Tohru stood in the kitchen, just paused, and looked around. Nothing much had changed since the last time she stood in the kitchen, except perhaps the little pile of trash that had been hastily swept into the corner. At least they tried, and that was what made Tohru smile.

"So the princess thinks our housekeeping efforts are all in vain, huh?" Yuki ducked his head under the hangings and looked around. "You should have seen it last week, you would have cried."

"No thank you!" She laughed and went to open the fridge, "I'm going to make soba tonight!" Yuki beat her to the handle.

"Trust me, you don't want to look in there."

"Yuki-kun, don't be silly, I have to know what you have stocked before I…" she paused, her mouth hanging open as the overwhelming sight of left over take out boxes greeted her. "Yuki… is this all you eat?"

"Umm…"

"She looked at me like that the first time I suggested ordering pizza." Michael laughed as he walked over to shut the refrigerator. "Just nod your head, look perplexed, and she'll feel so sorry for you she'll cook forever."

"Well, its not healthy!" Tohru protested, "I'm going to go get some groceries, I want that crap out of the fridge before I get back!" she turned her back on the wayward appliance and stalked out of the room.

"She just said…"

"What?"

"She just said "crap"." Yuki looked at the shiny white door, and back toward the hallway.

"Yeah, I know, it still creeps me out, and I haven't known her for half the time you have. She started hanging out with the ceramics students, and her language has been deteriorating ever since. She said "shit" yesterday." Yuki looked at Michael, who grinned pleasantly back.

"Maybe I should go with her…"

"Go on, I'll clear this "crap" out." He pulled a box out and looked around for the trash can.

"It's buried in the corner." Yuki told him before leaving.

"Ah… she said I reminded her of some people she knew…" He went to the corresponding cupboard, remembering where she put all his stuff when she demanded on cleaning his apartment, found the trash bags and pulled one out. "I can see the similarities."

"Oh, Tohru, I must say, you've outdone yourself!" Shigure snapped his chopsticks apart and dove headfirst into the noodles. Tears actually escaped his lids as he close his eyes in a thankful moan.

"Thanks Shigure-sensei."

"Why oh why did you leave us little Tohru, here by ourselves? Three men who don't know salt for the sugar? Oh well… que sera sera." He shrugged and heaped more noodles into his gaping open mouth. Both Yuki and Kyo ate steadily, ignoring their older cousin with a determination that fascinated Michael. He smiled as Tohru caught his eye, he had never gotten the hang of using chopsticks, so he used a fork, speared a piece of some kind of root, and ate happily.

"Now I see what you mean by fresh ingredients Tohru, this stuff is great whatever you used back home, but this time it's even better!"

"Thanks Michael."

"So when are you two going to get married?" Shigure asked out of the blue.

Silence greeted his pleased smirk.

"Umm…" Michael looked over at Tohru, who was blinking in confusion, then over to the other two. Their shoulders were stiff, both had wide eyes, and frozen twitches in the corners of their mouths. "Tohru, I take it you didn't mention…"

"I'm soooo sorry! I thought I did!" she squealed, "its all my fault! I'm soooo sorry!"

"Tohru! Don't freak out! Deep breaths remember!" Michael grabbed her arm and forced her to sit back down. "Just tell them now." He rubbed her back, noting how it made Kyo's shoulders stiffer he forced back a smirk.

"Oh… ok…" Tohru took two deep breaths and smiled brightly, "Michaels my brother!"

"Well, apparently Tohru and I had the same father. Her father went to New York to study and hooked up with my mom, but before she found out she was pregnant he had graduated and gone back to Japan. They had agreed to stay friends, and when my mother was trying to write him a letter to tell him the news, he met Tohru's mom and fell in love. My mom decided not to tell him about me, so he never knew. When Tohru and I met at school I invited her back to spend the Christmas holiday with my mom and me, back in New York. She saw a picture of him and we ferreted out the connection."

"That is amazing." Kyo and Yuki had relaxed a lot after Tohru's outburst, Michael watched both, realizing they both had designs on his little sister.

"What a coincidence, oh well, que sera sera!"

"You really like that saying don't you?" Michael laughed.

"He adores it." Tohru laughed.

"Well, this is quite a surprise for a nightcap. I think I'll go finish up some work. Goodnight kids." He left, but poked his head back in, "And let me repeat how nice it has been to have met you Michael."

"Looney." Kyo muttered when the older Sohma had left.

"I don't know, he just seems like the kind who enjoys teasing others. Not in a bad way though." Michael tilted his head, this time both Yuki and Kyo frowned, realizing that Tohru did that too. In fact, seeing both of them sided by side the cousins couldn't imagine how they couldn't spot the similarities.

Brown hair and brown eyes weren't unusual, but the way they tilted their heads and smiled gently, like they knew something you didn't, had an eerie sameness to them. Long limbs and creamy skin, and the aura of goofy clumsiness were the same also.

"You two do kinda look alike."

"I know!" Michael laughed, "Just imagine what my friends where thinking! Gerald couldn't believe I'd never told him I had a sister!"

"Yeah, he even threatened to leave you for me!" Tohru and Michael each leaned on their hands with their elbows resting on the table as they laughed.

"TOHRU!" an exited voice rang through the house as they heard the front door slam open. "You're here!" the living room door slid open to reveal a tall, thin, blond. He jumped up and threw open his arms. Michael had just a moment to register the boy was wearing pink before a loud poof exploded and a cloud emerged from the vicinity of Tohrus lap. When the smoke cleared, not only was the pink and frilly shirt still in evidence, but a long yellow rabbit was being hugged tightly in Tohru's arms.

"Momiji!" she giggled. Then she looked back at Michael as if to introduce him, "Oh… crap."