A/N Who doesn't love Momiji? He's the cutest thing since…anything! I just love him and I hope all you readers out there like this story, I worked hard on this one…and I actually gave it to my Beta to proofread! Amazing I know….well something new happens every day.

Momiji slowly walked down the street being very careful to hold his umbrella just right so he wouldn't get his new pink hat wet. He was 17 now and he looked exactly like the President's staff had envisioned he would, yet he still wore girls' clothes. He had worn them his whole life after all, he didn't like any other clothes.

It was raining. It had been for nearly two days now and Kyo had been especially irritable so, even though he wanted to see Tohru, he had decided to wait until it stopped raining. He sighed contentedly and started licking the lollipop he had just bought from the candy store. It was rainbow colored, the really big, flat rainbow colored kind you could usually only find at amusement parks.

He kept walking, leading with his feet so he would make mini splashes every time he took a step. He smiled as he walked hoping the sun would come up soon and wondering what Tohru was doing that moment. He decided that she was probably fixing dinner; it was about that time after all.

Suddenly he heard a small voice. It was weak and had been muted because of the rain…it actually sounded more like a cry than anything. It said "Hell….help…mah…me" Momiji looked around very confused. Voices couldn't come out of nowhere so where was its user; he knew the person had to be close by.

He looked around for a few minutes until he finally spotted it. There was a huge tarp by the garbage cans, he had overlooked it before but now he could see two tiny feet sticking out from under it. He took a step closer anxious to see who it was, then he heard the voice again, it was a little stronger this time. "Help me…..p-please….it's-s-so cold" Momiji stopped, suddenly apprehensive; it was a girl. I'll just have to be careful, he thought.

He slowly pulled the tarp away. It was a girl all right and she was soaked. Her auburn hair was dripping wet and her clothes were stuck to her skin; you could tell she was very thin. She was very pale except for her cheeks which were flushed with fever. Momiji wandered for a moment if she was homeless, but pushed the thought out of his mind; it was very sad to think about. She lifted her head up and Momiji could see that her green eyes were out of focus, like she was looking to something beyond what you could see.

She looked at him, and whimpered out the words "Help me". Momiji thought for a moment, I can't carry her…so she'll just have to walk. "O.k I'll help you" he replied "But I don't think I can carry you, can you walk?" he reached his hand out and she looked at it in wonder, like no one had ever offered her help before. She reached her hand up, took his delicately, and tried to pull herself up only to find it to be impossible. She looked like she was about to cry but Momiji just kept smiling and said "It's okay just try again". This time she wrapped her fingers around his wrist and he did the same. With great effort from both parties she stood up.

She swayed dangerously as she stood, but gained her balance with little help. Momiji smiled and said, "Now that wasn't so hard was it". '"No" she said with her eyes half-closed "It wasn't as hard as….as I thought it would be" Her eyes closed all the way and she fell on top of Momiji; with a loud poof he turned into a rabbit. He started shivering and panting in fear oh nooo, he thought, she saw me, oh nonononononono, now her memories will have to be erased and I'm barely even her friend yet! He turned his head up to look at her face, expecting to see a look of disgust; thankfully he found that she was unconscious.

He started turning blue, as the weight of her body crushed his small form. He wiggled out from under her and started hopping to Shigure's house. The main house was closer but he knew…he could never bring her there.

Some time later the girl woke up to find Momiji's face hovering just above her consuming her view. "Hey there! How're you feeling?"" he said in his bubbly voice. She rubbed her eyes sleepily and said "Better…..I guess"

"That's good. Your fever was so high Hatori had to pack you in ice"

"Really….I was that bad?"

"Yeah ….we didn't know if you would make it. We were going to go to the hospital if you didn't wake up soon."

"How high…was my fever?"

"106 degrees if you can believe it."

"Oh…how….how long have I been out for?"

"Oh, hmm, about" he put his finger to his lips and lifted his head up as he thought "I think for about…. A little less than a day" she looked down at her folded hands and started crying silently. Momiji looked at her sadly, what happened to her that could make her cry so easily, he thought.

He cupped her hands lightly in his and said "It's okay, you're safe. I'm gonna help you, you're my friend and I'm gonna take care of you" She looked shyly up at him and wiped the tears away from her eyes "You want to be..my friend?" Momiji nodded his head, causing his hair to sway gently "Mmm Hmm we're friend". She started crying again "Oh come on" said Momiji his face full of worry "Don't cry! Everything's going to be fine". She smiled through her tears and said "I know…I'm crying because I'm happy. I've never had a friend before" Momiji squeezed her hand lightly.

