A/n (for further reference, any bolded letters at the beginning of a chapter are for authors notes, so I'm not going to label that anymore) So, here I am with my first Fruits Basket Fanfiction. I saw the shows and I'm halfway through the books, and my friend has started a full on obsession. I, of course, made my own girl for the main character, since I almost always hate using preset characters (if you happen to read my Twilight fanfics, you might notice that fact is the same in those, but I don't highly suggest you read them, because I don't really update, plus Wounded Hearts and Inconvenience are the only good ones, since the others were written a long time ago and aren't very good….) well, with that, let's get started!

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN FRUITS BASKET, and you all know it, so I see no need for further pain in pointing this out.

Chapter One

I panted, pulling myself as quickly through the woods as I could. You're insane, Rei! I thought to myself. I knew this. Running would get me nowhere, but there wasn't much else I could do. Get away, live on my own somehow, anything, would be better than a foster home that I would inevitably be sent to.

Tears sprang to my eyes, and not just because my lungs were burning with exertion. I couldn't believe my parents were gone… and it was my fault too. I'm not just trying to blame myself, like a lot of people who lose family do. It really was my fault. I left our old gas stove on by accident, and didn't even realize that my dad had left the newspaper sitting close to it… how could I be so stupid?

I tripped and stumbled, and glared tearfully at the root that stuck up just a foot or two behind me. I rubbed my ankle, and winced, having found yet another burn. I'd gotten out of the fire in time, but just barely. I had tons of burns, minor as they were, and my hair was singed. I internally scolded myself for worrying about something like that, mad that I sounded like… well, like such a girl. But my hair was my finest feature, my parents had always said… Oh well, it's not like it wouldn't grow back.

I slowly brought myself back to my feet, using a tree for support. I took one step, and crumpled back to the ground in pain. Damn, now I had a twisted ankle to add to the list of injuries. How in the world was I going to take care of all this? I can't afford a doctor, I don't have anywhere to stay… my life just seemed to get worse and worse.

I lay there on the ground, trembling, trying to force back my tears. I was exhausted, and… Oh great. Now it was starting to rain. It was a slight sprinkle at first, the mist actually feeling nice, soothing my skin. But it soon started to come harder and harder, becoming a downpour and pelting my sore flesh like tons of small stones. I sniffled down there in the mud, thinking about how I was going to catch a cold.

I was miserable, but I knew I couldn't just lay there. I started crawling feebly forward, keeping my mind concentrated on the next inch, and the next. Soon enough, my temper got to me, and my pace got unbearably slow. Knowing it would hurt, I heaved myself up and started limping ahead, practically hoping on one foot and using whatever trees were nearby to steady myself.

I was proud of myself when I looked back, seeing a slight indent in the mud where I had laid, scrapes from where I'd pulled myself forward on my knees. I'd gotten pretty far, despite my injuries. Then again, my dad had always said I was pretty tough…

I sighed sadly, tears welling into my eyes again, and I turned to keep going. Wouldn't you know it, I tripped on another root. Too bad my toughness didn't come equipped with anti-klutz genes.

I cried out loudly as I fell, because this wasn't just a little root sticking up an inch, this was one of those roots that's sprouted way far out of the ground, one of those huge knotted ones that stands like, a foot tall. I hit the ground with a slight thud, and my breath knocked out of me. I sat there panting, the days events taking their toll. I welcomed the sweet darkness that engulfed me, putting a temporary stopper in my pain.

XXX Meanwhile… XXX

Kyo blinked his eyes open sleepily, feeling a slight mist fall across the bare skin on his arms and face. He looked around confused, taking a moment to realize that he'd fallen asleep on the roof… again. He cursed irritably and sat up, stretching.

He inhaled deeply, the scent of whatever Tohru was cooking wafting up from out of the house. He walked casually over to the ladder propped up on the edge of the house and climbed agilely down. The rain gradually grew heavier, into huge, stinging drops, and he hissed, trying to shake the water off of him. He was about to sprint into the house when he paused, and glanced into the woods. Was he hearing things, or did someone just cry out?

Rather than stand in the rain, or go running to investigate, he sat under the roofed porch, trying to listen through the sounds of the rain steadily pounding above him.

