals to be sent later. I'm sorry and I love you. Bye Adds." Then there was a click and an automated voice came on. I didn't really hear it though. Japan. I was moving to Japan.

"Great. I heard the cats in Japan were stuck up." Bud meowed.

Could life seriously get any worse? With that thought I mechanically went up stairs and packed all of my clothes. By the time I was done it was 4:20. I grabbed my wallet said my farewells to the animals and headed to the airport knowing that I had an extremely long night ahead of me.

*Several Hours Later*

"Thanks." I muttered to the cab driver as I tossed him some money, he grunted and then sped off. I watched him go. I had long ago lost the numb feeling I received when I had listened to my uncles message. Now…I was pretty much just pissed off. The cabbie had dropped me off on the edge of some kind of forest. I stepped onto the path and started walking. It was morning here about nine or ten. I was still simpering over how just about everyone loved screwing me over, when I felt I was being watched. I had this irrational fear and I looked over my shoulder. Nothing. I shuddered. What if a psychotic murderer lived around here? Great. Now I was just scaring myself. I gripped my bags tighter and walked faster with my head held down. The feeling increased. I was about to round a corner when I heard voices. I froze. When the voices came closer I instinctively hid behind a bush.

"Their waves. So strange." A dull girls voice sounded as two girls rounded the corner.

"Hana. You and your wave reports." A tall girl with longish blond hair that covered her left eye said as she shook her head.

"Yes, well, I just want to make sure Tohru is being taken good care of." The girl named Hana said. Hana had dark green hair in a side braid over her left shoulder.

"I don't think we have to worry too much. They obviously know her. I think the Prince and Orangey can take care of her." The blond girl said, sureness in her voice.

"I think you're right Uo, I think you're right…" The girl named Hana's voice trailed off as they walked out of my hearing range. What an odd conversation. They mentioned a Tohru…Maybe it was the Tohru Honda I was looking for? Perhaps. I sighed as I stood up out of my crouch, stretched and then went on along the path. As I turned the corner I saw a house. It was pretty much in the middle of nowhere. As I took another step towards the strange house I heard a meowing sound and froze. I turned around slowly. At what I saw my eye twitched. A fairly large group of mangy looking stray cats were slowly closing in on me. Man.

"Addison Road? Hello, I'm Leo." A big male tabby asked me while stepping forward. My eye twitched again.

"How do you know my name?" I asked while inching backwards more. They kept coming near me.

"Word spreads fast when an Animal Talker moves into town. Animal Talker's are rare, real rare." Leo said.

"Yeah. Well, I can't help you and treat injuries or anything like that, so…" I trailed off as I backed up faster.

"We don't want you to treat injuries. We just wanted to talk to you." Leo flicked his tail and at this (which I guessed was some kind of command) all of the cats pounced on me, knocking me to the ground and making me hit my head hard on the compacted dirt. The impact with the ground jarred my body. I groaned as cats climbed all over me.

"WHY CAN'T ANY OF YOU EVER UNDERSTAND? I CAN NOT HELP YOU! IN FACT I SUCK AT HELPING ANIMALS! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" I shouted way too loud. Leo seemed to grin.

"Now you've done it. The half-bloods are going to come and investigate." Leo swung his head from side to side as I heard a gasp sound from behind me. "Just remember that we're here Animal Talker, and that we'll be watching." Then Leo did something strange, even for my standards (Which are high, because I deal with a whole lot of strange in my life). He pressed the pad of his right front paw to my forehead, shocking me into immobility.

"What are you cats doing to that poor girl?" A highly worried girls voice sounded from my shoulder. Leo jumped off and the other cats followed in suit like they were his shadow.

Leo's gang ran off into the bushes hiding there. Leo paused halfway there and turned around to face me.

"A word for the wise: things are not always what they appear. Remember that. You'll need it soon. Very soon." Leo turned around.

"WAIT! What's that suppose to mean?" I called after him in frustration. He paused to give me a grin and then took off into the forest. As much as I would've liked to sit there, balk at Leo, agonize over my crazy life and my apparent stalker cats, I couldn't.

In front of me stood a girl.

In retrospect I totally would've gone with the stalker cats instead of what would happened next.

A/n: Hey there readers! This is (amazingly) my first Fruits Basket fanfic. I've been working on it for some time and the first chapter ended up being too long (25 pgs) so I decided to split it up. So yes, I have the second chapter…And I'm holding it hostage until I get at least one review! Please? Don't make me beg…

~ XOXO EmiShae