She stared at him for a moment and then squinted her eyes, causing her nose to wrinkle up. Momiji laughed in spite of himself "You look so funny" he said. She relaxed her face and said sheepishly "I don't mean to sound rude, but are you a boy…or girl?" Momiji's face flushed with embarrassment "…I'm a boy".

She started to laugh but then it quickly turned into a hacking cough. "Are you okay" asked Momiji worry once again playing in his eyes. "Oh yeah. I'm fine" she answered "Hey you never told me your name".

"Opps! My name's Momiji what's yours"

"I'm Kianna, but you can call me Kia, Kianna takes to long too say"

"Kia…I like it"

They both sat there smiling awkwardly, not really knowing what to talk about. Thankfully Hatori walked in and said "Momiji I need to speak to you….in private if you don't mind" Momiji smiled and walked away calling back as an afterthought "Be right back". After he had closed the door Kia whispered to herself "I'll be waiting"

"Momiji what were you thinking when you brought her here? You know she can't stay"

"Oh come on Hatori! She was all alone in the rain. She needed help, so I helped her….she didn't see anything so you don't have to tell …."

"Momiji, don't be foolish, you know I have to tell Akito"

"NO! Can't it just be our secret?"

"Momiji, you know I have to tell him, just like you know she can't stay here….just like you know she can't be your friend. You know that don't you Momiji?"

"…I know"

Kia sat in her bed listening to them talk. She wondered lazily if they knew that she could hear them. Or maybe that was what they wanted, to tell her she couldn't stay without actually saying it to her face, but she didn't think Momiji would do that; he didn't seem the type. Oh well, she thought, both have happened before, so at least it won't be anything knew. Her eyes swept across the room, taking in her new environment.

It was very plain, mostly neutral coloring. The room itself was quite small; the only pieces of furniture were a bureau, bedside table, and an empty bookshelf. It reminded her all to much of a hospital, and its only gratifying quality was the sliding glass door directly opposite of the real one that lead onto a wooden balcony outside. Through this door she could see that it was still raining and she was wondering when it would stop when the man she assumed to be Hatori came in; actually he kind of just hovered in her doorway.

"You should be free to go in about a week. This virus can take a lot out of you and you'll need time to regain your strength." He spoke very disconnectedly; he didn't want to get close to someone who was bound to leave soon anyway. Kia smiled knowingly, turned toward the glass door, and said "Yeah, I once learned that a virus never really goes away, it just stays dormant in your body, waiting to show up again". Hatori let a half smile grace his face, he didn't know many people who knew that. There was silence between the two as Kia stared out the glass door. After a few awkward minutes Kia broke the silence "So I'm going home in a week…I guess it's good, my…parents will be so worried". Hatori offered to go see them but Kia declined saying they wouldn't be that worried.

Suddenly, Momiji's head popped in to doorway "C'mon Ha'ri aren't you done yet? I've been waiting patiently and everything" Hatori just grinned and walked away. "So Kia, what do you want to do" Momiji asked as he shifted his weight from the balls of his feet to his heels. "Oh I dunno..I guess that depends on if I can get out of bed or not" Momiji smiled again and said "I'll be right back" he dashed out of the room with his hands straight out to his sides like an airplane. Kia beamed at his child like behavior, it reminded her of how she used to be. A few minutes later Momiji popped back in and said "Hatori says you should probably stay in bed so I brought cards" he displayed them happily on his palm a grinned toothily "What should we play?" he asked. Kia smiled evilly and said

"Have you ever played Slapjack?"

"No I haven't! How do you play?"

"Well I deal out all the cards and then we flip them alternatively. When you see a jack you have to be the first one to slap it. The person with all the cards at the end wins"

"Sounds like fun" said Momiji unaware of the pain his poor hand would soon be in. Kia dealt the cards out and the game began.

Six of Spades

Ten of Diamonds

King of hearts

Queen of Spades

"So Kia what school do you go to"

"Oh…I don't know…I…I just moved here"
"Great! Maybe you could come to my school"

"Sounds like fun!"

Seven of Hearts

Three of Clubs

JACK! D

Momiji gasped and slapped the jack excitedly only to feel Kia's hand slapping his. His eyes started to water.

"OWWW, Kia's HURTING me"

"Oh don't be a baby Momiji. They don't call it Slapjack for nothing"

Momiji stopped spouting tears so only small watery beads lined his eyes. "But it hurt" he stated, very offended. "I'm not going to purposefully not try to slap it! Jeez Momiji you say the funniest things" Kia said, she put on hand one her head and started laughing. "Hey! It wasn't that funny" whimpered Momiji. "Yes…yes it really was' she finally said as her laughs subsided. After she had gained her composure, which took a minute or two, they continued their game.