He sat there for about five minutes, and was just about to give up when he heard it again. A cry, definitely, and this time it was louder, closer. He jumped up, paused for a moment to ponder telling Shigure, then decided against it and dashed into the woods.

It only took Kyo a moment to find her, thankfully, since the rain was starting to wear him out. He was shocked, and wondered if the weather was fuzzing over his brain, making him see things. The girl lay in the mud, unconscious. She was soaked through, and her skin looked like she'd been thrown into an oven, with burns patching over her arms and legs. Her clothes were torn and filthy, and her long black hair was knotted, and filled with sticks and mud.

Kyo shook his head, snapping out of his shocked reverie. He was slightly panicked, trying to think of a way to carry her back to the house. He couldn't just drag her there, obviously, but he had to be careful not to change when he picked her up…

After a few minutes of struggling, he managed to slide his arm under her shoulders, and put his other under her knees and carried her that way, trying to hold her away from his body.

As he walked awkwardly back the way he had come, he wondered why he was going through the trouble. Usually he wouldn't give a crap about some stranger, but… He looked down at the girl in his arms, her face peaceful and relaxed. There was just something about her… or maybe it was just that he wasn't cruel enough to leave an injured person in the woods in the pouring rain.

He stepped up onto the porch and kicked at the door. "Hey!" He shouted, kicking it again. "Someone open the door, already!"

He stood there, fuming as he impatiently waited for someone to slide the door open for him.

"Oh, I didn't think it was locked…" Tohru's voice came through the door, slightly muffled. "We already ate, but I saved some dinner for— Oh!" She cut off with a gasp as she slid the door open and saw him.

"Tell Shigure to call Hatori," Kyo said gruffly.

"Why am I calling Hatori?" Shigure asked, poking his head into the room. His eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, Kyo… I see you've found a new friend… Erm, you can just bring her into your room while I call Hatori…"

Kyo headed up the stairs, trying to walk sideways so that her head wouldn't bump against the walls. He almost fell over once, and his arms tightened instinctively around the girl so he wouldn't drop her. He grunted in surprise and quickly held her away from him, then blinked when he didn't transform. That was close, he thought.

When he got to the top of the steps, Yuki's door slid open and he stepped out into the hallway. "Kyo? What are you making so much noise about? Who's this?"

"I don't know, just get outta my way, you damn rat," Kyo snapped, trying to sidestep around Yuki.

"If you don't know her, why'd you bring her here?" Yuki asked, not budging.

"Because she's hurt! And this is hard enough without you in my way, so MOVE IT!" Kyo started shaking with irritation, and if it weren't for the fact that his arms were otherwise occupied, he would have undoubtedly thrown a punch.

Yuki stared at the cat coldly for a minute, then stepped back into his room and slid the door closed.

Kyo cursed under his breath and made his way down the hallway to his room. When he got there, his door was closed, as he'd left it. He swore to himself again and tried to shift the girl's weight to one arm so he could use the other to slide the door open. He'd only need about an inch or two, and then he could shove it the rest of the way with his foot.

"Here, let me help you with that!" Tohru's cheery voice came from behind him. He jumped and almost dropped the girl, not having heard Tohru show up. "Shigure wanted me to tell you that Hatori will be here soon," She said, opening the door and then standing aside to let him in.

Kyo stood for a moment, trying to figure out where to put her. "Tohru… Get me a couple of towels, will you? Quick," he shouted after as she trotted out of his room to do so.

He stepped to the side when she came back, her arms filled with soft white towels. "Lay them out on my bed. Er, Please. I don't wanna put her on the floor." Tohru just smiled that goofy little smile of hers and pulled Kyo's blankets off his bed, and laid out the towels as asked.

Kyo nodded at her in thanks, and then carefully set the girl on top of the towels. He stood for a moment, staring down at this person. He felt strange, thinking that he might have saved her life. He eventually sat next to the bed, leaning his back against the wall, and waited for Hatori to come.

XXX...XXX

My head felt heavy. I was really, really warm. Warm and dry, and I didn't hurt anywhere. Was that all a dream, my house burning, and my parents sizzling to death in the flames? I started to stretch my arms, and my muscles screamed out in pain. My eyes flitted open and darted around anxiously as I tried to recognize my surroundings.

