A/N: Hi! This is my first fanfic, so you know the drill. Please read and review! Even flames are fine, so long as you tell me why...Also, this story will have SPOILERS (muahaha) up to chapter 97 at the least, but I've read up to volume 19 so I might lose track...If you don't know who Ren is, you probably shouldn't read this. Just a word of warning, I don't have the manga (or anime) so if something's off...that's why. My beta should catch that kind of thing, but if she doesn't please let me know in a review. I am especially confused on what Shigure's editor's name is...someone tells me it's Mitsuru, and someone else tells me it's Mii...and I can't look it up! Help please!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket. Really.

Chapter 1: Beginning...

Hatori Sohma backed the car slowly out of his parking space, trying, and failing, to shut out Shigure's voice.

"Haa-san," Shigure said in his most annoying and innocent voice. "I just remembered that I was supposed to be home for my editor today. Do you think you could just drop me off…?"

Hatori's hands tightened on the steering wheel. He rolled his eyes to the ceiling as he silently counted to ten. "Why are you telling me this now?"

Shigure looked, if possible, even more innocent. "It just occurred to me now. Come on, would you really leave poor Mii-san waiting outside my house with no one to let her in?"

"I was thinking of giving her a key. That way, when you run off, she can at least take your manuscript."

Shigure gasped. "Hatori! You wouldn't! That would destroy everything I've worked for!"

Hatori turned his head slowly to stare at his friend. "That comment was too stupid to be dignified with a response."

"But Hatori." Shigure spoke with exaggerated slowness", as if explaining a difficult subject to a small child. "If I were to actually be there with the manuscript done when she arrived, Mii would start to think I'm a nice person."

"God forbid."

"So will you take me…? Please, Haa-san?"

"Don't give me that look. It might work on Tohru, or Aayme, or," he paused. "Actually, I think that's about it. But it will not work on me. Any problems between you and your editor are your responsibility, Shigure, and I am not going to help you torment her. You can use a phone and call her, though."

"YES! You just used the words 'Shigure' and 'responsibility' in the same sentence that was not commenting on my lack thereof! I win the bet!"

Hatori was rapidly losing track of the conversation. "Bet? What bet? And I was commenting on your lack of it…"

Shigure grinned happily and ignored the Dragon's last statement. "Yuki said that he bet no one could find a way to use my name and the word responsibility in the same sentence!"

"…" said Hatori.

"But I won the bet against Yuki! I am the greatest!"

"Don't get too full of yourself. Your ego is big enough as it is. And, I'm sorry to have to break it to you, Shigure, but what were the terms of this bet? For some reason I don't think Yuki was serious."

Shigure sighed dramatically. "Unfortunately, the terms of our bet were never announced. But I'm sure we will be able to reach some agreement." He stopped and looked around. "Where are we going?"

Hatori ground his teeth. "To the pharmacy, I told you this before. I need to pick up some medicine for Akito that I have run low on. And before you ask, I will not drop you off at your house to torment your editor. Tohru and the others can take care of her until you get back."

"Why are you taking me to the pharmacy?" Shigure whined. "I don't want to go to the pharmacy!"

"You asked to come with me."

"But that was because you were going to visit Aaya in his shop first!"

"So you should have stayed there."

"Haa-saaaaan!

"I can let you out right here if you prefer."

Shigure sat back in his seat and pretended to pout.

Hatori sighed. "For heaven's sake, Shigure."

The Dog smiled. "You had better keep your eyes on the road, Haa-san."

Exasperated, Hatori turned his eyes back to the front. Conversations with Shigure were rarely simple and always required his complete attention. This was not available while he was driving. He shuddered to think about what would have happened if Ayame had been in the car with them. Horrors.

"Hatori, I have need of your cell phone." Shigure said in his best "I'm important" voice.

Hatori looked up, distracted. "What?"

"Your phone. Mii has been at the house for about an hour right now. I need to call and tell her that she will see me soon. You know how she gets when we're separated…"

"She has been there for one hour? You left that poor woman there for one hour? Have you no shame? Ritsu is staying with you today!"

"I am making her a stronger person." This comment lost all respectability when paired with Shigure's wide grin.

"A 'stronger person?' Whenever I see her she is trying to commit suicide on your porch or sobbing at your feet. And how can you keep smiling like that when you torment her?"

"It's part of her job to deal with people like me."

"I sincerely hope there are no other people like you. And I don't ever remember hearing that dealing with idiots is part of an editor's job description."

"Now it is," Shigure answered happily.

"Is your manuscript even finished?"

"Well…"

Hatori closed his eyes briefly and turned back to the road. Of course Shigure hadn't finished it yet. Yuki was right, the words "responsibility" and "Shigure" could not be used in the same sentence without being mutually exclusive. It occurred to Hatori that he should probably send Mii a gift basket or something. Shigure certainly wouldn't, and maybe if the editor thought someone cared that she put up with Shigure, she would stop trying to kill herself on the porch. After a moment's consideration, Hatori dismissed the idea. Mii was too far gone.

The car stopped at a red light and Hatori dug quickly in his pocket. "Here," he said, tossing the phone to Shigure. "Call your editor. And be sure to apologize for making her wait yet again…"

"Of course." Shigure stared at the phone for a moment. "What is Mii's phone number?"

Hatori made up his mind right then and there that he was going to ignore everything Shigure said from that point on.

Thankfully, the light turned green at that moment. Hatori stepped on the gas almost the second it change and the car suddenly moved forward. Out of the corner of his eye, Hatori saw Shigure's eyes widen.

"Hatori!" He managed to say, half a second before the second car smashed into them. Then there came a sharp, blinding pain, before the world disintegrated into blackness.