Eight of Spades

Four of Hearts

Five of Diamonds

Six of Clubs

"If you don't mind me asking…why were you on the street, I mean, where's your family" Momiji asked his eyes downcast, looking at the card in his hand that he was about to play. In the silence he flipped it over.

Ace of Spades

"…I guess I was lost. You see my parents are..out of town and I was out of food. I was going to the grocery store but on the way I started getting all woozy. I had to sit down and I guess I was so sick I forgot to get up". Momiji looked up to see Kia frowning as if confused about something, what that was Momiji didn't know. "In that case I'm really happy that I found you….before you couldn't get up at all". He smiled and so did Kia "Yeah, I guess that is something to be happy about" They kept playing

Seven of Hearts

Ten of Clubs

Nine of Diamonds

Kia hesitated then flipped her card

JACK D

They both scrambled to slap the card, in the end Kia got it. She picked up the messed up pile of cards and started the endeavor of straightening it out. When she was done she set them down by her side but she didn't flip one over.

"Kia it's your turn" said Momiji matter of factly. Kia just looked at him, her eyes intense, it reminded Momiji of the first time he had seen her eyes, that x-ray feeling he had gotten, she was trying to see something unseen by human eyes. "Momiji" she said, her voice very soft and breathy (A/N: Not in a sexual way) "You're my friend right". Momiji paused a moment remembering the conversation he had with Hatori and knowing he was right, but still…"Of course I am" he said happily "Is that what you're so worried about?" Kia sighed "Sorry. That must've sounded weird, huh?" She sat back up and flipped her card over.

Two of Hearts

They smiled at each other and kept flipping, gradually going faster and faster.

Queen of Clubs

King of…

Seven o, three, six, ten, four, nine, eight, five, queen, eight, three, seven, JACK! Momiji slapped it first once again feeling the sting of Kia's hand. "Owowowow" he said waving his hand in front of him like he was trying to air dry his nails. Kia started laughing, Momiji stared crying and just at that perfect moment Shigure sauntered into that room his eyes closed, one hand lightly on his chest and the other outstretched as he introduced himself.

"Hello, I'm Shigure. Yes I'm delighted to see you too. I just came in to meet our young ,highschoolgirl, guest, I hear that she's quite.." at that moment he opened his eyes and gasped "What is this!" they both blinked at him stupidly. "How can you let this poor young girl sit around looking like that?" Kia kept blinking at him, but Momiji could see what he meant. Her shoulder length auburn hair was matted and extremely tangled. She was muddy all over and her clothes, now dry, were so baggy they were practically falling of her body.

Kia looked down at herself and smiled embarrassed "I guess I do look pretty bad, huh." She put her hand on the back of her head and laughed nervously. "You look horrible! What's more, you're getting mud all over my poor new sheets! We need to clean you up right away" He grabbed he hand and pulled her out of the room, the nervous, confused expression still on her face.

Kia settled down into the tub; it had taken a lot of strength to even step in. After being raced down a flight of stairs and having to shoo Shigure out of the bathroom so she could actually take the tub, not to mention her fever, she didn't feel all to wonderful. Oh well, she thought, maybe this will make me feel better.

The steamy water gave her goosebumps all over her legs and arms- it felt amazing She slid down the back of the tub so that her body was totally submerged except for her head and kneecaps. It was so warm and it calmed her stomach, she would have to remember to ask for food. She smiled as she thought about all the people she had met, she listed them in her head: Hatori, the doctor, he seemed nice underneath his mask of indifference. Shigure, perverted petifile, she decided those words described him perfectly . Momiji, her new friend, her first friend, she decided she liked him the best so far.

She sat up and grabbed a bottle of shampoo, she squeezed some into her hand and started scrubbing her hair.. I only have one week, she thought, one week with these people, one week of this feeling, one week of finally being home.

A/N: Hi everyone! How'd you like it? Well that's lovely, now if you'll put those words into a review I could actually know what you just said. D

That thing about the virus is true, I just learned it in Biology.

If you didn't guess Kia is really sick but, as you will soon learn, she doesn't like to let on to her weaknesses…at least not to people she doesn't trust(This is important info for the next chapter).

I know Kia is a car company I'm not stupid ya know? I just happen to like the name, it's fun to say.

If you haven't seen a picture of Momiji all grown up go to Borders, find the anime sections and look through the animes. It's in the one right after they meet Hatsuharu, sorry for not knowing the number.

Guess what guys! My Beta actually read this chapter before I posted it! Aren't you proud of me? Hehehe. I promise this will be a good story so please keep reading and reviewing, I love input! Wishing you pleasant nightmares and even better dreams.

HugglesKisses

Black Daisys