I let out a moan. It definitely wasn't a dream. Where was I, though? How did I end up in this room?

I heard a door slide open with a gentle fwoosh, and a girls voice called out into the hallway softly. "Kyo? Hatori? I think she's waking up!"

I groaned again as I tried to stretch my stiff muscles, but my skin felt like it was made of paper, and it hurt to move. Soft steps padded down the hallway, and I heard the door slide open farther. I didn't bother to look to see who came in, assuming it was the Kyo and Hatori that that girl was calling to. I stared blankly at the ceiling, as if it would help me figure things out. It was like I thought the answers would be written up there, where I could see them. I probably would've snorted with sarcastic laughter, had I not known it would probably hurt. I was more likely to see gullible written up there.

A bright light flashed into my eyes, and I cried out in pain. My arms flew up to cover my face, and I cried out again, my body screaming at me. "What the hell?!" I demanded, blinking blearily at the man hovering over me.

"You could've given her a warning, Hatori" the soft girls voice from earlier said.

"Just let him do his work, Tohru," A boy's voice replied, sounding slightly snappy.

Hatori was apparently the doctor, Tohru the girl… which left the other boy to be Kyo? I sighed. Why did it matter anyway? I would've figured out eventually, I'm sure.

Hatori put his light away, apparently having seen whatever he needed. "You're lucky Kyo found you last night, young lady. Your condition was not good by any means, and you could've been in real trouble."

I heard someone clearing their throat behind him, as though embarrassed, and I craned my neck to try and see. I winced in pain as the muscles in my neck tugged at each other, and I lay back down in irritation.

Tohru, I'm assuming, stepped forward from the end of the bed I was in and pushed Kyo, assuming again, forward. I blinked, pleasantly surprised to find him quite handsome, with a shock of orange hair and strange red eyes. His cheeks reddened slightly under my stare and he grimaced.

"It was nothing…" He muttered.

I chuckled in amusement, and then broke out into a coughing fit.

Hatori handed me a glass of water from a small table beside the bed, and as soon as I could take a breath, I guzzled it down. I coughed weakly a few times after I'd drained its contents, and then sat still.

"You have some minor smoke damage to your lungs, second degree burns on your arms and legs, a sprained ankle, and a cold. If gone untreated for too long, you'd be in bad shape, but luckily I've taken care of most of these problems, and you should recover soon," Hatori explained. He put a few things back into his bag and then walked out of the room.

There were a few moments of awkward silence, until Tohru spoke up. "So, what's your name?" She asked in a sweet little voice.

"Um… Rei... Rei Otsuka," I stuttered, sounding quite witty, I'm sure.

"It's so nice to meet you!" She exclaimed. "My name is Tohru Honda, and this is Kyo Sohma. The doctor was Hatori Sohma, he's a good friend of ours."

"Well… tell him I say thanks… he left before I could say so myself."

Another head poked through the door, and in walked a man with black hair who was quite obviously older than the other two. "No need, I already thanked him for you!" the man said, and he entered the room, dragging along a silvery haired boy behind him. "My name is Shigure Sohma, and this is my cousin Yuki."

"Rei, Rei Otsuka," I repeated.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Otsuka," Yuki said in a soft voice. I looked at him in interest, noting his purple eyes. Did he always talk so formally?

I yawned deeply and felt my eyelids flutter. Was it even possible that I was still tired? How long had I slept for?

"Oh!" Tohru piped up, sounding concerned. "You must get your rest! Come on everybody, out! Out!" She shooed everyone out of the room and was about to close the door behind herself.

"Wait…" I said tiredly. She paused at the door and looked at me. "Quick question… Whose bed am I in?"

"Oh, Kyo's" She replied. I didn't even have time to feel embarrassed before I fell back asleep.

So what do you think? I hope the chapter is long enough. I haven't been very good at length in the past. Reviews would be greatly appreciated, but I've learned that begging for them is just annoying! ^^

OH, and quick thing, in this story, Kyo and Tohru don't have their little romance thing. Tohru never saw his true form, so he still has his little Kyo issues heh, heh… anyway, thanks for reading!